IMPORTANT: New Board Code Update: Thread Display

I've voiced my views, I hope there's not too much fall-out.

I don't like this new bar.

I've read every post in this thread, and I agree with Rockpuck and anxietydisorder.
Not meaning to be rude or anything, and I really really do appreciate the amount of effort and work the admin puts into this site . . . but this post bar just seems to negitate the reason of having a post bar anyway.
I don't judge members on their bars. Just the other day I read some random post somewhere from a 1 day old member and added them to my friends list because I thought it was a great post.

I loved watching my bar grow from gray to red over the couple of years I've been coming here, and watching it inch past the 'P', the 'T', the 'S', and finally the whole word 'Points'. Now, to do that again, I'll have to be a member for upwards of a decade, it would seem, at my post rate per day. Pity.

I really don't think this is an 'improvement' of ATS. And I know the admin don't like me very much, but there are a fair few other members, judging by this thread, that don't like it either.

Will we ever see the old post bar again?

Originally posted by watch_the_rocks

Will we ever see the old post bar again?

I don't want to speak for SO but I will say that he has explained that the old bar is slowing down ATS.
This isn't change for the sake of change.
Applause information is still available on the profile page.

www.abovetopsecret.com...
It says that you have received 25 of them.

Originally posted by watch_the_rocks
I don't like this new bar.

I've read every post in this thread, and I agree with Rockpuck and anxietydisorder.

Hem, should I be insulted I was'nt mentioned, considering I said the
same thing, just in fewer words?


Anyways, I like the old bar, it held lots of information, and was easily
accessible, like if I want to see how many posts someone, I'd just hover
over the bar, and I'd know, or, on the rare occasions I wanted to see
how many applauses someone had, all I had to do was two simple clicks.

Now, if I want to know how many posts they have, I have to go to there
expanded profile, which honestly is really annoying and time consuming.
And I don't even know how many applauds someone has.

And I have to agree, the whole bar being longer and/or shaded red was
an incentive for people.

Plus, the new one really is ugly.

See where we gettin' at!!!..?
All the extra information in the profile are GONE now.

Someone gonna bring Skeptic flowers ...and Belgian beer NOW!!

Originally posted by khunmoon
See where we gettin' at!!!..?
All the extra information in the profile are GONE now.

I can see them fine.
Last Visit: March 20, 2007
Threads Started: 118
Total Replies: 1,261
Total Views: 38,783
Post Count: 785
Applause: 36
Flagged: 261 times

Are you looking at profiles through BTS or AP maybe?
ATS usually gets the code changes first. I don't think the changes have been moved to the other domains yet.

Sorry, I was in belowtopsecret when I accessed my profile.

Anyway, no matter what you guys think, Skeptic is the only one who really knows how the joints and bolts of ATS works, so...
Please show a little respect to the one who knows better.

I like the new bar as it shows you how many posts it took to get to the current color. The profile stats are neat too.

I liked the old bar, but for me, it's just an ego thing....

The fact is that when you are in someones else's house you shouldn't complain about they way they decorate it or arrange the furniture.

While we might feel at home here, ATS is someone else's house.

Originally posted by sardion2000
I like the new bar as it shows you how many posts it took to get to the current color. The profile stats are neat too.

From what I understand, the amoutn of posts does'nt change the colour,
if you look at those with few posts, that have tiny bars, they are red, it's
just part of the ugly graphic.

Originally posted by chissler

I think this is the greatest asset of this new bar. For the obvious reasons. Now, as a member, we are forced to actually read the posts of members and decide their worth. In my days as a member, I was lucky enough to receive enough Applauses to break the old post bar. I mean, I don't kid myself for a second to think I'm in the same realm as half of this board when it comes to worthy posts. I read some of the material from new members with a glowing gray bar, and a lot of it goes unnoticed. I think some members may pass over a post or two, because the member is supporting a miniscule gray bar. With this new one, we are on one level and everyone is an equal. Our posts speak for themselves, and the bar will not speak for ourselves anymore.

This was what I was to say chissler as well on the topic of post bars except you said it better than I would have.

But you cant get a WATS for it now can ya!

Though I wasn`t in the shoes of those with many applauds , so I can only sympathize with them on their, what must seem a loss I guess.

Though it should only be seen as an indicator of quality not a guarantee of it,anyway.(sorry,its hard to word)

SO
I have only experienced the flashing u2u button that took a little bit of fiddling with to stop it, so far.


