Transparency On The Future of ATS

you have to compress everything by forum/category and upload everything as a torrent before cutting the power, so we can download whatever forum we want and read offline.

a reply to: ArMaP

Ok, now I get it. The post I was looking for still does not show up in the screenshot YOU took! It only shows more recent posts of mine that include MY screenshot of Google not showing any results while DuckDuckGo did. I posted those screenshots in 3 different threads.

Conjecture on my part, but why would the owners want to invest more time and money into this site which has likely become a headache for them while once it was a labor of love, when they can cash in on tv shows/movies like the Skinwalker Ranch “documentary”. More bang for their buck and far less headaches than trying to corral this unruly bunch of people. Maybe the moral of the story is after flying around in a private leer jet, sitting at home moderating this site no longer gets their lead hard. Listening to ghost stories around a campfire with a millionaire pop star is probably more fun than keeping the cobwebs off ATS.
Also of note, the lack of effort to even attempt to find a way to allow members to join without using a social media account—an ongoing issue for many months—was enough to make me think months ago that the ptb here no longer had their hearts in it. Seriously, what self-respecting conspiracy theorist wants to register with Facebook? I had recommended some people join and was embarrassed to find out they had to join via a social media account—cringe.
I would contribute to keeping the site going on a monthly basis, but clearly that isn’t what the owners desire to happen. At the end of the day, they built this place, they own it, they can demolish it if they want to. Sad, but true.

I am not a businessman nor a man with much knowledge about finance, hosting websites, cryptocurrency etc.. But of late I have learnt a wee bit about crypto - altcoins mostly and I was just thinking about this browser called Brave where I can tip the website creator with BAT crypto coins, if ATS also could be a certified content creator or something like that .. in Brave Browser.. I would donate at least 5-10 BATS every month if not more, provided I could earn more. At the moment 10 BATS is worth $ 2.245 which is not much.. but if 1000 ATS members will donate 10 BATs per month that will amount to $ 2245 per month. If 2000 ATS members donate 10 BATs... you get the drift. The Catch is those 1000+ ATS members must use Brave Browser.. I think.. to tip ATS website.
There are other ways that you can earn without ads like paid membership but I think crypto will be the best way for ATS to get paid. Just my opinion.
If anyone has suggested the above before me Pardon me for saying the same thing.. I didn't go through all 50+ pages of comments. Slow internet and l azy me

Just out of interest what kind of money are we talking to keep this place a float?

a reply to: The GUT

As I have said before, it was your direct and kind encouragement and that made me stay on ATS after I joined in Aug 2018 and was on the verge of throwing the towel in. So you have my eternal thanks for that, because being here has been a truly educational experience for me.

I've made plenty of mistakes along the way, but also contributed what I humbly think are some of my best thoughts on the topic of ufology and all its varied and often bewildering angles.

All the best to you. Keep on truckin', GUT!

a reply to: Riffrafter

Yup, I rarely post. but I've been a member here since 2004 and read at ATS when it was still on ezboard then lurked for 2 years after it moved here. I'd also pay a subscription ETA: When/if it gets new ownership and sticks around. I realize the Subscription isn't and option as things stand now.

a reply to: MindBodySpiritComplex

I suppose they have an "importance" level to allow for more frequent updates for the sites they consider "important" and less frequent updates for the "others".

originally posted by: xtradimensions
Maybe the moral of the story is after flying around in a private leer jet, sitting at home moderating this site no longer gets their lead hard.

Most of the moderation is (and as always been) done by the moderators, not by the owners.

From what i understood its not only money. The owners got tired and want to leave. If it was money they could pursue patreon, a yt channel since there are very few that do actual paranormal research and dont resort to sensationalisms, maybe be more active in social media, sell merchandise etc.

The above coupled possibly with this and similar other google "initiatives" had a blow on the site. As SO said it was not the site but the issues discussed.


edit to say that i red here and there about politics being the downfall etc. NEver ever have i seen a political thread on ATS. And thats because i go from the ufo forum to the bigfoot forum to the paranormal studies and back to ufos. Plenty of great threads by authors who write better than some so called authors selling bestsellers on amazon. so yeah

I don't know much about what's going on, but I am fairly certain about the writing on the wall...quite enraging.

