AboveTopSecret.com is the Internet's largest and most popular discussion board community dedicated to the intelligent exchange of ideas and debate on a wide range of "alternative topics" such as conspiracies, UFO's, paranormal, secret societies, political scandals, new world order, terrorism, and dozens of related topics on current events, politics, and government wrong-doing with poignant commentary from a diverse mix of users from all over the world.

With 309,685 members generating 19,258,665 posts of substance (minimal contributions are not allowed) that cover 1,054,473 topics in 170 different discussion forums, you could say "the truth is in here."

And new content, new ideas, new speculation, and new theories are being generating at an astounding pace with 1,813 members creating 22,525 new posts during the past seven days. Also, in that same time span, we welcomed 208 new members and enjoyed visits from 4,716 registered members as well as 556,488 guests.

The simple yet effective motto of our membership is "deny ignorance", which signifies an effort to apply the principals of critical thought and peer review to the provocative topics covered within. More than a slogan, our members have embraced the motto as our collective cultural standard, demanding all to aspire to a higher standard. These simple two words have galvanized a broad membership that spans the spectrum from highly speculative conspiracy writers to staunch doubters. The result is a unique collaboration of diverse individuals rallying under this simple statement to learn from each other, discover new truths, and imagine new ideas that expand our minds.

This motto has life. It has purpose. It demands ATS members to think.

It is a state of mind.

It is a sense of purpose.

It is a statement against the paradigm.

It is a rage against the mindless status-quo.

The idea of "deny ignorance" isn't a goal that ATS hopes to accomplish. Instead, it's a challenge. A call to all those who come here to aspire to a higher state of awareness through informed discussion and debate.

Deny ignorance is what we do.

It's how we think. It's how we talk. It's how we listen.

Ignorance is the social disease of history. Is the evil that men do, the reason history repeats, and the cause of intolerance.

We deny it. it's not welcome here. Within these boundaries, it has no strength.

Here, ignorance is denied.

While our provocative topics certainly provide our users with endless hours of compelling interaction and challenging collaboration, the core features of AboveTopSecret.com are unlike any other discussion board community.

Our free memberships provide a host of services that either require monthly fees within some communities, or simply don't exist anywhere else. They include:

• Secure Messaging: A secure private communication system among members
• Chat: Full-featured members-only chat
• Full Posting: There are no restrictions on "novice" accounts
• Avatars: Members can personalize themselves with the largest avatar space anywhere
• Mobile Posting: Members can instantly post interesting sightings and as-it-happens news directly to the discussion board right from their cell phone or tablet without the need for a special app.
• Free Upload Space: Free unlimited uploads of graphics and files
• Games & Events: There's always a game, contest or event happening
• Organized Debates: A dedicated forum for debate contests
• Reduced Advertising: Logged-in members see fewer ads
• Self-Determination: Members define the presentation through thread flagging to signify important topics

All of these features come wrapped up in one of the most advanced custom-built discussion board systems, now optimized for HTML5 and CSS3 for a responsive experience on any device. Every aspect of the board is focused on delivering a user-friendly experience with state-of-the-art search engine optimization. This means our member's thoughts, ideas, opinions, and research will be indexed by Google within days and sometimes hours.

And above all, we are well-renowned for operating the most professionally managed discussion board environment that inspires intelligent contributions and meaningful debate.

• We refuse to allow short "drive-by" posting that add nothing to the thread.
• We refuse to allow insults and mayhem that you'll see on many other boards.
• We refuse to allow spam and hate speech.
• We promote intelligent posting.
• We promote productive debate and collaborative discussion.
• We promote the examination of any topic as long as manners are maintained.
• We respect the content of other sites and encourage linking.
• We respect our members' content and defend its credibility and their rights.

While "conspiracy theorists" are often derided or the target of jokes, the fact remains that Americans love a good conspiracy theory. Many of the more popular and highest grossing movies are based on core ideas of UFO's, government conspiracies and related coverups. The phenomenon of the "X-Files" television show and "Da Vinci Code" novel and movie are excellent examples of how these topics have a inherent soft spot in the culture. And with the recent revelations that the government, through the NSA, has indeed been constantly spying on, and retaining communications records, of all U.S. citizens, it turns out the the conspiracy theorists have been right all along!

The Internet has provided millions of people the means to examine their attraction to conspiracy theories and share their thoughts, observations, and speculative ideas with like-minded individuals around the globe. Indeed, many have postulated that we're seeing a renaissance of conspiracy theory speculation because of the Internet. Magnified by our often troubling current events of terrorist attacks, 9/11, and political turmoil; Web sites that feature discussion boards invariably have one or more sections that touch on some core conspiracy themes. In fact, it's normal to perform a search-engine search on topics such as 9/11 and discover nearly 90% of the first 1,000 returns are conspiracy-theory-related. There has never been a better time for a professional approach toward encouraging discussion and debate on conspiracy and related "alternative topics."