Transparency On The Future of ATS

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord

originally posted by: 111DPKING111
Not true if browsing the site from the phone, Ive had to shut down the browser many a time due to malicious ad content here.

Who is your service provider? It's widely known -- and we've proven it -- that mobile service providers are injecting their own ads into mobile web browsing. It's one reason why I simply don't use my phone for web browsing anymore.

Verizon is my provider, interesting if they are injecting. I hate phone browsing, but in a doctors waiting room, it happens.

Didnt really mean to criticize, more of an fyi as why some might be ad blocking besides work/business filters which is out of our control. I have never had an issue with a non phone browser and disappointing this might be playing a big role in the sites demise. I would hope everyone would turn off ad blockers for the site when at home.

I didnt realize how much they were manipulating searches/politics, your comments in this Post really puts things in perspective.

Then, through 2015 we'd receive daily notices that URLs (entire threads really) were being delisted from the ad platform. For a time, just about all of them were threads critical of Hillary Clinton.

I would encourage everyone to promote a Defund Google compaign and promote alternative search engines like duckduckgo.com. Its just like Microsoft throwing its weight around when they were the only game in town.

a reply to: IAMTAT
"Go Fund Me" IF/when? Logistics of actual operation can slide for the moment?

originally posted by: IAMTAT
a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

No. But the sense is we're down to weeks...rather than months.
SO has said they will try to keep the lights on a little longer if it looks like a serious member buyout begins to take shape.

Indeed, and so what? Our experience will not change...the new owners will be the same as the old owners. Wait... a song comes to mind...Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

I care for this place and I spent a night having trouble
sleeping when I heard we could be shut down soon.I
have spent nearly 11 years of my life here and it won't
be easy leaving.I have signed up on another site because
I need my conspiracy website fix.
My morning routine everyday...
Breakfast and coffee,check my emails,Steve Quayle,Dave Hodges,
Alex Jones and then ATS. Do you have any clue how bent out of
shape we older people get when our routines are disrupted?

originally posted by: mamabeth
a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

I care for this place and I spent a night having trouble
sleeping when I heard we could be shut down soon.I
have spent nearly 11 years of my life here and it won't
be easy leaving.I have signed up on another site because
I need my conspiracy website fix.
My morning routine everyday...
Breakfast and coffee,check my emails,Steve Quayle,Dave Hodges,
Alex Jones and then ATS. Do you have any clue how bent out of
shape we older people get when our routines are disrupted?

Is there a site out there that matches up to this one? Tell us.

a reply to: Lilroanie

Ditto, it's been a slice. Truely. but times are a changing.

So Long and good night.

and someone turn the lights out will ya?

a reply to: InTheLight

I cannot disagree with this enough.

The moderator of this forum (in the literal sense, not the technical sense) created a forum where civility was a mandate and prerequisite to participation. Nowhere on the internet does this exist, except maybe behind paywalls. I personally prefer the old days when rules were more stringently enforced and we had no mud pit (prior to me being a mod...when I was subject to those more strict rules too). It was a golden age of civil discussion.

We still shine as a beacon for this. When you wade into the cesspools of places like Twitter, YouTube, etc you can easily see the civil experience we provide here is sharply contrasted. I may wander to find other interactions, but i treasure ATS for what it gives: safe harbor to vet ideas...so long as you aren't completely full of it and able to at least support your claims (and obviously outside the mudpit).

To assume that new ownership will hold the same values that the current does is hopeful, but not guaranteed. Nonetheless, we should recognize how special the playground Bill, Mark, et al have given us. It stands as a testament to polite discourse.

originally posted by: MindBodySpiritComplex
a reply to: ArMaP

Woah, are they tailoring the censorship on an individual level now? Something a bit like a shadow ban.

Yes.

Duckduckgo sucks to be honest. Furthermore it just uses Bing's algorithm.

Searching for videos just shows YouTube results.

I was looking forward to making it to 20 years on ATS.

Such a shame, I hate to think ATS will not be there when I retire soon and finally have the time to post and reply.

