The University of ATS.

Well i am not one of those who is going to stroke your ego's.

Complaining is good, Dissent is good.

Or should we all conform to the same opinion?

Some posters seem to think having an opinion different to theirs is being "snarky" how so?

Very defensive of your precious ATS.

If you want a proper education, go to a real university.

[edit on 22-7-2010 by Cosmic4life]

reply to post by Cosmic4life

If you want a proper education, go to a real university

So when snarky dosn't suffice you go for snide? I can't wait to see the next lower level in this dark descension. This downward vortex seems
to be spiraling towards straightout name calling. Very lowbrow indeed.

reply to post by randyvs


You're right and it seems the descent into name calling is coming from you.

Getting a little emotional are we?

Let me see, so far i am snarky, snide and a low-brow.

Cheers.

i've only been here a short time and so far I think i found what I was looking for, and thats my point!, if you come here looking for an argument then you will find it, and almost every thread that I check out has the trouble makers and they are all the same, they attack people that make comments instead of just debating the subject at hand, I think that is what brings down the quality of any debate here or anywhere else. I agree with the OP that this site is a wealth of information, you just have to look for the good and not the bad. ATS is Awesome, I love it here !

Originally posted by elevatedone
It's easier to complain, than to put that energy into a contributing thread.

Probably the best line i've heard for ages.

Originally posted by Cosmic4life

Very defensive of your precious ATS.

Defensive would be one word to use, protective may be another. That happens though when you've been here long enough to see how this place has been built up from a great site to probably the top site of it's kind on the web.

That doesn't happen without a lot of work going on behind the scenes, much of which i'm sure even our longer serving members have no idea about.

That is why people get defensive.

I agree that people should have different opinions, and not everyone will like a subject, or website as much as the next person.

I don't know, i view websites like ATS the same as i would any other establishment i frequent offline. It's something that has been built up and provided for you to use. The staff do the work (ok i know members contribute here too), and you use it for what you will.

If you went into a business and started slagging it off, don't be suprised when you get the staff of satisfied customers defending them.

I'm not just saying this about ATS, there are many other websites out thre that have been passionaltely built up over the years. I know about probably a fraction of the work that has gone into this place, but i wish that every single detail of that could be documented and put up for everyone to see...i think there would be a few raised eyebrows around the place.

So for that reason, i come here, i learn, i laugh, i think more.....but i always go away appreciative of being able to have come here.

I just wish some people could be a litlle more respectfull of what has been given to them to use for free. It just tickles me that the people that moan the most, will be the ones that you'll still see coming back again every day.

CX.

reply to post by CX


If you actually read my posts in full you would be aware of the fact that i am not slagging off ATS, quite the contrary, it is not the structure that i am bemoaning, it is the content and the reduction in quality.

Far too many members are indeed in a rat race to collect as many points as possible, they are using quantity of threads to achieve this goal, the result of this is pulp disposable threads.

I like ATS, for those of you who are deaf "I LIKE ATS"!!!

What we have here, is a failure to communicate, all i have said is that i disagree with the statement that ATS is a University and that the quality of thread content has diminished.

In doing so i appear to have made myself subject to the wrath of the ATS devout, who, just like extremist's think this is reason enough to verbally attack me.

I have opposing views that is all, those posters who have called me snarky,snide,a troll etc etc do not know me at all.

There is far too much pretentious spiteful assumption being made towards my dramatis persona at this juncture and i would request that people accept my opposing view with some dignity and debate the issues i have rather than making attempts at character assassination.

Cheers, may your ATS experience be a happy one anyway.
I am sure i said that in an earlier post on this thread, but some people just don't bother to read the thread and posts in order do they.

reply to post by StarrGazer25


You were a member since 2000/2001 ??? yeah right.

Try looking at the member list, which starts circa 2002.

So in essence you are claiming to have been here before everybody, awesome.
Whats next ? oh i know , you invented ATS and the internet.

Originally posted by Cosmic4life
reply to post by randyvs

 

You're right and it seems the descent into name calling is coming from you.

Getting a little emotional are we?

Let me see, so far i am snarky, snide and a low-brow.

Cheers.

You forgot unprovoked.

reply to post by Cosmic4life


Fair enough, my apologies if i jumped to conclusions and thought you were yet another that seems intent on bringing the ATS name down.

If that is not the case, then all is good.

CX.

reply to post by FutureThinker

i've only been here a short time and so far I think i found what I was looking for, and thats my point!, if you come here looking for an argument then you will find it, and almost every thread that I check out has the trouble makers and they are all the same, they attack people that make comments instead of just debating the subject at hand, I think that is what brings down the quality of any debate here or anywhere else. I agree with the OP that this site is a wealth of information, you just have to look for the good and not the bad. ATS is Awesome, I love it here !

