Is this a conspiracy site or not?

I've been on this site for a good bit. And maybe it's just me but there are more and more people that post here that only post "you are paranoid" type responses. It is still a conspiracy site, right? We are here to research and discuss what may or may not be conspiracies, right?

It's not about believing vs dis-believing. It's about researching anomolies in our world. Again, it's about research. Opinions are great when backed by research.

I guess I just don't understand. It used to be that a thread was created and then people would go out and research and post results from the research. If you weren't interested in something or didn't think it was worthy of your time, then you didn't post.

It seems this site has become nothing more than people trying to research and others trying to derail them with attacks. They even go as far as posting "you are paranoid" threads in the forum meant to discuss the topic. It's gone from just 2 line responses to whole threads calling everyone paranoid.

Maybe someone can explain it to me.

This is so unfair and untrue.

The only time any of us who are skeptically seeking the truth push back at any other member is when they post something like:

BUSH KILLED ALL THE PEOPLE IN LONDON BECAUSE HE'S HEAD OF THE NWO!

And usually the push back comes after the same statement (made in varying words) has been posted on the same thread a couple of times with absolutely no foundation.

Get a clue - your opinion is not fact and there is nobody here who is required to take it such. I know that simple fact going into any given conversation. You need to know it too.

ATS is for all theories - they just need a little backing. And if you don't have that backing - whatever you get is free!

ATS has grown alot and I think many are letting that get to their heads. I have seen the conspiracy angle diminishing as you are saying. But to be fair, alot of these "conspiracies" that are discussed among this site are talked over and over again, a few months will go by, then some newbie will come back and start a new thread with the same topic and the cycle just keeps repeating itself.

And alot of theories out there do lack research. Someone will come on and say "Bush is in Iraq for Oil" and thats the post. Where is his evidence? He doesn't have any, he is only stating his opinion.

Conspiracy theories do not grow on trees. This is why we keep getting repeats and unresearched and ignorant posts.

But I'd say that the main reason ATS has changed is due to hoaxes. People will come up here and post brilliant stories and start quite a commotion only to laugh at everyone a week later.

Just my (scattered) thoughts...

Valhall,

You are not part of the people I'm talking about. You have been here longer than I have.

This is the type I'm talking about...
www.abovetopsecret.com...

There is the other side of the coin. And you are correct, I did not mention the other side. The other side is just as bad. No research to back up claims.

Get a clue - your opinion is not fact and there is nobody here who is required to take it such.

But this is what I'm talking about. "Get a clue" in an attack. Attacking is not a proper way to have a civilized discussion.

I said "more and more people" not "everyone that disagrees with a conspiracy theory".

Nor did I call anyone sheep or close-minded or anything like that. The main point is about research and lack there of.

Realistically, there is no absolute proof of most of the conspiracy theories out there. There is circumstantial evidence. That was the case before I made my first post back in 2003. But back then you didn't get attacked for forming hypothesis based on the circumstantial evidence.

Why is it so different now?

I've noticed a huge change in the average ATS post, since when I first started posting here.

Sadly it seems ATS is no longer the place to go to read about people's ideas, or findings based off research, looking for opinions or counters to their work and thoughts. It's the place to come and read about:
"hy guz, my girlfrend got atcked by a potato!!! LOL!! wut do u think?????? i think its bushs falt"

Or other such garbage. I just think ATS grew too rapidly, and attracted a completely different audiance than the old regulars wanted. But there really is nothing that can be done about it.

Originally posted by Valhall
This is so unfair and untrue.

The only time any of us who are skeptically seeking the truth push back at any other member is when they post something like:

BUSH KILLED ALL THE PEOPLE IN LONDON BECAUSE HE'S HEAD OF THE NWO!

:::Gasp::: I totally agree! True conspiracy buffs want to get at the truth, not silly assumptions, fads, or opinions that are based on unintelligent, un-researched "poo"

ShadowHasNoSource,
Having a healthy sense of skepticism=good.
Simply swallowing anything and everything of the conspiracy nature=bad.

