What's in a Number?

As of this post:

ATS Posts: 9,828,065 (official no. as of this post)
ATS PID approx: 9.9580,000 (official counting deleted posts)

As we as a community draw nearer to 10,000,000 posts I have been contemplating the significance, if any is to be found, of this number.

I've always aimed to take an honest and authentic approach to what is before me so my own observations in this regard are neither to 'cheerlead' nor to 'bash' but simply to absorb and try to understand the true meaning of such a number. For ten million anything is a count unfamiliar to most of us in our daily lives. We understand high numbers, we can count them, but this one is somehow different for everyone who has authored but one post on ATS is by definition an integral part of it, as are those who are about to join us.

So what does 10,000,000 posts mean?

- It means that above all, people will ALWAYS prefer to communicate within the bounds of civility and courtesy even, in fact especially, when they disagree on content. And even though many if not most of us are more liberal in our use of language in our daily lives, we are willing to forego that latitude if what is shared and learned is worth it. On occasion it takes some folks a couple of times to embrace the lesson, but that's okay, some believe that we humans also keep coming back as humans until we learn ours … as above top secret so below top secret.

- It means that we want and choose to discuss our differences and similarities. We want to share so much, vent our frustrations, expose our ideas, our dreams, our laughter, our tears and innermost fears with each other. And with it our stubbornness, our dogma, our intransigence, insecurities, and all that makes us human is equally shared. And somehow the whole thing works within a balance that makes us all log on … day after day.

- It means that some of us are under the impression that we must post everything we think lest we deprive anyone and everyone of our wisdom!

- It also means that the d-ego is strong in ALL of us in one form or another. I don't mean that in a negative way, for it takes ego to express a thought. Our ego is both our 'friend' and 'rival' … it can be the source of our expression and the birth of our suffering. Nothing to be done really, it is what it is … for my part try to always remember something someone said to me a long time ago:

"Angels fly because they take themselves lightly"

It always makes me smile when I think of that and any personal reaction to whatever I am reading dissolves instantly.

- It means that the physical separation provided the web isn't an obstacle to kindness and love but can also be the enabler of intellectual aggression.

- It means that there is truly extraordinary and profound information to be found on these servers, and it will remain there. On a side note, recently the feature of 'show ATS history' was integrated into the Recent Posts page without great fanfare … I don't know how many make use of this tool but I would encourage everyone to do so, especially on those days when one might not be motivated to post or might not find anything recent to their liking. Sometimes we get bogged down in the last thing that happened making it the important thing out of habit, but one of the primary attributes of ATS is that the information is permanent … to make use of only what was recently posted is to make use of a tiny amount of what is available.

- It means that ATS is really no longer a 'conspiracy' board, even calling it 'alternative topics' doesn't do it justice … it is a venue where EVERY possibility is considered. Where both research and imagination thrive. In fact, if it were up to me the site mantra would now read "Embrace Possibility" as opposed to "Deny Ignorance" for that mantra would describe more completely the scope of what we engage in.

It is important to know that the main reason that we're not really a "Conspiracy" site isn't due solely on the fact that a much broader range of topics is discussed since ATS' early days, but mostly because so many topics once considered taboo are in fact now accepted as 'mainstream', and this is in part because of ATS.

- It means that despite some of our protests, the guys at the top actually know what they're doing. I'm still in awe at how smoothly the ATS 2010 ended up going, heck there's no "ATS Issues" thread and no one has even noticed its absence nor has there been a massive increase in B&BQ threads as a result.

Nothing that is done from the top can ever be positively received by every member of such a large community … but honesty dictates recognition and appreciation for the owners' and the admins' efforts in this regard must be expressed. They have given us an attractive, highly functional, user friendly site within which we as members can engage in what matters most: the communication and exchange of ideas.

- It means that this is but the beginning and we all have much much more to look forward to.


I know that 10,000,000 posts means a lot more that these few observations, these are the first ones that came to mind and I'll probably add some other thoughts down the line. I am hoping others can share what this number means to them or maybe even why it means nothing.

Most of all I guess this whole post is meant as a thank you … a thank you to every member who's ever registered, and ever shared their thoughts with us, thank you for letting me learn from you and thank you for allowing me to express my own nonsense.

A toast to all and a congrats to the architects!

Cheers!

schrodingers dog

dictated but not read

reply to post by schrodingers dog


It means proto is only...0.0010862769019130418856611143699192% responsible for all this.

So please everyone stop saying it's my fault!

Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler
reply to post by schrodingers dog

 

It means proto is only...0.0010862769019130418856611143699192% responsible for all this.

So please everyone stop saying it's my fault!

Yes, but that is the 0.0010862769019130418856611143699192% that broke the camel's back.... However, in celebration of the milestone metric, I will no longer say its your fault... I will just imply it.

reply to post by Maxmars


I agree timing is everything, which is probably why Schrodinger’s Dog brilliant editorial has not received the attention it deserves quite yet.

This now is where the implications become tempting to others as they can clearly now tie proto into that and presume that it was proto who some how caused this bizarre outcome, where only one of the exceptionally and equally brilliant moderator has shared comments.

Of course singling out me in that comment, as opposed to Schrodinger’s Dog fascinating and contemplative narrative then only makes these implications all the more viable, that proto is to blame.

Which I shall gladly endure such spurious assumptions for a shameless bump of my fellow member’s thread!

I clearly now need to evoke the 5th Amendment and ask these proceedings be temporally suspended while I retain counsel.

Originally posted by schrodingers dog
As of this post:

ATS Posts: 9,828,065 (official no. as of this post)
ATS PID approx: 9.9580,000 (official counting deleted posts)

Metrics. We measure everything now, and such activity has perspective merit. But I question the the value outside of that perspective.

