We need a UK and Europe forum.

I have always been against this idea. I liked the international mix of ATS, but its getting to a stage where American topics dominate the Recent Posts page. Nearly every topic is related to the Boston bombing. Last month it was Sandy Hook, then the cinema shooting, before that we get your election fever,then again in the mid terms.

These topics then spawn their own separate threads on gun control, or gay marriage or abortion.

The rest of the world doesn't really share the same passion for these subjects and should we be so bold as to chuck in our 2pence worth, we are told to keep out of their politics.

I think the time has come for a UK and Europe forum, where we can engage in our own debates on issues a little closer to home.

When you feel you can't really contribute to 80% of the topics on the Recent Posts page, the site loses its interest.

Just because you have your own forum doesn't mean that it will make the front page. If you post something from your end of the World and enough participate in it, your thread will be there.

I'm from Canada and it's the same but Canada ends up on the front many times because people participate. Wherever they're from.

I've also posted news and issues from the UK and Europe that ended up on the front end.

Just my 2 pennies.

Peace

I fully support your proposal and would add that the EU has a bearing on the wider world and is a possible strand of the much discussed, speculative New World Order.

One thing we have to clear about when we are discussing Europe is the separation between The Grand Council of Europe which consists of forty seven nations, The European Union (EU) which is made up of twenty seven member states, and the Eurozone which is a fiscal union of seventeen nations. The UK is not a member of the latter (at present).

I agree with jude11 , if the story is strong then it will get the attention it deserves regardless of where its from , I posted what I thought was a fairly niche thread on the Roman remains recently found in London which hit the top of the front page .

Recently there were many threads (Ding Dong) on the passing of Thatcher which really is just a UK matter but there were contributions from both sides of the Atlantic ... ATS is global , United we stand divided we fall

I'd have to agree with the OP here, as he has pointed out every now and then a major piece of American news dominates ATS pushing out everything else where people from other nationalities can't really relate as much to it and topics they may have made of their own accord will have been drowned out. ATS is predominantly a site for Americans from what I can see but there's still many others from geographical locations such as Europe who can't relate to as many of the topics that dominate the site so in my well-rounded opinion.

Yes, there needs to be a UK and Europe forum.

I agree.
A dedicated forum would bring me onto ATS far more frequently.

reply to post by Kester


Doesn't matter what term he uses, the UK is still located in Europe and so is the rest of Ireland so he isn't really missing anything out

reply to post by Wulfric


Not really sure what you're trying to say here. That video just points out some of the complexity of the situation. It's interesting and informative.

i've been thinking on this recently too and was of the opinion that it was unneccessary... but each time there is dominant US issue, that front page is in my view fairly spammed... now i reckon that the answer is either braver and tighter moderation or a forum/forums for the UK/Europe etc so we can actually find these threads in their own home.

reply to post by skalla

There exists a "Regional Politics" forum which is supposed to be about non-U.S. stuff.
The main drawback is that it turns up on "Off-topic" instead of the main page, but it could surely be shifted.

I think it is fair to say that although its true that ATS gets flooded when something big comes up, it does not happen exclusively to posts with an American focus.

Look at Fukushima! That topic DOMINATED. It was so bludgeoning that at one point I couldnt find a thread on anything else, that had been commented on for twenty four whole hours. Drove me a little bit mental (more mental... whatever). To be frank, I think it is a little unrealistic to say that the US dominates the forums because it is the US. I think it dominates because so much utterly messed up crap happens there. The numerous shootings and the ridiculous statements and actions being made by the politicians there on the subject, are big news globally after all! The MSM is pretty obsessed with it all right now, and I include the UK news media as well.

All I am saying is that I think that the US has been dominant over the last little while because it has had the most extreme events, the most tragic stories coming out of it over the past year. I think if a speight of unfortunate, terrible things started happening elsewhere, that had the same scale and disturbing elements to the stories told about them, that focus would shift to those locations, those stories, as attention follows the drama.

No doubt, if the UK or Europe have a radiological-hydrological disaster, or several mass shootings inside a small time frame, a bombing at a mass attendance public event, or similar, the region will recieve more attention on the boards. You have to admit that the most dominant stories of the last few years have been those which were the most sensational, the most emotion provoking. Most of the news here in the UK, and in Europe is actually fairly dry by comparison to massive loss of life, disasters, shootings, fires, exploding chemical plants....

Originally posted by DISRAELI
reply to post by skalla

 

There exists a "Regional Politics" forum which is supposed to be about non-U.S. stuff.
The main drawback is that it turns up on "Off-topic" instead of the main page, but it could surely be shifted.

I think this is maybe the solution. It would encourage a broader participation from non American members.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


I just participate in the threads I find interesting but I do agree that tons of threads on the boston bombings did spring up.

Maybe when some major disaster or extremist bombing takes place, the mods can create a new forum just for the event, although I think they already do this...

Like we would sign into ATS and see on the main page a headline which reads:

'MAJOR SHOOTING MASSACRE IN SUCH AND SUCH A PLACE, HIT HERE FOR ALL THREADS RELATED TO IT'

Something like that.

Well, i agree with the OP.
Im slightly annoyed with how clogged the main page gets when something happens, there are just simply TO MANY americans making separate threads regarding a certain subject. I find it off putting which is why i stayed away from the Sandy Hook threads and now the Boston threads - Because the quality of information in those threads in many case's hasn't been thought out right, rushed in order to get S+F

I would agree that there should be a forum for European news etc, just like there is forum for discussing illegal substances. If not, then hopefully they'll be a proper crack down on what threads make front page.

I think ATS should go for the gusto and have international forums, in foreign languages where applicable. This would be a heck of a lot of fun for people who don't mind getting into the dictionary to see what people are talking about overseas. Google translation makes that kind of thing feasible. You can even throw your own comments into the mix, in the foreign language.

I know Google translation is problematic, but I think it still would be fun to try something like that. It certainly would bring a wider spectrum of views and opinions to ATS.

Why don't Europeans just post more if that is what they want to see? You can't really fault Americans for posting about things that directly around us. It's hard enough to keep up with everything going on in a country this size, let alone Europe. Why not skip the board and encourage Europeans to post more about the things important in their own countries instead of making Americans the bad guys for voicing ours. If it's important then get busy posting it already.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


Okay then...I want a Chicago forum, a Detroit forum, a Los Angeles forum, a Miami forum, a New York forum, a Boston forum, a Kansas City forum, a San Francisco forum, an Indianapolis forum, a St. Louis forum, a Las Vegas forum...

Basically a forum for every major city, state, country and province. I mean, if you get a special forum division, then so should everyone else, right? No sense playing the favorite here.

there is a US political madness forum and a 9/11 forum.. i would like to see other parts of the world more represented too; ..thats why i recently made an account to post, comment & bring some Euro topics. Hello ATS!

reply to post by woodwardjnr


I agree that there should be a forum for Europeans but I feel you are a small minority of ATS members who don't care about American politics and events IMO

I see so many threads about opinions and rhetoric about our politics and culture from Europeans and Australians, mostly stereotypes and opinions stated as facts. If there was an American only forum we would have several European troll lurking, same with a European thread.

The forums are very organized as well and i don't think a separate forum would help.

Maybe a European political madness forum?

This makes me wonder...am I the only south american around here?