Bringing the meat and potatoes back to life at ATS. A brainstorming session...

Bringing up old topics would be great. I ran across something a few years ago that was intriguing to me. Was an old story at the time I found it. I looked around online and found bits of info.

I looked on ATS and found an existing thread from years gone by.

Now if I posted into said thread what are the chances of getting any response? Or if I started a new thread what are the odds of getting the "add to existing thread" msg?

the story is
www.nytimes.com...

There was info of a mafia boss being buried in the Vatican graveyard? supposedly in a coffin containing 2 bodies??

A forum where we could bring up old threads into new OP's could be good. Asking people who know how to research things would be great.

A forum of researchers would be great...kinda like the avatar people, only I guess they would have to be a bit more choosy, say a forum where you could throw out an old story or topic and have have somebody delve into it if they chose too to see if any new info has come to light...

also an AMA featuring Springer and S.O. could be good, but with the recent talk of money it may have to be AM almost A lol

a reply to: Jakal26

It's ok, no hard feelings....I browse recent threads most often and the onslaught of politicals has really shown how ATS has changed over the years. There used to be an option to "hide" forums that weren't of interest so one could customize their browsing, but that seems to have vanished. I inquired about it few days ago in BBQ but never heard back from anyone.

I've been here ten years, almost daily, and watching what was once a board filled with interesting, unusual and offbeat subject devolve into mainstream madness is a bit of a turn off.

The board used to be more relaxed, in depth and personal....now it's clusterfudge of personal attacks and stories I've already seen on Yahoo, Reddit, and other mainline sites.

The alternative angle used to be what made ATS a stand out from the rest of the internet offerings.

Now it just feels like something I could go anywhere else and get just by reading the comment section.

I agree that it would be wonderful to see some of the more interesting threads from the past get a resurgence and more look-sees, but sadly, with the current climate, it would butcher the more intelligent discussion by burying it with more bickering, trolling and smartassery from the collective hive mind du jour.

a reply to: GENERAL EYES

There is another possibility. We have been here too long and have done our homework TOO WELL.

I know I am pretty much done with the esoteric stuff, government conspiracies and so on.

Its not that I know it all, I am just not so lost that I cant figure it out without pooling the great minds of ATS to such ends.

Its the age of membership I think. We are not seeing anything new. We have seen allot already.

So maybe the aim should be to make ATS appeal to a younger crowd. WE have to then be patient and teach them the way we were taught.

We do instead yell at them for one liners and immaturity. We tell them to search and not make new threads, even though they may be seeing this stuff for the first time.

They leave instead of getting invested in what seems like school work with know-it-alls telling you how crappy your efforts are.

I may be wrong. Maybe not.

a reply to: tadaman

All I can think of it the quote from Timothy Leary:

"TURN ON. TUNE IN. DROP OUT."

You're probably right.

I've been thinking of dumping internet altogether and just disappearing back into the desert. I've been trying to move forward, not backwards. I know it's selfish but these kids today aren't really the "learning types" as far as the majority mindset goes.

Maybe it's time to just slowly back away...at least from my perspective.

a reply to: tadaman

On a side note I have entertained the thought before. If you notice the traffic, we get allot of schools and such. ATS is an academic resource. It should market itself as such.

No doubt. I haven't ever actually paid much attention to the traffic, personally. Never really cared to. HA.
But I can see that, for sure. This place is absolutely an academic resource. Something some might not think about right off the top. Actually, the more I think about it and realize how much I've used it (not academically, per say) as a place to gather [various and from many perspectives...all in one place] information to show people or to add to things I was writing, etc etc....the more I realize how true that actually is and the more I can see that. (That's pretty cool)

There is so much information here it boggles the mind. So much buried in all the dis/mis information as well.


You take care as well, man.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

It makes the members feel empowered a small degree. Could entice new members to join up, saying "hey this is a neat sight. It takes the concept of user generated content to a whole new level. I'm joining!"

...Take my money

This is a great idea.

It just can't be based on "flags/stars". Somewhere, or somehow, there's going to have to be voting among either staff and/or members.
Heck, maybe they could make that one of the "perks" or getting a subscription? You get to vote on which threads get into the "BoB" forum each month.....or something like that.

originally posted by: Jakal26
a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF


Perhaps the thread could be "sectioned off"....a sort of before and after deal. Of course, one merely need to check the post dates at the top of every single post to accomplish that already, but it is a good point.
...
Thanks for the response.

I like it! A sectioned off area! I get the "thread closed" but wonder how a thread can be tagged as sectioned off?? How long does it lie dormant before being considered "well aged"? For example, over in the Science and Technology forum a person posted on the magnetic field test of a fusion reactor that would not see service for another 12-14 months. Is it exempt or since the thread was to announce one stage which has passed it is allowed to come to a peaceful end; and any new development gets a new thread (or two since nobody checks "New" threads). Just wondering out loud.

As far as a title: A Remembrance of Threads Past???

