Is It Just Me or Has Something Changed ATS

I can't help but see the drivel I have recently read on the left side of currently most talked about or responded to or whatever they call it. I think this site has SOLD-OUT ...& by that I mean to big money future offers, or possibly dare I even say it, to the people, for the people, & by the election of the people, or powers in high places.

This site is starting IMO to become some kind of whacko extremeist, disinfo,fruitcake,nutjob site. Too many cooks spoil the soup so to speak.

Why not have another site where unless the information posted can be backed up by scientific methods,video, & eyewitnesses that are beyond reproach, then post that really whacky stuff on THE OTHER SITE.

I hate to say this, but I think you guys have $$$$ in your eyes, which I guess is after all the real American way. If you can't afford something, then your nothing, so in a way I can't blame you guys you "OVERLORDS " so to speak.

Now if someone was coereced into believing that this site was a national security risk, then you have fallen into the same trap that you were trying to avoid in the first place....

What say you the people of ATS...have the "OVERLOARDS" sold us out?

It's very interesting to see you say this cause i feel exactly the same. I don't like how some post are handled. We are not even free to choose what section our post are posted in, they get moved around and # like that. Some post gets locked for no apparent reason other than because one of the moderators was not satisfied...

It's gettting very irritating.

Originally posted by OTE TruthSpeaker
I can't help but see the drivel I have recently read on the left side of currently most talked about or responded to or whatever they call it. I think this site has SOLD-OUT ...& by that I mean to big money future offers, or possibly dare I even say it, to the people, for the people, & by the election of the people, or powers in high places.

So you have come to this conclusion because of the recent posts our members have submitted? Seems logical, or does it? It doesn't seem that you have been registered with the site for all too long. I'll assume that you are a long time lurker? Otherwise, what exactly are you basing your opinions on?

Originally posted by OTE TruthSpeaker
This site is starting IMO to become some kind of whacko extremeist, disinfo,fruitcake,nutjob site. Too many cooks spoil the soup so to speak.

Extremist? ATS is anything but. ATS has always been neutral to any given subject. Paranormal, Religion, 9/11, War in Iraq, you can find countless threads that argue the pro's and con's of every story. Some members do post some extreme thoughts, but if they do not abide by the T&C, they are quickly edited. So again, you base your opinions on a few members who test the boundaries. Hardly seems fair.

Originally posted by OTE TruthSpeaker
Why not have another site where unless the information posted can be backed up by scientific methods,video, & eyewitnesses that are beyond reproach, then post that really whacky stuff on THE OTHER SITE.

This is a conspiracy site. We discuss theories. If we could empirically prove everything we say, it would not be a theory. Read what you wish, decide what you wish. Nobody is forcing anything on to anybody here.

Originally posted by OTE TruthSpeaker
I hate to say this, but I think you guys have $$$$ in your eyes, which I guess is after all the real American way. If you can't afford something, then your nothing, so in a way I can't blame you guys you "OVERLORDS " so to speak.

Since when is profit a bad thing? Recently the Amigo's have opened up and said they are looking to turn a profit. And? What the hell is the problem with that? If they can turn a profit, that spells more money that can be put back into the site. Which spells out more benefits for the members. Imagine the day when the Amigos could consider ATS their full time jobs. If only the rest of us could be so lucky.

Originally posted by OTE TruthSpeaker
Now if someone was coereced into believing that this site was a national security risk, then you have fallen into the same trap that you were trying to avoid in the first place....

Again, one thread. I think you need to browse the site a little more. Your missing what makes this place so great.

Originally posted by OTE TruthSpeaker
What say you the people of ATS...have the "OVERLOARDS" sold us out?

Who is us? I doubt that many members want to be grouped in this us bracket that you have created. The Overlords have not sold us out. You do realize this is a privately owned forum right? It is not our right in life to be here? It is a privilege that some of us take lightly, obviously.

