Ever Changing Faces - The History of ATS

For all those that haven't had the chance to grace ATS for quite as long as I have, lurking or otherwise I thought this thread would be of benefit.

There is an internet archive project that has been running for more than 13 years now archiving much of the websites that have managed to find their way onto the world wide web. Through this site you can go back to past incarnations of websites. A great way to research!!

The information gathered here was gathered using this archive...

The Wayback Machine - Abovetopsecret -

Please feel free to browse the archive, there is still a lot of information available, though obviously it is impossible to archive the petabytes of information that exist out there...

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ATS Back on the 25th of January 1999

If you came across a site like this today you would be forgiven to think it was some line of adolescent extreme sports clothing or maybe heavy metal?? how wrong you would have been... Dude!!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7d12684189cf.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 9th of October 1999

underground bio-engineering complex??? Cool I want to read more... hmmm sounds very x-files.. I wonder... Click..

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/909c4b44ce4c.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 1st of March 2000

So we go from red to green??

14355 hits thus far and shop open for just over a year?? that's an average of 36 hits a day... Impressive for the era and the site quality... Information Rules!!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/55daa2a550c5.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 15th of August 2000

More Green please... and much more structure to the way the information is presented.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0f5bbb321a54.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 2nd of Feb 2001 - Ad Server Still Working??

Ahhh Back to red then... I can image some colour fight off in the ATS office.. It's green noooo it has to be red lol

Notice how the Ad shown here (office 2010) is current, I guess the Ad serve has not changed in 9 years.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/174829a4c3ee.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 4th of May 2001

MAY the FOURTH be with you - a more recognizable ATS... Sticking with Red o.k. and no to green got it!!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d4328cb379e5.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 2nd of January 2002

Getting there, I started lurking at this point... But honestly guys what were you thinking with the metallic wallpaper background??

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/edf7b8e83196.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 8th of August 2003

First Deny Ignorance.... I wondered what brain storm session that was born from?? I feel a site redesign coming on....

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/cd0cba1b0080.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 30th of September 2003

Wooow Awesome... Really slick, Glossy.. feels like an age ago from 1999. Far more recognizable and you can see some design styles that are still carried through even to todays humdinger of a site. Nearly two hundred thousand posts!!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0178f262b9df.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 7th of June 2004

This design is the one that sticks in my mind the most from the past, I think it was the iconic radio telescope image from the front page, but the content has gone wild, with 579488 posts on the board and over a thousand new members signing up a week, user generated content is a clear winner!!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/072af419d0e9.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 18th of July 2005

Is it a bird??, is it the Aurora?? No it's Super Hero Skeptic!!!! Nuff said

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6b6cda91828b.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 2nd of March 2006

This is it, this is the beginning of the redesign that would lead us to where we are today. you can clearly see the format and styling.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/dc5640c8277a.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 4th of May 2006

It's all dropping into place now, piece by piece. Almost like watching a butterfly appearing from a cocoon.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ef636a31b36d.jpg[/atsimg]
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Tadaa!! Didn't see that one coming huh?? Sorry bout the dust indeed... Hey I want the old site back the one from early 2000 lol ... Joking joking!!!! Kayyy???

ATS Back on the 6th of December 2006 --- Getting there!!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b919e85b14d7.jpg[/atsimg]
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ATS Back on the 9th of December 2006 -- Dark Matter is here to stay??

So we have had a total of 14 incarnations of ATS... Dark matter being the pinnacle of that evolution. Dark Matter has been with us for four and half years now... I wonder whats next. I like Dark matter and think if the site does move on I will miss it. Maybe that's why the site has stuck with it for so long??

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6c78f6876fc2.jpg[/atsimg]
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I think I can safely speak for the majority of Members when I sincerely say Well Done ATS Developers and Staff for what must surely have been one hell of a ride, you have created one of the most excellent websites on the Web!!!

Peace to all,

Korg.

[edit on 3-8-2010 by Korg Trinity]

That's just awesome, I wondering what ats looked like long ago.

It's awesome to see the changes it's made throughout the time its been up.

Thanks for posting this.

...oh dear lord...

...thanks for reinforcing how old I am!

...I was around for the births and rebirths...


Great thread!

Oh whoa...the shadow government page...that's the first thing i ever saw here! I remember thinking ooo...am I supposed to be seeing this? woooooooooooosh that was a blast. thanks

Originally posted by alien
...oh dear lord...

...thanks for reinforcing how old I am!

...I was around for the births and rebirths...


Great thread!

Hahaha Nanno Nanoo.. ahhh shazbot lol

The Wayback machine is truly Awesome.. I've had a real dig about in there and there are even posts available to read from the old day.

I had to laugh when I read that you could actually buy the ATS site on CD-Rom... This from 2002.

Everyone now has the opportunity to own the AboveTopSecret.com website on CD-ROM along with a large selection of additional files that are not available on-line.

I have tried my best to put together the best information I can on the numerous different topics covered. Unlike the website, the CD-ROM also contains a large number of video files including (but not limited to) the full Roswell alien autopsy footage, the famed Dulce security footage of alien incubators, and the alien interview footage from Area 51. Watch three full Alex Jones documentaries or the Zapruder footage of President Kennedy's assassination.