(Sorry if it is too literary but it is kind of catchy!)

a reply to: Jakal26

I guess a more helpfull suggestion I can offer may be to:

Find a way to weed out some of the older topics not discussed by the current user base that were successful but without resolution/ needing more.(there's always more as folks constantly grow,change,,etc). This will generate some new thought and content.

Re-represent the topic as one brought up but a new thread tied to the other.There has to be a useful site metric in it for the owners there I'm sure.

This would give real time numbers as to what is likeley to cause trending data if presented and filtered in the right way, as well new content could be blended in such a way as to draw possibly some new interest to the site. More customers means a nice healthy business.

Im guessing this can be done individually by members working within the t&c but it's a lot of effort from what I gather.

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Theres always the WebArchive.
Its not going to filter content but a reall blast from the past ..
web.archive.org...://www.abovetopsecret.com/

a reply to: GENERAL EYES

I agree. I've been here, give or take, about that long as well I reckon. Pretty much every day, multiple times a day (lol...it's my addictive nature or something)

The alternative angle used to be what made ATS a stand out from the rest of the internet offerings.

That's not really the fault of ATS though. The "alternative angle" is "cool" these days. It's become "cool" with the "not quite as smart" types (or..possessing less common sense, or whatever PC term I need to go with to make this post "acceptable"...lol) and so, we're flooded with stuff that to the "trained eye" is ridiculous.

....so, now it's profitable, because it seems the "masses" are starting to be entertained by it and are buying it.
So then, the place is inundated. Domino effect.

Now it just feels like something I could go anywhere else and get just by reading the comment section.

Sometimes.
And there are still those times where I can use a thread to see many sources (when people contribute willingly) of information and hear many different thoughts, all in one place. I might have to ignore and scroll 4 pages to glean out a 2 or 3 person exchange, but I can still do that, if I so choose. I don't find that elsewhere. Maybe others do, but I don't. I usually find what you speak of, and that is all. At least here, it's still there...just buried sometimes. The muck gets thick, but it can be thinned by what we take in. And, at times, put out I suppose. I've been guilty of what tadaman speaks of in his posts below yours here, shouting down (in some sense) others. Especially when I'm tired of a story and/or saw it elsewhere or years ago, or whatever. Rather than "teaching", or simply "planting a seed" (in the end...just my opinion) and moving on. I've stayed and entertained myself (I suppose) and been an asshole with those I didn't care for (or for their contribution rather, really)


a reply to: tadaman

I shouldn't do that, now that you mention it.

...damn you, for mentioning it

I agree with you here.

Though. I think the staff have allowed a bit more slack in that "add to existing thread" thing than they used to.
I see more and more "rehashed" stuff here. Or maybe I'm just here too often. lol

They leave instead of getting invested in what seems like school work with know-it-alls telling you how crappy your efforts are.

That, and there are those that thrive on turning people off to the place.
Know it alls, I can deal with. The only thing that stops me posting sometimes are those that pretend not to know something, or play dumb and purposely misrepresent what I say. I try to ignore.....but damn it. I have no self-control

a reply to: TEOTWAWKIAIFF

Maybe, when it's selected to go to the forum they could just section it off at that point.
Maybe when we click to enter the thread, have it set up so that you would see OP....then any new comments (from since it's been selected and put in the "remembrance forum". From there one could click to expand the older comments via a little expansion button under the OP?


Maybe even have some kind of ATS banner (or even an ad...LOL) between the old posts and the new ones, once it's expanded, or at all times.....something like that. (just thinking out loud here)

Nice questions

I've nothing against the political forums, the chat threads or any of the other more mainstream topics on here.

But I've always thought there is a need for a different classification system. I think we've long discussed this sort of thing but nothing ever happens and the status quo prevails. The answer that always comes back is that you can check the most flagged threads or the most replied to threads if you want to delve into the bowels of ATS. But that is not always a good measure of something. Because that's a bit like selecting your musical playlists based on everyone else's opinion! Not only that a reply will rarely revive an old thread. Again, to use the musical analogy, you might like the tune but it ain't making the charts and getting any radio play.

Some threads are heavily flagged but required minimal effort to write and are often just arguments between a small group. Other quality threads just never see the light of day and get buried because the poster used a less than catchy title or something else was going on when they posted that grabbed people's attention. Some older threads were also written before the flag system was implemented. So what is the answer?

Now I may be way off here. But I think there is an opportunity for ATS to get back to its roots without disturbing the main site too much. ATS was once about conspiracies, UFOs, Area 51, Cryptozoology and basically weird stuff.

What I'd like to see is a button on the home page to a "Classic ATS" micro site.

This would be organised slightly differently so if I want to explore the JFK assassination or Roswell or the Moon Hoax stories theses "Classic" threads are all bunched together in a separate "Classic ATS Forum" for those specific topics.


For illustrative purposes only

Obviously someone would have to nominate and vote the best threads that go into a Classic ATS micro site. But maybe we could have a nomination and vote process for it. Perhaps all members are given classic thread votes based on their member stats or perhaps a better system can be thought of by someone else?

Or perhaps this is just another of those threads where we talk about it but the status quo will prevail?

a reply to: Cymru
I think Jakal and I were talking about the "ATS archive" button (top row where myATS resides) as reviewing older ATS threads and utilizing the "select year" functionality. I haven't really wandered around in there.

