ATS has obviously grown quite a bit since both slayer and myself joined up. As a long time member I'm surprised slayer would stoop to the infiltration schtick, which comes up every week when someone decides agents are afoot. I think what has happened is this. A few years ago ATS members were largely young, largely liberal, largely anti-everything, and, of course, largely conspiracy minded. It was kind of a group-think mentality as most members had a world view much the same.

Today with a larger membership we have a much broader spectrum of beliefs and points of view. We actually have people who consider themselves conservatives here. We actually have people who will defend Israel, who are ardent Christians, who think 9/11 was a conspiracy of 19 Muslim terrorists, who consider lights in the sky to be not particulalry meaningful, and who think "Light Workers" is a laughable concept.

Most of the time when we see the "infiltration/agent schtick" brought up, it is because someone is lamenting that people aren't just accepting the normal group think and are actually challenging the basic conspiracy world view that has heretofore been prevalent. If someone does not agree that the NWO/Illuminati conspiracy is afoot, why, then, he must be an agent here to spread disinformation! He must work for the government! This must be a false flag! In one sense this should not be surprising, but in another it shows a basic flaw in the idea of ATS being a place of repose and intelligence in a sea of of ineptitude.

ATS likes to put on the mantle of "Deny Ignorance" like a corwn of superiority. But like the Emperor with no clothes, the truth is rather more he opposite. Too often the site promtes ignorance by allowing people to check logic at the door and spout abject opinions as facts. We even check the Laws of Physics at the door here, as if we are capable of rescinding them by legislative fiat, or at least group consensus.

I believe there is quite a lot of disinformation being spread by this site, but it's not being inserted here by agents; it's being spread by members.

Originally posted by beezzer
I wonder if it has to to with political polarization. We have the conservatives, an a very enthusiastic group that defends Obama at every turn.
I see this continuing as the election season draws near.

I'm sure we'll see a massive upsurge for sure. Just like we saw all those pro-China posts during the Olympics remember that surge by short term members mostly never heard from again afterwards...

Originally posted by beezzer
I wonder if it has to to with political polarization. We have the conservatives, an a very enthusiastic group that defends Obama at every turn.
I see this continuing as the election season draws near.

Disinformation Agent identified, Obama is a centrist leaning lib. Not a Conservatives, quit!

Originally posted by schuyler

Most of the time when we see the "infiltration/agent schtick" brought up, it is because someone is lamenting that people aren't just accepting the normal group think and are actually challenging the basic conspiracy world view that has heretofore been prevalent. If someone does not agree that the NWO/Illuminati conspiracy is afoot, why, then, he must be an agent here to spread disinformation!

That may be the case for some, or even many of those who cry "disinfo agent."

But thats not what some of us are talking about at all. Dont lump us all in one boat. I dont care if people agree with me. I am very often on the less popular side of an argument, and in all my years here, I have never sought "popularity." I dont participate in the chat, chatty forums, or make a lot of threads to build a name for myself.


Edit to add, and for myself, I love opposition, as long as my opponent is good and makes the argument challenging without getting too abusive. These things that may be bots are atrocious. They are no competition at all in terms of argument. But thats not the point. The point is, something weird is going on, and some of us are pointing it out.

Believe it or discard it, I really dont care.
There is something to what Slayer is saying. I noticed it myself beginning primarily with the Libya issue. (Although we also had some from BP when that was an issue.)

What seems different now is that some of them do not really seem sentient if you question them. Their posts and their thought seems pieced together of vaguely relevant things, but not specifically relevant to what YOU asked them.

You are free to have your opinion, but all of us are not just big cry babies who cant take a little opposition.

Originally posted by TheImmaculateD1

Originally posted by beezzer
I wonder if it has to to with political polarization. We have the conservatives, and a very enthusiastic group that defends Obama at every turn.
I see this continuing as the election season draws near.

Disinformation Agent identified, Obama is a centrist leaning lib. Not a Conservatives, quit!

Forgot the "d".

Sorry.
Wash-Rinse-Repeat

Your'reright Slayer. A thread pops up and if the first page has 10 replies you'll have 15 different contradictory opinions, from bizarre to trollish and from stupid to childish. If this were a tactic to muddy the waters of knowledge and make people angry and discontent or bored with the whole subject altogether, its certainly effective.

The solution: Only read posts by people you know and trust. Slayer and schuyler come to mind.

Originally posted by backinblack
[

That would be a shame because some newer members are worth listening to..
I'm surprised you said that to be honest...

What would you do with limited time? You'd browse the threads and stop at the avatars you are familiar with trust and read those comments. Read all comments at 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 posts a day? Not a chance.

Hey, and that includes people I strongly disagree with too....backinblacks posts I disagree with, but he's a known and trusted ATSer, so I´ll probably read some of his stuff!

Don't trust beezzer. He's a Tea Party guy who spends his free time with John Stossel swatting kittens with spatulas, laughing at hippies, and shop-lifting socks at the Dollar Store.

Originally posted by Skyfloating

The solution: Only read posts by people you know and trust.

I agree with this solution and that applies to members I traditionally agree with and those whom I don't. This has been working for me since the BP disaster and though I do read and don't automatically discount new content from new/unknown members when time permits, Content devoid, opening posts are now put on the back-burner and often, never get read by me, at all...

As long as you guys follow expert and trustworthy members like Skyfloating you will never be led astray.

Originally posted by HawkMan11
"Infiltration" carries such a negative stigma. Harsh term, don't you think?

Look at your join date dude.

Its pretty obvious who the PR agents are.