I wear my researcher badge with honor. This is the main place I collect my research.

Textbook book burning is afoot. I trust the 3amigos here are not in on it.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

I post not to troll or be disruptive as you put it but to challenge and engage in debate

Perception is more important than intent in an online community.

You could probably engage and challenge online using the same methods that you would in say... a tavern or something.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: SkepticOverlord

Thank you for the response, it is both informative and appreciated.

Let me work with some folks to put together a list of objectives (i.e. a list of what our goals are, and are not). Hopefully, this will give us a starting point for discussions. We (likely myself) will PM this information to you. It should be brief to start. We can then exchange more direct contact information (email, phone, etc.). And hopefully we can move forward from there.

We will be more than happy to enter into NDA's, I would expect no less.

Best regards,

FCD

Hey,
I don't know if the following is a viable option or not but since you are organizing toward a possible 'proposal', I just thought I'd throw the idea your way...

If it isn't truly possible to successfully 'monetize' ATS -

- could it be changed from an LLC into a "Nonprofit" organization?

Would the tax write offs be of use to potential 'buyers'?

It doesn't matter to me that ATS isn't the biggest or most popular site.
It's big enough for the membership it has entertained over the years.

It's like a local golf club you've played for free for years.
If it suddenly took it's members $1000 each to stay open...I'd gladly pay the price for all it has given me for free over the past 10 years.

originally posted by: Catch2020
Good day all...

I was referred to this thread by one of our Members. Honestly, I hate to see this happening. ATS was one of the "founders" of Conspiracy discussion, I spent a lot of time here many years ago!

As the owner of the highly successful beyond-the-fringe.com, I feel somewhat obligated to see if there's something I/We can do to help? Finances are no issue. I am not interested in out-right purchasing ATS, but if the Owners have an interest in some sort of collaboration/merger to effectively keep the ATS 'family' together, I am sure there is something we can do.

If not, I wish you all the best of luck!

Best regard!

That is a great offer to make. Skeptic maybe you should do this? The DATA alone here on ATS would help their site grow,and allow more people to visit here too.

I haven’t posted on here nearly enough for many to know much about me, but having visited this place since I was still a kid, practically, I just gotta make a post on this one and say thanks to all of you. I’ve followed some legendary threads and been given the free gift of knowledge, research, wisdom, and so much more from some of the brightest minds on the internet. There’s no place like this. I’ve looked hard. I always end up back here.


I’ll miss the hell out of having this little secret hideout. Like, I’ve grown up in the shadows of the knowledge and wisdom shared and evolved here, and man does it ever show in who I am and how I see reality. Lol, that can be a good and bad thing. Balance is key though.

I was reluctant to join and contribute but now I am very glad that I took the plunge.

If the alien invasion happens AFTER ATS goes dark, well, that’ll be the grandest well played conspiracy of all time. Just jokin’ - kinda

a reply to: Zarniwoop

You could probably engage and challenge online using the same methods that you would in say... a tavern or something.

Or, perhaps better yet, engage and challenge in a tavern in person using the same methods that he does...online!

Somehow I suspect this might result in more appropriate..."dialogue" (if you catch my meaning)! *wink*

I remember a golden time when ATS was a hub for serious political discussion but lately I've noticed a growing trend for weird threads about ghosts, conspiracy theories, aliens and the Mars rover. I wonder if this is putting people off?

a reply to: DougHole64

Whoa!!! Did you just come through the Stargate...backwards??

LOL...just kidding!

a reply to: DougHole64

ATS has always been, at it's core, an Alternative Topics forum. Conspiracy topics used to be the bread and butter of what made ATS what it is today. Political discussion has always been around, but only recently did it make a move to the top of the boards. To be quite honest, ATS is far more than poltiics, conspiracies, or anything else. It's a place where we can discuss anything with like-minded people, all while we "Deny Ignorance".

TheBorg :-)