Is being anonymous on ATS the right thing? I dont think so.

Right, some of you ATS members are now going to throw one of your famous tantrums and throw your teddy in the corner.

But to me this is an interesting topic for discussion. Discussion for the serious debater, not the immature.

We all come to ATS for varying reasons, to read interesting things, to ask certain questions that would otherwise be ridiculed, to seek some form of clarity and to participate in ranging discussions on a variety of subjects.

I have been reading the threads on ATS for some years. Nearly since it started. Now ATS has expanded to the size it is, it has brought with it a level of dubiousness.

We have SOME "old timers" who think they are something special, putting down people who are otherwise a bit naive, thinking they can rule the roost because they are "invisible", being brash and outright insulting to some. We have new members who have come here to "fight", basically just on here to take the pee out of people who value this type of site. Then we have the "middleweights" those who choose to make outlandish claims (so ridiculous) and let it stand because they are "hidden" from the world. It would also stop a small few of the moderators from branding people without due course or for having an opinion that differs from theirs.

I think everyone should be required to use their own name and pay a $1 dollar a year fee (that is [snip] all) to register by credit or debit card through paypal. This will make signing up to this site and using this site a bit more authentic and carry a bit more weight to those who look on from afar. Plus it will be harder for banned people to return countless times and cause more havoc.

This will do a number of things. Weed out a lot of the fake profiles, make people a little more honest when it comes to stupid claims or presenting fakery, will make people behave in a much more decent manner and will stop SOME (not all) of the craziness that comes with people being able to hide. Its easy to be the "BIG MAN" when cowering behind the protection of something else.

I know most will be shouting insults right about now, but debating or discussion is only as valid as the debater. The owners of the site are NOT hiding, their info is everywhere all over the net. The two conspiracy girls are easy to trace and other former guests like Lear are not faceless people.

It would create a level playing field in the field of truth. Presenting yourself as the real you would make people think more about their answers, their questions and their conduct. This could be rolled out for everyone. If the ATS site owners are afraid of losing their fan base, then the site can never be taken seriously. Scientist publish their names on their publications in order to establish their work and if their work is sub standard then it can also tarnish their name. This too me is great. People on here would have to really research and adopt a more professional approach to these subject. There are a lot of downsides to this, however that is the case when trying to bring such things to the mainstream.

I think this site would carry MORE wight if people were not anonymous completely. It would add a whole never level of class and education to the subjects on ATS.

There is NO real reason to hide. Unless you are a paid disinfo agent, a government official trying to blend in, a person seeking to disrupt or someone without honest intentions. NO one is forced to be here. If you are not supposed to be here then don't be. BUT stop hiding as your voice does not carry the weight of a person willing to stand up and fight, face exposed to the world.

I would like people to talk about this in a civilized way. I know not everyone will like this topic and I agree it has its drawbacks, but for me, the idea of these topics being given some real credence is one to pursue. However, with everyone to afraid to speak in person these topics will forever remain something for the movies among the wider population.

So please discuss this. Am I wrong to even suggest this?

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.

It's full of fail.


But yeah.

reply to post by Lysergic


There are things that can be ironed out over time or with proper diligence.

I see it as a way forward. For the community and for this site.

It will attract higher caliber members eventually and members who want to offer something profound and "real".

It will stop a lot of the instant misbehavior and stupidity. It will provide a sound base to build upon.

Peoples answers and theories will involve more in depth thinking and research. Some on here put hours into their research while others make it up on the spot.

People's word and trustworthiness will always be at the forefront.

Just some thoughts.

Only thing I can think of is RealID and how it turned around to bite Blizzard Entertainment in the ass when they said they were going to force people to use their real names on the forums, they very quickly changed their tune after the blogging world got ahold of the news and people started cancelling their subscriptions en mass. A move like the OP proposes would be a death-blow to ATS, having traffic drop by insane amounts in no time at all. There are plenty of members here who work in various places that they would NOT want knowing they frequent ATS because it could potentially cost them their jobs or at least harm their reputations. I personally would never use my actual name here because I don't want a future employer to find my posts on ATS and start grilling me about my stance on things that have zero to do with my line of work all because my name was exposed here.

reply to post by MrRed

but I do not have a credit or debit card,
i survive using only what the universe provides.
you want my name?
come and ask me

reply to post by MrRed


I think any fee would scare off any new potential ATS'ers.

