Transparency On The Future of ATS

originally posted by: Bigburgh
What ever happened to Beezer?

Though I know ... seeing ~ accounts always broke my heart.

+1 KJ booooooommmmmm

ETA: How did you get a photograph of my torso?

a reply to: Aallanon

I'm merely illustrating the difference in product. I also don't think 100% subscription based is the way to go.

There should be paid and unpaid-with ads membership, There should be a tipping system to create a localized economy within ATS using cryptocurrency. There should be donation buttons and crypto addresses available for those who wish to contribute that way.

Start a swag shop (not cafe press but a good one), start hosting heavily sponsored threads and articles. Start a member verification system. None of this stuff is impossible. We just need to way to make it happen.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord

originally posted by: harold223
Anyone who is not a one-eyed Trump supporter who comes across this site would walk right on, thinking its a right wing jerk fest. Would they be wrong?

There has been a seismic paradigm shift among conspiracy-minded people.

In the 20 years I've been a member/moderator/management of this site, along with prior "paying attention" back to the Ford administration, one thing has been consistent: As a group, Conspiracy Theorists always lean in the opposite political direction from whoever is in the White House.

Until Trump.

I find that odd.

True.

But imagine what a dark existence we would have if Hillary won.

Only upshot to that scenario would have been the political forums message counts would have quadrupled.

This is heartbreaking. I joined in 2011 because of the Japan earthquake tsunami thread. I have learned so much here and made quite a few friends, too.

I will gladly pay a subscription or donate to help keep ATS afloat.

I think everyone who uses this site needs to be told that if you keep blocking ads, it's the end. No bones about it. Even if it's for a month or so to see what that does to the revenue.
We simply can't let this place turn off it's lights and be no more.

originally posted by: kosmicjack
TBH, with the Orwellian state the world is in, not sure I want my content visible anymore. Might end up in a re-education camp somewhere. Or cancel culture will come for us. Maybe we should take a vote on whether SO should just nuke it from space.

lol!

I honestly wasn't considering this until you mentioned it. I have over 12 years of content. We may all be targets already.

Everybody needs to start archiving ASAP.

a reply to: TheRedneck

but I for one am kneeling before God right now to pray that a way for ATS to continue can be found.

Amen
I'm praying tonight - I cant see a future without ATS ( although its gotten bad since Trump won )

Its kept me informed ; you're one of the few I truly respect.

a reply to: projectvxn

You think?

But seriously, how many of us are silent beyond here? I know I make comments in a few other places. So my voice is around, and I don't really take many pains to hide it.

If they bother to come for me, then we've already lost anything worth living for in the country anyhow.

originally posted by: Lumenari

originally posted by: continuousThunder
just spitballing here, but maybe the prevalence of hateful, violent rhetoric could be contributing to the decline in traffic?
in the last week alone i've seen innumberable vile thing said about trans people, claims that black people are predisposed to crime, of lower intelligence, deserve their treatment by the police, and should "only live among their own kind", and i've seen multiple calls by separate posters for a nuclear weapon to be dropped on an american city (!!!).

like, on one hand there's free speech, and on the other there's people using their own free speech and discretion to go elsewhere when the climate is so foul.

So you are essentially saying that the left can't handle free speech and they are going to kill off ATS too.

Sounds about right.

If you don't agree with 90% of the things posted on a website.. you are far less likely to go out of your way to visit the website. It's a pretty basic concept. Right or Left both do it .. it is human nature.. do you go visit Huffington Post often or Vox? Same idea.. this place has turned into another political website.. very few new stories about UFOs and the unexplained... just a front page of Trump masturbatory fantasies.. it is what it is. I love coming to this place for the discussion and the story about the unexplained.. sad to hear it may soon not be here.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

What if all members turn off ad blockers?

Avoiding commenting on any other aspect of this as I returned, this morning, from about two weeks away from ATS and, except for a couple of social media DM checks, the entire Internet as a whole... I do wish to comment about one already tabled tangent.

If ATS simply ceases to exist and the servers are completely unplugged and wiped - entities like Google and intelligence agencies ( Hi NSA! ) won't lose a word as they've got the whole thing archived in real time anyway.

Burning it down to ash won't protect any of us.

That much I'm 99% sure of.

The idea that we're all on lists because of our posting, a bit less so but I suspect it.

originally posted by: projectvxn
I'm merely illustrating the difference in product. I also don't think 100% subscription based is the way to go.

Same.

The successful subscription sites are all highly specialized; marketing, dating, photography, etc.

a reply to: projectvxn

I always thought this was a possibility. I really became nervous when the Q thread started.

I was willing to take the risk for the greater good. Not so sure anymore.

a reply to: ChaoticOrder

I still think the argument is valid, but I'm not purporting this to be the sole and defining reason. It is one of them. I don't have data and statistics to show how much of an impact the political side has done to repel members such as myself, but you're right that this is a considerable reason as to why I didn't feel attracted to this place anymore. At least as an active member. We have to speak from personal experience sometimes, don't we? If there are several members stating this, then it's probably a legitimate reason to say it.

You also have to remember there are alot of international members as well, and US politics doesn't necessarily resonate with them.

I think it's great that you contribute in the way you do. Alot of members deserve a great deal of recognition for their contributions, including yourself.

originally posted by: ColdWisdom
Everybody needs to start archiving ASAP.

It would be nice if ATS would gather our content and make it available to us in a file we can download upon request.

Mods, would it be possible to make and pin a post explaining how to set Adblock exceptions for ATS, and why it's helpful if members and visitors do this?

It may not do much, but the time investment would be minimal anyway.

a reply to: Hefficide

Iron mountain.

Wonder what the percentages are about ad blocking.

Like how many "Members" vs "Visitors" blocking ads ?

Maybe the "Visitors" are killing the revenues ?

🤬

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

On a final note, I believe you will be *very* pleasantly surprised if you launch a GoFundMe campaign.

It won't address the time issue unless it's really successful which would allow you to hire someone to do the day-to-day stuff.