I understand that our community can be at times more prolific and less contentious than others which may be loosely qualified as 'similar' communities expressing themselves in the virtual medium of the Internet. But at this time, aside from considerations of sustainability, what does the 10,000,0000 mark mean?

It means that we can rely upon the public dialogue within our community to generate meaningful and relevant observations through all manner of trends and topicality. It means that despite the misfiring of passion, the occasional ego flailing for survival and self-affirmation, the community itself will not be silent. We have suffered the usual frictions and drama of interpersonal disagreement, we have endured the bouts of zealotry, and we have overcome the "dumbing down" influence of public indoctrination, which provides us with the memes of disparity, suppression, "group-think", and other pressures to conform.

Recently, I reviewed some of Aristotle's works on governance, and was pleased to detect that some of the most logical and straightforward thinking ever shared remains within our conversations. In this venue, which is unique in history, we have the means to do what no other society has ever been able to do: namely, we can measure our activity in concrete terms. Who can say with any real authority how many conversations within the Greek forums of old were lost to history? Can we track the conversations, speeches, complaints, ideas, that occurred then? How many times were people shouted down, ridiculed, and even somehow penalized for expressing their sentiments? We may never know.

But here, in this new world of ours, the record is clear, and retrievable. And we can see, if we should want, how we have evolved in our communicative abilities and styles, our passions, and understandings, We can explore our own words from long past, and re-think our contributions. The continuity represented in 10,000,000 posts is clearly a milestone which few other forums can compete with. Biased as I am, I don't fear saying that perhaps no others can approach this level of informational significance.

Aristotle generally agreed with his mentor that a society is the ultimate moral teacher of its members. I tend to agree. In 10,000,000 posts, what have we taught ourselves? More than any other I think, this society of the ATS community is purposefully engaged in teaching. We are all akin to volunteer think-tank members; evidently focused on, and dedicated to making clear that which seems muddled by expedient politics, commercial agendas, and entrenched doctrine.

Like any community, we offer energy to that which our society finds relevant and important. This includes not only momentous and important events, or conditions, but is equally interested in anything which a members feel inclined to contribute, we are not afraid to have fun, we can laugh at our own expense, and we know here, that being wrong isn't a bad thing; just a temporary state within an unfinished journey.

In some future time, 10,000 years from now, should we succeed in surviving 'ourselves' (our only true enemy), I propose that this record of posts and threads will stand as an example that within the larger body of humanity, there are always those who pursue truth, knowledge, and community. Even in the sterile and vacuous medium of virtual space, we gathered and created a community, and with the help of ATS we made a real contribution to the body of human knowledge and history.... and there will be at least 10,000,000 posts to bear that prediction out.

The next milestone is you, dear reader. What say you?

Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler
reply to post by Maxmars

 

I agree timing is everything, which is probably why Schrodinger’s Dog brilliant editorial has not received the attention it deserves quite yet.

I find this first observation interesting. We both recognize the value of ShroDog's editorial, but is it not so that his contribution has value despite our additions? At the end of the day, you and I can keep adding to this editorials' reflexive commentary until the 20,000,000th post, without really increasing or diminishing the value of the piece.

Should others not be inclined to add their thoughts, it really doesn't indicate a lack of attention, per se. Although stars and flags are an indicator, they cannot tell us really how many read and agreed with the thoughts he has kindly shared with us. No real debate here, just interesting.

This now is where the implications become tempting to others as they can clearly now tie proto into that and presume that it was proto who some how caused this bizarre outcome, where only one of the exceptionally and equally brilliant moderator has shared comments.

I searched several times, and found no equally brilliant moderator's input. Hopefully it was a prediction which we can all look forward to.

But embedded in the original comment you made I see an error, you seem to exclude your complicity in reaching the milestone of 10,000,000 posts. The record clearly shows otherwise..... were I to subpoena the record, I'm certain we could find many thousands of examples of one member - using your name and account impacting the polish and value of the public dialogue.

Of course singling out me in that comment, as opposed to Schrodinger’s Dog fascinating and contemplative narrative then only makes these implications all the more viable, that proto is to blame.

The hitherto unspoken accusation stands; Proto stands accused of providing for hours of both educational and entertaining thought within the record..... and with that... I rest my case.

Which I shall gladly endure such spurious assumptions for a shameless bump of my fellow member’s thread!

Stipulated without objection.

I clearly now need to evoke the 5th Amendment and ask these proceedings be temporally suspended while I retain counsel.

Just be grateful it's not a military tribunal.....

Be well my friends.

Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler
reply to post by schrodingers dog

 

It means proto is only...0.0010862769019130418856611143699192% responsible for all this.

So please everyone stop saying it's my fault!

Nope.

Sorry, it's all your fault.

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


Your post there did kind of make me think about how insignificant I am or just how insignificant we all are in general. I have contributed quite a number of posts over the years. But then again, 10 million posts is quite a lot. That means many other thousands of people just like me are going on here on ATS contributing just like me... and doing things just like me only they're doing it a lot more frequently. Of course it might be different for more prolific and frequent posters but that's another story.

reply to post by Frankidealist35

The fact of the matter is that without input from people who care, ATS would be nothing. This is a collaborative forum and the input from everyone, as a whole, makes this place something worth attending to.

Fear not, Frankidealist35...you have as much right to take part in this milestone as everyone else here...and I am sure that we are all looking forward to the amalgam of posts that will comprise the next 10 million posts...

Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler
It means proto is only...0.0010862769019130418856611143699192% responsible for all this.

Oh yeah? Well I'm 6.3428914425275237303225471755084e-5% responsible for it. I don't see an e and negative sign in your percentage! Top that! I dare you!