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Help restore my faith in ATS
page: 1share:
I have been a member here for nearly 7 years. Over the last 7 to 8 months I felt I needed to take a break from the site for two main reasons:
1. I was in a deep mental and emotional struggle following the tragic death of my family compounded by a blood-borne infection that resulted in hypercytokinemia.
2. Very few people actually seemed to be reading what myself or many others wrote. People are/were reading titles and responding solely based on the title of the thread or they were skimming over posts missing key details.
ATS is a very important place for me in which I have a sentimental attachment. I am not the same person as I was when I made my way here. Not only has ATS been a been a wealth of knowledge, there as been many wonderful people who have helped challenge my thinking and helped me see many social, religious and political issues in a new light. Please place an x in a word in which it does not belong in your repxly. Without ATS I don't think I would have the belief sets and the personal growth I currently have in my life. I owe that to many amazing members. Of course along with that comes the bad. The trolls, the heated emotionally driven posts that I myself am guilty of, and of course, the people who type before they read or even think. So I am asking all of you to help show me that there are still plenty of amazing members here, even if I disagree with you on issues, to help me overlook the ones that frustrate me like I was able to do at the beginning of my ATS journey.
1. I was in a deep mental and emotional struggle following the tragic death of my family compounded by a blood-borne infection that resulted in hypercytokinemia.
2. Very few people actually seemed to be reading what myself or many others wrote. People are/were reading titles and responding solely based on the title of the thread or they were skimming over posts missing key details.
ATS is a very important place for me in which I have a sentimental attachment. I am not the same person as I was when I made my way here. Not only has ATS been a been a wealth of knowledge, there as been many wonderful people who have helped challenge my thinking and helped me see many social, religious and political issues in a new light. Please place an x in a word in which it does not belong in your repxly. Without ATS I don't think I would have the belief sets and the personal growth I currently have in my life. I owe that to many amazing members. Of course along with that comes the bad. The trolls, the heated emotionally driven posts that I myself am guilty of, and of course, the people who type before they read or even think. So I am asking all of you to help show me that there are still plenty of amazing members here, even if I disagree with you on issues, to help me overlook the ones that frustrate me like I was able to do at the beginning of my ATS journey.
edit on 6/7/2016 by calstorm because: (no
reason given)
a reply to: calstorm
ATS is much like life , constantly changing not always for the bettxer , like life we just have to go with the flow.
There are still amazing people here although many amazing people have long since left.
There is a certain Owl who holds my respect and admiration , a beacon of light in a sea of fog.
ATS is much like life , constantly changing not always for the bettxer , like life we just have to go with the flow.
There are still amazing people here although many amazing people have long since left.
There is a certain Owl who holds my respect and admiration , a beacon of light in a sea of fog.
a reply to: calstorm
I enjoy ATS greatly, but refuse to place too much if any emotional stock in what goes on, on this or any website. Try it, it's liberating.
Any growth that you felt here came from *you* foremost, everything else is window dressing.
Also, as you grow, you will see this website in a different light; from my experience, the brainbendingly weird stuff is now something I just roll with and there's no point chasing that feeling once it's gone. If it's appealing to stay here, do it, if not, take a break and come back in a few months with fresh eyes.
I enjoy ATS greatly, but refuse to place too much if any emotional stock in what goes on, on this or any website. Try it, it's liberating.
Any growth that you felt here came from *you* foremost, everything else is window dressing.
Also, as you grow, you will see this website in a different light; from my experience, the brainbendingly weird stuff is now something I just roll with and there's no point chasing that feeling once it's gone. If it's appealing to stay here, do it, if not, take a break and come back in a few months with fresh eyes.
a reply to: calstorm
This place has a history of becoming berserk right around election time. Given the fact that at least two nations, represented solidly in the membership here, are currently undergoing political upheaval, it's little wonder that things are less than satisfactory at the moment. Until Britain chooses its path, in or out of the EU, and until the United States figures out whether it wants either a republican fascist, or a democrat fascist as its leader, not a great deal is going to change.
Remember when Obama was heading for his first election victory? This place was barmier than a box of agitated badgers during that race.
Ride the wave,
It's almost broke,
Stay on your board,
And do not choke!
This place has a history of becoming berserk right around election time. Given the fact that at least two nations, represented solidly in the membership here, are currently undergoing political upheaval, it's little wonder that things are less than satisfactory at the moment. Until Britain chooses its path, in or out of the EU, and until the United States figures out whether it wants either a republican fascist, or a democrat fascist as its leader, not a great deal is going to change.
Remember when Obama was heading for his first election victory? This place was barmier than a box of agitated badgers during that race.
Ride the wave,
It's almost broke,
Stay on your board,
And do not choke!
