How old is ATS/BTS???

I was just curious, cuz this is Above Top Secret 4.0, so when did ATS first come on the net? I know its before 2003 beacuse that when I saw some of the older members registered around then. I didnt become a member till 2004 myself tho... lol

[edit on 6-2-2005 by beyondSciFi]

Mid 2002. It was on XMB v1.6 Magic Lantern. Thats with the membership we see today. Before that it seems there was an earlier version of XMB, but it was wiped and 1.6 installed and started from scratch. Then was upgraded to 1.8 and build on from there to what it is now. But ATS the messageboard has been around since 2000, on an ezBoard, then IkonBoard.

Heres the 1.5 Board

And heres the 1.6 Board a few months later, you can tell it was either a new install or something "happened" since the post and member count went down quite a bit.

Wow, neat time capsle,Dreamland..lol.. This is a good question, though, as Ive often wondered that myself. What makes me wonder more, though is, WHY is this here. It seems like it must cost alot of money and time. Its a top-notch site. Is someone actually making money off this? This isnt a charity run by Simon is it? I cant see where a couple of banner ads would pay enough for the time and effort that goes into this.

Anyone know??

Cool thanks for the info. Maybe we can have a celebration for ever year on then net, like a birthday party for the website. What do you think?

[edit on 6-2-2005 by beyondSciFi]

Originally posted by spliff4020
Wow, neat time capsle,Dreamland..lol..

I have a whole post about the history of the discussion board in DISC for a project we were doing, but that seems to be going downhill.

i've been trying to get in the DISC forum but i dont seem to have access. How do i get access? I dont see it in the member store and i dont think you have to be a mod to get in... hummm

if you check
web.archive.org...*/abovetopsecret.com

you'll see it first came online around the end of 1998 beginning of 1999

Cool thanks for the link Matrix. Hehe Happy 6th B-day ATS on December 5 2004

Originally posted by thematrix
if you check
web.archive.org...*/abovetopsecret.com

you'll see it first came online around the end of 1998 beginning of 1999

No message board tho...that wasnt until 2000.

SimonGray said that ATS was actually around under a different name since 1996 or so, if I recall, I cant remember the thread tho.

Iv always liked the fact that in those old ATS Archives they had pages for hacking and cracking.

hehe Where did the hacking and cracking forum go? lol I'd be on it all the time

Originally posted by beyondSciFi
hehe Where did the hacking and cracking forum go? lol I'd be on it all the time

After a few attempts on the forum, its safe to say that it was removed due to that. Also, its in the rules now that you cant discuss actual hacking.

Well, I been here for 4 years, not always under this name.... but the good thing is that moving to a new server board thing is bans were removed so I got myself a second chance.

Yeah i figuered that, lol, I remember when they try to hack ATS back in the second half of 2004. Hehe they didnt get far

BTW Dreamlandmafia I was wondering if you could post a copy of your thread of the history of ATS here. I would love to read it. Too bad i dont have access to the DISC form... Do you know how i could get in?

Originally posted by beyondSciFi
Yeah i figuered that, lol, I remember when they try to hack ATS back in the second half of 2004. Hehe they didnt get far

edit: sorry, you did say they.

[edit on 6-2-2005 by SpittinCobra]

What are you inplying? I didnt do it... lol. I think they already caught the guys that did it.

Edit: Its ok.

[edit on 6-2-2005 by beyondSciFi]

ATS is old, its been around ever since I was a little boy (Im only 16). I was about 9 or 10, so probably around 1997-99. Ive been looking at it ever since the good ol' days and its changed so much. It used to only be about Area51 and Top Secret Aircraft.

You mean ATS hasn't existed since the beginning of time

I wonder what there was before ATS

I dont believe there was anything before ATS was around.. I only remember it being a site about Planes and Area51

1996 - Area 51 Research Center

web.archive.org...://www.geocities.com/Area51/1010/

This is the oldest link that has so far "been found" portraying the beginnings of what is now the ATS universe.

Originally posted by creamsoda
I only remember it being a site about Planes and Area51

It seem you had a good call on this.

Goos job!