What do you think ATS is?

I have to rush off to work, but I didn't want to risk forgetting this question. I'll add my thoughts later today. For now, though, I'll say this: I've seen quite a few comments on how this site used to be this and was good for that, but no more. The writers of these comments either leave or just lurk without participating.

So, my questions are: What do you think ATS is? What purpose do you think it serves? What purpose do you think it SHOULD serve? Should it inspire millions of people to take up arms to overthrow a dictatorship somewhere? What, in your opinion, is the function of ATS other than offering old fools like me a place to chat, to pick up new ideas, or to reaffirm for myself that my thinking is correct (or incorrect)?

Have a good day.

reply to post by jiggerj

What do you think ATS is?

The total sum of its contributors.

What purpose do you think it serves?

Imformative entertainment.

What purpose do you think it SHOULD serve?

See above.

Should it inspire millions of people to take up arms to overthrow a dictatorship somewhere?

That's not going to happen.

What, in your opinion, is the function of ATS other than offering old fools like me a place to chat, to pick up new ideas, or to reaffirm for myself that my thinking is correct (or incorrect)?

To offer young and middle aged fools the same... I guess that includes me

I've seen quite a few comments on how this site used to be this and was good for that, but no more. The writers of these comments either leave or just lurk without participating.

... and as for them,meh - it's all about the sphincter, we've all got one.

... and you have a good day too fella

reply to post by jiggerj


As was said, it's a good place to get information, and all the information is still here. I spend a lot of time readingg through old threads. There are 10 years of them here to be poured over.

News, I don't know how many times I have come across news here that it takes the MSM an extra week to get wind of, and by that time we have already largely separatedthe facts from the fiction and spin.

It's a good place to rant and vent. I enjoy getting other's perspectives on things that are going on in my life. It's also a good place to stay connected to the rest of the world and Learn other people's viewpoints any number of topics.

Also ATS can be frequently very entertaining.

ATS can be all things to all people.

reply to post by jiggerj

: What do you think ATS is?

An Avatar of beauty and splendor.


blog.ted.com...

Because is full of splendor and it is ascending.

Informative, entertaining, great community and a pleasant distraction while at work

I also thoroughly enjoy debating theoretical, social and political subjects.

It SHOULD stay as it is in my opinion. New things, new forums etc will always continue so i would'nt add anything specific, just let ATS continue as is.

I would take away the advertisements that hijack my browser with those damned video ads for movies though, but thats another thread....

Originally posted by jiggerj
What do you think ATS is?

Simply put, its a money making site that also lets people discuss various topics of interest.

You can tell money making is the primary concern by the way the site managers go to extreme lengths to ensure that ATS does no get placed onto any blacklists, EVEN at the expense of trashing legitimate topics of conversation in order to maintain this unblocked status.

Its quite the opposite of "publish and be damned" (the Duke of Wellington)

What do you think ATS is?,

Different things for different people.
For some .. it's a soap box or a place to push their version of reality.
Some use this as a place to get out their frustrations on strangers.
For others .. it's a place to kill time.
Still others ... a place for information not tainted by the MSM.
Some see this as a place to sharpen their debate skills.
For some of us who are stuck at home due to chronic illness ... it's a pass time/hobby.
(that'd be me ... a pass time/hobby)

reply to post by jiggerj

Originally posted by jiggerj
What do you think ATS is?

A playground, a way to pass time (waste time). A way to get my voice out - not that it will make any change or do any good, but it gets my thoughts from inside my head to the outside. It's therapeutic.

What purpose do you think it serves?

I think that's going to be different with each person. For me, it's a means of self-exploration and getting to know myself. The reflections I see when I look into ATS are most valuable to me. I don't really see a "larger purpose" than for each of us to express ourselves and learn from the reflection.

What purpose do you think it SHOULD serve?

I don't really think it should have a larger purpose.

Should it inspire millions of people to take up arms to overthrow a dictatorship somewhere?

I sure hope not. If so, I'm outta here.

What, in your opinion, is the function of ATS other than offering old fools like me a place to chat, to pick up new ideas, or to reaffirm for myself that my thinking is correct (or incorrect)?

That about covers it.

reply to post by jiggerj


Very good question sir!