Here's hoping there will be a place to talk to those folks I have gotten to know over the past many years. If not, I'll miss you guys.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Thank you for this posting, it was needed!

Sadness yet joy in the fact that we have all been part of the good ole days and have stories to tell the next generation!

Brothers Sisters rejoice we achieved here with all the support of Owners and Mods, Nods even you Don't Tread On Me, LOL.

ATS was a safe place for exploring ideas as long as one had a supported point!

Thank you all and guess I took it for granted ATS shame on me...... I could have not ran my ad blocker but being a computer professional since 84 and house wired for ISDN in 93..... old habits are hard to change......

NO WHERE on the internet is an ATS clone. I am happy to pay subs....... last gasp of life what are you willing to do for another go????

Well written my friend thank you it was needed to be said.....

a reply to: IceHappy

Its funny...DTOM gets a lot of flack from members. I guess she tends to be the person who clicks the action on a post more often than not, im not sure. But I can tell you this: every single action she, or any other mod, takes comes with a consensus behind it. She may be the bearer of the news, but its not a decision made in a vacuum.

I don't really like individuals very often. But she is absolutely good people whose acquaintance I value highly.

originally posted by: AutomateThis1
Duckduckgo sucks to be honest. Furthermore it just uses Bing's algorithm.

Searching for videos just shows YouTube results.

The simple fact it was owned by Google when it was duck.com is suspect enough, I've tried the browser and I agree it's not great.

Sad News... Fan from the Netherlands here. Long time lurker, few times poster. ATS has been my number 1 News source for years. I’m an e-commerce manager and can’t believe that there is not a good business model for this site. I get the no time issue... But if you have the money you can always outsource development and maintanance. ATS has a loyal community. I would be willing to pay a montly subscription or put in a donation...

Sent you a wee message Gordi


a reply to: Gordi The Drummer

a reply to: Wookiep

Thanks for your opinion.

I don't need a lecture from you or anyone on how the site is run, or how much I should love it. I've already expressed how grateful I am to the owners for the opportunity they afforded me.

Furthermore, the majority of the staff I worked with aren't here any more in the main. If they are then they are silent and have been so for a long time.

Politics has killed the place. Its not UFOs, aliens, ghosts, cryptids, mysteries and science that lead Google to defund the ad revenue, its hate politics and an unwillingness to risk their business model on it.

If you can't/won't accept that, then that's down to you and you are part of the problem.

I don't want the forum to die, but it will do unless people start accepting the reality of the situation.

a reply to: neformore

Accept. Go along with. Give in. Whatever.

The reality of the situation is this place, or the place we used to know is toast.

You may get your way but it'll never be the same again, and even more people will leave, and leave you to your echo chamber.

Enjoy.

a reply to: jedi_hamster

I'm on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, in Portugal, and I don't have those problems, so I don't think we can blame the servers where ATS is hosted.

a reply to: Case74282

Another thing most people do not notice is that Google gives different results according to the browser used to make the search. As I use several different browsers I have noticed that many years ago.

If I search for "abovetopsecret" (without the quotes) in Opera (the browser I use most) I get "About 1,260,000 results", with Twitter, Amazon, Indiatimes, Instagram and Wook being the first five sites.

In Maxthon I get "About 816,000 results", with the top 5 being abovetopsecret.com, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and Youtube again.

In Edge (the new version, based on Chromium) I get "About 1,260,000 results", with the top 5 being Twitter, Amazon, Amazon, Indiatimes and Instagram.

On Firefox I get "About 1,240,000 results", and the top 5 are Twitter, Amazon, Amazon, Indiatimes and Instagram.

On Chrome I get the same as in Edge, "About 1,260,000 results", with the top 5 being Twitter, Amazon, Amazon, Indiatimes and Instagram.

Internet Explorer shows the same results as Chrome or Edge.

So, for exactly the same search, I get different results in Firefox and Maxthon, (running the Webkit engine), the two less used browsers that use less common engines.

PS: all the tests were done using private browsing, to avoid reuse of cookies stored on my computer.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
I guess she tends to be the person who clicks the action on a post more often than not, im not sure.

But I am.