Originally posted by Toc
It's very interesting to see you say this cause i feel exactly the same. I don't like how some post are handled. We are not even free to choose what section our post are posted in, they get moved around and # like that. Some post gets locked for no apparent reason other than because one of the moderators was not satisfied...

It's gettting very irritating.

For no apparent reason? Or are we trying to avoid the true reasoning to why the staff may have acted in a certain manner?

ATS, BTS, PTS, ATSNN, this is a huge site. With plenty of forums that have very specific topics. If the staff feels a specific thread is more appropriate in another forum, then they move it. Atleast we are lucky enough to be made aware of this move and we are permitted to ask questions to why an action was taken.

I could not disagree with you guys more. Nothing more than petty bickering and whining over something that is far greater than either of you two have taken the time to understand.

If you have a problem with the site, submit a complaint.

Submit a Complaint

Oh Look! Another function where the staff allows us to voice our concerns in a respectable manner. Some of us are growing tired of these little stunts to garner some drama.

If you have a problem, talk to those in charge. Stop trying to rally the troops. Your going to find you have very little support.

[edit on 29-12-2006 by chissler]

OTE TruthSpeaker = i take it you were a member here under a previous name because unless you were a long time lurker, you would have no way to know how the site has changed since you joined unless you had previous experience.

i have looked around other sites for a few years now i personally think that ats is a great site. that said, i think it has an awful lot of problems which it really ought to address but im not going to go into any of the reasons because i know how i will be viewed/treated because of that and to be honest, im tired of simply trying to express my views sometimes because of the backlash it will get.

thats sad.

my favourite author in the world (as some members may have noticed from my occasional quotes in my signature) - robert anton wilson - had on the back cover of a few of his books some reviews made by important people. i always loved how one review said the illuminatus trilogy was the most amazing and important book in the universe whilst the very next one said it was the biggest pile of c**p they had ever read. that to me is truely honesty and his books stand by their merit alone. so will this site

as one of the owners here would say - if you don't like it here then leave and find somewhere else. bad attitude if you ask me but true nonetheless.

and as a final note, i do make a plea to the owners/admins/mods to address some of the issues that some members have because i have seen around the web an awful lot of members names that i remember being here - some i respected and some i didn't, but the majority of them all seemed to have left for the same reason and if you don't know what that reason is yet then it must be deliberate intent to drive those who would speak their mind away rather than resolve the problem. i know sometimes there is more to the story with some members that are no longer here but i find it sad that so many GOOD members seem to have left because they believe it is no longer the place they thought it to be. some of them were only trying to point this out because they cared.


[edit on 29-12-2006 by justyc]

Originally posted by OTE TruthSpeaker


This site is starting IMO to become some kind of whacko extremeist, disinfo,fruitcake,nutjob site. Too many cooks spoil the soup so to speak.

Sometimes you need to explore the extreme side to stretch your thinking out of it's constricts. Then you can reel it in a bit and find a balance in the middle between extreme points of view and "normalacy"

Just a thought. And who would they have "sold us out" to? Anyone already had access to the site that wished to see it.

One thing I have always noticed about ATS is that when things seem to get close to potential truths which aren't supposed to be talked about the "Trolls" seem to have a free day to derail such topics and water down potentially important information. I think that it is up to us as members to call this out and to attempt to retain the focus. This is something that cannot be properly addressed by the mods because of the freedom of opinion the site offers

Originally posted by OTE TruthSpeaker
What say you the people of ATS...have the "OVERLOARDS" sold us out?

We aren't the property of ATS, nor is ATS our property, we own no interest in ATS, so a 'sell-out' doesn't really apply as far as I can tell.

The way I see it, ATS is here for my enjoyment. However the PTBs handle the board is their business, whether financial or otherwise. As long as I get enjoyment from being a member here and participating, I will continue to do so.

If ATS changes in a direction that I'm very unhappy with, I WILL LEAVE. It's not my place to say that ATS has changed and it no longer suits me so I want it to change back... I will be the one to make a change.

