The new AboveTopSecret.com Skunk Works Forum is now open for business!

If you've been listening to my Skeptic Overview podcasts (if not... why not?) you're probably already pretty clear on the concept for this new forum, but some additional explanation is still due.


The ATS Back To Basics Campaign

This is a new initiative kicked off by this Skunk Works forum to have a dedicated place for ATS members to engage in speculative conspiracy theory discussions of all topics, angles, and targets. Our regular ATS forums have long since evolved into excellent zones of critical thinking and analysis that often either reveal or discredit many conspiracy theories. This attribute of ATS is certainly an important factor of our growth as we're the largest "alternative topic" discussion board by a major factor.

However, the skeptical and often intense nature of our regular forums can often be an intimidating environment for members with conspiracy theories based on more loosely connected tidbits of information (or even pure speculation) than is typically expected of posts in our main forums. Skeptical analysis and fact checking is certainly a cornerstone in the art of "Denying Ignorance", however, as the wonderful Mr. Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." The true denial of ignorance must also include and often embrace even the most fanciful exaggerations of possibilities in order to understand and explore the upper limits of what might be possible.


The Skunk Works Forum Rules

As mentioned, this forum is for your most outlandish and extreme speculative conspiracy theory ideas. The intent is for like-minded members to engage in collaborative discussions about these theories in an environment that embraces and encourages extreme thought.

We certainly do not want to discourage the involvement of helpful critical analysis and skeptical thought, this will always be a very important part of collaboration on ATS. However, we will be strict in managing the tone and style of such exchanges. Please keep your critical involvement to helpful focus on issues, facts, and analysis of possibilities, and do not engage in disruptive character attacks, snipes, and insults in any way. Any such activity will result in a warning and removal of your post.


The "back to basics" idea is a throw-back to the early days of ATS where there were only a handful of people engaged in these more speculative exchanges. While it's very important that ATS maintain it's reputation as a place where logic, critical analysis and even skeptical thought are applied to popular conspiracy theories, it's also important to embrace the ability to incubate new ideas and theories. The Skunk Works Forum is this incubator for your theories and ideas.

Thank you, and have at it!

Sounds interesting. Kinda like RATS but without the 5000pt price tag

Sounds like the place where TC and I can continue our discussion of Squirrels why squirrels are really running things....


Sounds cool, Matrix anyone? I knew there was something to deja vu!

So we gather in the skunk works to construct conspiracy theories about the matrix that we live and interact with?

Sounds great and interesting

I like the idea!
I have a few "theories" that are just little facts from various sources that are meaningless by themselves but taken together could be something.
Glad to have a place to post them!
Thanx SO!

I can see this idea becoming very successful in our little forum

Starling work old chaps!

SkepticOverlord, I do like the idea a lot about this.

However, what is the line that will be drawn and when does constructive criticism become debunking?

Looks like I might have a reason to type up a few of my own views for a change and place them somewhere.

Originally posted by Odium
when does constructive criticism become debunking?

When it doesn't contribute to the evolution of the idea and merely shoots it down with no basis.

All mods are assigned to this forum, so we'll be watching closely as things get going.

This forum's purpose has been eloquently laid out by SkepticOverlord but there seems to be a question about "Constructive Criticism" and when it becomes non- constructive...

Critique of the ideas, theories and speculation we expect to see in this forum should be directed at the facts, constructs and basis of the theories only.

There is no reason for any other type of critique here. This critique should be in a collaborative spirit and not a spirit of debunking the theory. The Skunk Works is the new ATS think tank or R&D laboratory if you will.

We are really looking forward to the new theories and new directions on older theories that will be eminating from this sacred forum.

Obviously we want to avoid the rediculous and inane so please refrain from comical lunacy, and keep to your thought out theories in this holy space.

Springer...

I should add that UM_GAZZ is launching a weekly conspiracy buzz podcast based on the topics discussed here in Skunk Works.

Ahh, I see.

Thank you for clearing that all up then.

Cool!! (did I just date myself?) I look forward to seeing this progress I think I will sit back a bit and watch before posting myself though. One question - - we have some great threads on things like Flight 800, Camp Hero, 9/11 -- but there are still lots of thoughts on all of those can they be in this thread or do they stay in their own existing threads?

edited -- spelling --


[edit on 28-10-2005 by justme1640]

lol squirrels taking over the world?????????

I always thought it was chickens and osama bin chick chick lol

That's just it, its not squirrels TAKING OVER the world, I'm saying it was already done. Like Douglas Adams knew about it, but didn't want to reveal the truth, so he used mice. We're talking Inter dimensional beings here, they've been in charge the whole time, while our puny brains don't even know about them. (Like the mice in Hitchhiker's guide =D )

Bwahaha....

So does this mean no more reptilian threads in the UFO section?

More like when a reptilian thread is brought up in the Skunk Works, any replies such as 'lunatic; reptilians don't exist and shapshifting is immpossible' would be off-topic replies that we'll be discouraging.

Back to the basics. I expect more openminded discussion here...

In fact, I might come with some theories of my own which I've stopped talking about for months or years.

This will bring a refreshed spirit of wonder and exploration that was handicapped lately by the way the forum was going in the ways mentioned by SO and Springer.

Hey... it sounds like you are just trying to round all of us crazies up into one forum to contain us . Sounds like a good idea though. So basically you can post anything here, no matter how crazy it sounds, even if you only have a very small shred of evidence and a whole lot of crazy speculation? Awesome. The logo of that guy fits it well too.
"CAN'T LET THEM READ MY THOUGHTS!"
"Who?"
"MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL!"


As for the squirrel thing.. I have known a couple of people who were deathly afraid of squirrels for some unknown reason. And now I know why.

Squirrels, especially the Great White unmentionable one... Shall not be mentioned here.

Though shall not talk about squirrels lest ye feel the wrath of the GW Unmentionable S.

Now thou has forced myself to commit an abomination...


[edit on 28-10-2005 by TheBandit795]