How Do You Take Your ATS?

I don't know about anyone else, but I've noticed a pattern in the way I read threads here on ATS. I'm wondering if there are others who feel similarly, or completely differently.

When I come to ATS usually the first place I go is to myATS to see if there are replies discussions I'm subscribed to. Then, after I've read / replied (as applicable), I usually go to the front page to see what the top topics are. If nothing catches my eye (new and/or interesting), then I will go to 'recent' to look for the trending stuff. I will usually stay on this page for a while scanning all the way down, while periodically refreshing. Usually it doesn't take long to find an topic I have some interest in / input for. Then it's time to wade into the thread itself.

Reading threads also seems to have a pattern to it. I usually read the 1st post, and then the replies on the first couple of pages to see what direction the thread is going. From there, I usually jump to the last page to see what the latest status on the thread is. If the latest status is dramatically different than the beginning then I set about reading all the pages in between to see how it has evolved. If the end of the thread is just rehashing the beginning I'll post if I have something constructive to add or just move along to another thread.

If a thread is topic driven I'm usually looking at it from a topic perspective (well, I'm always doing this anyway), but there are times depending on the author of the OP (or the participants) where I will pay attention to what a certain person is saying, actively looking for that author's posts throughout the thread. There are some really great contributors here on ATS, moderators and members alike. It doesn't really take long to figure out who these individuals are and I often follow their posts (sometimes even regardless of topic) because I might, and often do, learn something.

I'm curious if this same way of looking at ATS resonates with others.

I take my ATS with a grain of salt...
2nd

a reply to: jheated5

Just a grain???

I take mine with a great big ol' block of rock salt sometimes!!!

a reply to: jheated5

Haha! Indeed!

I tend to gravitate to New topics first as far as replies. I'll read the Top ones, but don't usually respond unless I feel like I really have something profound to offer. Once the topic gets so many pages, I don't feel the need to add more. I hardly check my replies because I rarely get any. Sometimes I have a message in my inbox, since I chat with a few members on a semi regular basis. Mostly, I just read and comment in my head!

II take ATS with a thick skin and sense of humour. Try not to get too serious, which I fail at. I try not to get into fights with chimney sweeps either

I go straight to Recent. See what topics strike my fancy, and giggle at some of them.

When I've scrolled all the way down, I check My Subscribed threads.
Then I check for replies to my posts.

With a mug of Rooibos tea.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

The Live page is my internet homepage mainly because I can see all the new posts as well as the most popular (flagged) over the current 24hrs. Equally important is the recent column because therein lies some really good posts threads I may never have seen and stem back from before I joined.

I also open myATS for the business board and Questions thread (one of my favourite) and I open the upload page because I tend to post a lot of images too.

So, as a minimum I have 3 tabs open usually.

When I read a thread, I normally read the entire thing before posting because when I first joined I found myself reading just the OP and then posting my opinion, then reading the thread just to discover I parroted what others had already said.

For me, I want my contribution to count so if it's already been stated, I'll star that post and continue.

I flag every thread (except insane trolling) I read because I want members to come away knowing that their effort was not in vain and that someone appreciated what they had to say - even if I vehemently disagree with it's contents.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

One word: Live.
Neatly displays the newest 10 posts (great for getting the first reply), 10 recent posts getting replies as well as the current top 10 flagged recent posts (the best part) all easy to see and skim on one page and great for staying current.
I got sick of the front page after seeing NLBS hold top spot for over a month solid, and I only check it to see the top-top posts, as they disappear from Live when their flag count gets high enough.

Bookmark This!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

That resonates with me so much!

I usually go to new, then recent, then back to threads that I really find interesting. I read those for awhile.
I search up some of my favorite posters and see what they've commented on lately...

If something particular has struck my fancy that day like say...missing persons or paris or ghosts or paranormal, I will search those up.

Going to the forums section and then scrolling through to find the most recent threads seems a little "clunky" to me so, I usually search. Sometimes I find a gem of a thread I knew nothing about, then I look up at the clock and it's been two hours and four pots of coffee! LOL

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Live has both recent and new topics listed on one page as well as current top topics.
Quick and easy, in my opinion the best idea this site's ever had.
11/10 would recommend.

If you use mobile, just Google ATS Live or add live.php after the '/' in the address bar.
It unfortunately doesn't appear on the menu on mobile.

a reply to: Sublimecraft

Yes, I also like the Live page. I keep forgetting to use that one.

