An open discussion: Do we have a right to know who the new site owners are?

First off, I’m not out to attack what some may perceive as a lack of transparency over the change in site ownership. It’s their business, and they get to run it how they see fit. But with that said...what’s a reasonable expectation from the users here at ATS that fill the site with content and generate the ad revenue?

If say, George Soros bought the site...wouldn’t that change our perception of it? Or if George Knapp stepped in and bought it, might that motivate some to post more about UFO’s?

If Google bought it, maybe I start second guessing what I post here. What if this became a data mining site (which I suppose it could be regardless of who owns it)? Or what if it was going to be used to censor a certain ideology and promote another?

So my question, as in the title...do we have a reasonable right to know? Or are we bound to just posting or not posting no matter who the new boss is.

Mods, sorry if this belongs in a different forum, I just looked at it more as general chit chat than anything.

🍻

a reply to: Assassin82

There's a Reddit thread on who might have bought it, but not much evidence.

I think this is a very reasonable question.

a reply to: Assassin82

No, we don't. We have a right to leave if it's not acceptable to us.

From almost the moment it was announced I've seen people complaining that the new owner hasn't revealed themselves, both here and elsewhere. They probably haven't even assumed full control, it's not like they bought a car they can just hop in and drive home. There are things that need to be done, SO already mentioned the new owner was taking stock and was availing themselves of his input before really digging in.

I would appreciate the move but theres no expectations from my side. In fact it doesn't matter because we have to trust the owner either way.

Then I think.. If I bought the site, I would not tell you(all) at all. What's it good for, I would like to participate, too, and receive unaltered responses. Not responses honed to my liking because I am the owner (I am not, it's theoretical speaking).

a reply to: ThatDamnDuckAgain

I think you've probably touched on what the site is evolving into exactly. Maybe. But maybe not.

Well I haven't seen any change in the moderation tactics so I don't really care who owns it as long as we aren't censored. However I do appreciate the mods keeping ATS a lot more civil than almost any other fringe website, it's a good balance between free speech and civility imo.

a reply to: Assassin82

good question. cant help but it feels as if this forum is slowly dying.

My guess is the new owner is one of us.

No. Too many crazies out there in the world. There’s reasons that web hosts are starting to mask the whois (about ownership).

This site has gotten overly political over the last couple of years, so.......

originally posted by: oloufo
a reply to: Assassin82

good question. cant help but it feels as if this forum is slowly dying.

can you explain why? I don't see it that way at all.

originally posted by: oloufo
a reply to: Assassin82

good question. cant help but it feels as if this forum is slowly dying.

I’d say the way you used to know it is dying. But I’d argue that it’s more evolving than dying, like all things on the internet are. People can be nasty in the internet. Nobody wants to be the host of the next mass murderer. Nobody wants to have the same stigma that Alex Jones has attached to them. There’s a difference between open-minded conspiracies and enabling psychopathy.

originally posted by: Atsbhct
There's a Reddit thread on who might have bought it, but not much evidence.

When Zazzafrazz shows up with the bill of sale she's gonna smack all of us in the mouth.

ETA: And stay TF off Reddit, it's a cesspool.

originally posted by: ChaoticOrder
Well I haven't seen any change in the moderation tactics so I don't really care who owns it as long as we aren't censored. However I do appreciate the mods keeping ATS a lot more civil than almost any other fringe website, it's a good balance between free speech and civility imo.

I feel like I’ve seen more moderators being more involved recently. But it could be nothing. I’m not on here all the time to be able to accurately gauge it...just something I’ve noticed when I am on the site.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Atsbhct
There's a Reddit thread on who might have bought it, but not much evidence.

When Zazzafrazz shows up with the bill of sale she's gonna smack all of us in the mouth.

ETA: And stay TF off Reddit, it's a cesspool.

You’re just mad because they haven’t started an updated “AUGUSTUSMASONICUS is the worst” thread.

But yeah, Reddit is toxic and full of troll farmers and socialists.

originally posted by: Assassin82
I feel like I’ve seen more moderators being more involved recently.

As someone who has never had any type of moderator action taken against them, not even yesterday at around 3PM EST, I can say the level has been pretty constant the past 14 years or so.

originally posted by: Assassin82
You’re just mad because they haven’t started an updated “AUGUSTUSMASONICUS is the worst” thread.

LOL. Guess you missed it.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Atsbhct
There's a Reddit thread on who might have bought it, but not much evidence.

When Zazzafrazz shows up with the bill of sale she's gonna smack all of us in the mouth.

ETA: And stay TF off Reddit, it's a cesspool.

Fact.

originally posted by: Atsbhct
Fact.

I light candles nightly to all the evil gods I worship (Satan, Cthulhu, Beelzebub, Zazzafrazz, Piers Morgan) that it is in fact Zazzafrazz who bought this place and will literally put cigarettes out on all our tongues before rightfully nuking the entire site from orbit.

originally posted by: Ksihkehe
a reply to: Assassin82

No, we don't. We have a right to leave if it's not acceptable to us.

From almost the moment it was announced I've seen people complaining that the new owner hasn't revealed themselves, both here and elsewhere. They probably haven't even assumed full control, it's not like they bought a car they can just hop in and drive home. There are things that need to be done, SO already mentioned the new owner was taking stock and was availing themselves of his input before really digging in.

I don’t disagree. It might make some members feel better but they certainly don’t “have” to pull back the curtain for us.