Your link is wonky but I 'quoted' it to get to the webarchive site. Wow! That is a blast from the past! The thread "Meth use leads to rotten teeth" is making me chuckle. That must have been before the whole "Faces of meth" site. What a different layout too!

Thanks for the way back link!

a reply to: Treespeaker

Find a way to weed out some of the older topics not discussed by the current user base that were successful but without resolution/ needing more.

Yeap.
There's got to be a better way than using the flags/stars thing here. Otherwise, this wouldn't work...at all, imo.
Actually, that's why now that you bring it up more.....I think that if they are going to go with the subscription thing (or whatever they call this thing that you pay $5 a month and don't see ads deal...which it seems they are) then if they are going to do "perks" this should be one of them. Not the forum, just the ability to actually vote in it. Maybe not, idk how I stand on that yet. Again, just thinking out loud.

Allowing "paying members" to vote actually does another thing...it keeps those that create a ton of profiles from voting over and over, thus skewing the vote...because, agendas and such. I mean, I suppose some would have the means, but it would limit that bs.

It also keeps people from complaining that only staff are voting and that it is being skewed by "ATS has an agenda" (that would be the first thing you'd hear over and over if only staff voted for which threads are put in the "best of" forum)

As long as other members (paying or not) don't know. I still say if others can know if/when we pay a sub fee for "perks" that others can know, I'll just deal with the ads. Only because I can see that causing problems.

a reply to: mirageman

MM,

I like it pretty much but here follows:

Don't forget to include members' own experiences from the Gray Area and others. Comedy with Jedi, I'll never, ever forget that, to the Nun that spilled the beans on mystical matters when she was in her nineties, to meeting spiritual beings and what they showed the OP, to visiting the Skinwalker Ranch and what was found, to meeting ET's and what was learned or shown, to sharing unusual experiences that many of us have had in our lives trying to figure them out. And more . . . .

I know these aren't areas for the nuts & bolts people, but to many of us to be able to share our experiences, wow, I really miss it and I bet they do too. Please be sure to give us our space in this endeavor. Thanks,

STM

a reply to: mirageman

I see we were saying the same thing about the flag/star system. And about a lot of the real gems being buried then, and especially if we were to have a fresh place devoted to them. Voting them in seems like the best thing (I was speaking on it in the post I was typing when you posted this.

.....I like this though. This "ATS classic" thing you've come up with here. Very nice. I like the different forums within that.
The "best of" threads get voted in and go there and are classified as you illustrated here so they don't get jumbled over time.

Nice work!

Or perhaps this is just another of those threads where we talk about it but the status quo will prevail?

Yeah, no doubt.
LOL...they need money though, so maybe they're game actually listening this time around.

I think that even if it's just something similar, they need something that brings in some of the ideals in this thread. There's some really nice contribution here.

......I wouldn't have a problem being a subscriber, not because I see ads but other reasons I've stated already. But if they want to keep people subscribing, they are going to have to give us something worth it. Otherwise, people are going to deal with the ads (which has got to be bringing in less money than a $5 a month sub customer gives them)...

It's always a good time to hit em up for stuff we need done when they need our money
(SO, if you're reading this...I jest. Timing is a mere coincidence, in this case)

a reply to: Aazadan

agreed 100%.

a reply to: seentoomuch

That would be a must. I'm sure it was just for illustrative purposes, but yeah, gotta mention the gray area. It's got to be part of that. I'd imagine there are more than we know drawn here and I'd imagine it's in hoardes more than many of the other forums combined (well, it..and a few others)

The classic theme could work though, because then they could essentially leave most of the forums alone and just create around them. Less work, I would imagine (don't know how it all works...but seems like less work..lol)

a reply to: seentoomuch

I was just illustrating my own point of view. I think your idea is a great one too!

a reply to: GENERAL EYES

I agree that it would be wonderful to see some of the more interesting threads from the past get a resurgence and more look-sees, but sadly, with the current climate, it would butcher the more intelligent discussion by burying it with more bickering, trolling and smartassery from the collective hive mind du jour.

Interesting; I was just thinking the same thing. It would be the same as letting a group of first graders run unattended, at a museum's ancient crystal and pottery exhibit.

There is nothing wrong with change, transition, and adaptation. I remember when frozen custard was replaced with soft ice cream. I hated the change, but hating it, did nothing to stop the mass adaptation, for most local businesses.

A lot of people today don't even know what frozen custard is, and no matter how much I reminiscence, or try to paint you a visual, and taste bud exploding, description of heaven in a cone, it will not get you any closer to the experience.

What ATS changes into, may not appeal to everyone, and if the change is more than you can handle, then it will just be time to move on.

I have not always felt this way. After getting beat up around the forums and throwing in the towel. I finally took the advice of several mods. I grew a thicker skin, and learned to suck it up.

Okay, I guess I haven’t mastered the sucking it up part, but I have gotten pretty darn good at erasing a thread from “My ATS” list and moving on.