It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.

Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.

Thank you.

 

Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.

 

It Wasn't Many of Our Paths, But Perhaps a Walk Down Memory Lane?

page: 1
7

log in

join
share:

posted on Mar, 11 2008 @ 09:05 PM
link   
I hope those who were there do not mind that I went a hunting and found the very humble beginnings of AboveTopSecret.com.
Old ATS

Quite Possibly The Origin of The 'Post Delete Courtesy Graphic' in ATS





The Original Argument and Propositions for the 'Post Delete Courtesy Graphics

I notice that my mate One Sac William (nee willie) has been having his posts deleted recently.

Now they may be off topic, rude, crude and abusive, (although he such a dear) but I think that if they are going to be deleted then there has to be a message along the lines of ...

"This post has been deleted because of offensive content"

rather than just knocking them off totally.

I suggest this for the following reasons ...

1 That the continuity of threads be maintained, people will know that subsequent posts refer to a deleted post, and not just become confusing.

2 The poster or other parties has the chance to challenge the deletion,

3 Posters will then have a clear expectation as to the content of their posts and will be able to be post appropriatly.

4 People will know then just what the heck is happening in a thread.

5 We are clearly not engaged in inappropriate censorship of posts, that may become repressive (we don't want any "net nazis")

6 Usually @#%$ posts tell people more about the poster than the topic and serve to undermine the validity of any further posts they make anyway.

7 There is no number 7 it's just good to get his far.


ATS has grown an incredible amount. We see milestones being passed left and right on a seemingly weekly basis. Excellent. We need to grow. We need to be able to have the information contained within this website at least available. But as more people arrive, it gets more and more difficult to remember with full vigor why exactly this site is important.

Why are we here? Entertainment? Prospective learning? To keep abreast of current events in an ‘inclusive of all bias’ format?

Why are you here? A question I would like for you to consider for a second longer regardless if you know the answer or not.

….


The increase in people invariably carries with it a loss of personal identification with other posters. We now have people creating unofficial cliques, we have a constant lack of civility...we have no way to know what it is that the person (we)you just responded to in that previous thread is looking for when (s)he have logged on to this site. And due to the popularity, I am sure that we have disinfo types specifically posting in such a manner as to intentionally dissuade from rational and objective analysis' of our major stories. I am sure that we even have people who start threads that are a slight variation of a topic in many directions and as well threads that are patently ridiculous in an attempt to dilute the the board with an incredible amount of information that no one in their descendants right and evolved mind could keep up with.

For another second, consider the possibility that the next time you post out of emotion because someone typed words that don’t agree with yours, you were just played and lost. Is someone that you don’t know going to get the better of you by merely typing “fill-in-the-blank bound to be offensive to someone and that someone was you” term, phrase or concept?

Don’t do it; it’s a trap. There is no possible way that you can even verify that the words someone has typed and posted are an accurate representation of their actual beliefs.

Maybe it is…and maybe it isn’t. The most likely way to discern this enigmatic truth is by responding with objective data. Every single time.
 


We have all become glamored by the site and its' success to a point where it is about the perpetuation of a brand name and our personal associations to it then about discovering and disseminating the truth.

100% true it may not be, but an applicable observation it is. A reminder it should be.




Originally posted by SimonGray...in 2001
I want to reply to everyone's questions as much as possible. To be honest, I have put my website above all else, including work , simply because the nature of the information is so important to everyone and its actually very enjoyable to see all of you pride my accomplishments and efforts. My Emphasis

What it Used to Be About

Simon started this site why? He said it in 2001.

The nature of the information is important. Many of us know for a fact that things aren't right out there. Many of us can even define it to a reasonable extent and still others of us can correlate the concept of a conspiracy and actually trace it to its' real world counterpoints.

WITD said it best when he said, "Follow the Money."

Why the above paragraph is relevant is that I have seen many intelligent and prescient individuals on this board who are just misguided, imo. I base that opinion on the fact that they many times get caught up in the 'he said, she said' drama or the partisan conflicts that really will never end. But they can be less important…really, they should be less important.
 


We were privileged to see one of them finally realize that politics is a 'FNORD'...centurion1211
Of all the milestones we have accomplished as a board and will accomplish, that thread by centurion is by far one of the most important ones. This one instance illustrates exactly why this website was created. And it received a cursory acknowledgment. I starred, flagged and applauded. He deserved more for stepping past his own boundaries. That is what this site is about, imo. And that is what we should be concerned with as a group: Stepping past our own limitations to view the world through the eyes of another human being.