I didn't read any other comments but your op, because I didn't want to polute my oppinion with others thoughts before I comment.

To me ATS, is several things, a internet fight club where many different ideas get the beat down of their lives to see if they survive muster, or are complete hogwash. Basically, if your ideas can't survive a couple pages of comments without bringing your view into question, your position may just be flawed.

It is also an amazingly large and diverse database of stored knowledge( well was, search function malfunction FTW!!!), where pretty much every subject you could imagine has already been torn apart at its seems from every plausible position, to see which direction seems to be the most likely.

Mostly, IMHO, it is one hell of an ipressive think tank, where any idea, I do mean any idea at all, may be put forth and rigorously run out to any and all possible ends, so that a small idea can and does at times, get blown up into a giant unimagined at the start endgame.

We ATSers are a special breed, we don't know how to think inside the box, here's the box, right here. Now imagine a world where it not only doesn't exist, but has never even been imagined, now move to entire universes farther away from it, and you arrive here.

Unconvintional think, is often the best type, I am proud to be part of a community that not only does so, but prides itself on being the exact place for it.

I at times am a hot headed richard cranium( think about it guys, it will come to you) but I never mean anything by it, I only get so caught up, because you guys bring out my most critical side in my attempts to adequately provide a decent comment against so many truley amazing minds.

ATS, it is a love afair that your allowed to tell your significant other about, without fear of them getting angry.

ATS is an awesome resource for discovering information and discussing ideas with people of differing opinions.

I can't count the times that I've learned something from my discussions with the people here, especially the folks I disagree with. ATS has taught me to keep an open mind and look at all sides of an issue before coming to conclusions.

Its not just ATS though; BTS is an awesome resource too. Even posting and reading the silly threads we make over there provides a treasure trove of information on all subjects from cooking to looking for lost pets. The people of ATS are truly amazing and always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need.

The good will on this site between members, even of differing political opinions, restores my faith in humanity.

Also, it helps me to think I'm not alone in my crazy paranoid thoughts.

In my opinion ATS is a forum site dedicated to conspiracies and off topic subjects. I'm thankful I can be a member here because I can find members who make me look at the world differently.

A cover site providing coded communication between the reptoid crew members of a ship that crashed in Britain back in the 60's, who then assumed human guises and split up to scour the world for the technology that could get them home. In the meantime, the crew tries to pull back the curtain of the human society that closely mimics the secret regime of their homeworld, to see if the humans can benefit from the insight then never had.

Or, could just be a nice place for people to discuss topics they normally are hard-pressed to find others discussing, but the first idea just sounds a lot more exciting.

DOD, CIA, FBI, DHS , SS, ATS, did i miss any?

looks like alphabet soup to me

ATS to me is primarily a community. A digital family filled with people that I like, people I dislike, people I respect and people I don't.

It's my proverbial water hole I suppose.

I think it serves it's purpose. A place where like minded people can come together and discuss things. Like minded doesn't mean we agree on everything however. Those who tend to say "ATS isn't what it use to be", have to remember that nothing is.

I can say that about a million different things from my childhood. Things are always better when nostalgia is involved.

~Tenth

Whet we've got here is... an asylum where paranoids and narcissists go to be judged by their peers.

For me ?

A great place to be informed of events that I would otherwise miss.

In BTS I get to have a great laugh with some very sharp minds in a community of people that I've never met, but rally to help or have a giggle to wind down.

What should ATS be ?

Exactly what it is

A forum for discussing ideas, debating ideologies, and and having a damn good laugh toboot.

Cody

Originally posted by jiggerj
...I've seen quite a few comments on how this site used to be this and was good for that, but no more...
...So, my questions...
What do you think ATS is?

It is an acronym for Above Top Secret.
(Look closely, and you'll see that I've underlined the pertinent letters...)

...What purpose do you think it serves?

It serves a higher purpose.

...What purpose do you think it SHOULD serve?

An even higher purpose.

...Should it inspire millions of people to take up arms to overthrow a dictatorship somewhere?

If they would help Obi Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker overthrow the dark side...then, yes.

...What, in your opinion, is the function of ATS other than offering old fools like me a place to chat, to pick up new ideas, or to reaffirm for myself that my thinking is correct (or incorrect)?

