Has ATS changed much since you joined? In what way? Good or bad?

Alright...I'll start with the old cliche - I've always had trouble deciding where certain topics of thread should be created, this instance being no different.

I'll fore go the hackneyed "mods, please move this thread if it's in the wrong..." and so on. In fact, from this day on any time I start a thread on ATS I'm neglecting to go though this charade - I have absolute faith in the mods and that they will move a thread to another forum if they see fit, I'll just post where I think it belongs and it if gets moved then so be it!

Anyway - this is kind of a rant, but not really an angry one. Just an inquisitive one, really.

ATS has changed quite a bit since I first found the site many years ago. I stumbled on ATS by accident when I followed some links, I can't remember exactly how, it was a long time ago...but I remember that kind of "hmmm, what's this?" sort of moment where I knew I'd found something quite unique and interesting.

At first I found ATS intriguing, it seemed kinda underground. It had threads covering really obscure, often downright mind bending topics with lot's of really technical information. Much of it was over my head. Although I found the site interesting, I didn't understand the layout of the site much- I was lazy and would spend maybe 15 minutes here then I'd leave...forget, then return usually out of boredom or by chance when a google search returned an ATS page.

It went on like this, I found I was drawn to ATS more and more, and started to understand more of what it was all about. The wide range of topics discussed and began to appreciate the many varied and technically brilliant, information rich threads that were on this wonderful site. I became another ATS cliche, the person who was a long time lurker who then created an account because I felt a need to be part of that community.

I think ATS is possibly one of the most educational sites on the web - people share information freely and the subjects discussed are absolutely fascinating. I love this site, it's a regular routine for me now to pop on ATS every so often and read through the latest threads, I tell people I know to check the site out, I promote it.

For me ATS has changed..or maybe it was always like this and I simply never noticed. I distinctly remember introducing myself as the proverbial lurker turned member in a thread and being welcomed by certain parties - and one warning me to have fun, but beware of the trolls. At the time I'm sure I responded with something along the lines of never really having noticed much trolling in the time I'd already spent here. Maybe I was blind to it...I don't know.

I still love this site, but there's a particular class of member that's more prevalent now than it was when I first joined. I'm not here to diss anyone or take catty swipes. I love those threads where people really investigate and solve interesting cases, there are loads of them around on this site.

Educational - some classic threads that showed us noobs how to look at things more objectively - everyone would pitch in, and the bulk of it would sleuthing of a caliber that would put Columbo to shame.

We still get that from a lot of mostly old time users who were contributing members here way back when I was still turning up ATS pages in google searches.

For me this is the biggest change, people are less objective and more closed minded, not all...but it's a lot more common now for someone to state their opinion as fact, supply no reasoning, simply "this is what I think therefore that's what happened - no evidence required".

I'd like to raise a specific case in point - I know we're not supposed to discuss other threads, but it's a thread I authored so I don't know if that matters - I'm not trying to resurrect the thread in any way, I'm using it as evidence to support this thread.

A while back some people were passing images around of a girl at a football match and claiming it was Madeleine McCann. I found it interesting, I find the whole case interesting. I presented the image and asked others what they thought...I expected people to apply logic and reasoning, wasn't looking for a specific answer nor did I lay claim to any belief that the girl in the image was Madeleine.

It was simply an interesting entry point to discuss an interesting case which is currently developing, with more information regarding suspects, etc, being printed and reported.

Mostly all I got was biting answers...not by all, but by most...I'd say the general answer, if I could wrap them all up into a sort of average, matter of fact way...was "you're an idiot, you think that's her, it's not...she's too young".

That was the logic applied...that's it. The girl "looks" too young. That's not evidence, that's speculation...I'm in mid 30's and get ID'd for alcohol, my aunt is so small and young looking she got refused entry on a fairground ride because she was too short, she was in her 40's!

