Mass insanity on ATS?

Originally posted by Raustin
How often do you get probed by the greys?

Seriously. I have to agree it's getting very, very bad.

Exacly my point. Trust me I have seen worse threads than this. Funny thing is I do have an open mind when it comes to alternative topics. I'm quite willing to sit there and listen. But sometimes you have to draw a line in the sand. There needs to be a balance of creative thinking and proof.

I mean is this a science fiction forum or a science fact forum.


I would love to see evidence of ET's or for someone to prove ESP or telekinesis. And I mean undeniable that's lab tested by unbiased parties. You know the truth of reality. I thought that's what we all wanted, I thought that's why we were all here for.


Not this.

Originally posted by mithrawept
Is this evidence of sorts that something will happen in 2012, or that ... we are making it happen?

I'm not suggesting that by sheer thought we will make Nibiru appear but could the hysteria happen anyway. I remember the whole Millennium bug nonsense, planes falling from the sky and the rest. Will the hysteria grow and the panic create an event of it's own making?

Is this all a way of pushing us/ouirselves off the deep end?

This is something i've been thinking about , and am worried about.
I dont believe all that mayan nbiru rubbish for a second . I mean ,please........ how , could they possibly know ?
But , the media for one will be keen to sell the story and sell papers , and will tap into the mass insecurity and the not-knowing-what-will-happen element of it all , and it could have repurcussions with our economy. There could be a lot of people going a bit mental like David koresh style.
The media are really gonna go to town on this , the same way they did with the millenium bug and even though i dont believe this nonsense , I'm more worried about the atmosphere and the general sense of increasing social forboding whenever this date is talked about.
I'll be doing everything I can to make sure its business as usual in my life.

The other thing I've noticed is threads that get shut down or skunked even when they have lots of people using them.
What I think would be nice, is responses that obviously have not read the requested material but comment anyway were removed.

It plugs up a good thread, that could be read as informative. Instead it becomes a sifting match trying to find the nuggets amongst the manure.

Saddens me, I consider my time more valuable.

reply to post by shoulda taken the blue pi


To be honest I think the mods and site owners are in over their heads. They can't control or manage the sheer volume of information now being pored into this site.

I gotta say if this influx of garbage posts is a form a organized chaos I have a new found respect for whoever is pulling the strings.

It's basically how they crippled America. Killed them with kindness. Basically they gave the Americans whatever they wanted just kept feeding them until they popped. America was crippled because of sensory over load. Same thing going on here. Overload of information. We are now throwing the baby out with the bath water.

And it can't be helped. We either all pay attention to our own actions more closely or we will fall into the same trap.

Blah, Blah, Rant, Rant..............You claim to be intelligent but you don't exercise it through choice............another pointless thread (rant) Thats why the site has Categories. So you may choose those threads you feel don't frighten your obviously fragile (due to the Rant thread) sense of logic or reality. I exercise my own intelligence by avoiding the threads I find yawnful and stick to my own niche. It works for me.
Sorry but S+F only for when I actually learn somethings I didn't know before.

Originally posted by tim3lord

Originally posted by SonicInfinity
GLP + Facebook + 4chan = What we have now
Basically, there are trolls trolling trolls for their own self entertainment.

agreed. i knew putting ATS on facebook was going to ruin this site. the level of intolerance and lack of critical thinking is akin to the comments left on you tube video's. maybe im being too hard on the recent recruits but nobody can deny the quality of posts has dropped.

Tim3lord.....

I too harboured & subsequently expressed concerns about the Facebook angle.

I am just hoping the recent influx of extremely poor quality contributors to the Aliens & UFOs Forum is simply part of the ATS "sine wave" & quality will improve again over time.

Otherwise, if the overall quality of the Aliens & UFOs Forum continues it's recent trend, it will become very problematic for serious members to navigate through & interact with the content therein.

And.....

As much as I am a very big "fan" of the manner in which ATS is managed & moderated, I sense a "loosening up" of the material that is allowed to stay "front & centre" in the Aliens & UFOs Forum & the commentary that is allowed (or not allowed as the case may be) to be directed at such material. There have been some significant instances to which I could refer (but presently prefer not to) to validate my thoughts on this.

On the one hand.....

Such a "loosening up" could be viewed as a logical consequence of the desire to increase traffic to & participation on ATS.

On the other hand.....

