I'm convinced...now more than ever

As many have noted over the years, and as I have again here noted recently, there has always been a theme of some, more covert undertone here on ATS. I am convinced, now, more than ever before, this is true. Here is my reasoning...

1. The moderators have been in the dark for nearly 2+ years about the inner workings of this site.

2. After all the commotion about the website going dark, and nothing happening...well, nothing happened.

3. As has been noted by many here, domains are easy to renew, but the larger costs, the hosting costs, not so much...yet the site continues to work.

4. A SSL security certificate for a website is amazingly simple to achieve. In fact, it's a simple add-on to the domain service. The fact the domain was renewed but the security certificate was not, makes no sense...UNLESS...

5. The fact that there is seemingly no attempt at revenue generation, either through advertising, or through other means, makes no sense. Nothing is free. Plus, the advertising which does exist leads to business ventures which are clearly not capable of supporting the operational costs of the site. This is more than just a little bit curious.

6. Some have alleged the backend of the site has not been updated in years (or, a very long time). This is not possible. At a very minimum, the server OS version would have to have been updated as patching and updates are no longer possible for unsupported versions. So, there is definitely 'some' backend maintenance being performed. The DB may have issues, but the backend is far more than just the database. Plus, many of the newer OS's on member's personal computers don't support older, unsupported, broswers. And, the newer browsers will not support older server OS versions for a whole variety of security reasons. So, there is definitely 'some' maintenance going on with the backend, by somebody. It is not truly adrift as some suggest.

7. If the main application(s) are now cloud based (which is a possiblity), then the server OS versions would be updated automatically by the provider. However, this would also require the application owner to update the application to comply with the newer supported server versions in the cloud environment. So, two things here; first, the transition to a cloud based solution is a change that someone would have had to consciously make because this was not the original state of the website, so this would be recent. (probably in line with the Godaddy change time frame).

8. Storage is not a trivial thing, even if it is outsourced. Storage is not something which can just be left alone; it must be monitored and conflicts (which are common) must be resolved. Left unattended, the backend storage would quickly become corrupted and there would be all manner of glitches, if not wholesale crashes. Any, and I mean 'any', crash as a result of storage corruption would not clear itself without intervention. Yes, there are automated restore processes, but even these have to be hand selected. Plus, storage is not cheap, and it's not like the rotisserie cooker where you just 'set it, and forget it'. That's just not how it works, not on the scale of ATS.

9. For all the alleged problems of ATS, in just the poking around I've done, with the possible exception of the search function, the website seems, overall, surprisingly stable. This would simply not be possible with a completely 'hands-off' site which was just 'adrift' on the Interwebz. I can find (100) websites in less than a few minutes which are FAR more unstable than this one. Most of the features here work, and areas where you would expect to find problems (picture hosting for example) work fine. Rarely do I get weird errors, or any other strange anomalies. Lastly, and most importantly, after what many here call the "great purge", subsequent crash, and the whole darko thing...somebody would have absolutely had to intervene to correct all that and get it running again, even if limping (which with a 'hands-off' approach, it would still be doing today...but it isn't). In fact, from my perspective this website is actually faster now than it ever was.

10. Bottom line - Someone is orchestrating the proper operation of this website. No question about it. The larger question is...why no SSL certificate? And, what is the purpose of its continued operation? If you look carefully into what no SSL certificate means, you'll be asking yourself some serious questions, and one of these is...someone wants the transaction data which is not secured, but whom and what?. This could be passwords and user names, or any other PII type data exchanged on the site (IF one is foolish enough to put any of this data here). So...who is it...and what is the purpose (why)???

Curious, to say the least.

I welcome your thoughts and comments.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

What fun is a conspiracy site without actual cognitive dissonance about its existence?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk


Ask yourself this . Who can Operate any Business or Website without having a Revenue Stream to Support the Costs of Operating it ? Someone with Deep Pockets who does not Care what it Costs , or " Maybe " a Government Agency which has access to Taxpayer Dollars ? I suspect the Latter .

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Or, maybe it is extraterrestrials running the show. One can hope...

originally posted by: Zanti Misfit
a reply to: Flyingclaydisk


Ask yourself this . Who can Operate any Business or Website without having a Revenue Stream to Support the Costs of Operating it ? Someone with Deep Pockets who does not Care what it Costs , or " Maybe " a Government Agency which has access to Taxpayer Dollars ? I suspect the Latter .