This passes for logic and reasoning? This is going on in other threads all the time, more than ever. People aren't discussing things like they used to, people aren't digging or presenting facts to support their claims or assumptions or conclusions any more, they're just saying...this is what I think so that's what happened.

For me, that's the biggest change here on ATS...I don't know if it's intentional.

Is it trolling?

Are certain groups deliberately trying to discredit the content of the site?

Is ATS becoming more mainstream and attracting a lot of new members who haven't spent time going through old, classic threads? I do that a lot when I get bored.

Or was it always like this and I'm only now starting to notice?

Does anyone remember any old threads they really enjoyed and found informative or educational that they'd recommend to new members?

So many questions...again, not having a go. Just telling you all how I feel my view of ATS has changed since I first came across the site 'til now. Still love ATS, always will.

How has ATS changed for you over the years? Is it better? Worse?

How did you even end up here?

a reply to: samerulesapply
whar has changed
Good or bad?

its neither good or bad ,,but can get ugly ....Only the names have changed,,,

a reply to: samerulesapply

Yes it has changed. The quality of threads isn't near as good as it used to be, and there seems to be a lot more trolls who are nothing more than contrarians looking to argue. There are also many more religious threads, which is fine with me, except that most of the threads are from people who have no earthly idea what they are talking about.

Really nice post, i wish i could write something as nice as how you presented it, and this surely does not sound like a rant.

Ive been a long time lurker but joined not that long ago, i found ats searching for ancient history articles, which i find amazing with the great thread makers in the ancient civilisations section.

I had never followed american politics, but found interest in trying to understand politics from my cousins down south. Ats as either helped or skewed my understanding in that subject, but i find the extremes in how there country is run baffling, also the remarks from posters that down right detest anything the other side has to offer.

I feel like the political circus is taking over ats, people seem angrier on nearly all threads, might be the uncertainty of alot of things going on.

I adore the fact that most opinions are accepted on here, even if it angers some posters people can share how they see this mess of a world we live in, helps me understand where people come from, helps me be more accepting, well i hope so.

And yes the more mainstream something becomes the less quality threads we get.

I posted a while back on a thread similar to this and I will say the same thing here that I did there.

I have not been here as long as a lot of folks have, but I don't think ATS has changed since I have been here. I think we change.

I always liken this to being newly weds. When you are first married you can't keep your hands off of each other. Everything is new and the world seems like a brighter place. You go to bed together. Your wife is wearing that sexy lingerie for you every night and you are taking your time with her in thanks... Every night. After a while you see the lingerie less and the flannel nightgown more. You rush through things because work is coming early in the am. She stays up to finish GOT while you head to bed.

You still love each other. The lust may have dampened, but it is usually replaced with something more meaningful and deeper.

ATS is the same. When we find ATS we generally can't get enough of it. People like us we think to ourselves. Topics that have interested us for years abound and we read until it feels like we have sandpaper in our eyes. We post like there is no tomorrow. We want to get to know these people that think like we do. We want to read these topics that don't reach MSM every day. We are in lust. We log in every chance we get to get our fix. We put effort into our threads in hopes to make a good first impression. We are nicer maybe.

Soon enough, we have read all the topics. We have discussed our beliefs with one another until we can virtually guess who is going to pop up in which thread. We still log in and we still read, but we aren't thinking all day long about what masterful thread we can rush to make to make others ooh and ahh. Is that bad? I don't really think so. I think it's normal.

I don't think it is ATS that changes. I think it is each of us who change after we are members here for so long.

In essence... ATS stops wearing it's lingerie for us after we have made ourselves at home. But most of us still love the flannel nightgown we see.

The newness of ATS wears off for all of us. But it is still ATS. We just perceive it differently after we have lived with it for a while.

ETA - What brought me here? My husband was on a fishing trip in 2010 when he called the next day he said that a bunch of them had seen a UFO. He is not like me. He doesn't look for things like that. He said so many saw it in that town that it made the news that morning. I went on a search to find out more information about that sighting and ran into ATS. I never left after that. Not for long at any rate.

a reply to: samerulesapply

I stalked before I joined.

