ATS a "crackpot American website"

Of course they're gonna say all this rubbish anyway (papers).
It's how they keep the masses uninterested in all this stuff.

Think of the language used when describing anyone who is interested in "alternative" subjects.
Conspiracy NUTS.... CRAZY UFO hunters.. PARANOID GULLIBLE BIZARRE PROPAGANDA...

Now just think about those highlighted words...?

Is that not exactly who they aim their papers at?
Is that not what they want people to think anyone interested in these subjects is?

I mean... It's like the whole "war on terror" "al qaeda" campaign..
If you keep repeating it for long enough..people just accept it as the way it is.
They've been doing this forever and they'll continue to do it...
At least we are aware of this.. "know your enemy".

Hi my name is invisiblewoman and I'm a crackpot!

I guess it's easy to for some to pick out some of the truly nutty things that get posted here and say that
but what constitutes information?
Sometimes the nutty over the the top opinions and thoughts themselves ARE the information ! apart and separate from any subject being discussed

they are windows into how we all think and the messages we tell ourselves or maybe how we hypnotize ourselves to maintain our world view

I think every post on this site brings something to the table if one is able to really look and listen

What I really want to know is what they did to barak Obama's blackberry so he could keep posting here :?)

Haha, this is one of those few times that stupidity, really makes me laugh.
You all shouldn't get so offended, afterall, he doesn't know what he's talking about. In a sense, give the guy a break, he doesn't know the truth :-).

As anyone who has spent any time on ATS will know, that is not an accurate portrayal. To begin with, it uses the word "article" to refer to posts by members – thereby insinuating that ATS itself is behind the stories referenced, without actually lying.

ATS is a bulletin board style forum. We all know that. And when we see a post about the FBI watching us through the walls, we know that we're taking it on the word of the poster, that it's not reflective of Official ATS Belief in any way.

Unlike the situation with a tabloid newspaper, incidentally



As to the second question – can and should anything be done to improve the image of ATS in media sources like this – it's something I've been interested in almost since I joined.

Not because I think we should do anything to change, but because I've become aware of a trend – not only in tabloids, but in main stream sources like the NYTimes and in academic journals – in discussing online conspiracy sites in general.

I think that the popularity of ATS and of other "alternative viewpoint" information sources has become a threat to the mainstream, that they are working to define and contain "conspiracy theory" in a new way.

I've said this in other threads, but I think it's worth repeating here: the stereotype of the conspiracy theorist until recently was a benign eccentric puttering away in his basement with his tin helmet. Odd, but harmless. Maybe even kind of endearing in a way.

What are they trying to sell us now? Psychology journals are wrestling with the paradox that if enough people believe in alien abduction and mind control, they can no longer label these beliefs as psychologic disorders. Their own definitions would have to change, and they would risk being at odds with religion – because how can a supposedly objective field of study label hearing aliens in your head as sick but hearing a man/god who's been dead for 2000 years in your head as healthy?

Mainstream news sources are playing up the "schizophrenic" angle. And now a tabloid is urging its readers to be concerned about a favorite celebrity.

Being a conspiracy theorist, they're trying to tell us, is no longer a harmless eccentricity – it's a sign of Paranoid Schizophrenia, and perhaps of Being Taken Advantage Of by unscrupulous internet sites.

I don't think we should change, but I do think we should be aware of the spin control going on, and how it's evolving.

I was thinking some more about this....then I did some research.

Daily Mail circulation for December 2008 - 2,139,178
Daily Mails own figures

ATS - Number of visits for December 2008 - 2,329,679
ATS December 2008

This underground "crackpot" messageboard we call home isn't so small after all, is it?

reply to post by neformore


Daily mail like to think they're above the red-tops...

But they are the scum of the newspaper world.
Always dragging up racist rubbish about immigrants and generally being mean about people

[edit on 9/2/09 by blupblup]

reply to post by neformore


maybe we should issue a press release, discussing how some small town, little viewed antiquated "print" style gossip source has taken to talking to one of our members and we don't like it.

Originally posted by Crakeur
reply to post by neformore

 

maybe we should issue a press release, discussing how some small town, little viewed antiquated "print" style gossip source has taken to talking to one of our members and we don't like it.

