Transparency On The Future of ATS

a reply to: Peeple

I have no idea. I've enough stress in my life, and i've tried to not think about this one too much.

originally posted by: DISRAELI
a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan
It's just an inference which I was drawing from the multiple complaint threads over the years saying "There aren't enough threads about X,Y,Z, and too much politics instead". That implies a demand for more threads on other topics. The demand must be coming from the people who want to read threads, and isn't being met by the people who write them.

Two questions:

How many people does it take to keep a thread active?

Does the same 5 people circularly patting each other on the back in agreement - qualify as a topic in demand?

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Well said and on point.



It's not a fair market, such is life unfortunately.

originally posted by: Peeple
You dumbass lol I meant was there already an announcement of the date

Yes, it shut down at yesterday at the time I gave you. This is just the Matrix now.

a reply to: Annee

what qualifies as a topic in demand is overall page views. Registered users discussing a topic...great. We have some engagement. But all the thousands of folks who don't have accounts or don't login to participate (there are a bunch) still generate page views.

And SO was pretty clear: the page views created enough ad revenue that there wasn't a whole lot of issue. Sure, the creep from BBS to social media platforms kept ATS from paying out dividends....but it was keeping the lights on. Then Google changed. Google decided that some content would no longer be allowed to be monetized.

Now, you can agree that the content wasn't to your liking (although you've participated fairly heavily). But to say that the content had no value...that is a stretch that only someone stuck in their own echo chamber would make.

That is what is happening here. Its not ATS changing, or lower active membership (although the latter certainly doesn't help). Its that the ad service decided to no longer push ads to a large swath of the content that people have been clicking on and wanted to see.

If you want to blame ATS, then blame ATS for not creating a social media platform. Or for not strictly censoring user comments to align with the political whims of the ad service. But you cannot blame ATS for being what it is: a site with content generated by users, for enjoyment of users. We, as users, made that particular bed. And its not what is killing ATS, other than some of the content not being political expedient to an ad service.

originally posted by: sapien82
a reply to: Harte

ahh but the pendulum swings both ways and with this swing into darkness then there is only good times ahead

Yeah, but you haven't noticed that nobody ever predicts the other swing?



Harte

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I thought something was weird, now it all makes sense!

a reply to: Annee
Dunno. I made my remarks as an observer, trying to analyse what was happening.

The only case I was trying to make was that people should not be blaming (implicitly) site management for the absence of UFO threads etc. They are absent simply because other people are not writing them.

a reply to: DISRAELI

and others are not writing them for the obvious reasons: everyone has an HD camera, and we still only get grainy/blurry photos of specks of light.

I think our technology has removed the mystery to the lens artifacts that we kept calling UFO's and aliens for so long.

a reply to: Harte

Oh, they do. Strauss Howe is an entire theory based on it.

I've already predicted the next swing. It's maybe 3 years away at most. Once the older zoomers have children that hate them and everything they stand for, like good children do.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: neformore

There is nothing logical about your position. I know you dislike US politics. But you aren't the population at large, who spoke very clearly when they chose to write about politics. And even then...it wasn't a significant change to the site over the prior 7 years.

'Tis just my opinion, and that is what the site is about ultimately if you think about it. I've always been a vocal critic of the political direction things took. It drained the civility and unique selling point.

But....time will tell I guess. Lets hope I'm wrong, eh?

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: Annee

what qualifies as a topic in demand is overall page views. Registered users discussing a topic...great. We have some engagement. But all the thousands of folks who don't have accounts or don't login to participate (there are a bunch) still generate page views.

And SO was pretty clear: the page views created enough ad revenue that there wasn't a whole lot of issue. Sure, the creep from BBS to social media platforms kept ATS from paying out dividends....but it was keeping the lights on. Then Google changed. Google decided that some content would no longer be allowed to be monetized.

Now, you can agree that the content wasn't to your liking (although you've participated fairly heavily). But to say that the content had no value...that is a stretch that only someone stuck in their own echo chamber would make.

That is what is happening here. Its not ATS changing, or lower active membership (although the latter certainly doesn't help). Its that the ad service decided to no longer push ads to a large swath of the content that people have been clicking on and wanted to see.

If you want to blame ATS, then blame ATS for not creating a social media platform. Or for not strictly censoring user comments to align with the political whims of the ad service. But you cannot blame ATS for being what it is: a site with content generated by users, for enjoyment of users. We, as users, made that particular bed. And its not what is killing ATS, other than some of the content not being political expedient to an ad service.