 


I came here looking for a way to define the reality that I knew wasn't being shown to me. I drove myself crazy trying to imagine alternative interpretations of many of the 'abstract ideas' presented on this board to make them valid, for this reason...

If someone went to the time and effort to post it, then it must be relevant

But how do I determine relevancy? I decided to always hunt for the ‘moral of the story’…What is being said in an off the cuff manner? What could it correlate to in my life and is it something I need to concern myself with regarding my real world comfort.

The relevancy doesn't have to be what the poster intends. Just look at the Anonymous thread; an entirely valid proposal was completely derailed and lost because of spamming and that is exactly what it was. Did anonymous care much about the site? Not more than they cared about their brand name and their mission.

But they presented their supporting data while alienating everyone else, utilizing much the same arguments and a strategy designed to interrupt intelligent discussion is not the best way to present a valid thought. But anonymous aren't the only ones wielding that strategy. Our 9-11/Secret Society/Religious Conspiracy forums are all prey to this mindset...the, "well, if your not going to agree with me then noone will agree with you, dabnabit."

Regardless, an opportunity to really get at the mechanics of how physical knowledge can be applied for sociological manipulation, as well as a focused discussion regarding the technology we are utilizing right now was lost.

Because of our collective decision to adapt a “me vs. them mentality”.

It’s “not us vs. them”, unless you talk to someone who has a beef with a moderator and decides to lump the entire staff with that grudge.

But this site was designed for the 'us vs. them' mentality; us who see that there are people manipulating the strings because they know many different things(respectively/relatively) that we don’t.

Perhaps the penultimate they just communicate better…

“The world was lost for want of a better adjective.” If that ever becomes true…I won’t miss the world.

Deny Ignorance is a tired motto; consider the following point instead, made years ago when ATS was in actuality a collaborative endeavour…




Originally posted by netchicken...in 2001

If this message board claims to expose things that are secret or restricted elsewhere then you have to be above having the accusation leveled against yourselves, that you do just the same.



I wanted to edit it for grammar...I really did...



posted on Mar, 12 2008 @ 09:29 AM
link   
I just ran across this thread. What an amazing look at the humble start of what has grown to be the lagerst conspiracy site on the web. Wow, ATS certainly has come a long way!!!

Flagged! Great Post!



posted on Mar, 12 2008 @ 01:08 PM
link   
reply to post by MemoryShock
 

Thanks for giving me something to hang my own recent musings on.

I have been so active on ATS since my recent joining [though I was a longtime lurker] that I have reduced substantially my recreational reading of printed media. This caused me to question if this was being a growth activity, a stagnation, or a retardation.

A near impartial examination leads me to respond with a hearty diagnosis of GROWTH.

I am exploring and responding to both like and dislike minded other members and thereby expanding my personal universe.

The same attributes I find in my personal face to face interactions are reflected in the interactions I see on ATS. I do notice however that the ATS interactions are more incisive to the individual. I think that this is due to the anonymous nature of internet discussion.

If what we do here can advance growth, knowledge, research, truth, justice, and an eradication of ignorance, I humbly accept that responsibility.



[edit on 3/12/2008 by kerontehe]



posted on Mar, 12 2008 @ 01:31 PM
link   
I whole heartedly agree with the growth conclusion.

The problem with printed media, and I presupposing for the average American, is that it is not inclusive of your reaction or interaction. As such, your perception is much like taht of a child being told that you have to go to bed....you agree or not and may even pull a fit, but that does not change the fact that mom and dad are insistent on bedtime.

The interactive nature of ATS is important in that it helps cultivate a distancing from that mentality and allows us to venture our own words and thoughts into the story. When I reference a previous news story that I had responded to, I don't just get the static story; like if I had ordered a back issue of New York Times; I get my reaction at the time and how others reacted to the story/my reaction to the story.

Very multi-dimensional, something I can appreciate.

My intent with this thread was to maybe give pause to some individuals here before they start crying foul at any one of us. We are here for the information and the collaboration....

Pointing fingers at each other is a complete contradiction of this site; you know....many of us began here pointing the finger at them and many of us seem to have settled for pointing the finger at us.

Good Post, kerontehe...


kleverone...a long way indeed...



new topics

top topics
 
7

log in

join