Have we done our homework on the investors?

We "do our homework" on everything. We've known these people for years personally and as S.O. mentioned they SHARE our values. If they didn't we wouldn't be doing business with them.

I'll say it again, it would be stupid to "change" or try to negatively "influence" the very thing thing that makes the business attractive.

Additionally, nobody can sell their interests unless we approve of the buyer.

Springer...

[edit on 7-26-2007 by Springer]

Best wishes for the next faze of your incredible journey of truth and freedom of speech.
I was very glad to hear that Jim M. will be writing the ATS Book! His site was how I wandered in here several years ago. I was shy and timid and a bit paranoid to boot, but after reading for the past couple of years articles and stories from here and a limited few others, I have gained so much strength and courage to face what ever may come our way with open eyes and truthful heart.
Thank you for your expansion it will only mean more traffic for ATS and the enlightenment of society to Deny Ignorance and Fear.

Sweet.... I'm just glad things worker out..Don't believe it when you see it. See and then believe!

All I can say is congratulations guys: ). I'm glad to see this wonderful community is always expanding. Its what keeps me coming back

I have two issues with this:

1.) It was mentioned that an offer was once made that would take care of everyones mortgages and have you all dancing in the streets, that money wouldn't be an issue in your lives pretty much. At least that's how it sounded to me. You said you guys thought about that offer for a bit. Now, if you're soo passionate about The Above Network, accepting that offer would never been a thought in your mind and the members of this site should take notice of that and keep it in mind. If the right price is ever given, you might just hand it all over.

2.) You want to keep mentioning - in an almost identical way I noticed - that the "private investors" aren't a corporation. That they're people like us who share the same ideas and interests. Then why do they want to remain private? I mean, they have nothing to hide right?

People can call me paranoid if they want. I honestly don't care, that's your opinion. I think it's safe to say that I'm voicing concerns that many people on here are going to have with this little investment that's happened.

So . . .

Does that mean we can buy stock in it now?

What's the code?

What's the price?

Any other details we should know about that first?

Not that I could do more than a token amount but would like to do that.

Originally posted by nightmare_david
1.) You said you guys thought about that offer for a bit.

What I said: "we gave serious consideration to a significant player who was offering the kind of cash that would enable three partners to pay off their mortgages, dance in the street, and take long tropical vacations. We declined because the deal would split our partnership and take control of ATS away from us."
The company making the offer started the process by indicating a continuity of management that involved "we Three Amigos." As the conversations progressed, the "deal" was refined into something we couldn't accept. Initially we had hope as the firm had potential to be an excellent parent to ATS.

Then why do they want to remain private?

It's not unusual for "first round investment" amounts and investors to remain low key. There may be a business advantage to remain stealthy for ideas that have serious potential, and where the amounts or parties may provide some clue as to the longer term strategies.

Suffice to say, we have some highly proprietary ideas for evolving and expanding the "User-Generated Content Ecosystem" that ATS represents. And such leading edge strategies are highly sought-after and often emulated. So while we feel it's important to reveal our first-round funding, it's equally important keep our cards held close.

Originally posted by BO XIAN
Does that mean we can buy stock in it now?

No. Not yet.

There are certain SEC expenses and legal preparations to offering stock at this phase of our growth that would divert resources away from the immediate needs.

However, since this is our "first round," that implies we may anticipate a "second round" of capital need. At that point, we would complete all the appropriate SEC/Legal documentation for accredited investors.

lol i'd buy ATS stock in a heartbeat...not for profit, but just for the sake of owning it.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
It's not unusual for "first round investment" amounts and investors to remain low key. There may be a business advantage to remain stealthy for ideas that have serious potential, and where the amounts or parties may provide some clue as to the longer term strategies.

there's also the concept that not disclosing the name of the investors or investment group might be a result of the investors (or group) not wanting their information to be made public for various reasons. Let's say the group normally invests in more traditional investments and they decided to branch out a bit. Their investors might not be so pleased with something like this.

They might not want other possible investment opportunities to see their name and then think "those are the folks who put up money in the ufo and conspiracy site"

why didn't everyone who signed up here use their real name? There are a variety of reasons.

Lastly, perhaps they decided to leave the name out as a means of inducing a conspiracy within a conspiracy site. Y'all are certainly having a ball with it.

This is very good news. I often think bad things when I see "business" and "ATS" in the same sentence, but I have to remember that this "business" was the one who made me negative about businesses in the first place (but that's only because all we ever talk about on here is bad business owners and the like).

Can't wait to see what is in store.

[edit on 7/26/2007 by SonicInfinity]

i would be curious to know how many new member sign-ups happened, or are happening after that press release went out.

a huge spike? a little blip? nothing?
just curious.

congrats to ATS owners and all the site members for the good news!!

good news, as this site does need more advertising of some sort, i first becames aware of some of this alternative news stuff, when most people called it conspiracy and anti-society stuff, so, good news there are more of us out there now....

and, on the corporation support, sorry, if someone else mentioned this way, but, if corporations can be likened to people, then some will be good and some will be bad, same for everything.....

so, great to hear and read about this site and forum being around more... as it is getting some what more polluted out there, might even be just my perception....

Man...finally, they got ATS too.

I trust the ATS owners, but I can't stand the idea that my best conspiracy website on earth could be led like an average "company".

Anyway, if you keep doing the good work for us, little members, we'll keep on believing in this site. Believing is everything. (((they already got the X-files out of mainstream tv shows, so ATS being shut down or else would kill me lol )))

Well, for as long as you don't involve paying membership, it's ok with me

Bill, it looks to me you are positioning ATS to eventually go public. I believe ATS is and will become an even bigger force to recon with when it comes to breaking news and alternative news. With the talk of censoring the internet ATS is still leading the way with controversial topics and the ability of ATS members to still exercise their freedom of press and speech. Great strategy move. Rik Riley

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
This is our passion... we're not going to let go.

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

Congrats 3 times fellas, You guys have your ducks in a row and have done great things with this environment. Keep on , keepin on amigos.


PS. How could forget, Welcome new investors glad to have you working for truth and the Denying of Ignorance.



[edit on 26-7-2007 by geemony]

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
And one final piece of information. We often get serious offers of buy-out, and during our planning stages we gave serious consideration to a significant player who was offering the kind of cash that would enable three partners to pay off their mortgages, dance in the street, and take long tropical vacations. We declined because the deal would split our partnership and take control of ATS away from us. This is our passion... we're not going to let go.
[edit on 26-7-2007 by SkepticOverlord]

You are a bigger man in business than I...

I so woulda sold this sucker... (hell you could always start a new one)

Meeehhhh... I guess it shows we can trust the tres amigos still at least.

From an investor standpoint and being an investor myself, I don't see why anyone would "invest" in ATS. I just don't see where the revenue is going to come from, unless a mass-merchandising operation starts up. Although ATS LLC (does that make it a partnership or a corporation?) probably has very little debt, from all reports it sounds like they are just barely scratching enough together to pay for the necessary server and other web-hosting related updates.

So I would say giving money to ATS is more of a charity and donating to something you love than an investment that you would expect a return on, but the "private investors" were probably privvy to a lot more information than us. Heck, if I had some persuasive information I'd invest in it, because I know it's not just going to disappear overnight.

[edit on 7/26/2007 by Yarcofin]