9 of the last 10 threads

a reply to: Bluntone22

Above Tabloid Secret is what I've started on lately. As most the political stories are the stuff of checkout tabloid rags like National Enquirer anymore. WHich isnt the actual issue here: what is is that the stories that arent tabloid smut get hardly any flags or comments while the ones that are tabloid smut do. Sure the MSM feeds us tabloid smut now, Above Top Secret we should all be above MSMBS. FFS

So add that stuff in with the ghosts and UFO's, like Weekly World News fare, well...

originally posted by: DJMSN
And you post another thread about the mud pit ? And about politics ? How about working on a thread for Halloween or something that interest you instead of making a thread about what you don't like

Sure. That's an easy and obvious answer that we've all heard before. "The site is what we make it" and all that. Bravo and Well done! But it's superficial. The topic is about what has happened to ATS over the years. For anyone who has been here any length of time it is obvious that its orientation has changed. It has become a news aggregator site focused on politics. You can get the same exact information on Drudge, but without the commentary.

A lot of us came here because we were attracted to UFOs, the paranormal, ancient civilizations, and stuff that was, you know, Above Top Secret. Please tell me what is above top secret about yet another Trump thread. Now the whole philosophy of the ATS business model is "user supplied content" so if users provide political content the management is OK with it because it's really all about clicks and revenue and ANYTHING that contributes to the 'greedy capitalistic corporate bottom line' is okay. And the bills need to be paid, of course, but the goal is profit for the owners. This is not an altruistic enterprise.

As a result the original emphasis of the site has waned as threads on these topics are virtually drowned out in this vast sea of always politics all the time. This has resulted in a lessening of posts by people interested in those topics as they have found other venues to post on their interests. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy not unlike big box stores pushing out Mom & Pops.

So to claim that all we have to do is post on topics of interest is rather missing the point. It's like saying, "If you don't like it, leave!" Not very helpful. Why bother exerting the effort to post when you won't be heard by this maelstrom of politics ATS has become? It's rather like posting about the virtues of a Prius on a Corvette forum. Nobody cares. And the comments you do get are overwhelmingly from people who have no interest in the topic, but need to spread their naivete
and criticism on a subject they have never studied and know nothing about. They should stick with politics because it s a subject that requires no knowledge to speak of.

There is a certain amount of inertia. I'm a perfect example. We really need another place to go because ATS has ceased to become the GoTo place for those of us interested in the topics ATS started out to cultivate.

a reply to: narrator

There are different standards for posting in the mudpit vs other categories? Does it really make a difference for enforcement of posts? It appears to me that it doesn't really matter. I don't even look at the category for picking threads to read and I have never modified the tone of my comments depending on what category they are in.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Jefferton

Especially hard in the mud pit when our beliefs are being attacked.
I really dont understand why people have such a hard time having a civil discussion.

I'm an atheist and my wife sings in a church choir, yet we have managed to be married happily for 24 years.

It is good to hear that we all have some common ground occasionally..

I honestly think we all get so caught up attacking assumed versions of each other, that we don't take the time to realize we are just plain wrong.

Threads like this are great for catching your breath, and seeing things more clearly.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
9 of the last 10 are mud pit topics.
The last 11 in a row are politically motivated.

Can we rename the website?

Above the mud pit?

Sorry, I am off work today and I am getting bored of WoW.

Tell Blizzard to release a content patch so we can be anesthetized!

a reply to: schuyler

But that is the greatest conspiracy of today's age, those that still think politics is real. It is interesting to see the time devoted and the emotions tied to a person's political beliefs. It is also great seeing the ever increasing numbers of people that shout from the rooftops that politics is all a scam, put on to distract us and make us think like we actually have a say in our slavery.

a reply to: schuyler

Thanks for stating the situation here so succintly.

Unfortunately, I don't always recognize I'm in the mudpit till too late and the attacks start.

It's become very obvious that not only non-political subjects become politicized but it is always the same people-and they are loud and proud.

