ATS In Decline?

originally posted by: DanteGaland
a reply to: Grambler

Yet why is it people on this thread are only complaining about vitriol from the right?

Because there's MOAR of it and it's worse.

You are enititled to your own distorted veiw of reality.

I have been arguing with around 6 people about how scalise deserved to be shot.

Care to check out those threads and call out that left wing extremism?

This has been going on for a good while. It started with Obama's administration, the tea party and the far right started invading these forums and others like it with their inflammatory rhetoric and made up conspiracies.

This site used to be about questioning authority and uncovering the truth about human history, among other things. There is little of that now and mostly just "you're a liberal and your opinion is therefore invalid", or SOMETIMES there will be attacks on those from the left, but the former outweighs the latter tremendously.

People not recognizing their own hypocrisy, and doing, at the core, the exact same thing they accuse the other side of, is the main problem. Hypocrisy is a natural human characteristic, that needs constant focus and mental strenght to be fought against.

The left are the pros at being hypocrites, as is the right, especially Trump. Now because of that, if you don't want to look like a hypocrite yourself, you can't defend one side blindly. You need to call out your preferred side on every bs thing they do, and praise the opposing side when they uphold their integrity. But that's just so unnatural to humans. It's like we are hardwired to be hypocrites.

Also the generalizing titles and posts need to stop, seriously. One man's or a group's actions/words don't define a whole political ideology. If mods tackled this one problem, ATS would be noticeably less toxic.

I left because there is little respect for fellow members. Just "winning", over shouting. Used to be that we had fun even if we disagreed. Especially at times. This mentality that we have here now is a huge turn off for most.

originally posted by: intrepid
I left because there is little respect for fellow members. Just "winning", over shouting. Used to be that we had fun even if we disagreed. Especially at times. This mentality that we have here now is a huge turn off for most.

Good to see you intrepid.

Been a while.

a reply to: Grambler

You bring up ONE issue/thread.

IGNORING the 12+ anti-anything-liberal.

:/

originally posted by: [post=22398207]DanteGaland

Stuff like THAT shouldn't be LEFT up until someone complains.

There should be ENOUGH staff pursuing the topics to notice and identify blatant hate speech that BREAKS site rules.

Stuff like THAT shouldn't be left up to "member policing". I get it that everyone is a volunteer. Get MORE staff if you need coverage.

CONTENT like that ultimately drives MORE views/clicks away than it DELIVERS.

Hiring more staff means more mouths to feed which in turn will increase ads. People are already fed up with ads here. How can this problem get resolved without having to increase ads? Does ATS work on a lean model or fat fish Tuesday model? I say reorganize ATS's operational model to fit within 5S methodology to maximize efficiency.

I've been a lurker for years, ATS used to be a great site. It really hit the absolute buffers when the whole election debate started and there emerged on this site the whole p*******e affair which then got completely erased from ATS as if it had never happened.

When TBTB can control and exert pressure on a site for enabling a freedom of discussion about such topics then an actual conspiracy site which challenges the status quo becomes coerced into becoming part of the status quo with the parameters being firmly laid out by them. It happened on a few excellent threads here for one reason or another and that one I mentioned was the final nail in the coffin and this place has been a circus ever since! A real shame.

originally posted by: MG225
I've been a lurker for years, ATS used to be a great site. It really hit the absolute buffers when the whole election debate started and there emerged on this site the whole p*******e affair which then got completely erased from ATS as if it had never happened.

When TBTB can control and exert pressure on a site for enabling a freedom of discussion about such topics then an actual conspiracy site which challenges the status quo becomes coerced into becoming part of the status quo with the parameters being firmly laid out by them. It happened on a few excellent threads here for one reason or another and that one I mentioned was the final nail in the coffin and this place has been a circus ever since! A real shame.

ATS has sponsors to be held accountable to now so it is a different ballgame. ATS is also DS tied which makes them beholden to tptb agendas. Topics get too close to the truth get erased like they never were. This is what happens when a web venue chases paper instead of truth.

a reply to: eriktheawful

No he didn't erik, he's right and you're wrong. Stop being a part of the problem in this. Canucks post was clear and concise. The fact that you cant see it contextually makes one question the intent.