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
I believe that it can and hope that it will. Thank you for your reply.
I believe that it can and hope that it will. Thank you for your reply.
a reply to: TrueBrit
Maybe I'm missing something, but of late it seems we've not seen much in the way of posts from our British members.
What's up with that? Preoccupied with sport perhaps? Tension over Brexit? I've read of late that the margins are narrowing on that vote.
Vacation time? What's up?
Maybe I'm missing something, but of late it seems we've not seen much in the way of posts from our British members.
What's up with that? Preoccupied with sport perhaps? Tension over Brexit? I've read of late that the margins are narrowing on that vote.
Vacation time? What's up?
hi butterfly ,
It's true most people nowadays only read the first 3 sentences which makes long posts pretty much useless.
Society has changed in the last decade into being more harsh and more trollish one,
Because ATS is as many other things just a mirror of that society.
I'm gratefully that I discovered ATS when it was more Genuine and less invested by trolls and a-holes.
'The Old' ATS has profoundly changed my believe systems.
But at the moment I fear posting many subjects that might upset people that feel the need to trash other people
So I refrain from posting.
Well I'm not a amazing member. But I try to keep it real and respecting other people and their believes/theories. If people post something I wont greet them with ridicule.
Greetings calstorm
Very few people actually seemed to be reading what myself or many others wrote. People are/were reading titles and responding solely based on the title of the thread or they were skimming over posts missing key details.
It's true most people nowadays only read the first 3 sentences which makes long posts pretty much useless.
Society has changed in the last decade into being more harsh and more trollish one,
Because ATS is as many other things just a mirror of that society.
I'm gratefully that I discovered ATS when it was more Genuine and less invested by trolls and a-holes.
'The Old' ATS has profoundly changed my believe systems.
But at the moment I fear posting many subjects that might upset people that feel the need to trash other people
So I refrain from posting.
Well I'm not a amazing member. But I try to keep it real and respecting other people and their believes/theories. If people post something I wont greet them with ridicule.
Greetings calstorm
edit on 672016 by frenchfries because: (no reason given)
a reply to: TonyS
Well, for my part life has become a bit of a bloody soap opera, so I have been picking up the pieces of my friends minds, and trying to clip them back into position without damaging them further. But many British members will likely be dissapointed by the sheer number of basically duplicate American political threads. I hate both Trump and Hilary, and I also dislike watching people whose main complaint is how nothing ever changes, only ever seem to vote for those who desire the least change.
It is also the case that there has been half term holiday here in the UK, and it is also festival season. Those of us with an interest in music will be finding an appropriate gathering of like minded musos to camp out in a field with, and consume their audiological preferences to excess. There's much going on. Don't forget, us Brits see little sunshine, so we tend to make the most of what we get!
Well, for my part life has become a bit of a bloody soap opera, so I have been picking up the pieces of my friends minds, and trying to clip them back into position without damaging them further. But many British members will likely be dissapointed by the sheer number of basically duplicate American political threads. I hate both Trump and Hilary, and I also dislike watching people whose main complaint is how nothing ever changes, only ever seem to vote for those who desire the least change.
It is also the case that there has been half term holiday here in the UK, and it is also festival season. Those of us with an interest in music will be finding an appropriate gathering of like minded musos to camp out in a field with, and consume their audiological preferences to excess. There's much going on. Don't forget, us Brits see little sunshine, so we tend to make the most of what we get!
a reply to: TrueBrit
Ah! Festival time! That explains a lot.
You Brits are sick of the election crap? Imagine our horror. Except for the local news stations, here in the states, the Network News and Cable news stations are 24/7 Clinton/Trump............endlessly..........repetitive analysis. CNN has so many pundits commenting daily that they're starting to trip over themselves. We can't get ANY meaningful news about what's happening in the rest of the world. I did see some bottom of the screen ticker reference to Paris flooding and being washed out to sea, but they never discussed it.
Enjoy your festivals and get some sun!
Cheers.
Ah! Festival time! That explains a lot.
You Brits are sick of the election crap? Imagine our horror. Except for the local news stations, here in the states, the Network News and Cable news stations are 24/7 Clinton/Trump............endlessly..........repetitive analysis. CNN has so many pundits commenting daily that they're starting to trip over themselves. We can't get ANY meaningful news about what's happening in the rest of the world. I did see some bottom of the screen ticker reference to Paris flooding and being washed out to sea, but they never discussed it.
Enjoy your festivals and get some sun!
Cheers.
a reply to: calstorm
Dealing with your post's remarks in orxder of importance, I'd first like to offer you my condolences on your loss. It is always a struggle when these things happen and no amount of words can make the pain go away; the best they can do is ease it a little. So, I hope it helps you just the tiniest amount to know that others here sympathize and empathize with you.