I signed up ages ago, but never posted because for one, I though most debates went over my head, so it forced me to do research, in which I gained a lot of knowledge
and for two, I always read through and saw my point made several times, so I just stared and flagged, never posted.

All Im saying though is your fee plan could backfire by scaring away potential new members. I mean if I go to a site and it says "Post, Star & Flag for a Dollar!" I'd be like.... what's the catch?

reply to post by vanhippi


fair enough, the fee was not the issue. I dont care about the fee. Its just a way to have your ID verified. There are plenty of other ways to verify id.

Well it all depends on what information you want from us all in my mind.

What do you want to know? I'll tell you right now, I'm not about to give out any info that will threaten harassment in my real life by members on ATS, that's for sure. I've probably even been a bit too candid looking back, I'm sure some of you have guessed my employer by now, but I haven't had any issues with it so that's alright so far.

I wouldn't ever give up any personal info here that I would not want used against me, my real name, any identifying numbers like phone or address, family names, no I would leave before I give that out.

I don't think this is out of undue paranoia in my part, I mean I'm just about as worried about identity theft as being harassed, so I think I'm just being safe more than anything.

Click here for more information.

reply to post by discolo


Kindly edit your previous post.

ATS has standards to maintain.

reply to post by MrRed

No clue??
I grow my own fuel and food, but to have my voice heard i have to have a bank account?
who is sane?

It's bad enough that your IP address is logged, which can be traced to your name, address, etc by anyone who's determined to find out. I am a woman whom lives alone in a semi-rural area. I don't need the hassle of possible psychos lurking around because of something I said or whatever reason.

reply to post by discolo


Because you grow some apples and don't have a job that can be verified does not mean you are worth more than a person who is actually properly employed.

No one is forcing you here. Do you use a public computer to visit ATS or do you have internet at home. I use "home" in the loosest sense of the word.

reply to post by MrRed


You First...

Name...
dob....
address...
political affiliations....
Children names/ages...
Spouse ....

That should do it

reply to post by Zoodie


Ok, play the sex card. Thats fine. i knew it would raise its head, as all things are NOT equal ever.. No one voice carries any form of seriousness or weight when hidden.

If you love this type of subject matter that ATS brings and you truly believe it be taken seriously then we need to step forward, but everyone needs to do that.

Hiding just makes everything a bit of a joke.

I would be willing to give my name - pay the dollar, but no personal information that could be acquired such as my personal email address, home address, debit/credit card number, that kind of thing. What I wonder about with ATS members more than anything when I read some of the off the wall posts are their ages. I think we have a lot of young people posting that are just too far out there, I can't imagine where they get the stuff they come up with. Or maybe they are old and have dementia. Age is just about the only thing I wonder about from a poster - I can sometimes guess their occupation, it would just be interesting to know what people do if they don't mind saying.

Originally posted by Lysergic
It's full of fail.


But yeah.

This

reply to post by whaaa

You First...

Name...
dob....
address...
political affiliations....
Children names/ages...
Spouse ....

That should do it

I second that motion...

with much emotion ...

and an emoticon...



~meathead

the fee would kill ATS,and i agree with the others with talk of real ID,and as far the madness that takeing over ATS lately is more then likely because of the 2012 thing in MSM constantly.

but i belive the reason is since ATS open the doors to Facebook,brought a lot of jokers in.

maybe ATS needs more mods to control the threads...

also dont you think with people posting under a made up user name,are able to express themselfs better,say what they really think,without fear of interrupting their real life by way of ridiculed or as another already said,have employers read your personal thoughts about certain subjects,which could affect there view unpon you...