Although some believe it's hard, to wade thru the mud, to find what
they're looking for. I often find the mud like fun time or recess.
Of course that may be an advantage of not being pressed for time.

CX

Defensive would be one word to use, protective may be another. That happens though when you've been here long enough to see how this place has been built up from a great site to probably the top site of it's kind on the web.

I find pride in this fact, just making myself the tiniest part, of the structure here. Don't understand why someone, would complain about the house they live in and not fix it up.

[edit on 23-7-2010 by randyvs]

Personally I like the threads that some people consider baloney so why can't they go elsewhere. These threads are usually in skunk works or the gray area and some come there just to make attacks.

I as well have gained much data from ATS and feel it is a very informative site.. Yes there is some bull floating around and yes information is consantly questioned, but overall I agree it is a learning center with the intelligent populace and the work the mods do to maintain a professional site....

[edit on 7/23/10 by Ophiuchus 13]

I see a lot of silly stuff on ATS. And it's sad. And last time I remember more and more the stars on our paintings in the kindergarden. ATS may be better without stars and flags. Or we need a kind off anti-star. A lot of threads are more like debates then discussions and this helps nobody. And if you have a growing community the extremes are also growing. So in future we will see more silly and more intelligent threads. But I fear some people (like me) will leave the community when all gets too stupid or radical.

ATS has no real "Goal-Publicum". And this can end disastrous.

Add:
The advertisements on ATS are sure on a very very low level. And this also gives me a more very strong feeling of "I am wrong here"

[edit on 24-7-2010 by cushycrux]

I have learned a lot here. And there is something for everyone. There are gifted students as well as those that are in a remedial level. And we help lift each other as well as being a think tank for brainstorming ideas and theories.

Sometimes it really is like a school, especially when the mods spank your hand with a ruler and deduct points because you have 'talked too loud' in class.

Even with the subjects I deem as silly or unsubstantiated, it actually gives me a window on being able to see the thought progression and understand a little more psychology. It is also a springboard in inspiring creativity and artistic interpretation through other mediums.

It may not be an accredited institution, but it certainly is a place of learning.

reply to post by Cosmic4life


There is one thing I've noticed more of lately, the number of kids posting
(summertime) who obviously shouldn't be. That tends to work against my OP. I did not even say there are no smart kids here on ATS. Are we clear?

I don't no anything that can be about it. I imagine they get weeded right
out if the don't tow the line.

ATS, like University, like Psychotherapy, like life, is akin to mining for any precious resourse, like gold. You go into the mountain and start pulling out cart after cart of useless rock. Tonnes and tonnes of rock.

But every once in a while you find a nugget, or a gem, or some other precious thing.

Everyone should not be surprised by this. We are awash in a sea of mediocrity. How would we know the good stuff if there wasn't "not good stuff" to compare it to?

I was well versed in conspiracy before I joined and I was a long time lurker. (Believe it or not, I used to be paranoid of ATS.)

Now that I've been here a while I'm definately paranoid of ATS.

I'm glad that you are pleased to discover OP. It's great that ATS is not like university in one way. You don't have to take geography if you don't want to. You can pick and choose.

I don't think of it as a university, just a community of like minded individuals. If ATS is a "school" some of us are walking around here with leather patches on our tweed coats, puffing on a pipe. Some of us woke up with a hangover beside someone we don't recognize, late for class. Some of us are only here on football scholarships.

Be careful whos knowledge you pick up.

Above all, enjoy.

reply to post by briantaylor

Be careful whos knowledge you pick up.

Wow. Is that a lugie? Or just bug splatter?

Why the assumption that someone who has criticism doesn't contribute quality threads? No one is saying there aren't quality threads on ATS. Everyone knows this is a fact. But that fact doesn't negate the preponderance of, in some people's views, crappy threads. It's not mutually exclusive. But one poster in this thread going and creating a quality thread doesn't change the overall scope of ATS. The scale is way off balance.

I imagine some wish that ATS was nothing but these quality threads. What a great thing that would be. But the resources required to do that would be huge and it would be a very different place from ATS. Don't know if it would be better or not.

But ATS has definitely carved a niche for itself and has evolved into its own existence ... and, for better or worse, it's a trip.

In my view, threads are 95% junk. But there are a lot of threads, so there's still a sizable amount of quality content. But no doubt, you learn about people, issues and ideas, certainly skills in debating, plain arguing, persuasion and how to mildly insult without getting in trouble. Which is essentially real life ... so I can see the "university" aspect.