NO new layout

Ok now its not only busy server with advertisiment, a new banner advertisiment, but also this thing on the right side that takes up 1/4 of the forum screen. This automotivearticals.com thing is going a little too far!

get rid of this auto articles links on the right hand side of the screen when browsing forums and so on..... it is ugly and so damn annoying.

No Kidding!!!!!!!

your opinion has been noted....

Igor, the Automotive Articles bar wouldn't be so bad if it didn't take up so much space, on my laptop it amounts to 1/4 of the screen if I shrink my text size down to the smallest my eyes can bear on screen.
Is there no way you can shrink the bar's size or perhaps place it across the top or the bottom of the page in place of the banner ads?

After all, this is Automotive Forums so it would be nice if the Forums were the focal point.

There are hundreds/thousands of community websites that have content in the column format as AF does now. I just switched to 1024x768 and it looks just fine.

What size screen are you on?
I am at the same res as you and it sucks on this PC with a 14" screen.

On my laptop, it makes everything pretty damn cramped.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/33845igor.JPG

Look how much Ford and GM articles there are compared to the 2 about Hondas. Granted there are a lot of companies not even mentioned, but come on at least get more people to write the articles who know more that about mostly just domestic cars. Especailly about Toyotas at the very least I mena they are the most sold car in the US for at least the past 2 years running.

the sidebar is very annoying. advertisements piss me off.

I had been trying to get on AF all day and was thinking the same thing...I finally get into this area and I notice the damn sidebar and go to start a subject like this, but then notice you have started it.

I too am sick of all this automoviearticles bullshit...I don't care if they put it at the top in place of the 350z banner that they had...but the one on the right side that takes up 1/4 of my screen pisses me off.

moved from the 88-91 civic/crx forum. I dont see the side bar they are talkign about, so it doesnt bug me much

I think its poo

Yea, even on my 19" monitor at 1024x768 it's like a really annoying permanent pop-up ad.

I don't mind the automotivearticles.com banner up top, but I think this sidebar is rediculous. I see the damn message enough when the server is busy about 30 times a day, so I already had automotivearticles.com embedded in my head from reading that message all the time. I am also on a 1024x768 resolution on a 17" flat panel montior and I still think it takes up way too much of the screen, and cramps everything up on the screen.

I'm with freakray on this one, it would be really nice if it was shrunk down or on the top or bottom of the page, not pushing all the forums to the left to be bunched.

The side bar is annoying and it hasn't helped at all with the server for me.

P.S. This means I won't be posting very much anymore...

Ok, I like the fact that it's not in the thread views.

I guess it depends on the size monitor everyone has. I don't have a big problem with the sidebar with my 17", but those with smaller monitors might find themselves squinting to read the text, like freakray.

I like the idea tho. Maybe if they can be put horizontally somewhere, it'd be better.

I have a 19" monitor and it's Very annoying. Put as many of ads on top, or even popup, but not on sides ! All the thread look weird now and it's hard to see the listing.
Also, I think it take more bandwith. I had very hard time to acces the forum today.

I'm not really interested in Auto. Articles anyway, so even if you take 1/4 of the screen with an Ads, I won't click on the link more becose it take the whole page (I don't even read them !).

Quit sucking up Psycho :)
I'm using a 19" monitor and it is still bloody annoying. :banghead:

To me the AA advertisment is like a pop up ad that does not go away!

:werd: When I get online I expect NOT to be able to get into AF and expect to see that damn "server busy but check out automotive articles" message...It's like nowadays I am more shocked when I can get on the forums.

AF is free. Advertisement pays for it and I don't. I think I can put up with it.

AF is free. Advertisement pays for it and I don't. I think I can put up with it.

Maybe you don't pay for it but some of us DID last year on the sponsorship drive. Guess that's worth nothing now?

I have read some of the automotive articles and i like them, but i don't like having them on the side of the screen. it annoys me greatly

geez...I think the sidebar is great. 17" LCD monitor, 1152 x 864 resolution, true color, and large fonts...works wonders, try it.....