Question:
Are not each and all the members of ATS allowed to believe as they see fit?
If so, then the example that you gave above is simply a member posting his/her opinion.

ATS may be a conspiracy site but ATS also seeks to set itself apart from other conspiracy sites. ATS does this by not believing each and every conspiracy notion that gets spewed out. It is all part of the ATS Deny Ignorance motto/creedo.




seekerof

ATS is not purely a "conspiracy site".

It is a portal to all the other elements including news, politics, and whatever Below Top Secret / Beneath The Sheets is about, and whatever that other sister site does.

Frankly, I think anything that is designed to draw people to this site that attracts members with little world experience and little research, analytical and communication ability, but with strong engrained opinions, makes this a lesser site.

So, if it's a games site or a cool place to hang out in Chat and that draws numbers... and that increases advertising revenues... and that fits some longstanding cost recovery objective (or, heaven forbid, profitability)... then it is impractical to expect the site to continue to be a good repository for valid and tested research about what has really happened in the world.

The style of argument and the setting of and adherence to standards and protocols of civility are an ongoing challenge for every Forum. ATS is in no way unique in that.

There are many things that can be done to stop the rot.

The first thing is to cease from saying "we must be doing something right" using mouse clicks as the measure of quality. Because traffic is no way of measuring what is being discussed here.

The second thing is to define the target audience in a fashion that it has not been defined before. This is a completely different equation if you want mouse clicks and advertising revenue, in contrast with wanting new contribution to advancing knowledge / "denying ignorance". There is more ignorance demonstrated daily at ATS than when the motto "Deny Ignorance" was floated.

The third thing is to show some leadership that is aligned to the first thing and the second thing. But if mouse clicks and revenues are what matters, then, alas, leadership will not direct itself to the first thing and the second thing, and what EWom said will be amplified loudly and more often, and what Seekerof said on skepticism, beliefs and credos will become harder for him to say.

Traffic is not truth.

Good responses everyone. It does seem ATS is just too big. It's more like a big chat room now. I remember the days when an original post took up a whole page. When they had 20 links. Now it's just kinda lame. I don't care what people believe but ATS was a conspiracy site. Now it's more an anti-conspiracy site. Oh well. All good things come to an end.

no, i dont think the people have changed, i think that the ATTTUIDUDES have changed.

listen to you all!

you old regulars are so negative!

true, the posts need more 'meat' to them, but i feel that ATS+BTS is in their ripeist years!

you dont practice what you prech anyway:bnghd:

The following is a post from "How many people rule the world" thread:

quote: Originally posted by ConspiracyNut23
The definition of “rule” will of course greatly vary, so I should restrict it a bit:

In your opinion, how many people collectively control
1. Food supply
2. Water supply
3. Energy supply
4. Land
5. Money supply
6. Military?

In order to make this interesting all members should begin their post with a number from1 to 6,450,000,000 (6,45 billion= world population).

The answer is and always shall be: The entire world poplulation. If we do not control these things, it is by choice, but still an illusion that we do not.

If I were to say 72 people control and rule over all of it, then:

6,449,999,927 people on this world are responsible and accountable for nothing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Perhaps peopel are finding the proof they need within themselves to debunk some of the conspiracy beliefs they held prior to spending a few hours on ATS/BTS.

Conspiracy to me implies that a group is engaged in implementing a system of control in some fashion. And in the end, the only control anyone has over anyone is the control permitted by the one being controll. People choose to be submissive, mainly out of ignorance (not knowing better).

Just my two cents. I'm not saying conspiracies don't exist. I'm saying the truth can't be subdued or owned like a monopoly. Therefore conspiracists are the real morons, unless they are acting out of the best interests of others, devoid of personal gain.

If this was a real conspiracy site, they would'nt be taking orders from a company called MONSTER..COM ( who by the way sells our IP's to every dope on planet BIRTH ). Ever wonder why you get a strange e-mail from them ? It's because the people here gave them your ' everything '. Next time you respond to me or something else, ask yourself why are all of those stupid cartoon gif's sitting over to your right. Everything and everybody is for sale, here , there...........EVERYWHERE.

examples :

could we have some evidence, links, comments from mods ect. before you drop the bomb shell? oh, and by the way:
:w:
:bash::shk:


happy days...!