In my opinion it's not much of a conspiracy site anymore. Mostly just politics and chit chat. Everything else is deleted.

Also, this site occasionally allows for one of the more popular and less toe-stomping theories to wiggle it's way through. But yeah, not really a conspiracy site anymore. All the beefy topics are deleted or moved to LOL bin.

The site has grown substantially since I started coming here in 2003 and while the level of content has increased the quality has remained roughly the same. There was a lot more paranoid/delusional and downright weird people back then and some the threads were in the realms of insane.
The Skunk Works forum would have been the biggest back then.

It's now moved into a more political orientated site and as such a lot more ignorant and downright rude have taken over which is a shame really but there are still some great authors and when the heads of ATS get together we work better than some supposed investigative journalists.

It's seems the site is now more American than before which makes sense seeing as they are the biggest english speaking majority but I really have hard time with the extreme right in America and recently only seem to be arguing ideologies with them.

It's still a great discussion site and I love it, just wish that the motto of the site was used more than just a badge.

a reply to: samerulesapply

Its gone downhill

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

Wow.

Every bit of what you said rings true, a nice perspective. I guess we individually evolve through stages or phases, as I've read threads similar to this one before, you're spot on.

I had a little chuckle to myself when you mentioned how we tend to know who will pop up and in which thread - I immediately thought of Arken and Phage - I kinda view them as comic book characters, not in a bad or offensive way, not at all - it's meant as a sincere compliment.

Both have their niche or area of expertise and they're like dueling enemies fighting for their cause with passion. They're always constructive in their arguments and it's entertaining to watch two ATS titans battle it out from time to time. I guess we're really just like any other community, where familiarity breeds both comfort and contempt.

It would seem you've already visited and advanced past the stage I'm currently at, but you certainly gave me a new perspective on it all, pretty cool.

Anyway, I thought I'd chip in a few threads I really liked on ATS...some proper classics that are packed with links and information. I remember going through archives and finding such amazing threads, people solving problems, or presenting so much information it made your head spin. I'd sit up all night sometimes absolutely engrossed in threads that were pages and pages long where a community of people came together and started digging. The ATS community has and can do great things when it needs to.


All Roads Lead to Rome - 607 flags, 218 pages
Alleged NASA -Affiliated Astronomer Deciphers 'Intelligence' Signal From Nearby Stars - 175 flags, 255 pages
BBC News Reports Building 7 collapse 23 Minutes before it collapses. - 101 flags, 65 pages


Those are just some of the threads I remember really pulling me in, the threads I lost a bit of sleep over, absolutely jam packed with information and links to other sources, etc.

Here are a few other, personal favourites - ATS at its best:


Christopher Dorner in gun battle with authorities, source says
The Solway Firth spaceman-SOLVED!!!!!!


You guys have any favourite threads? I've so many, there's proper gold in them thar forums, hidden, forgotten.

I enjoyed you rreply, much appreciated.

It's gotten so much better!!!! All the threads and posting by Rightwing Christian adolescent males just makes my heart sing; And their manners and style of discourse is just a beautiful shining light we all should emulate.

We all know their insults and namecalling is just all in good fun......right?

originally posted by: Kangaruex4Ewe
I have not been here as long as a lot of folks have, but I don't think ATS has changed since I have been here. I think we change.
I always liken this to being newly weds.
You still love each other. The lust may have dampened, but it is usually replaced with something more meaningful and deeper.
ATS is the same. When we find ATS we generally can't get enough of it. People like us we think to ourselves. Topics that have interested us for years abound and we read until it feels like we have sandpaper in our eyes. We post like there is no tomorrow. We want to get to know these people that think like we do. We want to read these topics that don't reach MSM every day. We are in lust. We log in every chance we get to get our fix. We put effort into our threads in hopes to make a good first impression. We are nicer maybe.
Soon enough, we have read all the topics. We have discussed our beliefs with one another until we can virtually guess who is going to pop up in which thread. We still log in and we still read, but we aren't thinking all day long about what masterful thread we can rush to make to make others ooh and ahh. Is that bad? I don't really think so. I think it's normal.

