ATS Membership Invites

When Google launched their popular Gmail, the only way one could obtain an account was to be invited by a member of the Gmail community. It's a success and now a 'Gmail invite' is one of the most coveted things going around on the net.

This system creates an exclusive community of members that simply want one thing: Honest and Trustworthy email.

So why not let AboveTopSecret.com operate solely on membership invites?

This system would limit the Neo-Nazi invasion that we've been seeing on ATS lately. Not to mention restrict the amount of trolls that usually materialize on most threads. The last time I checked, ATS has over 33,000 members. That's colossal. But how many of these members actually are productive members on ATS?

Membership invites could enhance ATS by providing a precise and coherent community for discussing the many 'alternative' topics that surface on the site. Invites could also relieve the strenuous work load that has been placed on moderators as of recent.

Less threads closed
Less threads moved
Less warnings
Less member bans
Less censoring
Less 'slaps on the wrist'

…Less Trolls

What do you guys think?

Sounds like a good idea, but do i want those i work with being part of my evenings too? I can just imagine telling people i belong to a conspiracy board... they'd look me up and down and think *I knew she wasnt sane* LOL..i'd be better off asking them if they're interested in a menage a trois... LOL..

Anyway, thats just what i think i'd get at work. It does sound like a good idea, though.

Originally posted by dgtempe
I can just imagine telling people i belong to a conspiracy board...

But see, I think that would be the fun part. Sometimes conversations just go to unexpected routes and the next thing you know you are discussing the Dulce base with a complete stranger.

But just imagine if you are the stranger and some person that you've only met once sends you an invite to this mysterious site known as AboveTopSecret.com based on his/her interest of conspiracies/aliens/paranormal...etc. How much of a rush would that be?

I don't think having a closed board jives very well with the ATS mission of Denying Ignorance for all.

Eh, gmail just boosted my invites from 6 a month to 50. Looks like it's going to be leaving the Beta stage soon.

If it's by invite only, you're going to lose a lot of the elements of discussion because it will become a more "elite" conspiracy group with no one contradicting the conspiracies. You may think this'd be nice, but when no one questions what you're saying, you can be coming up with half baked ideas. When you know someone is going to doubt and say so, you try to make your case more solid and do more research.

So I gotta say, membership only would be a bad idea. ATS would no longer be the largest conspiracy website on the web. This would be almost as bad as charging $20 a month for access.

What if somebody comes here and wants to join but doesnt know anybody to invite them? What then?

Originally posted by dreamlandmafia
What if somebody comes here and wants to join but doesnt know anybody to invite them? What then?

In that case only people who can prove membership of the Illuminati can be considered for membership without personal recommendation.
I order to prove membership of that august organisation, they would have to invite every ATS member to the next Bohemian Grove piss-up

Originally posted by djohnsto77
I don't think having a closed board jives very well with the ATS mission of Denying Ignorance for all.

I gotta agree with dj. Just the idea of invite only seems to go against the site's stated purpose. We would be perpetuating ignorance, in a way, by not sharing what we know freely to all seeking truth.

But maybe we could end up as a thread on some other conspiracy board?

I can see it now

'AboveTopSecret.com worships Satan and Eats babies, according to ex-member'

For all stated reasons, no. Being a slightly-locked community has its benefits for the current members, but is on the whole disadvantageous for the rest of the population.

that = bad. 64|> , even.

Random 1337, sorry.

[edit on 2/8/2005 by Amorymeltzer]

Well if we had soley depended on membership invites, how many people do you think we would have by now? Not even 100, if you ask me.

By your own stats, we have about 33,000 people, let us say about 3,300 are active members logging in a week or twice posting couple of threads and replying. We don't have all 33,000 being active because different people have different issues and prespectives on issues. If we have only 3,300 active memeber out of 33,000, how many active members would we have if we have about 100 people? Even my liberal estimates the number wouldn't even cross 40 percent of the total membership.

Surf

No, it is elitist and it will harm the site more then it will contribute to it. I have seen it done before and it ended quite badly.

I like the Idea but the nature of the site would make the pratice hyperctial (sp) yes I know I can't spell worth crud.

It would ulitmately destroy the site I think. like yoda said, "Amazing the mind of a child is"

We never know how even bizzare and stupid someones idea my be it could possibly have soemthing. Weak minds think outside of the box eaisly.

Yeah... nothing like wanting to limit free speech by not allowing just anyone to post and then complaining about Nazis.

Seriously though, despite the amazing growth ATS has undergone in the past few months, a lot of the content is quite top notch. You should be glad it's not a pay site or flooded with ads all the time.

I moderate a time travel forum, and these issues have been brought up in the past in that forum.

First, you have to define "active member." I love this site, I come here often, but post rarely. This site does deny igonorance and expands my horizons. Is an active member one that logs on each day, or one that posts once a day?

We increased our membership by closing viewing of our posts unless you are a member. You can view the thread titles ... gives you a "teaser" to register. If they are really interested in your forum, they will register.

To make a forum by invitiation only, or a pay site is very limiting.

Invitation only will bring in members that are like minded. You would see a lot of posts saying "oh, I totally agree with you," etc.

To make it a pay site, would limit those members that have the funds to spend each month to keep their membership.

Limiting membership like this would not help to weed out trolls and members that flame. For instance, as a mod... how would you ban a member who has made donations to this forum and/or has paid the monthly fee when that member is running around posting flames ? Or, how do you ban a member that was invited by another mod or admin?

You'd be asking for trouble, doing something like this.

Originally posted by sosuemetoo
I moderate a time travel forum

Would that be by any chance the Time Travel Institute ?
Whether or not it is, this particular forum is most intereresting, especially the info from JT and other self proclaimed time travellers.

Ok, I read every post on this thread and your comments have been dully noted . But what about this:

The elimination of the current Really Above Top Secret system. Instead of an accumulation of points in order to enter RATS, what if entry of RATS solely worked on RATS member invites?

Each RATS member has 1 new invite a month. They can choose a member of the ATS community that they believe would contribute the most to RATS. This system would eliminate a lot of 'Point Trolls' that attempt to rack up points just to break into this exclusive portion of ATS.

So what's the deal guys? Winner or not?

Truth be told its not hard to rack up ATS points it only takes a few "heated" debates. Incase people havnt figured it out there is a thread called introductions
and if you use more then one line to welcome new members you will soon rack up ATS points.
I reckon stuff like really above top secret should be invite not brought with ATS points. The main forums should be open to the public.
On another matter I have 5 gmail invites if you want one U2 me an email address.

If you have member invites only then it could be a too exclusive community, maybe you could have an application process for non member invite people wanting to join.

But just because people dont contribute to posts doent mean they shouldent be able to read what others have put in my opinion.

maybe people want to read for quite a while before posting.

member only invites is a bad idea, this shouldn't be treated as a secret community forum, this should be open to all who want to learn and take interest in conspiracy theories. having the chance for yourself to see who's trustworthy or cool or whatever else is what the buddy's list is for...

I poo poo on that idea... As well as the RATS idea....

Trolls will be trolls, leave em be.

It's rules like this that made some countries suck, it starts out small and then the ball gets rolling... Keep it fun and simple....

Originally posted by Simulacra
This system would limit the Neo-Nazi invasion that we've been seeing on ATS lately.

They were measured, found wanting, and destroyed. The nazi inflitration was defeated and is over.

Not to mention restrict the amount of trolls that usually materialize on most threads.

That will not stop trolls, it will just make the membership imbalanced.

'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' seems like a good enough maxim for now.

There is really only one was to deal with trolls, ban them when they're obvious, most importantly,

Don't feed the Trolls.


Just don't respond to idiots.