[edit on 20-3-2007 by gps777]

...you used an upper case letter. Must be lower case in tags.

I need to jump on the "grab your torches and drag the admin out of town"-bandwagon as well... Yes, the new - very informative - member profiles are nice and all, and the new changes ensure that they will be "used" (for how long?). But the new post bars feel a bit... pointless. Excuse the pun. I understand how comparing everyone's post count to the highest post count will ensure that the post bar never "breaks"... But it can actually work "against" me and many other members. Say the member with the most posts, post 5 posts (that's confusing) every day. And I post only 3 posts every day, it means that my post bar will become shorter... I will have to compare myself with the highest poster all the time, i.e. I'm in a posting competition with the highest poster, if I want to see my post bar grow...

Does the "new and improved" postbar tell me anything? No. It just tells me that no person posted as much as the "highest poster".

Then secondly I must agree that I miss the postbar colour as well. I was working towards being in the "Black Postbar Club"... Who are we kidding? Everyone likes a bit of recognition myself included. Everyone knew that a person with a black bar or a "very red" bar worked hard to get that far, thus they earned a bit of respect. Now, everyone is equal... Yes. It can be a good thing. For sure. But what's my (or anyone else’s) incentive to post quality posts now? Will people remember my posts and "respect" me because of a previous thread? I want to work towards something, and I'm sure everyone else wants the same. A goal. Right now, we're all just posting and posting and posting ad infinitum, never really achieving something on ATS?

Sure I can look at someone’s profile and see, “Oh, he’s got 1,000 applauses”, but what does it tell me (or perhaps a new member)… Is 1,000 applauses good or bad? What’s the average? Etc.

Well? Anyone going to offer me some cheese and crackers with my whine?

Edit: Spelling

[edit on 20-3-2007 by Gemwolf]

I do agree the length of the bar could probably be calculated in a more fair way using some statistics equations rather than a simple ratio to the highest poster. Something using standard deviations and stuff. I don't know if that functionality is available in PHP though, or how it would affect speed.

Plus it'd probably be more work than it's worth.


edit:

I wonder how difficult it'd be to just do a percentile rank, like the bar would be at 75% full if you've posted more than 75% of other members, rather than 75% of the top poster?

[edit on 3/20/2007 by djohnsto77]


[edit on 3/20/2007 by djohnsto77]

Originally posted by khunmoon
...you used an upper case letter. Must be lower case in tags.

Oh! so I did.

I`ll fix it.

oops,cheers.

Originally posted by Gemwolf
Well? Anyone going to offer me some cheese and crackers with my whine?

I will,I`ll also put the kettle on if in case you would prefer a cuppa.

I get what your saying Gemwolf,like if all someone did was say post in the 3 word story on BTS, their post bar will not reflect effort or quality.


Edit to add

Damn it,I just saw that friend or foe shows up on my own posts,so I clicked myself as my foe,being that we are usually our own worst enemies or as worthy adversary,but it dosen`t show in my profile.



[edit on 20-3-2007 by gps777]

Originally posted by Gemwolf
Say the member with the most posts, post 5 posts (that's confusing) every day. And I post only 3 posts every day, it means that my post bar will become shorter... I will have to compare myself with the highest poster all the time, i.e. I'm in a posting competition with the highest poster, if I want to see my post bar grow...

Well, the fact that mine after all have a length (no matter how modest) should then tell the fact in the 6 months I've been on the board I've posted that more than the highest poster has... if it work that way.

If it does, it would also mean that somebodies bars might disappear completely. Haven't seen that yet. Except for the applause it tells the same ...just in an other scale. Get over the phallos syndrome, folks.

As for the black bar I've always thought it to be rather non-informative. Now you'll have learn a little about members by going to their profile if you want applause information. That's good I think.

Originally posted by khunmoon

Now you'll have learn a little about members by going to their profile if you want applause information.

Wow, I didn't know this. A new feature, cool! Total views: 665,666 times I had no idea! ATS is getting better every time I log on! Thanks SO

Well, I may no longer be able to get a black bar of doom, but I still want 110 applauses. Only 87 to go.....

Could be difficult to get the bar any longer though.

Originally posted by gps777
I get what your saying Gemwolf,like if all someone did was say post in the 3 word story on BTS, their post bar will not reflect effort or quality.

Exactly. Currently all the postbar tells me about a person's ability to produce quantity. Which really doesn't tell me much about anyone. There's really nothing to it to roll out the posts.