Well - that was my opinion...so, if that's wrong, I'll have to form a new one.

...Have a good day.

You too!
Nice chatting with you.

Originally posted by inverslyproportional
reply to post by jiggerj

 

Very good question sir!

I didn't read any other comments but your op, because I didn't want to polute my oppinion with others thoughts before I comment.

To me ATS, is several things, a internet fight club where many different ideas get the beat down of their lives to see if they survive muster, or are complete hogwash. Basically, if your ideas can't survive a couple pages of comments without bringing your view into question, your position may just be flawed.

It is also an amazingly large and diverse database of stored knowledge( well was, search function malfunction FTW!!!), where pretty much every subject you could imagine has already been torn apart at its seems from every plausible position, to see which direction seems to be the most likely.

Mostly, IMHO, it is one hell of an ipressive think tank, where any idea, I do mean any idea at all, may be put forth and rigorously run out to any and all possible ends, so that a small idea can and does at times, get blown up into a giant unimagined at the start endgame.

We ATSers are a special breed, we don't know how to think inside the box, here's the box, right here. Now imagine a world where it not only doesn't exist, but has never even been imagined, now move to entire universes farther away from it, and you arrive here.

Unconvintional think, is often the best type, I am proud to be part of a community that not only does so, but prides itself on being the exact place for it.

I at times am a hot headed richard cranium( think about it guys, it will come to you) but I never mean anything by it, I only get so caught up, because you guys bring out my most critical side in my attempts to adequately provide a decent comment against so many truley amazing minds.

ATS, it is a love afair that your allowed to tell your significant other about, without fear of them getting angry.

This is how I feel about it as well; mainly a place of knowledge, debate and examination.

reply to post by jiggerj


Great comments everyone! Some even made me laugh. So far everyone is in agreement on what ATS is.

I just think it's sad when people place too much importance on this site (though later, I WILL give one reason why I think ATS is serving a grand purpose). Most of the time if I get a reply deleted or even a whole thread, this is when I realize I'm just here for the chat. I say this because I don't usually remember the comment I made that got deleted, so it couldn't have been that important in the first place.

If this site serves a grand purpose it is this: When I get an informative and educational piece of knowledge from here I usually bring it up in real time conversations with people. Then, hopefully, those people will bring it up in other conversations, and so on and so on. I believe that this raises the IQ level (even if just a bit) of everyone this info reaches.

If every generation were to raise its IQ by just one point, just imagine how smart everyone will be in twenty generations, fifty generations, a hundred...

Isn't this where mankind wants to go? To accumulate knowledge so that intelligence is possessed by the many instead of just the few? And, with the increase in the number of highly intelligent people come the better odds that they will figure out just how to reach the stars, how to warp space or time travel without having to eat up the energy of a black hole to do it.

Without ATS the only real time conversations I'm exposed to are sports, weather, and just all around mindless crap. I need more. And I think that's why we're all here - WE need more.

reply to post by jiggerj

Okay - I'll bite a little harder.
ATS is a broad spectrum of cultural and traditional minds, many of whom, are open to consider...Anything.
It is a melting pot of "what people think is important" at a given moment in time -- and a lot of brilliant (& not-so-brilliant) minds get the opportunity to engage in discussion of the events brought to the fore.
I love reading others' perspectives -- especially when they challenge my own (to consider another view, or to re-inspect my own).
I love some of the honest disclosures (...how many places can you listen to someone diagnosed with schizophrenia discuss their issues?...then, discuss it with them...).
I like visiting Skunk Works and The Grey (Gray?) Area...looking for "far out experiences" others have had, and/or are having...and how they dealt with them, or are dealing with them.
I like considering others' Rants... And, I especially like it when the Rant is both highly emotional, and well-constructed (difficult to pull off).
I have met some of the most interesting people...in the world...on this site.
I love the TEASE of my score of "0" for Applause... ...(They want to applaud...but, are being paid not to)...
And - I like to engage in discussion of topics where I can genuinely contribute (doesn't happen often - most of my contributions are for the purpose of marking a thread of interest...for return visits).
Anyway - I really like to see what is tickling jiggerj's brain, on any given day...
So - thanks for the thread, the info & the entertainment!