I have also put together a vast array of Adobe Acrobat .PDF documents, many of which are very hard to come by now. Perhaps you would like to read the CIA's Remote Viewing Manual or Majestic 12's UFO and EBE Recovery Procedures.

The AboveTopSecret.com Special Edition CD-ROM is available internationally, and there are numerous forms of payment available to make ordering from this site as easy as possible.

I wonder how many discs the site would fit on today???

Had a blast this afternoon putting the thread together. Lucky I managed to do my target for the month on the first day or I would be in hot water with the boss...

Korg.

[edit on 3-8-2010 by Korg Trinity]

WOW I remember my first encounter on the site looked like the one posted 7th June 2004. Can't believe I was a lurker for that long.

Thanks for posting, incredible to see how the web and this site has progressed

Originally posted by TortoiseKweek
WOW

I remember my first encounter on the site looked like the one posted 7th June 2004. Can't believe I was a lurker for that long.

Thanks for posting, incredible to see how the web and this site has progressed

You're very welcome.

I know I was a lurker for literally years, I did sign up once before, but life happens and ended up with a fresh account years later lol

I think this site is one of the only sites where the members freedom of expression is typified in the excellent avatar and backgrounds people come up with... Something you don't see when you are a lurker.

I know I was amazed by them and it totally changed my attitude to what an avatar actually should be, a self-expression of who you are and what you are about.

If there are any lurkers reading this... Sign up!!!

Korg.

7 June 2004... I registered on that day. I remember the Aussie Bloke story well. It's more than six years ago.

Originally posted by Hellmutt
7 June 2004... I registered on that day. I remember the Aussie Bloke story well. It's more than six years ago.

Well there is synchronicity for you!! What time is it??

Time really does seem to speed up, I’m 36 now so I would have only just been out of my 20's back then... Geeze to go back to being in my 20's again!! Ahh well

For some reason the story that sticks in my mind from the site of that period is the Gas Smell Hits Manhattan thread. Can't find it here though, not for lack of trying.

All the best,

Korg.


[edit on 4-8-2010 by Korg Trinity]

Wow thank you so much for putting this together. Plain and simple, ATS has gone through an awesome progression.

But it's also sad to say that I've lurked since the design of the 30th of September, 2003... It took me 6 or so years to sign up and participate.

Amazing how one can just lurk and absorb so much information over that long without the feeling of necessity to become a member and be a part of the community. I guess I valued the information of others more than feeling the need to join.

Again, thanks for posting this... really helps me remember and think a lot!

Edit: for math

[edit on 4-8-2010 by changetheworld]

Nice job Korg Trinity, thanks for the memories! For some reason I thought I had some record for the longest lurker but I'm on par with a few of you. I'm not even sure when I first arrived here.

Originally posted by Three_moons
Nice job Korg Trinity, thanks for the memories!

For some reason I thought I had some record for the longest lurker but I'm on par with a few of you. I'm not even sure when I first arrived here.

You are all very welcome, it's nice to see that my work has not gone to waste.

I think lurking for me had more to do with having the time to read in short but not enough time to actually post.

Also I believe there are way too many threads put up with zero content... I guess I just didn't have anything worth while to say until I signed up.

Though I couldn't go back to lurking now. I'm an ATS Addict

Korg.

I recognise 2001 ATS but everytime i tried to join my email was never confirmed! I ended up just giving up and becoming a lurker. Was definitely worth trynig to get an account later on.


The later designs are pretty nice looking.

I remember the old days... it's been a long time since I first found this little page.

So.... we've been teased with ATS 2010 for a while now. I think some people are even starting to forget about that announcement. Did this get pushed back? Is there a release schedule floating around behind the boards in Cosmic?

I love that March 2000 is the format Rense.com kept.

This site is not a only a great resource for the community is a testament to how much web development has evolved over the years.

Great job and nice thread!

Originally posted by ~Lucidity
Oh whoa...the shadow government page...that's the first thing i ever saw here! I remember thinking ooo...am I supposed to be seeing this?

woooooooooooosh that was a blast. thanks

It is truly amazing how much information has been retained through the wayback machine..

You may find this interesting to read....

ATS 1999 - THE SECRET SHADOW GOVERNMENT A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

Have fun

Korg.

[edit on 5-8-2010 by Korg Trinity]

Hmmmm Seems there has been a bit of a site redesign while I was not looking I wonder did I just predict the change?? or did my post influence the ATS management??

It would be cool to think I inspired the team but think it's prob just a coincidence Looks like we have introduced blue to the theme A three way split?? Green / Red / Blue???

LoL either way it's slick as!!!

Well done teams!!

Korg.

[edit on 6-9-2010 by Korg Trinity]

Very amazing. Thank you very much for this nostalgic ride.

Wow - love the red and silver design...



Can't remember the exact date i started lurking, but i originally stumbled across this site to study ghosts, think it was maybe 2005.

Originally posted by mr-lizard
Wow - love the red and silver design...

Can't remember the exact date i started lurking, but i originally stumbled across this site to study ghosts, think it was maybe 2005.

I'm seeing a common trend in Lurking Maybe we should have a forum called Lurkers Lounge?

Where Lurkers can post before signing up?

I know we have anonymous posts for a while and it didn't work but what about a forum just for lurkers?

Just a thought?

All the best,

Korg.