Site Updates as of January 2022, automated content features and less ads.

I have been rolling out new features across the Scified network since the start of the new year. Most of these focus on the automation of acknowledging prominent content. Below is a list of what's been updated so far:

Any news article that reaches a specific threshold of views will automatically be added to the Trending Articles carousel present across the Scified network. A Trending badge will also be added to the article in list-view on homepages and blog pages.

Any news article that receives a certain number of comments by users will automatically be given a Hot Topic badge to indicate it being a popular post for discussion. Here is what it looks like now on list-view:

Next up, any Forum topics which receive a set number of replies will automatically be added to the Hot Forum Topics list and automatically be featured across all Featured Forum Topic pages to highlight their popularity! This should help keep engaging topics relevant and viewable more easily.

I've also updated the wallpaper background on Alien-Covenant.com (looks better on Desktop):

And finally, I'm shifting the site away from having as many ads. Although hosting costs continue to rise, user experience is paramount to our success as an online community. I also refuse to implement intrusive pay walls. Instead you'll notice recently I have opted to publishing sponsored content to help keep running costs manageable. These articles are third party provided and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of myself or those who contribute to this site, but they are less intrusive and take up less space.

We've been in operation for 10 years now and I'm thrilled to see what the next 10 years can bring for us! As always, feedback is welcome and I want to thank everyone for continuing to use our forums and engage with our content!