What topics do you want to see, ATS?

Good Morning everyone! I hope we're all greeting a decent morning without serious issues, although I see that isn't the case for everyone out there. Weather has not been kind lately, eh? (As I gaze upon streets not plowed in 2 days)...

I bring this topic for serious discussion and a serious look at things. I hope everyone can take it that way because I think it needs to be hashed out a bit and things plopped on the table of consideration for all to see and read together.

What Topics do you WANT to see Threads about?

It may seem a silly question..but I assure you it's not. As one of ATS's committed writers and contributors, I'm no expert here but I think I have a good sense for what the challenges are on our (writer) side of things.

When I start my day for instance, for the longest time, I've tried to get 2-3 stories posted with meaningful commentary during the morning and then, perhaps more over the afternoon or evening ..depending on news cycle and how many stories looked worthy of the effort to share.


An odd thing has come to happen tho...and this is where I/we/ATS Writers need YOU ..and YOUR HELP!


Like many, I have hundreds of bookmarks in just my News/Events folder alone. Each of them represents a WHOLE new range of topics, every day. Most, a few times a day in updates. In another folder, I have a good number dealing with odd, weird, funny or just plain whacky stories from Onion comedy to stuff that SHOULD be Onion but really did happen.

Now, I check a fair # of these every day and I have made that my daily routine for a few years now. The issue and question? What to share?? The Odd thing has been a drop in activity or feedback in knowing what topics are appreciated and wanted for more stuff ..and what just kinda fall flat and plop like a turd on a marble floor.

So how about it, fellow readers? Can you take a moment and seriously consider this issue to help a bunny out? Maybe...help a few dozen other writers out here too? Perhaps..even help yourselves out by helping to choose the material you most want to read about?


I can't speak to anyone else and their reporting/writing/research styles. I can, however, say I'll refer back to this thread if it gets a decent response ..and check from time to time on what people say they DO want to see for topics and subjects. None of us write for no one to read it or to think it sucks ...if only there were better ways to know what the audience most wants?


Thanks for those who took the time to read this through ... I hope writer and reader alike may give thought and help improve this community we all know and love so much.

I can tell you what I DON'T want. Any more guns, gay rights, abortion and religion.

I DID find this interesting today though:

www.thedailybeast.com...

reply to post by intrepid


That would be a great movie. It would be quite easy to film as well since Hollywood (and their contractors) have all the equipment on hand. Even here in Ohio, I know of three running M4 Shermans lovingly restored. (Now that's a 2nd Admendment thing I can dig...ya dig? LOL)

More topics on alternative political ideologies, moving on from the enlightenment what's the next steps we should take?

More topics on international issues. Less American centered topics.
Topics on crypto currency and that rising phenomena.

I'm sure this will be thrown back in my face and told its a user generated site, so generate those topics.

I just don't believe I would deliver them with the justice they deserve. Just my 2 pennies worth

Hi there bunny!

I think you have opened a literal can of worms. I have not been on this site for that long but already it has been easy to see a few patterns emerging.

ATS is obviously in a state of continuous change or evolvement with some brilliant, obtuse, crazy and informative threads following the OP's that hit the ether.

I will opt for animals (including cruelty etc.), ecology, oceanic issues, political claptrap, the politics of frackimg, sailing/boating, wastes of taxpayers money, public sector mismanagement and it's consequences, conspiracy facts, the slow death of public libraries in the UK, EU fraud - by organised criminals and politicians alike, footballers wages, tax poverty, economic refugee issues vs the plight of true refugees, UK overseas aid to the likes of India etc., ATS misuse that the mods don't seem to see inc. multi accounts and mutual support groups, that's it for now.

Just my two pennies which may not be worth a darn in the grand scheme of things, but I'll say it anyway.
ATS does an amazing if not excellent job of providing a platform for all of us to discuss all the alternative and mainstream news we can handle,not to mention throw out our wildest conspiracy theories to either be validated or debunked. There is however,a need for balance. For some of us, the off topic side is sufficient, for others, they take time away, because let's face it...the doom and state of the world is draining and depressing. What if ATS offered up a balance of good news somehow, so that we need not go elsewhere to keep our sanity? I know so many ask for additional forums, and I hate playing that broken record, but there are few threads I know I can go to for a smile. Like Jak's thread,What made you smile today?
Would it be possible to group together like threads so we can go there if we need a smile, or feel the need to tip the scales of doom and gloom back to semi normal?
There can be just as many feel good stories out there on the net as anything else,and imho this is one of only a few topics not covered enough here. I come here for everything else but that, and I'm sure there are others feel the same way. I know that we see these kinds of stories pop up from time to time, but they are needles in haystacks.
Just a wee bit of constructive criticism. Carry on.

intrepid
I can tell you what I DON'T want. Any more guns, gay rights, abortion and religion.

I DID find this interesting today though:

www.thedailybeast.com...

Well there goes my thread about the Wiccan-gay-abortionist who likes guns.

Dang!


Actually, I'd like to see an ATS Think Tank.

We whine about the problems, yes I'm a big whiner, but just an area for SOLUTIONS would be just peachy!

reply to post by woodwardjnr

More topics on international issues. Less American centered topics.

Excellent point! This is an outstanding example of where it's a simple thing and "What's your issue??" for non-Americans. Maybe it shouldn't be a boggle for Americans, but it is for me, anyway.

