Confessions of a "Paid Shill"

Ah, an Occam's Razor fan!

I don't agree with your thought that we should go with the most mundane explanation as an automatic. That being said, I do think we should go with the one with the best evidence backing it up... which in the case of most things, does happen to be the mundane one. However, in some cases the mundane evidence and the "alternative" one have fairly equal amounts of weight behind them - and in rare cases, the alternative has more grounding.

For example, the existence of aliens is one that, in my opinion, has more alternative backing than the other. The only evidence we have for that is one interpretation of events in history and the percentile heavy unlikelihood that we're alone in the universe. Neither of those are what I'd exactly call hard science (although the latter leans further towards it than the former). I don't think its the exception to the rule, and its for this reason I'd argue against mundane being automatic.

However, I do agree that a large portion of the believers I've seen will kick anything mainstream to the curb. You're hardly what I'd call the opposite of that - you seen willing to at least weigh the possibility of the alternative option. Rather than that making you a disinfo agent or a shill, I'd say that simply makes you a good critical thinker. It also makes you not that different from a person who believes and will go for the alternative choice in a gridlock.

When nothing further can be debated, one has to pick a side. I don't fault you for picking one side over the other! Us in the believers camp could probably use more skeptics!

reply to post by Xcalibur254
It is called romance X, I know you understand.

Sorry if this has been asked. But, what conspiracies or examples of paranormal activity DO you believe in? I guess none, since there's no evidence? But you say you are interested in these topics, so what are your favorite examples?

Also, I think you might ("might" because I have never heard of you so I don't know, I'm just going by what you said) be taking things too seriously here. I thought this was, above all other things, an entertainment site. People like to entertain these crazy thoughts in their head and say "what if". If you take things TOO seriously, all you're doing is ruining other peoples entertainment... You may see me defending the possibility of something, but that doesn't mean I believe it... Sometimes I just like to make others expand and explore their own minds and say "woah, that would be crazy/sexy/or cool." Sometimes I just like to spook or mess with people. Why don't you join in the fun. And make this personal quest for the ultimate truth a private thing... Instead of forcing us all to come along on that journey With you? Not all of us like to have nothing but mundane thoughts and ideas. For many of us, ATS is more like an ESCAPE from our everyday "real world" life. Most of us are mature enough to discern what is real and what is not, and we don't need someone to hold our hand. As for the others, why try to change them? Just live and let live, man

Sorry if this has been asked. But, what conspiracies or examples of paranormal activity DO you believe in? I guess none, since there's no evidence? But you say you are interested in these topics, so what are your favorite examples?

Also, I think you might ("might" because I have never heard of you so I don't know, I'm just going by what you said) be taking things too seriously here. I thought this was, above all other things, an entertainment site. People like to entertain these crazy thoughts in their head and say "what if". If you take things TOO seriously, all you're doing is ruining other peoples entertainment... You may see me defending the possibility of something, but that doesn't mean I believe it... Sometimes I just like to make others expand and explore their own minds and say "woah, that would be crazy/sexy/or cool." Sometimes I just like to spook or mess with people. Why don't you join in the fun. And make this personal quest for the ultimate truth a private thing... Instead of forcing us all to come along on that journey With you? Not all of us like to have nothing but mundane thoughts and ideas. For many of us, ATS is more like an ESCAPE from our everyday "real world" life. Most of us are mature enough to discern what is real and what is not, and we don't need someone to hold our hand. As for the others, why try to change them? Just live and let live, man

Originally posted by Xcalibur254
During that time I've been called a lot of things but the most common are things along the line of paid shill and disinfo agent.

You need to point out where someone called you "paid shill" and "Disinfo agent"... In what thread(s) did they call you that ? Please point out *thread name*, *Page* and >reply posted on *day-month-year* @ 03:21 PM by *ATS member name*<

These fringe topics will never gain any kind of legitimacy as long as people will jump on every video of an orb or every rock that looks like Sasquatch as proof of the unexplained.

What fringe topics are you refering to? And can you prove footages of Sasquatches are fake?

Let's take the recent MIB video as an example. All we have is two men in black suits entering a hotel lobby and the word of a man who has changed his story over time.

You mention a man who changed his story over time... What story are you refering to? How did he change the story? And who is this man?

This is something that should have been thrown out right away but instead it is still being argued over.

There may be a good reason why it is still being argued over and over again... What make you think it should have been thrown out?

So why do we spend all this time arguing over something that doesn't matter?

It obviously does matter... www.abovetopsecret.com... ATS member 'DJW001' who made this "Aerial Phenomena Research Team recruits hoaxer" thread obviously don't know what 'DJW001' is doing, because it is wrong to call that case a hoax when 'DJW001' can't prove it...

OP you are beating your head against a brick wall. The fact is the same uber paranoid types who would have called you a paid shill will see your statement as even more proof that you are. You can't win! We have at least one example on this very thread. Apart from which you don't owe these types an explanation.
You should know by now that if you don't agree with the conspiracy de jour, some of the more 'challenged' members are very quick with the name calling.
Unfortunately there is no way to prove who and what you are. You're damned if you respond and you're damned if you don't. These accusations obstruct any real debate. Plus IMO it's tantamount to abuse and should be stamped on by mods. We need a zero tolerance policy - one strike and you're out. That way, we might just get rid of the dross.