ATS is what it is. Either you like it or you don't. If you like it, stay. If you don't, find another board that's more compatible to your needs. I know that sounds bitchy, and that's not how I mean it. I'm just being straight.

It's very interesting that a person who has been a member for a couple weeks feels they have the perspective, the experience and the position to strike out with such a thread. It's really kind of amazing to me. (Now, that was a little bitchy)...

I'm not cheerleading for ATS. There are things I don't like about it too, but it's not my board. If my dissatisfaction outweighed my enjoyment, it would be time to say goodbye. But if they tried to please every one of their members else be accused of "selling out", it would be changing 50 times a day and would be a miserable place to be.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
If my dissatisfaction outweighed my enjoyment, it would be time to say goodbye.

And I am sure the same can be said for others. I know if the day came where I thought ATS was walking a path I did not want to travel, I would open the door and politely exit. I wouldn't air my dirty laundry before I left, I would exit through the back door assuring to quietly close the door behind me.

I have a problem with people who wish to stir drama. This thread is not a tool to solve any issues. There is no constructive criticism involved to how ATS could resolve the issues that apparently disappoint us. It is a blatant attempt to strike up some drama and point fingers at those in charge.

Originally posted by OTE TruthSpeaker

Why not have another site where unless the information posted can be backed up by scientific methods,video, & eyewitnesses that are beyond reproach, then post that really whacky stuff on THE OTHER SITE.

This is how I feel, I think a part of it is people just post something stupid to get lots of replies and thus lots of points. Theres an incredible amount of retarded threads. I'm open minded but when people post pictures of things and its totally obvious its something trivial then they deserve to be laughed at.

We need some kind of minus points system for thread starters so making and "I have 100% smoking gun proof the queen is a reptilian!!!1!" type posts wont be worth making unless of course that is in fact what they do have.

In the over four years I've been directly involved in helping to manage ATS... or directly influence daily management... or directly collaborate on future plans... I've lost track of how many times someone has made this or similar claim: ATS (or ATS owners) have sold out.

Well... if you can point to any specific action we've taken, or change we've implemented, or technology we've created, or any other attribute of ATS that isn't directly designed to promote or otherwise enhance the contributions of our members... then maybe you have something there.

Right now... this very moment... you are posting on the most advanced public discussion platform designed to ensure all search engines notice and index what you post within 48 hours. You are given this amazing capability for free (as well as a long list of other services). What you choose to do with that capability is up to you, not ATS.


Lately, easily over 90% of my available time has been has been devoted to one or more of the following things:
1) Improving ATS technology
2) Improving the ATS look-and-feel
3) Developing a strategic plan for long-term growth
4) Engaging 3rd parties on the possibilities of new outlets for our members

I've had a few posts on this and related subjects:
ATS = Altruism - Trust - Sincerity
AboveTopSecret.com: Membership is Free And The Services Are Extensive
How Not To Be Banned From ATS...

Over the next several months, some highly skeptical observers may feel they're seeing signs of ATS "selling out" or -gasp- going "mainstream"! And for the first time ever, you'll read some of the ideas/plans here:

1) The site will continue to look more and more "polished" over time. Gone will be the days of having the appearance of a quaint little discussion board, in favor of looking like a sophisticated environment for those who aspire to challenge themselves.

2) New opportunities for members will continue to increase, including video podcasting, total mobile access, and even means to derive income from their ATS activity.

3) We will see new members that some of you recognize as we strive to attract recognized experts in our subject areas to participate in discussions and create new content exclusive to ATS.

4) We are investigating the development of content channels that extend beyond the discussion board into broad new opportunities for your topics, ideas, theories, and discussions to reach an expanded audience.

5) We expect that all of this will exponentially increase traffic and membership as we evolve from the most popular online destination for "alternative topics" to... well... that's still a secret.

Like I said, if all goes well, we fully expect a bevy of nay-sayers to complain about the "selling out" of ATS or that ATS has gone "mainstream". So be it.

There's only one response to that...

