The "ATS 2010" Project: The Creative Look & Feel of ATS.

I'm an "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" kinda guy.

Love what you have here now.

Maybe it's just because I've been here for a while and I don't respond to change easily...

But it's probably going to make me super upset and irritable for a bit.

However, I trust you, Bill. And I know *wince* it will be for the best, eventually, if you think so.

[edit on 1/5/2010 by ravenshadow13]

I would love to see a simplified and more logical DOM. Propper id tags, classes and an optional css override option for privileged users (ATS Point store) to organize and structure the site as they see fit.

I personally find myself refreshing and loading this massive site every 10 minutes or so, which is a decent download sum. Ajax would also levy some of this server strain.

Also, I have stated it numerous times on this forum, but I'd love to see a usable chat system. However, that's a whole other bag of worms, as the forum itself sometimes has trouble with being maintained. I can't imagine the staff needed to ban/kick/unvoice various users on a more immediate basis. However, the long term effects would limit un-necessary threads from even being created.

I would like to suggest a new piece of functionality if I may? Within 'My ATS', the facility to jump to the last page you read within a post would be useful, especially when returning to read a post the following day.

The hallmark of success is to keep adapting, ever improving therefore I salute everyone who contributes to this great site!

Personally I like ATS the way it is. Out of all the sites I visit I find ATS the easiest to navigate. So many other sites are clustered with too much on the page and it gets confusing...the only thing I would like on ATS is to be able to go directly to you post on a thread without having to go through the pages to find your post. I know there is a time on it but sometimes it takes forever if it's a long post.
IMDB.com is a site that does this and it makes it easy to respond to posts also a feature that maybe notifies you when someone comments on your post. If this feature exists I dont know where to find it but if it does that would be great! Other than those minor things I find ATS great the way it is..

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


I remeber the days here when the background was light and the text was dark. When you changed to current color scheme format, ( dark background, light text ), I fell in love with it. IMHO, it's great, please don't change that element.

Take a look at: WWW.VISIONAFAR.COM

i pretty much like it the way it is and wouldn't like to see any major changes to what we already have. i especially like the dark background and light text here.

i personally don't like the shade of blue that runs down each side of the screen and maybe some of the graphics could be more spacey or fantastic, otherwise, i'm with the 'don't fix what isn't broke' crowd.

I kind of find this thread a bit hypocritical.

Reasons being. Telling people that they need to ask permission before posting links or advertising other forums here in this thread www.abovetopsecret.com...

But here you are asking what layouts of websites including forums that members like, therefore, I feel is an easy way to steal others ideas that they have come up with themselves.

Well, I love the site the way it is but that's because I'm an old dog however, I also like new tricks.

Color= The blacks, dark grays and charcoal are perfect for the type of site ATS is. Don't change that!

The Buttons= I do know that to make the site load faster you need the lightest way of making buttons, however what would be cool is more of a 3d effect in the graphics. Easier to do with the darker colors also.

Logos= Again, maybe a cooler affect more of a 3d or deeper appearance.

The little guys= maybe some new ones, I like some of the ones on BTS

You know, I would love to know without having to go to someone profile only to find it blank at least what part of the world they are in. maybe modify the mini profiles with a bit more info. Just a thought (small something burning LOL ) Kinda like if you want an Avatar you must fill out the mini profile info.

Well, I really love ATS and been coming around for years. I remember being a member maybe 7 years ago ( Skeptical Believer ). I also think we have decent community right now and the problems associated with some people are setting down due to everybody kicking in when needed.

Hope that helped :-)

I really like this design...its clean, easy to read and looks real if that makes sense. I like ATS as it is as well but would never argue that something new is bad. Thanks!

www.twilightemerald.com.au...

I think ATS already looks awesome. It is a complex site but quite easy to navigate around.

I hope whatever changes planned will not lead to the loss of access to the entire catalogue of discussions, particularly of the 9/11 incident.

If I had a wish list for ATS, it would include access to every post I have ever made on the site through a linkable numerical index. I believe that every post is numerically indexed at the moment, but I would like a spot in each Member's Tools section that would contain that list, for the member, as a linkable tool.

Other than that, in my view it is the best site of it's kind on the web. As Paul Newman once put it, in another context, "Why go out for hamburger when you can get steak at home?"

Edit: How about more and wackier smilies?

[edit on 6-1-2010 by ipsedixit]

reply to post by ipsedixit


"Member Tools" in the top toolbar -- "member profile"

On your profile you can access all your posts from the link at the top that says "posts" which is in between the words "PROFILE" and "threads".

Hope that helps.

To Skeptic Overlord..here is a LINK to undoubtedly one of the finest looking, best layed out and most navigatable sites I know of. Implementing it would cost NOTHING and would take no time at all.

Good luck

[edit on 6/1/2010 by nerbot]

While it is a good thing that one can flag a thread and star individual posts it is only a measure of how many like-minded people have bothered to make their feelings about a particular thread or post known.

What I would really like is a system linked to my list of friends.

What do they think of a thread or post?

Something in the way of points out of 5 where 3 is center of the scale, combined with what number of your friends have voted.

Mind you - this system is not to superseed or take the place of the current system, but we really need a way of disapproving of a post or thread without having to resort to posting opinions that might be ill-phrased at the time of clicking "Submit".

I dont really have a suggestion to make about how to change. But when u do change it, dont make it too much. Not something would take too long to load. 3D would be cool. Or some kind of flash layout. Just as long as load time isnt to long. Not everyone has a nice computer or a fast internet. And getting a new computer is important now that everything is goin 3D.
And we do need more little emoticons.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord



This site seems to pack alot of content into a small easy to access format. Its a little slow on my machine but see what you think!

www.cooliris.com...

Make sure to hit the launch button after the site loads

[edit on 1/6/2010 by MagnumOverDrive]

As far as looks and functionality are concerned can I suggest that the "Keep it simple" method should be core to all the changes.

As a newbie I remember how difficult it was to learn all the functions, commands and tabs when I first arrived.

Functionality and simplicity should be the key to making the ATS site understandable, useable and logical.

I might also suggest a member blog where those who have many comments or are spercific subject verified could be used to feed the advertisements.

I hope my suggestions are viable and not too off the wall.

Easiest web site to use I think is Bebo if only for the ability to customize it.


Respects

I actually think the overall look of the site is pretty good for the subject matter. I don't like some of the specific navigation stuff (I think it's hard to learn your way around at first) but I assume that's a later issue.

The only thing I'd change is that I don't like how the site looks if you come as a non-member. It's been a while, but I remember how much nicer it was to first come as a logged-in member and get to see avatars and stuff (not to mention a lot fewer ads). It was a real surprise too. I know I'm the exception, I only signed up because I wanted to play a game and got into participating later. But I'm probably not the only non-hardcore-conspiracy-theorist who would have been more likely to sign up if the site looked nicer to non-members.

Originally posted by intothelight
The little guys=

maybe some new ones, I like some of the ones on BTS

I'm pretty sure the BTS ones work on ATS too, you just need to know the bbcode for them. Here for example is pbjtime (just put colons around the word pbjtime in your post):

[edit on 1/6/2010 by americandingbat]

Originally posted by whatukno
I'm an "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" kinda guy.

Love what you have here now.

My sentiments exactly.

Color scheme of black and purple would be awesome. I have seen sites in the past with these colors and they are stunning!

I might be plain jane but I just like Drudge report's layout. Clean, simple, fast, to the point, updated regularly.