Definitely effected how I view and access ATS and that makes me sad because it was my go-to for fun. Where's the fun?

a reply to: schuyler

I was brought here years ago for that exact reason.
Just a place to see different news and some weird stuff. Unfortunately things change.
Not all bad I suppose.

originally posted by: infolurker

originally posted by: Bluntone22
9 of the last 10 are mud pit topics.
The last 11 in a row are politically motivated.

Can we rename the website?

Above the mud pit?

Sorry, I am off work today and I am getting bored of WoW.

Tell Blizzard to release a content patch so we can be anesthetized!

Try world of tanks...
I like it better but damn Russian bias is annoying.

I actually logged on earlier on and noticed the same thing and was about to write a similar thread to this.

I really do enjoy the political debate at times on ATS but this is getting ridiculous, Trump farts and a leftist says something stupid and it spawns multiple threads.

a reply to: Allaroundyou

Dont you get it. Politics are being pushed to keep us from the answers and real questions.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

Trump farts in our coffee cup and the right says coffee is bad for you anyway.

Yeah, it's pretty ugly

originally posted by: ClovenSky
a reply to: narrator

There are different standards for posting in the mudpit vs other categories? Does it really make a difference for enforcement of posts? It appears to me that it doesn't really matter. I don't even look at the category for picking threads to read and I have never modified the tone of my comments depending on what category they are in.

Technically yes, there are different "rules" for the Mud Pit compared to other forums. It is a place to be...less than civil, whereas in other forums, it is technically against the T&Cs to directly attack, or otherwise be rude to, other users.

It's a good point that you bring up though, it appears that admins have really let these violations in other forums slide by. I don't know if that's by design or not, but it is pretty prevalent, especially in the political forums.

Ultimately, they're free to do what they want, it's their site after all. However, it does seem like the original spirit of the site has fallen by the wayside, in favor of an "all politics all the time" attitude, without regard to the T&Cs laid out on the site.

Who knows what's going on behind the scenes, but I'm not a fan of the direction the site has taken :shrug:

a reply to: narrator

Hey now!
Careful what you say about big brother.

They will trash bin the thread....lol

originally posted by: strongfp
a reply to: Allaroundyou

Dont you get it. Politics are being pushed to keep us from the answers and real questions.

Oh ya I totally get it. Even though I get it I still get drawn to politics at times.
It’s like they got me like a 3rd wheel. Sucks but I want to be honest.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: narrator

Hey now!
Careful what you say about big brother.

They will trash bin the thread....lol

Hahaha! My sincerest apologies!

Seriously though, I hope it doesn't, this is an important discussion for members to have. I may have been a member for less than a year, but I've read the site for over a decade, and I really miss the prevalent topics of that day and age. Aliens, Cryptozoology, etc.

It's already been said by Schuyler, but "start your own threads" isn't sufficient, because politics infiltrates almost all threads at this point. Why start a post about Bigfoot, if 5 comments in someone is saying "looks like Hillary's twin brother" or something similar.

It's an internet forum, not a dinner table. Some people want to sling mud. It's harmless fun. If the solution to your problems is to ignore a thread, then life must be really good. Until then, maybe refrain from ruining everyone else's good time.

a reply to: NiNjABackflip

Totally disagree. ATS used to be a good time for reading so many people sharing information and actually pontificating at a high level and respect for one another.

Now it's politics (and nasty ones at that) all the time. Hardly matters what area you may be reading.

From where I sit, it does seem to be a crowd mentality-and the same members trashing non-political subjects and it's really getting old.

Apparently, I am not alone in this view. It is apparently starting to effect alot of members who used to be here alot and now have pretty much disappeared. Sad to see them go as they were the respectful, fun deep thinkers and why I used to love ATS.

Is this the Trump effect? See how I did that.

a reply to: NiNjABackflip

I dont believe I suggested ruining anyone's good time. But as you say, it's an internet forum so I'm free to express my opinion and you are free to not participate.

a reply to: Bluntone22

I wish there were an option to filter out all the political threads!