It’s a shame about ATS... we can hardly recognize you.

Originally posted by SpookyVince
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Yes ATS has changed. But everybody has changed in 8 years. The world has changed.
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I have seen an incredible amount of useless threads. Granted and agreed.

I have also seen an incredible amount of hugely interesting subjects and threads.
...
Maybe, just maybe, what is happening now is a sign of the times: more and more people have an easy and cheap access to computers and internet, when a few years ago, it was still maybe a bit more reserved to a certain "class of people" (I hate these generalisations...) with, maybe, more education than some others.

This being said, and as it is pointed out by others, this represents the population. There are highs and lows. There are people of all sorts, with all sorts of opinions.

I wasn't going to bother to respond to this thread until I read this post. It's on target.

I'm not an "ATS Old Timer" so I can't comment on how ATS has changed since 1999.

But consider what kinds of people were online 20 years ago...15 years ago...10 years ago....

The net has changed. The types of people on the net have changed, because online access is now considered a necessity. So you could have the cast members of "Jersey Shore" posting here. Would people of that sort have had computers 20 years ago? Probably not.

As for what has happened to the young, I understand the OP's alarm. They have been socially engineered by TPTB to be what they are. I believe the destruction of women, the family, and common sense values have been intentional.

I find ATS valuable. There are the archives -- too much info to ever cover. ATS has breaking news stories before the MSM -- and stories the MSM ignores.

There are also some very bright & knowledgeable people here. Very useful.

And sometimes I enjoy the "fluff."

Originally posted by Brown Bear

elbow Americans

in US social fabric

older Americans

real problem with America is Americans;

You could probably start by realising that ATS has an International community, not one that is American only.

Originally posted by AuranVector
As for what has happened to the young, I understand the OP's alarm. They have been socially engineered by TPTB to be what they are. I believe the destruction of women, the family, and common sense values have been intentional.

No. It isn't "TPTB" that have engineered anyone to become what they have become.

I blame it on TV and the "golden sixties". That's about then that the society has changed a lot. Everything went fast and faster. People started to have TV's. They started to feel needs that they didn't have before. But those weren't needs, they were illusions of need, luxury. And they started to be able to afford some luxury, like a TV.

And bit by bit, people made it all. Because the neighbour would go on holiday, then we must go to. That's envy and jealousy. Because the neighbour had a big car, we needed one.

I do not praise for people living in caves, far from it. But we have created our own "needs" just out of credit, out of envy, and out of marketing and advertisements.

In a typical house today, mom, dad and 2 kids 18 and 20, you have:
- 3 TV sets, minimum (-> no more family, everyone in their own room)
- 4 mobile phones, if not more (why do people "need" to always be hooked to the damn phone?)
- 4 cars (-> no more time together again, each one his own way)
- 4 computers, plus maybe a laptop or 2, plus maybe a ipad or the like or 2 (again, each one alone)
- 2 ovens, 1 microwave, 1 dishwasher (why not do the washing up together?)
- 2 fridges and at least 2 freezers (so much food that 1/2 of it is wasted anyway)
- etc., etc.

Those people go at least 2 times on holiday per year. All 4. They go to the restaurant 2 times a month, which is probably the only moment spent together. The kids go to university.

But this has a price. Dad works a lot. Mom too. The kids as well, on top of the studies. They all have credits on their back.

What has happened to them? They simply fell for the artificial needs, created by a society that relies on image, on appearance, and thus creates jealousy and need. People have become unable to remain simple. It is everything and right now. That's why.

People think they need. But actually they want. They would like, even. But because some others do it, then they must do it too. People on TV are all nice, rich, happy, in a big house with the little white fence in front of it and the dog in the garden, they have a convertible Merc, etc. And now everybody wants to be just that. It is only mere jealousy.

The way society goes does that, and I am the first one to admit that it's very sad how it's going. However there's nothing that prevent people to remain simple, to stick to needs (and we really don't need a lot), and to be able to be happy with small things...

This kind of personality is now the majority of the people, and obviously it translates into ATS as well.

This is probably also why the OP doesn't stand it anymore. Because he's trapped into the elitism that forces him to believe that he's above the rest, and not part of it.

reply to post by Visiting ESB


I'd like to applaud you for your well thought out and well written responses to Grizzly Bear. And please notice, if you will, that he has not responded here since your challenge. Touche.

I will look for your threads and posts in the future.

Originally posted by tothetenthpower

The following is my opinion as a member participating in this discussion.

Just my 2 pence..

I'm old.

And in my life when I've looked back and said ' Man, that was better in the old days', I realize, that everything was better when looked at from a point of nostalgia.

Things evolve, things change and I mostly long for how things were in the past, but they won't ever go back to what they were..