International..Okay. I think International.. I think Politics and Conflict. War, mostly ..or environmental crisis.. or whose trying to take world power this week vs. last week. I'm saying that to help illustrate the mental limits that sometimes build for genuinely not seeing more to hunt up on stories.

So, I'm assuming you mean something other than control of the Suez or Hormuz, or which Religious leader is calling for one thing or another today? What general areas to go hunt for some days, would really strike your fancy to see stories about in international perspectives?

...I'd LOVE to write more that way, but until I have? It's literally a need to be shown what is 'neat' to read for people completely outside my own perspectives...

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I've personally lost interest in the only topics I used to like. UFOs, government secrets... I think I ran out of stories. I ran out of conspiracies.. I think I grew up.

My interests now exist only in topics that are harder to talk about like the nature of reality and consciousness. Anything on the frontier of thought really.

Id rather see personal stories rather than news stories. I'd rather see big picture topics than small puzzle pieces. Maybe something like psychology mixed with the big bang with a side of dragons. What makes humans humans?

I havn't really been posting much lately because I realized the problem was that I got bored with everything. I had such a hunger for information and now I am full. I wanted to know. I wanted secrets. It appears there are no secrets that you can actually find that are worth finding in any public way.

More creativity and less repeaters. "This news agency said this about what this guy said about the thing the president said so I am posting it here."

Anything funny would be good as well.

This was the most interesting thing I have read today so far, so... Maybe I just want honest thoughts from real people? (minus taking sides).

I know I don't post topics almost ever, but my ideas are hard to conceptualize because I am trying to say everything and I am not very articulate most of the time. I have a few ideas that you guys may see in the near future if I figure out how to structure them.

As an American I am actually tired of hearing about American anything. So I agree with the international idea.

Topics that are more interactive are better than ones that have conclusions in the first post.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


As for topics, I think that many of the members of ATS cover them pretty good. But what I would like to be to see is stats over an extended time, not just monthly, concerning visits, new members and banned members (no names needed). That would help to format the forums a bit better and possibly drive traffic up.

Does there really need to be that many political forums broken down like they are. It can be daunting posting a thread in one forum, just to have a MOD throw it into another that is similar to the original forum posted. Same goes for “Breaking News” and “Alternative Breaking News”. They are both news. Let the headline speak for itself.

It may just be me, and I do love this site. But it seems as if I’m watching re-runs lately.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I'd like to see more international topics as well. Specifically in the financial and political areas and their interconnected global impact. We get a lot of US political stuff but not so much how it is effected by global politics, etc.

My 2 cents.

Bassago
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

I'd like to see more international topics as well. Specifically in the financial and political areas and their interconnected global impact. We get a lot of US political stuff but not so much how it is effected by global politics, etc.

My 2 cents.

Great idea! Maybe we need a International forum? So much is interconnected these days and often the rabbit hole goes deep and has many branches.

What this dusty old place needs is more ORIGINAL content. ATS has become merely a repository for mainstream news.

Less soapboxes.

Less parrots.

This place feels more and more like karaoke night at my local boozer everyday.

reply to post by LiveForever8


Your key word "dusty", got me thinking. What about a "review" of an old thread, that maybe had so many stars, or all the mods think is best written, with the most information, on a certain subject.?

First off, the search function, isn't all that functional.
Second, you would have to know the title to search for one of these "golden oldies"
It may be information, that someone had not heard of before.
It may cause someone to find updated information on the subject.

I realize that it could mean a lot of work in bringing some of the oldy's back, but it would be interesting.

I'd like to see the Alternative Substances forum get another trial run. Under certain pretenses, ie. Perhaps certain criteria would need to be met for someone to post there.

Okay, so one of the things I'm getting as a common theme here seems to be a desire to see threads where other stories are just the inspiration and not the "source" as it were. More thinking and depth for meaningful discussion vs. a headline service with a super-duper comment ability? I can definitely see how choices of threads to post directly define which way that goes, too..

At the risk of using specifics.... Something more like the 3rd link in my signature than whatever is running top headline at CNN or the BBC today?

I think the impression is easy to get that running with and following the news cycle is what people are most wanting...so often, it is where I'm pulling leads/stories out of. It would just take some minor shifting and a bit more time spent to have threads more like Popular Mechanics stories than, say Newsweek...?

reply to post by kimish


Never going to happen.

If one were to look at the threads I've started so far, I'm into anything that makes me say "Wow!, That's cool!". Like lots of people here, I'm pretty sick of the political, religious, and LGBT posts. I'm not saying I don't have an opinion on these topics, but I can read the same thing in the comments section of CNN. It's the same arguments over and over with no resolve. Boring. Personally I enjoy reading about amazing technology, feats of engineering, unique structures or places. I also enjoy a paranormal story I may have never heard of.

reply to post by beezzer


Ooooo, a think tank/brainstorming forum would be awesome. "No idea is stupid or to be called stupid, devil's advocacy encouraged, rapid fire creative idea generation, no judging until idea generation is over" type of thing. I like it.

WhiteAlice
reply to post by beezzer

 

Ooooo, a think tank/brainstorming forum would be awesome. "No idea is stupid or to be called stupid, devil's advocacy encouraged, rapid fire creative idea generation, no judging until idea generation is over" type of thing. I like it.

I was thinking something very non partisan. A look at Point A, and Point B. And how to get there.