I rarely agree with johnnycanucks posts, but in this I absolutely do.

But ya know what? it's hard to moderate an echo chamber now isn't it? No one will ever take part in discourse.

originally posted by: intrepid
I left because there is little respect for fellow members. Just "winning", over shouting. Used to be that we had fun even if we disagreed. Especially at times. This mentality that we have here now is a huge turn off for most.

It IS really good to see you intrepid. You were one of the first supermods I ever had any dealings with here at ATS, and I miss some of the conversations.

Glad that you at least come back from time to time to weigh in on important issues like this thread.

a reply to: intrepid

Respect.

ATS has always exaggerated itself, but it is hardly "in decline." It has just transformed into something it was not originally. The interesting stuff to us old timers has been replaced by popular and political stuff.

But nobody cares. Just like nobody cares to fix the system. Do I have 19 million stars? Of course not, but to fix this stuff requires effort, and effort costs money. ATS is on auto-pilot. It generates revenue automatically. It's adequate, and "adequacy is sufficient" (Adam Osborne)

That's because it isn't about UFOs and conspiracies as much as it is about click throughs and revenue. Although you can claim politics is all about conspiracy, because "conspiracy" is such a generic word, it's still a stretch. If you truly want a conspiracy site that delves into UFOs, ancient mysteries, etc., you would cut off the political discussions and return to basics. But then you'd lose the Bernie lovers, Trump supporters, and Ron Paul wannabes. Traffic would go down and so would revenue. As a site that touts its 'user-provided content' meme, that would never fly.

a reply to: schuyler

WOW this is the first thing I've ever seen you say where I agree with you.

I really thought you had 19 million stars. For a minute I was like OMG what does this person do all day!

Anyway nice to see something we agree on even though we usually disagree

As for the so called good content for me it's still there you just have to wade through the political crap! I hate politics and will so not join in those topics, people are vicious!

originally posted by: schuyler
ATS has always exaggerated itself, but it is hardly "in decline." It has just transformed into something it was not originally. The interesting stuff to us old timers has been replaced by popular and political stuff.

That's because it isn't about UFOs and conspiracies as much as it is about click throughs and revenue. Although you can claim politics is all about conspiracy, because "conspiracy" is such a generic word, it's still a stretch. If you truly want a conspiracy site that delves into UFOs, ancient mysteries, etc., you would cut off the political discussions and return to basics. But then you'd lose the Bernie lovers, Trump supporters, and Ron Paul wannabes. Traffic would go down and so would revenue. As a site that touts its 'user-provided content' meme, that would never fly.

Hmmm, I've never actually looked at it like that before, but in hindsight, your observations have significant merit imo.

originally posted by: JohnnyCanuck

originally posted by: Reverbs
a reply to: JohnnyCanuck
You just did what you say you dont like.

It is my observation that the extent of the invective from the right has ramped way up to the level of insults and abuse. It is a statement, and not an insult. Difference of opinion is fine, insults are not.

Looks to me like both sides are seething and frothing at the mouth. The left are in many ways even worse, lacking in any sort of well reasoned argument with an appeal to nothing but hatred, fear and loathing, which is only magnified by the MSM and celebrity culture, and hateful and violent, destructive groups like Antifa.

Your OP would have been much better if it didn't try to point a finger.

Trump's a bit of an idiot and I can't stand his tweets, but on the whole, I can no longer subscribe to the approach of the left and I was once a bleeding heart liberal.

What I've come to see and realize is that individual Liberty and self-determination within a free market capitalist society is the only way in which true charity can be freely expressed.

Big government with tons of regulations and taxation isn't the best approach, so now I'm borderline Libertarian, but I can make some sort of argument in favor of that leaning.

I think I could even put forth a sound and well reasoned argument as to why the left in the USA has gone stark raving mad, compliments of communications channels like CNN and the ill-informed rantings of various celebrity personalities.

Some things deserve ridicule and scorn, but that cannot replace a Civilized debate.

I was reading your post with agreement, then I saw you point your finger without any argument offered, and then you lost me.