Over the past four years, all efforts have gone into one thing: increasing the awareness of the important topics our members discuss in our forums. That will not change over the next four, or forty years.

I, for one, greatly enjoy the services I have been able to use since joining ATS. I have not ever posted a topic/comment/thread/idea and had someone edit my post to suit their fancy. I've never posted and had someone throw it in the trash as to say "Your two cents don't count here."

I've looked around quite a lot and I've yet to come across some of the "sell out" changes that have taken place. I have seen a lot of improvements.

Originally posted by OTE TruthSpeaker
I hate to say this, but I think you guys have $$$$ in your eyes, which I guess is after all the real American way. If you can't afford something, then your nothing, so in a way I can't blame you guys you "OVERLORDS " so to speak.

When exactly has ATS required you to pay for services? Are you referring to the adds being shown? What are you referring to? Were you asked to donate before becoming a member? "Hey, Simon, there's an idea."

Originally posted by OTE TruthSpeaker
Too many cooks spoil the soup so to speak.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if all of "us" cooks weren't able to put our spoons into the pot, wouldn't that in it's own be un-American? You making the statement of: "What say you the people of ATS...have the "OVERLOARDS" sold us out?" ....isn't that a direct example of you sharing in the joys of exercising your 1st Amendment Right? Now, if your post/topic/thread was deleted for no other purpose than to say "I don't like OTE TruthSpeaker and their beliefs are not the same as mine...", that would be a sign of being sold out.

Originally posted by OTE TruthSpeaker
Now if someone was coereced into believing that this site was a national security risk, then you have fallen into the same trap that you were trying to avoid in the first place....

That's when you are free to choose not to return to ATS. An actual National Security Risk is not a place of people sharing their ideas and thoughts. A National Security Risk is not a place of people voicing opinions about any particular item that has been released into the mainstream media outlets.

Originally posted by Toc
I don't like how some post are handled. We are not even free to choose what section our post are posted in, they get moved around and # like that. Some post gets locked for no apparent reason other than because one of the moderators was not satisfied...

Do you not believe in keeping information "neat and organized"? Other steps taken by moderators and senior management as far as locking posts...read the terms and conditions of use... after all this is a public and free forum... and like any other human being... I would like to see the forum stay with it's high standards.

Thanks.

[edit on 12/30/2006 by Infoholic]

Yes, something at ATS has schanged. It's got a whole lot better. In the 1 or 2 years I lurked here I've seen it transform from a busy but low-key discussion board, into a thriving, pleasing to the eye content platform where people can express thier views in any way they want. From posting, to blogging and podcasting, and it's only going to get better.

What members do with this however it's up to them, and inevitably... The better the site it, the more bad customers your going to get. You just have to look past this and the quality content is vast.

I think the mods make excellent judgements about post placement.
Afterall, there's a lot of total BS on this site.
Not saying im above it, im sure some of mystuff comes out as drivel.

But everyone has a different opinion about everything.
Some times its valid, some times its not.
and sometimes people post things out of no reason, other than to annoy, affect or to confuse.

ATS has changed as a lot more people are coming on board, and there's a lot more posts that just dont have the quality that it did in the old days.

Ive only been a member here for a couple of years, and remmeber alot more of the senoir people would post in the common forums.. now they are thin and far between, because.. honestly.. theres not as many quality posts ne more for them to reply to.

Especially when most people are met with harsh, critical of offense replies.

