Project "ATS Dark Matter" -- The Evolution Continues...

The front page looks really good I like it a lot....I still need me glasses on to read though, OH well

Do my Avi fit in here ?

Absolutely breathtaking....

I like the new look it is cool, bonus it is easier to read and easier to find things.
great job guys ATS never looked better!

I like the way you added the darkest, dark, light,lightest option, the new design kiks @$$!

sorry but this guy summed it up the best:

quote: Originally posted by Voxel
This "redesign" is exactly the reason you don't let highschool kids near photoshop. Look, there are exactly TWO (2) and only two types of sites on the internet that should get black backgrounds: band sites and artsy "Look I Can Draw" sites.

Those sites both have one thing in common: very little text. Those sites are made to LOOK at so the black background is a benefit (the eye is focused on the pictures.)

Sites that are 99.6% text like news and forum sites (and ATS) should never, ever get a dark background. Do the kids playing with photoshop behind the scenes know why sites like CNN, NYT, Google, or even review sites have light colored or mostly white backgrounds? Do they know why, way back in 2001, sites like arstechnica.com moved from a black background to a white one?

The answer is because they are sites meant to be READ and not just viewed.

Instead of sitting down and trying to make a "cool" site design, first just just think about what this site's purpose is (information, discussion) and make a functional site design first.

it looks good but I agree....sites that are meant to be read usually do better when they are bright....plus wen they are dark it hurts the eyes.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
... we don't have a partitioned sandbox area to refine designs before launch...

Well, that's kinda what I'm getting at SO. It would seem at this point in the game that that might be a good idea to have. A separate small server with duplicate site code and a very small portion of the actual ATS database. A small sample of what what new changes will look like and how they will function. Essentially, a beta test server. And then invite a cross section of staff and members to check it out behind the scenes, to work out any bugs and get intial feedback. I'm sure many members would gladly participate, and it would help reduce posts from pesky TrueAmericans that seem to have nothing but frustrating criticism to deliver before all your changes are made.

It would stand to reason that you are posting this thread for opinions on the matter- otherwise you guys would just make the changes, and to hell with member opinion. But am I now not to voice opinion anymore out of fear that you are going to be frustrated by my response? It was NOT with that intent, SO. It was simply because your color changes made it difficult for me read the site. And you still didn't answer my intial question! WHY did you feel it necessary to revamp all the colors? Were you getting complaints? Couldn't you have implemented all the new forum groupings and icons without changing the color scheme of the rest of the site so drastically?

But btw, the 4 shading options are good, and the lightest helped me considerably to see contrast between text and background. It seems to retain that setting as well, so I am not sure why Shots is suggesting it as an option in settings, when it is already doing that. At least for me.

Well if you guys don't like the dark so much, why don't you just choose the lighest option for the page?

I just spotted that too, helps a fair bit and i wasn't even complaining about it.

What's the U2U prompt look like?

Peace

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
but some posts seem to be more bashing and criticism which tends to just be frustrating (most in another thread).

Let it be, let it be, its going to be criticism no matter what due to the fact that one of the most encouraged topics here is to freedom of speech.

No everybody can be pleased and happy, I am getting use of the dark colors and I bet everybody else will also get use to it eventually.

Just keep on going with the change as planned and I imagine that the resulting product will be to everybody's satisfaction.

Or else they can just shut up and take it of leave it.

I have to say that the whole affair looks significantly better here at home on my laptop than it did on the CRT at work.

Plus, the darkerst, dark etc. choice on the thread screens are a huge step forward.

Thanks

The site does not look bad, I don't mind the color, but several aspects are missing in this new version, please add the relgular threads update with the threads subject only, in the curent vers... you have to scrool down to see all the topics because there is the subject + the post of who ever posts last, it use to be more practical showing only the subjects of the thread because you could see them with one blink of an eye in stead of scrooling down and looking at it, in stead of thinking what thread is intresting now every one has to click on"all 20" and look on what is being posted.

Thanks for letting me know that this is still ATS....I was worried I "accidently" landed at Hustler.com......

Originally posted by Dr Love
What's the U2U prompt look like?

Peace

Like this.

Originally posted by Umbrax
Like this.

Now that is snazzy.

Thanks Umbrax.

NP
and thank you SkepticOverlord.

I does look pretty damn good. Can we add some kind of air raid siren to go along with the U2U prompt since it's off the right side of the screen?

Peace

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
A separate small server with duplicate site code and a very small portion of the actual ATS database. A small sample of what what new changes will look like and how they will function.

That would be optimum, but our current budget simply doesn't allow such luxury. All available hardware is focused on servicing the sites... and there're precious little free space/cycles.

Someday we'll have a development sandbox, but it's likely still some time off.

And you still didn't answer my intial question! WHY did you feel it necessary to revamp all the colors?

Change is good... change for the better is best.

The most important first step of the redesign is the new site home page, the rest is relatively cosmetic to maintain the them established by the home page throughout the rest of the site(s).

The new home establishes a different way of thinking of how to provide entry into a massive discussion board. It was important to rethink that, and devise a solution (according to our webstats, there was significant abandonment for new users who's first visit is the site home).

I must say, this site looks overly sexy now. I love it.