I am so confused as to how so many other forums can survive quite well without these kind of problems, but anyhow, a horizontal bar would be much better

I think the best Idea would be to do a compromise:

Just putting this ads on the top, you would have a good visibility, and the forum content wouldn't be affected. Just look the picture:

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/29611af.jpg

:1:

ON the side of this page and every other that AA list of articles is annoying. it takes up too much space. go back to how it was.

All I know is that the articles are getting pushed on us left and right. The forums are turning into the hit counter for everything else.

I personally think that with the current status of the server, all the money spent on the 350Z could've been much better spent. That is, unless it was 100% Igor's money and nobody elses that was donated.

I personally think that with the current status of the server, all the money spent on the 350Z could've been much better spent. That is, unless it was 100% Igor's money and nobody elses that was donated.


You are RIDICULOUS. The little money that was donated a while back was used to fund the server and nothing else. 3 new servers are almost ready to get to work in California, as we are moving AF there, and I am taking care of it.

Those that complain need to again realize AF is a FREE service for the masses, and considering the website's popularity and memberbase, it is not an easy task to ensure everything is smooth.

You are RIDICULOUS. The little money that was donated a while back was used to fund the server and nothing else. 3 new servers are almost ready to get to work in California, as we are moving AF there, and I am taking care of it.

Those that complain need to again realize AF is a FREE service for the masses, and considering the website's popularity and memberbase, it is not an easy task to ensure everything is smooth.

I didn't know that it went entirely into the server, so for that I apologize. I didn't mean for it to seem like it did. I have no problem with the server busy messages because I realize that it is free, and free is a pretty good price for all the help that you can get here. I doubt that you could find a better place anywhere on the web. Like I said, I apologize for what I said because I also don't have a clue as to how much a server costs anyway.

To get myself on topic, I don't have a problem with the sidebar as long as it's not on the page when you go to read threads. Some of them are quite interesting too.

You are RIDICULOUS. The little money that was donated a while back was used to fund the server and nothing else. 3 new servers are almost ready to get to work in California, as we are moving AF there, and I am taking care of it.

Those that complain need to again realize AF is a FREE service for the masses, and considering the website's popularity and memberbase, it is not an easy task to ensure everything is smooth.

I am so confused why soo many other decent sized forums can run amazingly well and now that you added this, it is slowing it down more... and it crashed so many times with in the 30 mins I spent trying to get here to post this morning it wasnt funny.
We have 211648 members. ok so dang I was wrong, all the other forums I visit have 20000 or so members... seriously though can we just move it horizontally or compromise or something? I mean how many forums do you pay for??? I have never been to a forum you pay for... Ok enough ranting and raving... thanks for all the stuff you have done. I guess I am just a bit irritated with this stuff.

A server runs about 700-3000 dollars. So about the cost of a normal computer.

To get myself on topic, I don't have a problem with the sidebar as long as it's not on the page when you go to read threads. Some of them are quite interesting too.

And I made sure that the actual thread pages do not display the side bar......

A server runs about 700-3000 dollars. So about the cost of a normal computer.

The last server we purchased cost $7000 - Dual Xeon 2.4 with 2 GB of RAM and lots more of crazy stuff, and this was quite a while back.

shesh man... I can get you that kind of stuff on a normal pc for cheaper... than 7gs, but anyhow. W/e

Oh that helps out a bunch, might work fine with me

3 new servers are almost ready to get to work in California, as we are moving AF there, and I am taking care of it.

Those that complain need to again realize AF is a FREE service for the masses, and considering the website's popularity and memberbase, it is not an easy task to ensure everything is smooth.

Does this mean that when all 3 servers are "to work" the site wont be down so much?

And I made sure that the actual thread pages do not display the side bar......

That's what I meant. That's the only time that it would start to bother me, otherwise I'm fine with it.

I know servers are expensive, I used to write for a website that had no where near the traphic that this place see's and server costs add up quick... but thats the price you gotta pay when you want to run a place like this. And if the board wasnt free it never would have been a success. Nobody wants to pay for information that should be free, but it is very annoying to have half the screen taken up by a side bar.

