ATS, BTS, What would you like to see in the future?

A better implementation of real time chat. Right now it's as plain as it gets really and there always seems to be problems with it. Maybe I'll look for something more specific than "better", if I get a chance.

Besides that.. some boards have features where you can bet points on things, buy new features, perhaps use them to get an ATS blog? Seeing as many people just get blogs and let them rot, it might be an idea to enforce a 100k buy-in then requirement to maintain 50k in the bank sort of thing.

Setting up a multi-user wordpress app isn't hard. Then let's say once you buy-in, ATS puts a banner on it, or you could pay an additional 5k points to remove it for a month or something. That way ATS either gets income from banner ads to pay for the blog space or else the content that the user creates in posting on ATS brings in visitors through searches in which case those new users view the banners on the main site.

maybe somebody can help me. I'm looking for the Last BTS mix show last part where they make Obama say the f word. I just want this part to share with all my friends who don't Subscribe to BTS or ATS Mix. If anybody can email me and leave a link or a download, I would appreciate your efforts.

Also If you need info on trains, or have subject on train, please let me be your guy. I love the Clickety clack vehicles alot. Just please give me at least 48 hr notice if you just want my opinion on any ATS or BTS threads that have to do with Trains. LOL

reply to post by sirbikesalot06

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All of the ATS/BTS shows are in the ATS Mix forum, located via the link below:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

I would like to suggest a "social issues" sub-category, perhaps in the current events forum.

reply to post by schrodingers dog

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We did have a Social Issues forum on PTS, but it was lumped with other things when PTS went away. It was my favorite forum, and GradyPhilpott did a great job running it.

www.abovepolitics.com...

I don't know which forum it's part of now though.


[edit on 12/9/08 by enjoies05]

Dear Santa,

I have been a good boy this year. I entered 20 articles in tinWiki. Gee willikers it was a pain uploading all those images i used. By golly it would be nifty keen to have the option to purchase 100k at a time versus 10K. It would make my job as an editor as well as many others 10X easier... plus it might be nice to lower the point price, the effort is going to a good cause which benefits us all.

Merry XMas to you, Mrs Claus & Rudolph
Love Timmy

Just change the pgnumber of the url in you address bar and hit enter and you'll go to the page you want. Of course it would be nice to have it right there and save the extra click/page load.


Along those lines, I would like to be able to go to the last page I read and/or my last comment made. Would make following some of the bigger or faster moving threads a bit easier (Of course, I guess I could just bookmark the page or remember it and do it that way)











It is already there at the bottom of each page:

easy and faster way to go back to your own threads!!! I have been looking for more than 30 minutes a thread but with no luck... is so frustrating

I'd personally like to see an exobiology forum where members discuss the possible existence of life elsewhere in the universe (not just the gray/nordic humanoids). It could cover everything that falls under "astrobiology"; from the synthesis of prebiotic molecules to abiogenesis to the evolution of life on alien worlds. It could be like a giant journal club!

I was also thinking that it might be nice to have "resources"-- that is, links to high-quality websites in a box off the side of the thread somewhere. That way, people who are new to the discussion can go there to read up on all the background literature before jumping in, or at least skim it for supporting information. For the aliens & UFOs, that might be links to places like MUFON, Alien Abduction Experience and Research, and ICAR. For the forum I proposed above, that might be links to the NASA Astrobiology Institute, Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres (research journal), and the Atlantis Astrobiology Research Institute.

At the very least, it might help to raise standards on the references people cite to support their views. Some people seem to have trouble differentiating between websites affiliated with academic institutions/research journals and Wikipedia/"John Doe's personal beliefs".

It might also be nice to have a "mod box" at the top of each post. Then if someone posts something offensive, it's a lot easier to notify the moderators of a potential problem. Maybe instead of allowing a thread to get out of control, members could just click the "mod box" (which removes that post from view of the person who clicked it; but not from others' view) and move on! It might help people to feel as though they have more control over abuse on the boards if they can do something about it instantly (even if it takes the mod a while to get to it; they've been notified).

[edit on 14-12-2008 by X-tal_Phusion]

reply to post by X-tal_Phusion

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The ALERT button at the bottom of each post will let the mods know that there's a problem. It doesn't make the post disappear or anything, but I guess it sends a message to a the moderator's forum telling them there's been a complaint (and you get a little entry form to say what you think is wrong).

I've used it a couple times, and they seem to get on it pretty quickly.

Hope that helps

Some members here,especially those who post a lot,have tens or even hundreds of thousands of points(doesn't matter if it's ATS or BTS points).And I bet most of those same members don't really know what to do with all of those points.
Sure they can spend some of it in the ATS store,yet they would still have lots of points left.