I say, if you feel ats is becoming LESS quality, then instead of posting something simply because it has shock value, post something thats worthy of a lengthy debate.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
ATS = Altruism - Trust - Sincerity

see, this is a main part of the problem i mentioned earlier. not long after you posted this thread (which i read and took to heart) i posted one of my own pointing back to your thread as you had asked us members to do if we thought ats had lost its way. it was deleted (after some abuse) as was my post which prompted me to refer back to the 'Altruism - Trust - Sincerity' thread.

i only mention this because i do have my own opinion, but i shouldn't be penalised for it if sometimes it doesnt agree with some!

please read and understand why i mentioned the back cover of the robert anton wilson books because that is the best example of when opinion matters that i know of)

sigh - bring on the usual backlash

(oh & ps - if i thought ats was such a bad site i would have left a long time ago but whilst i have browsed other sites, i have never joined any another conspiracy site because i still believe ats is the best available)

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord

Lately, easily over 90% of my available time has been has been devoted to one or more of the following things:
1) Improving ATS technology
2) Improving the ATS look-and-feel
3) Developing a strategic plan for long-term growth
4) Engaging 3rd parties on the possibilities of new outlets for our members


Over the next several months, some highly skeptical observers may feel they're seeing signs of ATS "selling out" or -gasp- going "mainstream"! And for the first time ever, you'll read some of the ideas/plans here:

3) We will see new members that some of you recognize as we strive to attract recognized experts in our subject areas to participate in discussions and create new content exclusive to ATS.

SO-

That I want to see. There are quite a number of well known experts and authorities who's brains I would certainly like to pick in their respective areas of expertise, and I am sure there are others of like mind and intent up here.

Just my opinion, but, computer technology is about Communications. I can sit here and literally talk to anyone in the World. Unlike other Media, I can choose who I talk to, and where I visit and at any given time. I have the capability to call and directly speak to anyone in the world at any time. I have worked with individuals and departments of State in foreign countries on humanitarian projects in real time via this black box and theirs-- and that includes Iraq. I have met and become friends with people in the "four corners of the Earth" that I could never, and would never, have met otherwise.

That we now have this ability as Individuals, and that regardless of economic standing, location, Race, creed. color. or national origin, and even language, we live in a truly borderless world.

What I am getting at is that I find it terribly difficult to believe that the Amigos are about much of anything other than finding ways to better facilitate formats and means to further that ideal of Communications and the sharing between People as Individuals and Groups, and thereby bring the People of the world a little closer together. A Herculean task, yes, but I think it is being accomplished--a little at the time. "Deny Ignorance" is the Theme, here. Why? Simply because in order to have Peace in the World, we must deny the ignorance we have of each other in the Global sense, and, at the same time, deny those who would have us all remain ignorant, their opportunities to continue the game.

Yes, something has changed on ATS--and for the better.

I think ATS, on the whole, is the current best opt for a successful bid at doing that, and I thank you SO, Springer, and SimonGray, for taking us all on.


[edit on 30-12-2006 by Ed Littlefox]

[edit on 30-12-2006 by Ed Littlefox]

Yes something has changed a lot these past few weeks...



A lot of people are making threads about how some people on here are too skeptics and some people are posting threads about how some people are too crazy, well it's just a big waste of time and i don't even bother going on those threads anymore..


Why not just accept different opinions and not try to be dictators, it's getting annoying.



peace.

Part of this may be the topics that you're reading.

It goes through cycles (sometimes depending on how busy the moderators are), but in the past 4 years I've noticed an increase in the quality of information people use to bolster their arguments. For example, none of the long-term posters would use Pravda as a source. I've noticed a more discriminating choice of supporting sites for discussion in many areas.

And I've certainly learned quite a bit while I've been here.

Speaking of garbage posts and things going downhill. Just take a look at one of the posts the author of this thread started. Sigh.

www.belowtopsecret.com...

Originally posted by sensfan
Speaking of garbage posts and things going downhill. Just take a look at one of the posts the author of this thread started. Sigh.

www.belowtopsecret.com...

I believe this was the spark that set this member off.

5 min after I moved that thread from the ATS UFO's and Aliens forum to Jokes on BTS, the thread author posted his/her first ATS "tongue lashing".

What can you do.....shame really.....

nobody forces you to come here.

you're free to leave any time you wish.



[edit on 30-12-2006 by Lysergic]

I would have to agree to an extent that the crazies run the nut house here at ATS, but I think that is pretty much the standard when the site is a popular conspiracy website.