UFO projects, the potential end of ATS and priorities

As many of you will be aware, SkepticOverlord (one of the owners of ATS) has posted a thread HERE in which he states that unless a suitable buyer with the resources to invest in growth is found, ATS will "slowly fade away until revenue can't support hosting".

I hope the former option succeeds - and the thread at the link above contains discussion about various possibilities. (This new thread is not intended to be a place for discussion of those possibilities. Input/ideas to avoid ATS closing would be better added to the thread at the link above).

However, assuming for a moment that ATS may "fade away" to darkness (and SkepticOverlord has indicated a potential time-frame of months unless a buyer is found), what UFO projects can and should members of this UFO forum on ATS try to complete first?

If it becomes more likely that ATS is going to fade away, I hope that there is some effort to preserve at least some of the UFO threads posted on ATS. I'd be happy to try to help with any archiving project.

But what about UFO projects in various threads that aren't yet completed, or UFO threads that members have in mind but haven't posted yet?

I'm sure that many members, like me, have limited time to devote to ufology - so what should be the priorities?

Personally, at least in public, in the last few years I've been focused on preserving and disseminating material in searchable formats (particularly defunct UFO newsletters/magazines). For example, in the last few weeks, I've worked with a researcher in Norway (Ole Braenne) and others to get many of the main Norwegian UFO magazines/newsletters online and this week I'm helping get many Japanese UFO magazines/newsletters online - adding to previous collections I've helped get online (with permission from relevant editors/groups, and working with the AFU in Sweden among many others) from the UK, the USA, Australia and Canada. This work, largely behind the scenes, has involved a _lot_ less drama and controversy for me than some of the UFO topics I'd previously posted about (e.g. hoaxes and disinformation/misinformation) and probably does at least as much to help improve standards of research within modern ufology as those more controversial topics. See HERE. There's still plenty of work in relation to that sort of preservation/dissemination of material and that work will continue.

But what about UFO projects where I've found ATS to be particularly strong - e.g. ones requiring some technical/IT input or in-depth digging online?

If ATS survives (as I hope it does), it will not have been a waste to have spent a bit of think thinking about and briefly discussing priorities in this UFO forum and how the mix of skills among ATS members (and the tools offered by this forum) could be used to push them forward.

If ATS does end, I hope that we at least complete a few things in this UFO forum before we go our separate ways.

Of course, there are other UFO forums and other means of communicating (including Facebook and the abomination known as Twitter) so ufology would not end with ATS - but I hope that if ATS does end, it ends with a bit of a bang rather than a whimper.

Hello Isaac, you are one of the best (if not the best) reaons why I have enjoyed and learnt so much browsing ATS, there was a thread recently also asking Save ATS - here's the plan I added that a link to all your threads should be put out there IsaacKoi

I would like to thank you for your time/devotion and ability to write and cross reference in a manner which ensures people leave your threads far more knowledgeable than when they entered

I hope ATS makes it through this period, if not I genuinely will miss seeing that new post that says "authored by IsaacKoi"

a reply to: IsaacKoi
Sounds like a cool idea. If we could maybe agree on 1 or just a few projects. Preferably 1, I could dedicate a few hours a day doing online research. I'll just keep an eye on this thread and see where it goes. But it would be cool to find somethings that have been missed or overlooked over the years.

I would like to believe Skepticoverlord would save a copy of ATS before deleting it.
Anything else would be a sin.

It would be easy to create a ftp site with a saved sate of ATS.

I am hopeful .

I just dug up my password to chime in here for a second.. I normally use my tablet to lurk over the past few years and not engage (with adds on for respect) but this is very important.. this whole end of ATS is heartbreaking and this section of ATS (and the paranormal stuff) is what IMO holds too much to loose as it's not documented in other places as extensively and deeply as here.

When I stumbled into here the first time I thought I had a clue about it all.. I'd seen some stuff, lived some stuff but I had about 1/100000027th of a clue.. I still don't have a definitive clue but I do have a much greater understanding of the way of things and a much sounder mind for it.

I want to thank you for that.. everyone.
And I also hope many of the in depth investigations that have occurred here are documented for future generations.
or whatever may come of it all.

S&F

So, does anyone have any preferences/ideas in relation to:

(1) Existing UFO threads that they would like to see have a collective push forward? and/or
(2) New UFO threads they would like to see before any closure of ATS?

In relation to potential new UFO threads, I tend to mentally classify potential threads into:
(A) Organisational/resource threads - e.g. threads on particular collections of documents or other resources (such as the transcripts I posted). I think that the technical skills on ATS could make rapid progress on threads that would make a real contribution to ufology in relation to certain types of material that haven't really been tackled/organised much so far - e.g. UFO documentaries or UFO newspaper clippings.

(B) Investigative threads - i.e. threads on particular topics which involve too many unknowns or conflicting views, where a bit of digging can narrow areas of dispute (e.g. the Admiral Wilson documents, or Bigelow - although personally I've been trying hard for a while to stay out of discussions of the more controversial UFO topics).