If I could be indulged, that's one journalistic adventure I would love to undertake!

A million 'virtual' stars for you! And a big fat brandy-soaked cheroot!

Meh........

Its pretty clear that this paper and its minion who penned this piece have never spent much time here at ATS.

But lets face it, if the mainstream media took a hard look at real issues then we would have little reason to be here ourselves. Instead we get the same sterile message designed to appeal to the masses and spoon feed us information they want us to hear.

Media like this were once the only game in town and they had total control. That changed with the internet.

Sounds more to me that they are concenred that they cannot control the discussions here at ATS and are trying to go after us.

[edit on 2/9/09 by FredT]

Originally posted by FredT
Meh........

Its pretty clear that this paper and its minion who penned this piece have never sepnt much time here at ATS.

I would hazard a guess at no time whatsoever... they heard the word conspiracy, and that was all they needed for their spin.

Sounds like they did some looking around about the time Robbie did the video with ATS and that was when they based their opinions and wrote the article.

In all actuality, they gave plenty of plugs for ATS which is always a good thing, never bad.

People decide for themselves and curiosity was what brought many of us here to ATS in the first place, the great site is what keeps us here.

Originally posted by blupblup
I would hazard a guess at no time whatsoever... they heard the word conspiracy, and that was all they needed for their spin.

Conspiracy?

You mean I am on a conspiracy site?!?

Oh goodness...what will my mother think...

reply to post by FredT


I only wish I could star your post, I totally agree.

reply to post by blupblup


Yeah is seems to be the case.

But heck thats the type of "journalism from your bedroom" (aka never get out and see the world) stuff that has gotten them to where they are.

In many ways they remind me of the record companies. Faced with a dying business model they have two choices.
1) Adapt
2) Try to tear down the competition.

#2 has worked for them for years but its a different time a differnt era.

Originally posted by MemoryShock

Originally posted by blupblup
I would hazard a guess at no time whatsoever... they heard the word conspiracy, and that was all they needed for their spin.

Conspiracy?

You mean I am on a conspiracy site?!?

Oh goodness...what will my mother think...

Well, it could be a conspiracy that we're on a conspiracy site talking about a conspiracy by the "MSM" to portray conspiracy theorists in a bad light...
But i think it would get a little complicated/paradoxical.

Let's say alternative news/discussion site huh?
Or paranormal site...

Na, i LIKE conspiracy

In the final analysis one can only hope the adage;

"There's no such thing as bad publicity in the media industry" holds true for our gentle hosts.

I consider myself a stalwart defender ATS' raison d'etre.

reply to post by FredT


I know, but literally 95% of the stuff in these "tabloids" is just pure BS.
Truth is a foreign word to them and they know nothing of feelings or emotions.

Just how to make $$ ££....and they'll stop at nothing and won't let a little thing like accuracy/facts/truth stand in the way of a good (or completely crap in this case) story!!

Grrrrr
:shk::shk:

To make it short, ATS is not an American 'crackpot' website. That would be an extreme generalization.

Many members I've come across here come from all walks of life.

And there are always 'crackpots' no matter where you go in life.

I clicked on the source of that posts and left a nice little comment, in case the moderators have to delete it, I thought I'd share what I put anyway.

"http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread435365/pg1

See the link above if you want to know what www.abovetopsecret.com thinks.

If you actually took the time to look into the site instead of glancing at and making ignorant assumptions, you might have a different opinion. On top of that, the person who wrote this garbage is just writing what they're told. Ridiculously ignorantastic!

Don't believe everything you hear, people. From the media, the government, the schools. It's time people started listening to themselves and see how everything weighs up to their OWN judgment.

The media's opinion, the government's, the school's, the entire country's opinion, IS NOT MY OPINION. I think for myself, and so does this Robbie guy.

- Sincerely any random person."

It would be nice if I could email it directly to the guy in charge though. Who's the leader of the illuminatti? just jokin, thats what they'd expect me to say, right!?

Man I hate seeing printed garbage. Its one of the few things that really get to me..like seeing the garbage magazines in the grocery store.

There's a certain way they go about writing things too, like what they're saying is common knowledge and everyone agrees. Utter garbage.




[edit on 9-2-2009 by CavemanDD]