But it's nice to remind ourselves of where we came from and how we got here. Sure ATS has changed, some for better some for worse, but a growing population where we aren't just a bunch of people who agree with each other ( which was more the case back when) will cause a lot of these things you see as issues.

I see them as diversity.

~Tenth

As an ATS Staff Member, I will not moderate in threads such as this where I have participated as a member.

Tenth you are a wise old tree. Indeed, ATS has changed. I remember I used to take it with a grain of salt that everyone on board was in agreement when I visited years ago. Now, they aren't and that may be part of the problem.

Also, I am a mother but my children grew up to be scholars. I like to think that my work as a stay at home mom was not one of ignorance and softness. I also like to think that being a mom is not a signature of being used and being weak. Our culture in general has become what I call the culture of the white witch. (Skin stickers on the cars) The men don't have standards, the women are willing to cater and children are not attended to well. That's my rant. Oh, and if the children are being well attended by a caring, fussy mother, she is a nobody who is wasting her time. My rant. Both my kids are on the path to be doctors. Am I stupid and ignorant?

Ps. I think I will be yet more careful in my posts. Lots of the posts have been well thought out with some great minds. I read the posts because I like to see what they are thinking. I don't consider my mind to be great, but I consider it a privilege to be a part of this community.

reply to post by Brown Bear


I am sorry your mother didn't hug you enough and you were not good enough for daddy.

have you even stopped to consider that it is you who outgrew the site?

Although I'm a new member, I've been creeping/following ATS for the past 3 years. In the past 12-18 months, it's definitely taken a turn for the worse. It seems that most members here are now just liberals looking to make fun of and/or debunk everything on this forum. If it's not the insecure liberals, it's the bored atheists who want to find any thread related to religion and go on about it being a "fairy tale", etc, etc. Also, you've got people spreading celebrity gossip!! I thought this forum was the exact opposite of that junk. Who gives two craps about the latest celeb gossip? I don't.

ATS is being overrun by the sheeple and zombies. That's the trend.

Yeah, OP, ATS is garbage compared to 7 years ago...but who's to say that you aren't a part of the problem?

Judging from that post, you just might be.

reply to post by Brown Bear

Because it’ll be page after page of unlearned and untraveled opinions mostly from immature children and the women that raised them; eaters and breeders going nowhere and doing nothing except consume and occupy the lowest lowest levels of society... and make noise.

At first my inner-social scientist

Your inner 'social scientist' is a fascist...

But it’s boring to read through so many posts that demonstrate the real problem with America is Americans; and that the newly emerging servant Class

Like I said, a fascist...

...and a know it all.

Good luck with that.



X.

Originally posted by kman420
Hes right, The entire internet is complete garbage now.

You can blame everyone under the age of 25, Unfortunatly that makes up over %50 of the worlds population.

Theres only one clear answer, and Iran has it.

I assume that that the under 25 group will respond negatively to my remarks, and it is unfortunate that it's 50% of the population, as well, but my intention is to flush the Zombies, and soon to be Zombies, out of the woodwork.

Those that can see beyond social and political correctness and thus demonstrate the ability to think, will star this and probably not read the comments except for the humor... but at the end it will be interesting to see the ratio of Human Beings to Zombies.

Seems obvious that the lower half, the bottom half, the never-to-haves, have been prepared for little more than to be servants or soldiers, and destined to sacrifice their life either way. Historically, War follows depression.

reply to post by Brown Bear


Could you first, please, clear up whether you believe ATS to be an American-only community (in which case the rest of us clearly don't exist) or an international community where people from all walks of life, cultural backgrounds and ideologies come together to discuss and debate topics which they feel are important to them?

24 hour time out no toy's Fellow autobot's owners of this wonderful site..This thread was meant to bring your site down.... its up to you to take it down.

Originally posted by Brown Bear
my intention is to flush the Zombies, and soon to be Zombies, out of the woodwork.

What remarkable arrogance!

How do you figure, in the painfully obvious incomparable estimation of yourself, that you have the freedom to sort out the membership of this website into zombies, eaters and breeders? The first instance of a direct selection will be seen in the light of a personal attack and domineering attitudes such as the above are unwelcome here, you can be certain of that.

Perhaps the best way forward for you is to reign in your own ego prior to pointing fingers at others.

Originally posted by masqua
I can remember when television was introduced to the majority in the 50's.

(yeah... I'm that hoary with lichen growing on my large nose)

If we were lucky, we had maybe 3 stations to watch and, on weekends, kids like me were glued to that black and white screen. I thought it was the grandest, most miraculous thing ever. Today, I hardly ever watch it unless there's a particularly good movie or documentary being shown, even though I have hundreds of channels to click through.

The net is like that now too. It's important to discriminate as to what you are willing to spend your time on in the same way as television.