If I were to have nearly as many points as them,then I would wish there would be some extra features in the ATS store to spend on,even if they require a lot of points.
So I was wondering if we could add some additional features that can be bought in the ATS store.

The bad news is that I don't have any ideas....yet,but hopefully someone else can come up with some interesting ideas.

As a member since 2005, I have notice a major influx of degrading and demoralizing statements from newbies all of the time.
Recently, there was a poster of a thread that went by the name of AlmostPossible with their rederick of how the ATS forums were anything but basically ignorant and arrogant people with nothing better to do with their lives here on the forums, and I am sure the MOD's know who I am speaking of.
During the elaboration with this individuals points of views, and towards the "End" of his thread being banned and them being barred from the ATS forums, there was evidence of some of the posters supporting the OP's points of views were of the same person, This is the thread:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

The OP managed to ramble on and on with the same old explanations and self intuitive ideals of what we, as a forum are here at the ATS, and I had to bite my lip a few times while trying to explain that "Who ever the OP was" had a slip of the mind for their assumptions they had had about the posters and administration of the forums.

For the most part of the contributors of the post, it was basically very cordial and explained with compassion as to why the OP was feeling this way, it didn't get anyone anywhere and the thread was killed by Skeptic, which was a "Good" judgment call on Skeptics part.

Then, after I had went back through the posts that were posted after I had logged off, and reading the "Left Overs" of Skeptics wrath, I thought to myself "I fill out forms on certain sites that have a "Required" asterisk (*) of specific information that can only be viewed by the admins but yet set a base of security of having someone that intentionally trolls here on the forums to be caught directly by a simple search program that could be monitored and evaluated by the MODs and the Admins to be verified as a "Interruptive and unacceptable OP/Poster" on the forums. I am not a web designer or computer programmer, but it is an already applicable for use in many forms of the medias, why not initialize it into our group for benefit of actually controlling the outsiders, that may or may not be return banned and terminated past members.

So, I guess you could say "I would like to see a higher/better way of monitoring individuals with a lack of respect and trouble makers to be dealt with on a more speedier and practical set of criteria from the ATS Admins/ Three Amigos, as to not let this kind of conduct consume a thread to be nothing more than a "Personal Vendetta" the individuals have for the ATS Forums."

I don't know if this has ever been brought out before, but something has to be done if there are individuals with multiple sign in names and doing nothing but taking up space and valuable time for those of us that wish to benefit ATS forums rather than create a back door to continually keep coming back just to bash and discriminate all the "Serious" user's here on the forums.

Well, that's all, but it would be nice to not have too think you have an individual that is just misled in a way of thinking, oppose to having a person that just wants to start chaos out of the gates....

And to Skeptic , "Thats what it's all about , great call and thank you for your 'required and acceptable' decision of the thread in question!!!"

With respect,
"Denying Ignorance" as best as I can,
Allred5923

reply to post by Allred5923

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I was involved in the thread you were mentioning and I kind of support your suggestion but I would be careful about protecting the anonymity of all involved. I get your point about only the owners having the capability to track but it wouldn't be long before someone starts accusing the owners that they have too much control over "their" site.

That was kind of what that moron who started the thread was implying. I will say that my pride in how all involved handled the perpetrator was outstanding. Polite throughout and well monitored by the MODs and SO. Pretty much took care of itself with systems already in place.

I actually had some fun waiting to see just how bad that moron was going to screw up. They'll probably be back. We just need to protect our turf as a community.

Now my thought:

I often get bogged down on threads that were either old news or where the thread title was so vague that you had to click on it just to find out what it means. There is a lot of information out there and I would just like to streamline things a little. Skip over the threads that don't interest me and find something that I would like to spend time researching.

1) Make it a requirement that a thread title mean something. Not, "Wow, look at this!!". Have a MOD review thread titles before posting?

2) Could we add a column between the thread title and the OP with the date of when a thread was created?

Thanks for allowing us the opportunity to make suggestions to the site, (kissy sounds)

And oh great Overlord, nice job dealing with our little "problem". Great restraint which is something I had to grit my teeth to get through. (more kissy sounds)

Hoopy Hollandaise Everybody



[edit on 22-12-2008 by zlots331]

reply to post by zlots331

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Thanks zlots..
I wanted to have an example of extreme situation to be able to direct the way I was thinking for the possible initiation of a better system for the multitudes.
As far as mentioning the MOD involved, well, "Forgive me **MOD**?"