Hey, I'm the one asking the questions here!! (ROAR!) PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT MAN BEHIND THE INTERWEBZ!! (ROAR! FIRE!!)

(just kidding) Yep!

Good rule of thumb is to never post anything, anywhere without understanding that someone knows who you are and can track you.

Same with cameras - just assume you are being filmed.

There are too many legal and non-legal ways to invade privacy.

Even in person you have to be careful. Look at all the times the FBI infiltrated groups to try to frame people.

There's a few posters here I'm sure are some type of "pros". Meaning their primary job (whether or not it's volunteer) is to go on websites like this one. They are excellent at writing posts and know how to hide or redirect from post they don't like. In fact, I think they are partly responsible for the downfall of this website. But exactly how are you going to prove something like that? You can't.

I agree about the DB, it can't be left unattended too long, so someone is working in the back.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk

originally posted by: Zanti Misfit
a reply to: Flyingclaydisk


Ask yourself this . Who can Operate any Business or Website without having a Revenue Stream to Support the Costs of Operating it ? Someone with Deep Pockets who does not Care what it Costs , or " Maybe " a Government Agency which has access to Taxpayer Dollars ? I suspect the Latter .

Hey, I'm the one asking the questions here!! (ROAR!) PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT MAN BEHIND THE INTERWEBZ!! (ROAR! FIRE!!)

(just kidding) Yep!

So , which one is it then , Your Thoughts ?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

It's always fun to watch the cynical lens of our skeptics community target its own platform, and really it's no surprise to anyone. Hi FBI! Hi 3 letter agency goons! Feel free to join the club and participate! There's no reason we can't be friends

And still no update from Darko/Mrs. No activity at all. Maybe they have alts and are monitoring behind the scene? It's working out and they think hands off is the safest approach? 🤔

a reply to: Zanti Misfit

I honestly don't know. I'd be completely speculating. I just know there is something going on which is more than meets the eye. If I had to hazard a completely wild-ass guess...I'd be inclined to say neither and both at the same time. In other words, someone who has a 'tool' which is useful to someone else (person or group), and that person has some sort of a debt to pay. Whatever it is, is most likely not going to be something straight forward by any means.

a reply to: TzarChasm

Very candidly, if it was that simple, I'd honestly be relieved!! Seriously!

edit (to your edit) - hands-off doesn't work on this scale. For a week or two, maybe, but not long term...or anywhere even close.

One place where there is a lot of money in the media is in controlling the narrative. The value placed on it is not as tangible as things like advertising revenue or staffing costs, but it is still part of the mix as state and corporate agendas are in play.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: Zanti Misfit

I honestly don't know. I'd be completely speculating. I just know there is something going on which is more than meets the eye. If I had to hazard a completely wild-ass guess...I'd be inclined to say neither and both at the same time. In other words, someone who has a 'tool' which is useful to someone else (person or group), and that person has some sort of a debt to pay. Whatever it is, is most likely not going to be something straight forward by any means.

That sounds about Right . I also suspect that whomever it is , wears a "White Hat" ..........*)

a reply to: kwaka

Well, one thing you can be sure of about the media; anywhere the media goes, advertising will almost instantaneously follow, without exception. MSM media does not function in the absence of ad revenue; it is their life blood.

So, if the media has anything to do with any of this, it's some kind of an unprecedented new paradigm.

edit - Plus, I don't think ATS is big enough to attract mainstream media, honestly. I think it's something more specific, but I don't know what. Whatever / whomever the source of the interest is not motivated by money, that much is clear. MSM is a pure greed machine with an insatiable appetite for revenue.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Another hypothesis.... it's the hacker from October, keeping the lights on because they're bored and like playing discord mod but as a ghost.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I think there is another option. While not as likely as your assertion, that is AI learning and aggregation.


What better way to train than a fairly active board that discusses fringe topics and partisan political issues?

Things started about 2 years ago the first glitch no one listened to me.

a reply to: Thewayifeelisthewayiam

Well-placed thinking FCD.
As per usual and you are wont to do.

This thread rules!

I like soup. Come at me bro!

Edit now we just gotta yell at everything and everyone under the sun and see whom we can’t reproach.