If I want news, the best place is online and the best way to do that is to be interactive and actually discuss what we hope for, know as a fact or declare as intolerable. If the news isn't the interest, then there are an endless number of other websites to explore.

ATS is a little slice of all of that and includes people of all ages within its membership to have a right to say what they think (within reason). If anyone of those members doesn't like what they're reading, they can just click away and find something they might in another forum.

Nobody can convince me that there are not pearls to be found here on ATS. Like those 600 channels on the television, you just need to look.

I agree with you... and I also remember waiting for TV to begin broadcasting cartoons on Saturday morning (Howdy Doody), but my issue isn't with the Pearls which can be found anywhere if you know what you're looking for, it's the number of mindless social style comments that one must plough through to find them and that the real thinkers have been forced out of the conversation because of them. At our age how much energy do you want to spend, reading page after page of meaningless crappola from Zombies and wannabes that should be listening instead of making noise? We've had a good life and damn lucky to have had it and likely the next incarnation won't be so pleasant. But at our age not much to worry about in the future, the die is cast there.

Originally posted by Kryties

Originally posted by Brown Bear

elbow Americans

in US social fabric

older Americans

real problem with America is Americans;

You could probably start by realising that ATS has an International community, not one that is American only.

Gee, really. Having lived overseas for most of the past three decades I think I got that message somewhere. But rather than make Zombie comments why don't you turn to your neighbor (anyone) and ask "what the problem is with America? As if you already didn't know... and then share the answer with your fellow Zombies here on ATS.

I agree with the OP. The signal to noise ratio of this site has degraded markedly recently. Have I contributed to this? Very likely. Sometimes, I am just having a bad day, and someone posts a reply that seems really hostile, so I start typing, when what I should do is go for a walk, smoke a bowl, and cool off. I assume that others sometimes fall into the same trap.

I became a member here after years of lurking because I saw a bunch of information not found anywhere else and because of the possibility that I might find a few like-minded individuals.

I am thrilled that ATS has gained so much popularity. It means that people are slowly coming to the realization that the MSM is merely a giant propaganda tool. That's good. But it comes at a cost: it means that there will be a whole lot more people around that I find particularly irksome.

I guess one just has to take the good with the bad.

Originally posted by Brown Bear

Gee, really. Having lived overseas for most of the past three decades I think I giot that message.

It certainly didn't read that way.

But rather than make Zombie comments

What? How does my 'comment' (it was actually a question) make me a 'Zombie'? You arrogant ignoramus.

why don't you turn to your neighbor (anyone) and ask "what the problem is with America? As if you already didn't know.

1. That makes NO sense when looked at in context to my question.

2. Why would I need to do that? I live in Australia, was born here and consider it my home. Why would I turn to my neighbour (who is Indian by the way) and ask "what is the problem with America"? Quite apart from the fact I haven't got the hours I would need to listen to my neighbour answer that question.......

Originally posted by MRuss
reply to post by Brown Bear

 

Brown bear? More like grizzly.

First off, I'm a woman, so let's just get that out of the way so you can move along quickly if you so choose, There are labels for you: narcissitic, misogynos, and several other choice words that I will kindly leave out.

Your cleverly written post (so obvious you went to college! But, then, that was part of your nefarious motive--to make that clear), failed to mention the fact that for the first time, perhaps, in history, women's IQ's are higher than men's, and there currently more women in the work force than men, espeically in managerial positions.

Perhaps you lost your job to a woman recently. Or perhaps someone you fancied just ran away from you as fast as she could...

I am really in shock that you would post something like this. It seems your intelligence hasn't led you to higher forms of evolution or enlightenment. Sad, as that's the purpose of intelligence, isn't it?

Actually Brown Bears ar grizzlys and in Alaska you quickly learn not to screw with them.

As for college degrees I have many of them, and know many morons with them, but spent enough time in that environment to know they are meaningless, especially now.

Nobody is learning anything in those institutions unless it's a technical skill (like flying airplanes), OR, a high level private school where they hold Public Schools in the highest contempt.

As for IQ tests, do some investigation, professionals know that both IQ and ability have been steadily declining over the past few decades, and that the tests (all of them) have been dumbed down to accommodate a increasingly inferior group of testees.

Regarding women, the issue I'd focus on is mental stability and the fact that they're destined to become their mothers without serious individual work on themselves.

Having said that, have you noticed that the new-age metaphysics field in America is dominated by women? And that in monasteries and elsewhere, Asia and India, that women are excluded from these places?

Can you get past your conditioning to understand why that is the case... and then to know why your opinion on Spiritual matters is meaningless to me?

However, there are an infinite number of Paths to the infinite... but all involve a healthy relationship with the Truth... seek for what is real and it's not found where the rest of the herd is looking. Quite the opposite.

reply to post by Brown Bear


This may well be classed az 'Evolution'...

(Adapt or Die)