Good read, I really enjoyed that. It's not too often that i find someone who is intellectually gifted such as yourself.
Human beings are very predictible though, some form thier own opinions others just follow them like a herd of sheep.

Sadly i may never live to the day where not one ingorant human is alive, because there will always be ingorance, obsessive behaviour, thinking "i am right and you are wrong" personally i think we are all wrong, on many differnt subjects, simply because we are human, we are inferior

After my really slow read of it, that I just finished. I found what appears to me a missing (not) word in this paragraph.

Others will become inclined to seek out and befriend only those with whom they agree (although it is much more likely that they are actually seeking those who agree with them.)

*do not, don't agree with them I think. (trolls section, 2nd to last paragraph, I believe)

Sorry for attempting to correct this, and I may even be wrong. I'm not really worthy to even attempt to claim you've made an error.

I feel good all over after reading this again, but I'm still not sure what I'd classify myself, or where exactly I am in the journey. I'm sure we would all like to believe we are the true questioners, when in fact, we may have fallen of course somewhere.

I don't understand why I'm out of breath.... I'm simply touched man.

Well, I didn't read every word but I did read some and skim some of every section, and I think it is largely accurate. Now lets continue that thread about who owns the media!
...Although after reading this, I'm just in shock at the effort, and I can see why it isn't going as quickly as it started.

So, these thoughts spontaneously leap off your fingertips and onto the screen?

It is a study of the evolution and maturation of the ATS member, and a commentary on which directions are taken in the eventuality one stays for a prolonged period.

........And, it rings true.

Awesome.

There are also those wonderful flashes of light that come through, burning the candle at both ends, fill up their contribution bar, and then disappear as quickly as they came. The overachievers, who accomplish a goal, and move on to the next, or so it seems sometimes.

It's like a box of chocolates..........

During self-inclusion (which is, in effect, a sudden change) that reconciliation becomes a given. Gone are the distinctions of one members discomfort with other members’ freedom to disagree. The offense that might have been taken at one’s argument not being accepted (despite rational argument) dissipates. The ability to exchange ideas, the value of dispassionate logic, the opportunity to contribute to a stream of inquiry and debate becomes the currency of import. The currency of ego becomes a caricature of itself.

A sudden change?
This paragraph just
knocks it out of the park.

And because I agree and see
a way that the change is sudden
I have to challenge you to back this up.

What evidence, or experience,
do you have to back this up.
What did you have in mind
when you said the self-
inclusion stage can
be a sudden one.


David Grouchy

Good thing I can speed read. My friend, take a chill pill and enjoy a sunrise or a sunset by yourself if you can. you will realize how small we are, and at the same time how big we are.

Originally posted by Maxmars
I will be as verbose as it takes to get my point across; hopefully you can forgive my tendency to occasionally restate the obvious.

Some luxuriate in verbosity.
Some wax laconic.

Cheers.

Brilliant piece!

Not overlooking your literary skill, you've composed a well thought out and insightful piece that should probably be read more than once in order to get the message you wanted to bring forth. Thankyou.

Applause.

Very nice thread Max

You forgot the last stage of ATS evolution:

Assimilation

The person becomes part of the best staff on the internet (ATS) and fulfils his duties with pride

Wow, this is really good work!

Well done. Both interesting, and true.

Fascinating and enlightening offering Maxmars! I think sometimes our attention spans are so fleeting that some of us might gloss over a work such as yours; I hope that doesn't happen, as there is a wealth of insight and thought-provocation within your OP.

Somewhere toward the middle of the journey on the ATS yellow-brick-road, occasionally a person can feel over-immersed. We'll sometimes see 'goodbye' threads, and with these are frequently a feeling of sadness, as of separation or divorce, as though the member feels they must leave. Perhaps a degree of self-preservation makes the member feel a separation is necessary. Others perhaps simply drop out of sight, withdraw from their usual interactions. I wonder (if the above is true) if this is sometimes a factor of feeling underappreciated or misunderstood.

Other times, I think some members can just feel saturated with the information that we deal with daily -- particularly with the threads that imply impending doom -- and feel a need to withdraw briefly. I think the writing forums and BTS, as well as ATS chat are an important safety valve sometimes, as well as a good resource for community-building, getting to 'know' others here, etc.

I like your comparision of our time here at ATS with a journey, as it implies -- to me -- that a final destination is unnecessary, and perhaps unattainable. It is an evolution of sorts, not a static entity, something created by the perceptions of all of us.

One of the most important things I pay attention to is how a piece makes you feel once you've read it and understood it.
After reading your work twice I have to say it was very welcoming and comfortable, it actually had a warmth to it.
You did better than well in describing the successful and mature ats state.
Very nicely done.
Thank you.

Being that I have read and written way too much tonight, I will have to say this.

OP, never attempt to limit your eloquence. I have done this in my past to communicate better in my work. Being that is was mostly technical, I had to speak to many levels of knowledge. Architects, Engineers, Building/Plumbing/Encroachment etc Inspectors, Bosses, Carpenters, Apprentice Carpenters, Laborers and all the different other trades.

I found that attempting to talk to the individual's level, is actually a detriment to the person you are communicating with. If you use less descriptive or actually incorrect terminology, things can be misconstrued.

BUT, then you come to the challenge of legal terminology, where a specific punctuation can have meaning, this made me realize my mistake.

To communicate properly and with great precision, one must use all the assets one has.

Plus, you can force us less verbose members to learn.

When someone makes me use google on one of their comments, they just received a nod from me.

I will have to return to read your vernacular to make sure I have received all the knowledge you have presented and I will endeavor to mimic your verbosity.

As V said-

"Voil‡! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V."

Now I must sleep, perchance to dream.