P.S. I'm also a proud Canuck who's concerned for our friends and neighbors to the south, but who seem to be working it all out in a sort or quiet or not so quiet and relatively bloodless revolution.

The establishment Democratic-leaning left have not been handling things very well, and neither has the right in their labelling and fomenting of the left, but all in all they put forth a stronger case, imho regarding the nature and origin of the insanity of the left towards the right.

As to ATS, I'm happy to see that they are allowing the conversation to take place without some sort of crackdown on free self-expression.

Best,

Ankh

a reply to: schuyler
Schuyler, neat to see you, old timer. Check out my registered signup date. I try and modestly HA! blend in Nostradamic Prophecies to some of this day to day tripe. But honestly, there really are long running prophecies which are coming to a head, in the next few decades. Trump, and I voted for him, could have been avoided, if a Biden Minnick ticket had been possible. But Walt M. forgot everything that he promised us, in his campaign, and then fell under the spell of the Wicked Witch of the West, Speaker, Pelosi. So, now we have Raul Labrador, as our Congressman.

I do believe that Cong. Minnick could have become Nosty's " King of Blois", or terr. of the Boise P. Meridian, as the case may be. Idaho is almost completely described legally as being Terr. of the Boise P. Meridian. Nosty had to use Blois Terr. back in the Sixteenth Century. But now we're stuck with Trump. At least I donated to Walt, and tried to help him get elected. My take is that a very well, East West, balanced ticket would have kept "The Donald" back at home, in NYC.

But it is what it is. Now we will see if "The Donald" keeps his campaign promises, or blends into the Dismal D.C. swamp. As a retired Librarian, maybe you can help me. Do you know, how and where, to find the entire quote by the Abbe' Edgecomb, of "Westward Wends the way of Empire"? My search engine couldn't cough it up!

A lot of you should spend the dime and get your own site. You could create multiple accounts and talk with yourself. That way you could just deal with caricatures and stereotypes instead of real people.

You'd win every argument, your every expectation would be fulfilled, and you'd be a lot happier.

I went BACK for the last FIVE hours under "RECENT" and did a tally:

Progressive/Anti-Trump/Democrat Themed Threads: 8

AND...

Pro-Trump/Conservative/GOP Themed Threads: 20


1. Did the FBI retaliate against Michael Flynn by launching Russia probe

2. Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch could be jailed for up to ten years

3. French Woman In Her Seventies Robbed Then Raped In The Name of Islam

4. The Congressional Budget Office is in Over its Head with HealthCare Projections.

5. Russia Hacking Allegations Driven By a Serial Liar

6. Im Beginning to Fear that the Left is Going to Snap

7. Caught on tape Dem official says hes glad Scalise got shot

8. 2017 Global Peace Prize Goes To... Black Lives Matter No Seriously

9. The Anti-Trumpers sudden collapse -- What happened

10. CNN Producer Admits They Have No Proof - Trump Is Good For Business

11. In case you are wondering this isnt cool.

12. So Trump called it FAKE NEWS

13. Student headed to prison for registering dead voters for Democrats

14. The Progressive Conditioning

15. The Death of The Lefts Religion and The 5 Stages of Grief

16. President Trump Proposes a 5 Year Wait Before Immigrants Can Qualify For Public Assistance.

17. Three CNN Employees Resign Over Retracted Story on Russia Ties

18. John McAfee DNC Service Hacked by Some Random Teenager Not Russia

19. Project Veritas CNN Producer Admits Russia Investigation is a Witch Hunt

20. The Progressive Conditioning


ANTI-Trump/Progressive-liberal AUTHORED or themed threads: 8

1. Top-Secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election

2. Theres an easy way to cut Obamacare taxes without touching medicaid.

3. Facing GOP opposition Senate leaders postpone vote to overhaul Obamacare

4. Crazy House wants even MORE defense spending.

5. Trump just ended a long tradition of celebrating Ramadan at the White House

6. With Trump Pick Aboard Supreme Court Tackles Religious Rights

7. Be careful. Trump might be starting a war in Syria. Bigly.

8. GOP can go to hell.

Yep...ATS is pretty 'balanced'

a reply to: DanteGaland

Which stories in your list are not true, which ones do you want deleted?