Such a "loosening up" could compromise the very thing that made ATS what it is in the first place.

I hope my commentary & "feedback" is viewed in the positive & constructive light in which it is intended.

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

It is also worth noting that an undisclosed 6-figure "funding" amount was provided by a "private investment group" to above network llc in which the article was dated July 27.. Funny how things started going very south just around that time..Coincidence? Simon sold out long ago..

NEW YORK, July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with its tenth anniversary, The Above Network, the creators of AboveTopSecret.com, the leading source of serious discussion in the "alternative" category with over 3.25 million posts to date, announced today the completion of first-round equity capitalization. The undisclosed six-figure funding amount was provided by a private investment group attracted by the user-centric ideals of The Above Network and free expression advocacy of AboveTopSecret.com (ATS), the arm of the conglomerate where the expansion effort is targeted.

Reference to article:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

The current CEO of Above Network, Bill Irvine who had the same position at Visionary media inc prior.
They do interactive story books I guess. Well the only project (animated book) I could find from them was very interesting to say the LEAST.. Have a look!! --->"Leading the info slave trade..."


www.theabovenetwork.com...

reply to post by Maybe...maybe not



I seem to have the same fears that you do. It seems as more and more people come in and standards become a bit lax, the old guard and those that actually take this site seriously will eventually feel the need to leave for other venues and we will be left with a very popular website, that's only real purpose is a cheap laugh after work.

I get that the owners want to make a profitable site, and I am grateful that I am able to post here free of charge, but I do hope that some of these changes are temporary.

I suppose all any of us can do is put time into our posts, and try to make this the place we want it to be. Someone (I think possibly you) suggested that to me after my drunken ATS hate thread (sorry about that one mods/owners/members).

reply to post by TiM3LoRd


TiM3LoRd.....

To be honest I think the mods and site owners are in over their heads. They can't control or manage the sheer volume of information now being pored into this site.

It cannot be easy for them.

I gotta say if this influx of garbage posts is a form a organized chaos I have a new found respect for whoever is pulling the strings.

As per my previous comments, I harbour suspicions in that regard.

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

Originally posted by d3ftronix
It is also worth noting that an undisclosed 6-figure "funding" amount was provided by a "private investment group" to above network llc in which the article was dated July 27.. Funny how things started going very south just around that time..Coincidence? Simon sold out long ago..

NEW YORK, July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with its tenth anniversary, The Above Network, the creators of AboveTopSecret.com, the leading source of serious discussion in the "alternative" category with over 3.25 million posts to date, announced today the completion of first-round equity capitalization. The undisclosed six-figure funding amount was provided by a private investment group attracted by the user-centric ideals of The Above Network and free expression advocacy of AboveTopSecret.com (ATS), the arm of the conglomerate where the expansion effort is targeted.

Reference to article:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

The current CEO of Above Network, Bill Irvine who had the same position at Visionary media inc prior.
They do interactive story books I guess. Well the only project (animated book) I could find from them was very interesting to say the LEAST.. Have a look!! --->"Leading the info slave trade..."


www.theabovenetwork.com...


I have been saying this for a while now. I understand that everybody needs money but when you lie with dogs your bound to get fleas. And ATS has been in the dog house for a while now.

Originally posted by DreamerOracle
Blah, Blah, Rant, Rant..............You claim to be intelligent but you don't exercise it through choice............another pointless thread (rant) Thats why the site has Categories. So you may choose those threads you feel don't frighten your obviously fragile (due to the Rant thread) sense of logic or reality. I exercise my own intelligence by avoiding the threads I find yawnful and stick to my own niche. It works for me.

Sorry but S+F only for when I actually learn somethings I didn't know before.

I never claimed to be intelligent. Could you please show where I claimed to be intelligent? It's people like you with posts like this that's the problem not threads like this. Which I authored in an effort to remind peope that sometimes even the most alert and stead fast soldier drops their guard now and then. I'm hoping this is one of those instances. I hope the soldier is not mortally wounded.

You call this thread a rant. Well a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. Call it whatever name you want call me whatever you want. You can't change the facts and that's what I'm about. The cold hard facts. The facts are this.