There were be virtually "no" change to the accepted T&C of the ATS forums, just a more stringent application for these thing's to not be allowed to take place as a "Repeat Offender" scenario.
And, if I am correct, the MODs and the Admins have been justified thus far, I don't think there would be much hoopla over a change for the benefit of us as ATS forum user's.
Then again, the way things have been happening with all of the naysayers and Trolling, "I will have to admit that your perception and scenario ideals are a probability for "Conspiracy" cries.."

Just thought it was an excellent way to thwart the coexistence of these particular individuals.

reply to post by Allred5923

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I agree most heartily with all your thoughts.

I need only think back to before the election. Talk about trolling. Damn.

I remember the owners actually putting out a notice that there was some subversive activity taking place and to beware and that they were looking into it.

According to some of the stats that were shown to our moronic friend there is a huge amount of traffic that goes through this site and it has to be an absolute bitch to keep up with it all.

I broke down and turned somebody in for being a complete jerk back during the elections and he was finally kicked out. It was he that I accused of being the thug behind our latest takeover attempt. Wouldn't put it past him and sure looked like his style.

Remain vigilant, and shoot the trolls first, ask questions later.

reply to post by tormentor

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Ok I got some ideas now. They're not much,but its better than nothing.
How about we add some more smileys,especially a "suspicious" smiley?
A suspicious looking smiley would fit so well in ATS wouldn't you agree?Or have even some more "animated" smileys?

Also I know in the Microsoft Word program we can change the font of any letters to different styles,special text effects,etc. I hope we can add those as well.

And that's it for now.

As a suggestion for Furture New users...


ATS has a 20 post quota you must fill before sending a u2u...


However, at the screen to send a u2u, this is no where indicated, until AFTER you attempt to send one...


So...
For instance, you type up a nice lone u2u... press send...
And it is gone...



Suggestion...

Instead of letting people write out a u2u, have it posted that you need 20 posts, BEFORE you can EVEN write out a u2u...


Just a thought...

Greetings!

I have been thinking about this for some time now.

And right now I would think firstly it would be nice to see a spell checker mode for a post. Im not sure how complex it would be to code in a spell checker for all posts being made, or how much band with that would use.
Thats my first suggestion.

#1 Spellchecker for posts made... [Granted, most big posts I do, I write them up in Winnote pad, and it spell checks most my stuff for me. But theres times where I am to lazy, and just type it right into the window here on ATS/BTS.

My second idea if you can not work out the spellcheck option would be a 48-56 hour edit option.
There have been times where I thought about what I said, and I was no longer able to edit my post.. And I was stuck with saying something that I would otherwise not have said.. Such as skimming a post, and rely to something when I didnt fully read a thread..

#2 Edit has longer function.. Right now I think its like 24-30 hour window you can edit posts.. Not sure what the exact hours is.
Id like longer to edit my posts, fix spelling errors, add some thoughts.


And my final and last thought would be perhaps a wider range of emotional faces to use in the post.. I mostly only use the Faces on BTS where things are not so serious..
But now and then I will add a or a , and some for a good post and for bad waste of time post.
Prehaps a sarcasm one would be useful .. NOt sure.. they are not all that important to me, I like the ones you got.. If you wanted to add in some others I dont think it would hurt any

#3 add a few more emodicons.. err whatever the kids are calling them these days

#4-Membership lenght award types.. Give the members and people who have been on ATS/BTS some kind of little notice for being on the site and offering up everything for everyone!
like for every 2 years a person has been a member, they would get a little golden star, or something to your liking that was on the members profile or avatar.. We all know many of us dont make it out of here without being banned, or otherwise needing to start over on a new account.

Its also much like the point system.. The more points a person has, the more likely you can trust their sources, and their work on ATS/BTS
A guy that comes in with 3 points, and makes up some crazy story, is less likely to get the due notice that if someone such as myself or someone else better known on the boards to come out with a crazy or outthere story or recall of events, its more likely going to be taken more seriously.

So right now thats all I can come up with guys.. Great site all around, and love the place!!

I'm pretty sure all the usual web browsers have them as an add-on. (I know I have them for both my Firefox and IE.)





It's two hours. They do that for purposes of integrity I believe. The unscrupulous could use a longer window to change their arguments (etc.) If you need to make minor changes (spelling, bad link or whatever else) you can u2u a mod for the forum where your thread/post is and they will do it for you (I believe.)








I sure hope people aren't judging the validity of a post based on the member's points total. Of course, that would explain some things. Besides, if you want 'em, points are easy enough to get.... I think you get a few thousand just for signing up for twitter(?).

They're mostly useless anyway. Bought RATS. Added a couple lines to my profile..... *shrug* What else are they good for? I've seen members with several times more than I've got and they have only been here a couple months. If someone's tellin' ya the Royals are Reptilians, points don't matter... it's just true. Any fool knows that!