It is true that many seem to respond after only reading (and even misinterpreting) the thread's title or the first few lines of the OP. I see this as symptomatic of a societal trend, which is partly driven by the mainstream media's increasing and near-frantic attempts to grab "views" for whatever articles of "news" they post, combined with the claims by many that they just don't have time to read. "TL;DR" is becoming a real issue, because it not only affects the written word and the "sound bite" style of media presentation the MSM and others employ, it filters over into real life.
I have actually heard people say "LOL!" in response to something they find amusing.
I guess many people are being indoctrinated with the concept that they don't have enough time to actually read/watch anything of length. They want to know the "key details" and they want them now. It's almost as if the desire to seek out knowledge themselves and form their own opinions is being discouraged. But then, there is nothing especially new in that: there is a reason why "intellectuals" have often been targeted for in revolutions. Silence those who actually analyze and sometimes say, "Hey, wait a minute... That's garbage!" and TPTB can more easily control the rest.
ATS is something of a reflection of society in general, and even though this site probably has a higher percentage of thinking and insightful, questioning people than most online places, the external forces still have their influence on what is posted here and by whom.
Trolls are problematic if we take too much notice of them. Compared to some sites, there are very few here. They are a small minority and seldom last long before their T&C violations put paid to their activities. However, "trolls" have always existed. In times gone by, before the www and discussion boards like this one, they were the people who went along to public meetings just to cat-call and disrupt, picked fights with random people in pubs, argued with others just for the sake of arguing and being annoying, or perpetrated hoaxes purely to gain attention and notoriety.
It's all about them feeding their own inflated egos. The internet makes it easier for them because they have greater anonymity. However, the beauty of internet forums is that unlike those real-life situations, no-one need respond to them at all. We can totally ignore them. If they persist in their disruptive, childish games, we can simply report them to the moderating staff so the matter can be dealt with.
So, let's focus on the good members, for they are the vast majority. People who take the time to post their thoughts, who are willing to accept other points of view and even change their own. People who -- like you -- feel a sense of community here. That's the essence of this place. Community, combined with a desire to learn and also share what we know. That is a great combination and even with the growing pressures of the "TL;DR" mindset, there are still plenty who want to maintain that feeling.
And for that, I am very glad.
Dealing with your post's remarks in orxder of importance, I'd first like to offer you my condolences on your loss. It is always a struggle when these things happen and no amount of words can make the pain go away; the best they can do is ease it a little. So, I hope it helps you just the tiniest amount to know that others here sympathize and empathize with you.
It is true that many seem to respond after only reading (and even misinterpreting) the thread's title or the first few lines of the OP. I see this as symptomatic of a societal trend, which is partly driven by the mainstream media's increasing and near-frantic attempts to grab "views" for whatever articles of "news" they post, combined with the claims by many that they just don't have time to read. "TL;DR" is becoming a real issue, because it not only affects the written word and the "sound bite" style of media presentation the MSM and others employ, it filters over into real life.
I have actually heard people say "LOL!" in response to something they find amusing.
I guess many people are being indoctrinated with the concept that they don't have enough time to actually read/watch anything of length. They want to know the "key details" and they want them now. It's almost as if the desire to seek out knowledge themselves and form their own opinions is being discouraged. But then, there is nothing especially new in that: there is a reason why "intellectuals" have often been targeted for in revolutions. Silence those who actually analyze and sometimes say, "Hey, wait a minute... That's garbage!" and TPTB can more easily control the rest.
ATS is something of a reflection of society in general, and even though this site probably has a higher percentage of thinking and insightful, questioning people than most online places, the external forces still have their influence on what is posted here and by whom.
Trolls are problematic if we take too much notice of them. Compared to some sites, there are very few here. They are a small minority and seldom last long before their T&C violations put paid to their activities. However, "trolls" have always existed. In times gone by, before the www and discussion boards like this one, they were the people who went along to public meetings just to cat-call and disrupt, picked fights with random people in pubs, argued with others just for the sake of arguing and being annoying, or perpetrated hoaxes purely to gain attention and notoriety.
It's all about them feeding their own inflated egos. The internet makes it easier for them because they have greater anonymity. However, the beauty of internet forums is that unlike those real-life situations, no-one need respond to them at all. We can totally ignore them. If they persist in their disruptive, childish games, we can simply report them to the moderating staff so the matter can be dealt with.
So, let's focus on the good members, for they are the vast majority. People who take the time to post their thoughts, who are willing to accept other points of view and even change their own. People who -- like you -- feel a sense of community here. That's the essence of this place. Community, combined with a desire to learn and also share what we know. That is a great combination and even with the growing pressures of the "TL;DR" mindset, there are still plenty who want to maintain that feeling.
And for that, I am very glad.
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