It's probably as useful as Recent if not more so.

edit...you know, I just learned something. I didn't realize Live was only the past 24 hours. I guess that's why I didn't use it more. I thought it was all time.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
1. MyATS, the bookmark. For monitoring my own threads, mainly, and checking for new threads on my usual forums.
2. Replies to own posts.
3. Check messages if icon lit. Otherwise check later, at some point, because somebody might have sent a message and then re-read it (which turns off the notification).
4. Recent posts to find other new threads.
Nearly any thread I look at will be new and fairly short (probably started overnight), so a quick survey of the whole is usually feasible.

First I'll go to 'live' posts. Then when I like a subject I usually read every entry. Dunno why, it's like watching a film, I don't want to miss good posts that people put effort in writing.
I often forget to check replies to my own posts. When I'm done reading, I'll leave. Very rarely do I go to 'recent' etc and I almost never go to the follow ups, even though I flagged a thread. I mean to read them but I never do. Out of sight out of mind I reckon.

I use ATS to gauge up general opinions about breaking news or use it to read when eating [hence I'll read all posts when it is interesting].

I love that different opinions can be discussed on here as it gives me something to think about [I have sometimes changed my opinion about something due to the excellent evidence ATS users sometimes give and which you can't find on biased websites].

However if ever certain views will one day be censored, I am outta here because the beauty of ATS is that you can have an opinion as long as you word it in an educated way. Unfortunately censorship has crept in a little.
It seems to be ok to insult people with unpopular opinions [calling them the 'r' or the 'b' word and slag them off-because they are the 'baddies'] but people with unpopular opinions do not have the same privilege, as their posts are often removed when doing the same, all in the name of PC-ness.

Lets keep ATS civil but diverse, it is still one of the best websites out there.


P.S.:
I have only one gripe about ATS though, and that is the difficulty in posting images.
I'd post far more if it was possible to do so straight from the net with 'copy and paste'.
For me [maybe I'm doing it wrong], I have to save the image on my computer, open my photo hosting website, download the image to that site, copy the URL, then go to ATS, download it, and then I often have difficulties locating it amongst all those available pages before being able to insert into the post. I may be a bit dense in that area but that is too much work.

[If anyone can teach me how to do it simpler I'd be much obliged ]

a reply to: Hecate666

That sounds like a lot of steps for a photo.
I just go to upload and then browse and it "pulls" it straight off of my computer.

I'm going to do that again, I'm pretty sure that is all that I do...


Upload, upload, select files, that's it...

Hope that helps?

I generally start with "new". Like getting in on the conversations early.

By the time things get to the front page, everything has already been said.

a reply to: Hecate666

Just use the BBcode. If the picture is already hosted somewhere you can just copy and paste if you use that code, but you have to C&P the whole URL which can easily be found with Properties. Just watch for copyright infringements.

edit...I can't type the code because the website tries to act on the code I typed (as you can see above). I'll use parenthesis instead...

The code is (img) (/img), but just use the square brackets, not parenthesis.

edit...dang it!!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I always start with New Topics and will read anything that takes my fancy. I tend to avoid Science type threads, simply because it's not something that interests me but otherwise I am open to reading about anything. I always read from the beginning of a thread, I never go to the end but do sometimes give up after pages and pages of the same types of comments. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing people make the same comment over and over, simply because they haven't read the full thread.

I usually read ATS on my phone before bed so often don't reply to threads, however, I don't usually feel like I have anything important to add so stay quiet. If I do reply, I tend to stick to replying to safe threads (like this) where you can't be attacked for your opinion.

If there's not much in the New Topics section, I might go to Recent. Then I delve into some of the forum topics that I am interested in or do a search on something. I think I have pretty much exhausted past threads but sometimes you can come across a nice gem.

Scally

Always My ATS first then New topics. And I always use the dark style for the site. Makes it look cooler and more mysterious.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

3 spoonfuls of sugar, a dollop of milk, 4 drops of vanilla extract and lots of caffeine!

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I like my ATS with four sugars and a splash of cream.

Recent posts most of the time, and something unusual or lighthearted.
Sometimes I'll tackle the tough ones, but really I'm here for the strange and unusual.

On rare occasions I'll head down to the basement files via the search feature and just read up.

I also like the "dark mode" as I have a bit of a light sensitivity.

Order up!