I can kinda feel where both sides are. Yes its free and its great being able to get on here and I know its not cheap to run...but this is under "I Want Change" and if you look at the poll it is kind of one sided. 88% don't like the "new" sidebar and 12% do. I don't have a problem with automotive articles being on the site...but if it were at the top or bottom of the page it would be so much nicer and not cram everything.

Hell I'm sure if you put it at the top before all the posts, you'll get more people to look at it, being it comes up first, I don't know, its late and I'm just makin suggestions.

First thing we see on top of the page is:
The Automotive Articles .com Online Magazine | Live as of July 19, 2004

Then the First Thing we see on top of every forum is:
Announcement: Automotive Articles .com Online Magazine Launched!

And now we have a ¼ of the screen about publicity for Automotive Articles.

Don't know for must of you, but I think even without this big side bar, I have already seen the other link, and if I didn't click on it it's becose I wasn't interested. Using ¼ of the screen to show the Automotive Articles won't make me clicking on it more.
anyway, If I find myself getting really anoying with that, I will install an anti-publicity software that will hide everything. :sadwavey:

I've seen servers priced upwards of $10k, and thats not at all uncommon. I use one $50k server and 4-$8k servers daily. Not to mention the other servers required to keep the entire network running PERFECT. Igor, I feel your pain in trying to keep this site in tip top shape. It's not something that can be explained to a person that hasn't had first hand experience in doing, which makes it that much more frustrating.

hey igor maybe u could do one of those things where if your mouse goes over a certin area the window pops up like a little screen that u can read then move your mouse and it goes back. fyi i dont like it like it is :2cents

How about the AA thing is there when you first get into the forum index and you can close/minimize it??? I think that would work. The Netscape homepage has a little thing that floats in from the top and kinda gets in the way, but you can close it...something like that.

I have to admit, that when it first appeared I was also disturbed that it took so much space and was everywhere. I even joked that its a conspiracy to see the articles, but in all fairness and after having it in effect for about a week so far I have gotten used to it. To be honest the magazine does have good stories and does need to be promoted. At first it was everywhere and now its only at the threads list page and not in the threads themselves. So this is good.
As for the server message problem, hey deal with it people. On a site this big, and free its amazing we don't get more server messages than we currently do. Igor has stated that a solution is in the works and once the servers in California are up and running the message problems should be no more. So have a little patience and soon enough you will not see any more messages holdups.

my :2cents:

TS out

One correction:

The column was never on the threads page - from the get go, I decided not to put it on the topic pages.

Actually Igor the only pages I've not seen it on is in an actual thread page. However it does seem to appear on all the other pages.

While I'm all for advertising it, as it is an intragal part of AF, however it needs to be made smaller using scroll bars. You still get the same attention without it being over bearing or over the top. Honestly, and I'm sorry but personally I really dislike they way it is presented, not the idea or the concept.

I also am running 1024x768 on a 17" monitor.

http://www.kiwiperformance.co.nz/misc/af.jpg

It even comes up on the posting page!

http://www.kiwiperformance.co.nz/misc/af2.jpg

I agree with Razor.

As far as the thing on the left I HATE it it is toooooo big if it was half the size it would still be too big but more willing to deal with it. If there are no mebers here to see it cause it really in the way then having it there is pointless. Not saying Im leaving cause of it but I REALLY dislike it. And not going to be here as much cause it is not appealing to me. Sorry if this pisses you off Igor but its how I feel and If enough complain it may change.

Is it smaller now or is it just me?

a ligle bit smaller (litle)
still anoying, but better

Yes smaller, Thank You Igor alot better than before. Im happier with it.

are they smaller? or is it just me? i kinda like em like this but would rather have nothing.

Flsurf420... it appears they are smaller. I like them

k guys let's not get so pist off or any thing.
look at it from this point of view.
To host and supply server you need money.
Money you can get out of your own pocket, sponsors or membership charges.
I think admins are already spending allot time here while the could be making money in the same time as well.
So what is left that is sponsors vs membership fee.
So now thing what do you want to say???
and yes friendly AF Admin well they can stay I think but only if they would be a bit smaller.

I still voted NO