The ATS Survival Forum has jumped the shark / nuked the fridge

There is an active thread called "what are you prepping for?" that is composed mostly of cute/snarky/ sarcastic remarks from people who have no interested in the thread or forum.

What to do about it? The Survival forum has been kind of shaky for some time.

Maybe it means that the economy is doing so well that most ATS-ers don't really feel the need for prepping or discussions thereon. Or that ATS-ers don't really believe in the possibility of a catastrophe that threatens our civilization. Of course, that's when catastrophes happen--not when the last person is prepped, but when the last prepper gives it up as what DJ Trump would call a "waste of time"

what can be done about this?

Obvi, if the mods think the posts are genuinely funny, or are genuinely earnest... or if moderators are the ones posting them, maybe it's time for the forum to close.

I will admit that I post about prepping elsewhere on the web, but have pretty much quit posting here. Because ATS is essentially anarcho-democratic, no one's post's here matter less than anyone else's. But its why we haven't seen any more threads on raising your own chickens, or beekeeping, or even on intensive gardening, in more than a year....

a reply to: tovenar

I keep seeing, it seems like weekly, threads that should be in there go into other forums, and even when I point that out they still never get moved there.

When the government isn’t the government anymore and is working to take down the real “government” what do you need to prep for?

I’m sure they have your back.

originally posted by: underwerks

I’m sure they have your back.

They do, but only up to waist high.

I think for ATS to be a worthwhile destination for conspiracy students, it actually has to feature "crank" viewpoints; even if they are only there for the web-tourists to take pictures of and pose with.

but the layers of intellectual graffiti make it of decreasing value for anyone interested in the minority view.

I spent a lot of time studying the likely outcomes of an atomic detonation in my area. I learned a great deal--to the effect that much of the time, it would be eminently survivable, even for people in an urban center.

(a nuke would most likely be detonated by a non-governmental extremist group. Any crude bomb big enough to really damage a city would be too heavy for them to deliver, except possibly by boat. This would further limit the impact. The thing that Saddam's people had studied, was detonation a 'dirty bomb' made of medical radiological waste, near a hospital. The effect would cover about 20 square blocks, but it would cause nation-wide terror.)

But I couldn't get a discussion going on ATS about it, despite multiple tries. ATSers who never posted in the survival forum, came on to tell me than a nuclear war is inherently unsurvivable, and that the only preparation needed was a bullet for each of your family members.

I've even posted plans for the KFM--the Kearney Fallout Meter, a non-electronic device to measure your radiation exposure; you can build it for about $15, and store it for years until you need it. THOSE THREADS have been shouted down over and over, to the point where you begin to wonder if there's a reason....

Yeah this whole site is filled with trollish and bullying moderators who seem to have free reign over the place and do as they wish. It seems some of them are here for the power trip or to further an agenda, some love being a hypocrite by censoring some posts for a reason, while leaving another post alone that is much worse in the same regard. I gave up trying to fight this or worry about it, it seems the nature of this site ATM, and I have stated to be really susupicious of the entire reason for the site all together, it seems more of a data mine than anything else.

I used to be very active in the survival forums but if you go through the old threads everything has been covered several times. I think we need to sticky some of the better ones to get a little traction going again. I'll admit to being saddened at the lack of participation in what was probably my favorite forum.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
a reply to: tovenar

I keep seeing, it seems like weekly, threads that should be in there go into other forums, and even when I point that out they still never get moved there.

Yeah it seems like I see at least one of those every week or so.

Also, catastrophes are not always as predictable. Any given day something Earth changing is possible. Sure an alien invasion seems unlikely, but what about something large from space hitting us again. It will happen again and no guarantees we see it coming in time to do much. So many other potential things to at least have some idea how you might react and respond.

Prepping ain't easy. Keep the forum alive.

Crap. He's onto us!

As a participant in that thread, I am not allowed to moderate it. But I gave it a look over based on this complaint, which should have been submitted as a complaint, but I’ll go with it.

1) Not everyone has the opinion that it is important to survive in a survival situation despite the level of complexity. Some people think you instantly die in the event you are shot regardless of location and give up and bleed out from superficial wounds. Reality is that very few locations are instant death even if the wound itself is in a fatal location with lethal damage done.

2) Three different moderators participated. And all three said pretty much the same thing. Knowledge trumps gear. To place that statement into context. You can outdrive an approaching tornado. (Knowledge). There is a Semi parked nearby with the keys in the ignition. (Gear). You don’t know how to drive a semi. (Useless gear due to lack of knowledge). Best to seek alternate means of shelter such as laying in a ditch and cover your head. (Knowledge). Some will stand around wringing their hands and be killed by the tornado. (Lack of knowledge, gave up in desperation).

The purpose of the Survival Forum is to educate and share knowledge and opinions. Functions just fine even if people don’t take it seriously. I personally don’t care for the 9/11 topic and don’t participate or read it often. But others like it. I like politics but others don’t. I like sharing in the Survival Forum others think it is a joke and waste of time and energy. Me, I can drive a semi; I did for years. Never drove a motorcycle though, so I am more likely to put my head down in a ditch than risk figuring it out in a tornado.

To each their own.

a reply to: tovenar

you are my friend. i know what to do if such a situation happens.

a reply to: Ahabstar

point taken. I didn't want to complain, i.e., coerce someone else's behavior; though from a certain viewpoint me bitching in this thread probably looks like drama for drama's sake. I'm all for people posting what they want where they want--some of the more brilliant ATS-ers have, shall we say, "colorful" personalities, and that's just how they roll.

I guess I'm wondering what we can do to highlight the posts that might be useful in the future, so interested people can find them... a mod mentioned something sticky?

a reply to: tovenar

you can boast and drama.it is fun we do it too.besides you know a lot you can boast and drama better. but if you dont want to you dont. that's nice too. because some people are like that technical.

a reply to: tovenar

if the mods think the posts are genuinely funny, or are genuinely earnest... or if moderators are the ones posting them, maybe it's time for the forum to close.

The Survival Forum is fine and members are welcome to alert any posts that concern them. Several ATS staff have a high level of subject knowledge regarding aspects of survival and are free to participate. There are no plans to close the forum.

Because ATS is essentially anarcho-democratic, no one's post's here matter less than anyone else's.

The site favours neutrality which means anyone can post as long as they are on topic and within the T&Cs.

its why we haven't seen any more threads on raising your own chickens, or beekeeping, or even on intensive gardening, in more than a year....

Sounds like a good incentive to add more threads and raise the bar. Survival and prepping are enjoying a resurgence.

Question answered by several posts. Thread closed.