I think my observation/point is very logical.

In real life - - I have been in groups/jobs/etc - - - where a small few took it upon themselves to "speak for everryone". Slowly, members started drifting away. And then the group folded.

My kids swimteam was one. We had an amazing coach. But, Two (just 2) parents decided they were gonna run things - - and tell the coach how to coach. The team folded.

A small few circulating in a thread - - protecting each other from opposition - - doesn't really make it viable - - just because it keeps the traffic flowing.

Not blaming ATS - - but, the observation is real.

--------------------------------------

However, I have also said this in the past.

"Be the Change"

a reply to: neformore

What time is going to tell is that Google can control the content of the internet by controlling the flow of advertising dollars. In no way can I think anything but negatively about that. Its impact on ATS is only a minor part of my concern in that regard.

I know this isn't what you like to hear....but since Googles decision i have purchased at least 1000 rounds of ammo.

a reply to: Annee

In real life - - I have been in groups/jobs/etc - - - where a small few took it upon themselves to "speak for everryone". Slowly, members started drifting away. And then the group folded.

If you don't have a voice and the talking points to oppose opinions that you don't agree on, then why argue?

You're very matter of factually yourself. You, like many of us, come off as though our point is the correct one. Maybe perhaps because we're writing from a singular view. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?


I also speak for my culture, very passionately because there are quite a bit of ignorance when people speak about it yet have zero part in it. You do the same with your views on LBGTV or whatever. Something I have zero knowledge about save only a few kin a a friend who are. My views come from observations and it doesn't always jive with the masses. Yet the masses can't even agree with themselves.

Saying that the site is going south because really loud voices run the place with zero authority - totally false.

What I see are people who know how to send their point across and unless you have a valid counter, you can't really do anything but 'be triggered'. These people come from all ends of the spectrum, not just one political side but many.


The funny thing is... Whether I believe those people or not, have the same ideals as those people (often not), there is something else that always keeps me connected to each and every person here. I'd call it curiosity because I don't have a word for it.... It just is. I could care less if any of our views are on the same page. I simply like hanging out and bitchin about everything, picking things apart, constructive arguments or conversations, agreeing, resolving, growing older, gaining insight with YOU people. I guess I just like you all whether it seems so or not in my responses.

When they say one big dysfunctional family... I think of ATS. ...and somehow we keep coming back for more of each other. I guess we simply love the company of one another and just can't pull ourselves away. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I'll even go out kicking.... You pain in the @$$.


ETA

I forgot to mention. Topic wise... Call it a sign of the times. Politics is dominant because everything is REALLY REALLY REALLY effed up and we're really taking notice. Call it the panic button era if you want.

I'd love to see more mystery on this site and I've often put many things together to put those posts up but I got lazy and life most often just wont let me - because I'm lazy... Maybe it's the air that just makes me not want to give AF anymore but I do love reading them when someone else puts them up. Maybe they have the same feelings washing over them.

Still.. Nothing is stopping those that want that content from putting up as much of that content as possible. It might have started a trend. The people that did get all sorts of praises. Just not enough interest right now, I suppose. To many huge things going on in the world that need attention.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Although politics haven't taken over, they became a large part of ATS, but the problem, to me, is that although not being the majority, political topics are the "loudest", so, like some people at parties, they appear to be more and more active than the rest, when in fact they just make more noise.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
The current design doesn't even really use the friend feature anymore (if at all...i'd have to check).

We do.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
I know this isn't what you like to hear....but since Googles decision i have purchased at least 1000 rounds of ammo.

Did you use Google to find the best deal?

originally posted by: ArMaP

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
I know this isn't what you like to hear....but since Googles decision i have purchased at least 1000 rounds of ammo.

Did you use Google to find the best deal?

Big ball of irony right there.... lol!

Maybe so,but ive been around enough BS artist to know that it may had started out as a love for ATS,but in the end we still have the same result. But as I said,water under the Tims bridge. ME and nefer never got along in threads and i do not see that changing anytime soon but I do wish him well outside of ATS at the very least.

I may be a arsehole from time to time,but im not a total dikk.

originally posted by: DISRAELI
a reply to: Annee
Dunno. I made my remarks as an observer, trying to analyse what was happening.

The only case I was trying to make was that people should not be blaming (implicitly) site management for the absence of UFO threads etc. They are absent simply because other people are not writing them.

Absolutely agree.

ATS is member driven. That's just fact.