What happened ATS??

I have been entirely too busy to follow ATS for a little over a year now. At first I stopped coming on because I was working somewhere with NO internet what so ever. After I logged back on, it just wasn't the same. It seems to me that ATS members have become so caught up with arguing about the news, that there is hardly any actually intelectual conversations. ATS for me, was a place to discuss the alternative and try to figure out what the MSM wasn't telling us, not just argue about what the MSM IS telling us. Maybe I'm wrong, I guess we will see after a few more weeks of lurking.

Depends what arguments you are referring to. Political, yes people seem to toe the party line and agree with whatever their side has done. Everything else I believe people still take into consideration all the points made and make their own decisions.

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45
People have gotten more opinionated as of late.

Plus, it's easier to have someone else (MSM) do all the heavy lifting and thinking for them.

Its hard to explain............it just doesn't seem the same to me. Maybe it is because the last time I was actively involved in ATS was right after the Tsunami in Japan.......and I was on a lot of pain pills. Maybe its that last part.

Originally posted by SUICIDEHK45
Its hard to explain............it just doesn't seem the same to me. Maybe it is because the last time I was actively involved in ATS was right after the Tsunami in Japan.......and I was on a lot of pain pills. Maybe its that last part.

Was the population much more skeptical and ready to provide sources?

I seem to agree, to a point. I just joined not to long ago, but I lurked for a while (I was tired of not being able to reply ). It does seem like I found a lot more information/discussions eight months ago then I have now that I joined. All good boards seem to turn into back and forth general arguments about who is right and and not why, not talking about the topic, but just bashing or defending. You should be able to put in your 2 cents, back it up, and keep reading. If somebody asks for sources or pictures, that is different than completely bashing someone and being "bewildered by all the ignorance".

The same thing that will happen to all sites with mottos that revolve around "denying ignorance".

Nothing lasts forever. Except the manipulation of the population by the people behind the curtains.

Anything good can go bad.

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45


Maybe it's a good thing that there aren't things to talk about like the Tsunami, because horrible things like that aren't happening in the world...I like it that way

Not that there aren't horrible things happening...

reply to post by Vandettas


Thats because "we" are letting it go bad. It could be like it used to be.......I think. Why shouldn't we be able to have it back? As bad as it sounds, maybe another disaster, such as the BP oil spill, or the Tsunami in Japan, etc, would bring everyone together and stop all the ridiculous in-fighting.

I don't want a disaster to happen, I re-read that and realized how insane it sounded, sorry. I just want intelligent conversation instead of high school arguments. ATS is where I used to go to talk with people, many of whom had different opinions than myself, without things turning into a bunch of drama. Most of the time

Originally posted by SUICIDEHK45
I don't want a disaster to happen, I re-read that and realized how insane it sounded, sorry. I just want intelligent conversation instead of high school arguments. ATS is where I used to go to talk with people, many of whom had different opinions than myself, without things turning into a bunch of drama. Most of the time

What sucks is a lot of people on here are the "I'm right and if you don't agree then up yours" type and it's pretty hard to have intelligent conversations with them. But every now and again you find someone willing to open their mind and actually discuss a topic. Thats what keeps me here.

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45



The first time I was signed up on ATS was in 2007.. took a hiatus for a while and signed back up in 2010.. took a hiatus for a few months and now Im back again. Got my panties in a wad this last time over a mod and left for like 6 months. LOL! Each time I have come back.. things have changed. People getting more argumentative and nasty. A lot more whining these days and less joking around. MUCH less educted speculation and real theories or original theories with basis or supporting information. MANY ego issues and sometimes I wonder how the world looks from so high up on those pedestals...
Hopefully it will take another turn after the 2012 hysteria and we can draw out the more interesting conversations and more stable minded members.. or the unstable ones.. whomever has the best conversations.

Originally posted by Vandettas
Nothing lasts forever. Except the manipulation of the population by the people behind the curtains.

And as we all know, United we Stand, Divided We Fall. The people behind the curtains, as you say, are trying everything they can to make us rely and depend upon them.

reply to post by Advantage


Maybe you are right! Maybe a lot of the people who stumbled onto ATS while looking into 2012 will stop the fighting or leave once the "hysteria" dies down. Or the SHTF and we won't have ATS to go to. Probably a win/win either way.

reply to post by Advantage


I agree with you, but I was wondering what is going to happen now, since I have been reading a lot of 2012 disproved stuff. What will the people talk about? Hah.

(disclaimer: never believed the 2012 stuff. No destruction, just a new age.)

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45

Originally posted by SUICIDEHK45
It seems to me that ATS members have become so caught up with arguing about the news, that there is hardly any actually intelectual conversations.

The closer we get to December, the more vocal and troublesome the shills will become.
It's to be expected.

I too have noticed a general decline in the quality. It seems that around the 3rd quarter of 2010 ATS got "involved" with Facebook. This resulted in a big spike in activity (which is what the point was). But it seems that there seemed to be an overload, with mods not being able to really handle things.

However, it may have backfired. After a busy 2011, overall interest seems to be waning to where the number of visits is about where it was in early 2010.
www.quantcast.com...

Originally posted by SUICIDEHK45
reply to post by Advantage

 

Maybe you are right! Maybe a lot of the people who stumbled onto ATS while looking into 2012 will stop the fighting or leave once the "hysteria" dies down. Or the SHTF and we won't have ATS to go to. Probably a win/win either way.

It may, until we get new doom. Seriously though, I speak with a few folks off of this board who are members here and they post very rarely now. Read a lot, we hash on things in skype or email, but not so much on the board lately... mainly due to the nastiness and lack of civility out of some posters. Also seems like we have periods of idiotic thread after idiotic thread for a run and then back to good stuff. Its just weird how these boards seem to run in cycles! I'll say this.. the mods have been doing a great job policing those who need to be policed lately... WHEW!

Every site will have it's ups and downs. There will be times when ATS has brilliant minds discussing boiling issues that bring out the very best in us all. There will be other times when you'll be lucky to find an original idea on any conversation covering the front page.

It happens to us all and sadly, there's nothing that can be done to change that.

I am not an "old school" member by any means, but it just baffles me that ATS could go from where it was when I first joined, to the argumentative additude that a lot of members seem to have now. Really it happened so fast, and it seems to me that the MSM has more of a "foothold" on ATS than ever before. I don't want to see what the MSM is spewing, if I did I would just watch it on TV. I want to know the story behind the story, or at least the theories behind the story.