The number of banal threads have increased.
The attitude in the threads have gotten aggressive and personal.
More and more pointless threads with no evidence to back up their grandiose claims are touted as facts.
And last but not nearly least people just can't seem to agree to disagree.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying all these nutty threads don't have a place. But if this site is touted as alternative news and it's front page is sporting articles such as. How often do you get probed by aliens or local council bans gay cupcakes or something equally pointless. Your not going to attract the cream of intellectual debate.


Anyway don't hate the thread because I'm just making an observation. If my observation rubs you up the wrong way you should ask yourself why that is.

reply to post by Raustin


Raustin.....

I guess we will just have to wait & see how things develop.

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

I for one and not full of BS and RESPECT everything this website stands for. It is difficult to weave out those who seek to dis-inform or those who just post garbage because they found a cool site that talks about Aliens, however its something. You know a REAL valuable post when you see a behemoth of a thread that prolongs itself past 3 entire posts out of typing characters.

Originally posted by Maybe...maybe not
reply to post by TiM3LoRd

 

TiM3LoRd.....

To be honest I think the mods and site owners are in over their heads. They can't control or manage the sheer volume of information now being pored into this site.

It cannot be easy for them.

I gotta say if this influx of garbage posts is a form a organized chaos I have a new found respect for whoever is pulling the strings.

As per my previous comments, I harbour suspicions in that regard.

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

Well we are on the same page with this concern then.

Unfortunately there is very little to be done about it. It's funny I'm used to trying to wake people up who tout the company line. But I never imagined a day when people on ATS would need a wake up call.

reply to post by TiM3LoRd

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying all these nutty threads don't have a place. But if this site is touted as alternative news and it's front page is sporting articles such as. How often do you get probed by aliens or local council bans gay cupcakes or something equally pointless. Your not going to attract the cream of intellectual debate.

First I would like to say I have never been probed.....ever
and Second what constitutes a "gay cupcake"...?
3rd ...where do I go to buy one

Originally posted by spoonbender
reply to post by TiM3LoRd

 

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying all these nutty threads don't have a place. But if this site is touted as alternative news and it's front page is sporting articles such as. How often do you get probed by aliens or local council bans gay cupcakes or something equally pointless. Your not going to attract the cream of intellectual debate.

First I would like to say I have never been probed.....ever
and Second what constitutes a "gay cupcake"...?
3rd ...where do I go to buy one

I didn't author either one of those threads so I wouldn't be able to tell you. Maybe the gay cupcakes are a consolation prize for after the probing. Kind of like a sorry about the forced probing but here are some gay cupcakes to make you feel better.


Sorry I count be a source of more useless information.

After thinking about this a bit, the sanity:craziness ratio hasn't changed. There's more of both because of an increase in membership, but the ratio seems to be pretty stable.

The craziness does seem to be getting more attention, however. I attribute this to the aforementioned increase in membership, as well: some of the newer people may not have learned to ignore troll posts and prediction threads, or they're just replying to get their 20 or 100 posts, which bumps the craziness to a more prominent position on the site.

So, while the craziness may be more visible, I still think there's about as much of both sanity and crazy as ever.


-TheAssoc.

Originally posted by SonicInfinity
GLP + Facebook + 4chan = What we have now

Basically, there are trolls trolling trolls for their own self entertainment.

...and Stormfront.

You forgot that one.

- Lee

reply to post by tim3lord


I was a member of Compuserve in its heyday and a large group of people met in a particular chat room which later on was changed from adult to open and it felt the same. Topics waaaay out there that don't seem like ATS topics and looney tunes stuff that are way beyond what a rational and thinking person might bother to ponder. Isn't this a place for exploring and observing and trading information that still has some standards? I believe so but there IS a lot of wacky stuff going on here lately.

Originally posted by jaxnmarko
reply to post by tim3lord

 

I was a member of Compuserve in its heyday and a large group of people met in a particular chat room which later on was changed from adult to open and it felt the same. Topics waaaay out there that don't seem like ATS topics and looney tunes stuff that are way beyond what a rational and thinking person might bother to ponder. Isn't this a place for exploring and observing and trading information that still has some standards? I believe so but there IS a lot of wacky stuff going on here lately.

Look this issue may or may not sort itself out over time. I'm not a prophet so I don't know what the future hold for this site or the world at large. But I think to take the stance of "don't worry about it will all work out" is dangerous. First step to fixing a problem is to acknowledge there is a problem. That's what I'm trying to do. Get people to realize that things are not going to sort itself out.