Google Plus-One coming to ATS on a trial basis...

If higher search engine rankings is what ATS is looking for then +1 is a good idea. The only downside to the system is that it only works when someone is logged into their google account, otherwise this information is not visible to the searcher.

I don't care if I'm being monitored because in reality there is no way around this, our ISP is the main spy when it comes to tracking what you do online.

reply to post by budski


If you can't think of a reason, I can't give you one. You either have one you've discovered for yourself, or you don't.

reply to post by yeahright


Thank you, that worked. Now Google needs to fix their link. Does not do much for me if something as controversial as this and Google's way of opting out is broken.

Originally posted by nyk537

Simplest answer...because it isn't a community decision.

The owners of this site will do (and have done) what is best for this site and it's members. If at the end of the day you can't come to grips with these types of decisions and moves...then like you heard from yeahright earlier...perhaps this isn't the best place for you.

edit on 27-7-2011 by nyk537 because: (no reason given)

So what's SimonGray's opinion on this ?
Would you ask him if he could post his thoughts on the matter here please, we keep hearing the opinions of Bill and Mark, but Simon is strangely silent.
Thanks for your assistance.

Originally posted by yeahright
reply to post by budski

 

If you can't think of a reason, I can't give you one. You either have one you've discovered for yourself, or you don't.

I think you know that I used to be one of this sites biggest and most vocal supporters, and as such it is perhaps the staffs job to understand why one of the most involved and prolific members has turned in completely the opposite direction, and no longer desires to put in the same amount of time and effort, which in turn on a site centred on user generated content and "hits" could be seen to be self detrimental to the site itself.

I am not having a go at the site or the staff, I am simply airing my position on why I will not be the member who cared anywhere near as much as I once did.

reply to post by budski


Okay, we get it. You no longer want to participate as much. That's certainly your prerogative. Change happens. Individuals change. When change diverts in opposite directions to a significant degree, sometimes it makes sense to reevaluate a relationship. It happens all the time. No "fault", nothing personal. Just the way it goes.

reply to post by yeahright


yes, it is my prerogative.

Let me put it another way - why on earth should I give up my time for free when not a word of thanks ever came my way from the people I was directly benefitting?

And on that note, I'll leave it there - I have no desire to make a fuss, I just wanted to get my point across.

Originally posted by budski
And on that note, I'll leave it there

Thanks.

Originally posted by yellowbeard
but Simon is strangely silent.

I believe it's no secret that Simon is less involved in ATS, and has a very-busy career offline.

Mark is the COO, and I am the CEO of the company that owns ATS, and the primary Admins here. You're hearing from the top.

Originally posted by budski
reply to

 

I'm not referring to threads, more my "extra curricular" participation, for which I gave up 52 or so evenings in their entirety, with nothing in the way of a thank you.

So, why now should I have any inclination to help the site in any way?

No one thanks me for going to work
but after I take my g/f out to dinner and a movie
I usually end up with some what of a thank you
if you catch my drift...

Look at it this way, maybe YOU changed someones opinion
for the better, or through your threads helped someone in their situation..

Because someone might *Get it* because of YOU.

The ramifications of your contribution will never be fully known...
I can almost guarantee some type of ramification. Good or bad

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


Youtube has this +1 but they are a Google company.
I think I clicked the +1 once and can't remember the response now.
If it went to someone's beta test page how can I erase it.

I would like to know who is +1ing me.
This sounds like Twitter.
On Twitter you can block and see the followers.
We never could tell who sees your post on net forums but had
a good idea when you posted how the views went up if there
were followers although never said a pip about it.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord

Originally posted by yellowbeard
but Simon is strangely silent.

I believe it's no secret that Simon is less involved in ATS, and has a very-busy career offline.

Mark is the COO, and I am the CEO of the company that owns ATS, and the primary Admins here. You're hearing from the top.

What kind of company owns ATS?

I found it out

The Above Network, LLC

I can understand this business wise it makes great sense. Good work.

It's win-win for both parties economically speaking.

Google needs to stay aggressive to keep market share % as the market is changing so rapidly. They need people to stay interested in their services and to promote their new services.

And ATS I'm sure loves all the traffic it can get as well, so really this will only increase the ranking of thinks in the Google search engine in the end. Excellent work. That means many of the really good posters here at ATS will gain even more readers.

People who are worried about privacy are missing the point. Their ISP has the server and probably logs everything and hands it over to the NSA in the first place. Having a website witch hunt isn't exactly logical in the context of how easy it is to connect an extra wire between the ISP's servers and the NSA's super-computers.

Beyond the privacy concerns expressed here, I think it's interesting that ATS would "get in bed" with a company who; while claiming to support net nuetrality has actively lobbied for more and more net restrictions.

"Don't be Evil"

...sure

I think this is interesting
I am as well very skeptical about google, they are getting too big
but at the same time all abovetopsecret threads, except for maybe two forums, are all being crawled by google spiders everyday anyhow.
If I understand correctly the only difference with the above is popularity rankings in a community based arena.

I'm okay with that, and there is an opt-out option whenever I feel like I might want to detach myself from increasing scope of awareness.

Originally posted by budski
Let me put it another way - why on earth should I give up my time for free when not a word of thanks ever came my way from the people I was directly benefitting?

And this is why I am considering using the google+1 option, because I enjoy debating and I feel it's important to increase awareness. That's why i'm an active member here, not because I get anything in return.

But I did get alot in return here on ATS, debating with people from all walks of life I do believe I'm a little more open minded on certain topics than before, so I can say it has changed me in certain ways, I may be a little bit more liberal minded than I once was.

If you are posting on ATS for the sole purpose of getting something back then perhaps you are posting for the wrong purpose.
That's not what increasing awareness is all about.

i'm only replying to you because I felt that my response to you was relevant to why I am considering using the google+ option.

My two cents
thx
MA

-the first paragraph here is in response by skeptic to purplemer ...

Originally posted by purplemer These are also the people that allowed BP to buy key phrase about the oil spill in the gulf to stop people have access to the correct information about the environmental degradation in the area.

To be fair, anyone with a large budget can do that via AdWords. It's been done before, but just wasn't noticed as much as the BP situation was.

i am still working my way through this very interesting thread, but i did want to chime in here and state that is so true, i work for a fairly dominent southeast law firm, and i assisted in setting up our website and our connection with the real yellow pages, etc., and yes we have purchased about 15 adwords related to our firm and the aspects of the law our attorneys specialize in, for the sole purpose of directing people to our website... so yeah, anyone can control what people look at given they have enough money



wow yeah, i completely flubbed out trying to quote and reply, so yeah other than the fact that anyone can buy adwords and keywords to lead someone on google to a particular site, i have no issue with +1

What a bunch of paranoid clowns to complain about this. Its no different then the other share buttons like twitter.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


Since the inception of the +1 thingie, I get a bunch of empty 'done' pages, but I have long since blocked googleads from trashing my browser pages. I had to refresh this thread about 6 times before it would display. Not being a pain or a thorn or anything.. just posting my observation as to the google thing so far. Besides having to F5 a whole lot, it's all good.