(C) Historical threads - i.e. threads pulling together material on less controversial (but possibly not widely known) historical topics e.g. UFOs and Congress.

If we can get any sort of consensus on a few UFO threads (whether new or existing, and whether falling within the above categories or not), I'd be happy to try to help participate in an attempt to push something forward.

a reply to: Xarian6
I just posted that in the thread I started. I completely agree %100, there is so much information here and I can't think of another place that even comes close. It would be such a waste for all of that to be lost. This website as silly as it might seem has shaped me in ways. And it would be great if the next generation or next kid who's curious about the universe and all the wonders in it will be able to find there way here.

Thanks for coming back to post and sharing your feelings as I'm sure many others feel the same

a reply to: IsaacKoi
I'm going to look through the archives and I'll give you my opinion of the best one(s) might take a bit, might get lost enjoying myself lol

This is kind of like having an Aunt or Uncle in ICU with no chance, terminal and waiting to cross the Veil. As you spend those last days and hours, down to the minute the last has come.

A death watch.

a reply to: Plotus
I agree, but you still stay with them to the end though

YES, you do....

a reply to: IsaacKoi

I've actually only scratched the surface of your contributions. And while I appreciate what you're trying to do here I don't see how it could be successful.
There are as many approaches as there are people interested and to ask that chaotic bunch to focus is a bit ... like praying for a miracle.

Anyhoo what I would really love to see is if there could be
1) a registry of the historical, personal, military etc accounts, that's open source
2) double save them (maybe on your homepage?)
because 3) I would love to figure out an algorithm to cross-reference them

But I honestly get lost in the chaos whenever I try, that's a personal issue, coming from a semi-spiritual/metaphysical point of view, it's not easy. Some kind of structure and not having to panic it will get lost if I don't hurry might help.
I know there've been already similar attempts, but from what I gather the fact that the anecdotes change depending on the period was perceived as sign they're not "real" and I would state the opposite it's a sign we're facing a phenomenon dating back thousands of years.
I believe the biggest achievement possible right now is a registry with someone daring to create a new terminology with clear definitions.

Maybe
But maybe we're all too busy, under the spell of a control loop, or just not as serious as we'd like to be...

a reply to: IsaacKoi

Hey Isaac,
Would you consider archiving the UFO material on your site?
If cost is an issue, let me know, you have my email.
Im sure a lot of us would be willing to donate to the cause.

originally posted by: Macenroe82
Hey Isaac,
Would you consider archiving the UFO material on your site?

If it looks like archiving is necessary, I'm sure that (if ATS gives permission) I can sort out creating PDFs of the best threads in the UFO forum (if not all the threads in here). The number of flags could probably be used to find the best or most popular threads.

Hopefully, archiving will not be needed

In the meantime, I'd like to see another few good UFO threads before any closure (or considerable development of some of the existing UFO threads).

I'm not sure whether any other discussion forum (or website such as Facebook) has the same sort of mix of technical skills that ATS members have shown in some UFO threads here, so I'd like to see some of that expertise put to effective use to make some more contributions to wider ufology.

originally posted by: Peeple
while I appreciate what you're trying to do here I don't see how it could be successful.
There are as many approaches as there are people interested and to ask that chaotic bunch to focus is a bit ... like praying for a miracle.

I've often thought over the years that what ufology really needs is a benign dictator to impose a bit of order on the chaos.



I don't expect everyone to work on the same project(s) since we all have separate interests, but it would be disappointing if there aren't some projects that are viewed as higher priority than other possibilities by a reasonable number of members, to be worked on for a fairly short span of time.

a reply to: IsaacKoi

If there are any, in particular, you have in mind, let me know because ill take one on to start.

a reply to: IsaacKoi

One of the strongest elements of ATS, the UFO posts, debate and data, would be a shame to lose that

originally posted by: Macenroe82
If there are any, in particular, you have in mind, let me know because ill take one on to start.

Thanks. I always have far more ideas than I have time to implement on my own - but I was hoping this thread would/will prompt some ideas by others.

I'd rather contribute some time/resources to someone else's good idea for a UFO project than request help with my own ideas.

So, I'll wait a bit longer in the hope that some others put forward ideas (and, ideally, there is some sort of consensus on a good UFO project - or projects - to push forward before any closure of ATS).

a reply to: IsaacKoi

In that case...
what do you think about the Tim Edwards case?
Tim Edwards video and analysis video


Some say that all that was recorded was a misidentified spider web, reflecting sunlight.

Then, in 3rd video I posted on that thread, we have the video analysis.

I reached out to George Knapp last evening, inquiring if he still had the entire 1-hour video footage.
Awaiting a reply from him still.

What is your stance on this case?

Misidentification? UFO?
Should we reopen the case and dig around?

Just out of interest what kind of money are we talking to keep this place a float?