Yes, I know exactly what you mean!

You only have to mention something and other site users hijack your thread and turn it in to a free for all when originally, all you wanted, was to develope your theories but always others try to debunk your thread and your credibility.

I have also noticed a tendancy of othere to poo-poo responses to their threads in a manner that is both unwarranted and in some cases, downright rude.

I myself have placed threads on all the major pages of this excellent site, only for others - no doubt consumed by petty jealousies at my previous military and civil services - to declare open season on my views.

I thought that when I joined this site, everybody was allowed a 'fair crack of the whip' and was supposed to be allowed to post whatever they wanted - provided it did not offend other site users.

Guess I was wrong. Perhaps somebody will eventually prove me wrong - but I doubt it!

Originally posted by BLUBBER
It's because the people here gave them your ' everything '. Next time you respond to me or something else, ask yourself why are all of those stupid cartoon gif's sitting over to your right. Everything and everybody is for sale, here , there...........EVERYWHERE.

You are very wrong.

We have a clear privacy policy and conduct operations with high standards of ethics and accountability.

The ads you see on ATS are sold through aggregating banner ad networks that either specify ATS in their advertising insertion orders, or specify ATS' topic profile when creating a broad-network insertion.

These advertisers will place harmless non-identifying cookies on your computer in an effort to manage ad frequency.

The site invokes debate. Where there is debate there is emotion, opinion etc. This is a very large site and there are plenty of forums for just about everyone. If your think is straight conspiracy, there are plenty of posts and forums. As any site grows its membership will include an even large variety of people and their perspectives. Unless ATS wanted to stay as a little private club of conspirators this was going to happen. There are also plenty of staff around that clean things up when they get messy.

Keep in mind, like in any neighborhood you have some responsiblity too. The site is what you make of it. If you see things that could be adverse for the site, report them. The staff cannot be everywhere at all times. In addition, do not lower yourself to levels of immature bickering just because someone else has. Trolls will come and go always but the heart of the site is still here and beating.

Then we have a problem. We need conspiracies and the thought of conhspiracies to keep this excellent site going and although I am new here - relatively speaking, I have grown aware that in some quarters, there does seem to be a conspiracy - of sorts.

There is definately a conspiracy against freedom of speech! Freedom of speech is one of the cornerstones of the US Constitution. But, it seems to me, that if one posts an opposing view to that of our friends across the pond, we are almost immediately shot down!

These are the same people who cling to the belief that the invasion of Iraq was justified because they've found WMD! (Yeah Right! - Hey that's a conspiracy!)

Are our posts being rewritten by fingers unseen before they appear on thread pages? Are our posts being edited by evil minded Mods , hell bent of foisting their warped values on us?

I love this site. It allows me to read the innermost thoughts of decent people who, like me, question almost everything about them.

The X-Files were a conspiracy to hoodwink the American public into believing that the 'Truth Was Out There!' Oh Really? How come it's never been found?

Project 'Blue Book' was a USAF conspiracy to hoodwink the American people into believing there were UFO's and that the USAF were taking the subject seriously. Yeah Right! Only protecting Area 51, Groom Lake and the ultra-secret spyplanes and new stealth gizmos.

I could go on but some would complain that I am creating my own conspiracy theory - but I'm not.

Honest!

Why has the Ministry of Defence spent another £10-£15M on RAF Macrihanish when it's supposed to be closed?

Why has the Ministry of Defence announced that RAF Fylingdales and Neatishead are non-operational and yet my mate still goes to work at Neatishead - tracking non-existent UFO's entering the UK airspace?

Why has the Ministry of Defence announced that RAF Fylingdales and Neatishead are non-operational and yet my mate still goes to work at Neatishead - tracking non-existent UFO's entering the UK airspace?

can you set up a thead on this so we can discuss it?