I don't think it is ATS that changes. I think it is each of us who change after we are members here for so long.

In essence... ATS stops wearing it's lingerie for us after we have made ourselves at home. But most of us still love the flannel nightgown we see.

God I hate it when someone is this wise and it's not me... My hat is off to you Kang very well done.

a reply to: olaru12

Lol, I must admit, I've been drawn into more arguments recently than before. It could be familiarity on my part.

I try my best sometimes to avoid partaking in discussions about particular topics, the gun issue being one of them. It's not that I don't have an opinion on that and a few other issues...I suppose it's your passion for a particular subject that results in things getting so heated.

I've been rude to people a few times, I think. I never bought into it - that online name calling or ridicule is acceptable and not hurtful to some people - I believe it can be. I tend to just get angry, not necessarily if someone proves me wrong or argues against my point, more if their argument is closed minded or ignorant...but I'm probably guilty of being those things from time to time, also.

Maybe our lives on ATS do have a king of cycle after all - the familiarity and comfort gradually sets in and you become more confident and passionate in your opinions and convictions, leading to the inevitable squabbling.

I never used to squabble on ATS, it sort of crept in the more time I spent here. But there's certainly a lot of circular or no logic at all employed by some members. Maybe large communities will always attract an element of trolling...I don't think trolling is even a purely online phenomenon, I think certain individuals have been predisposed to trolling since the dawn of man, it's why our history is littered with war and human cruelty - trolling spilling over into the online community is just an extension of that, perhaps.

Maybe the larger a community gets, the more inevitable trolling and bickering is. I often think that if some online forums and communities were physical, social gatherings they'd end in a massacre!

There are people on these boards who just wont stop!
Their clear intention is to ridicule the op, and to make damn sure they have the last words in the thread.
Thats why people don't bother presenting evidence anymore, whats the point when you know they'll ignore it and just continue pushing their opinions over and over!

It wont be long before this place is more like face book!

I think it has gone downhill a bit. So much more politics and fluff. The solid raw content has become a little difficult to find. There are still a few old profiles that I keep an eye on when they write new stuff. Mostly I use the search function to find older stuff and read those threads. The wealth of that data keeps me coming back.

More times than not I look at the "live" section on my way out and just close my browser without clicking on anything. This one caught my eye though. Thanks.

You kind of need to ask yourself something.
What are your expectations of ATS?
Are they meeting your needs?

Things change over time and if you don't agree with them, then there are plenty of avenues to pursue those needs.

ATS is as it is.
Just go with the flow, or be the rebel and buck the trend.
Make it known, as you have.
It is,after all, a user contribution generated site.
You contribute and if it is highly popular, more for them and you.

I've only been using the site for 4 years, under a different account and lurking.

I personally have noticed that there are way more sarky/condescending comments than before. And I have also been guilty of this.

It seems to me that we, and the website has lost focus on the 'deny Ignorance' motto.

That was one of the 1st things that attracted me to the site.

Don't get me wrong, there are 100's upon 100's of older members that always do the site proud.

It just seems that the infux of Ingnorant new comers seems to be increasing.

That's my view of the last 4 years anyway.

a reply to: samerulesapply
Yep, all of the truly good writers have been banned due to violations of the T$C.
2nd line reserved for witty reply.

I was angered and left this site for a couple of months because I noticed how this site had changed. It has become more of an aggregate news site. Many times I come here and the topics are just repostings of breaking news or even the worst most obvious pop culture distractions become major issues here.

The site is supposed to be about conspiracy theories and fringe topics but the majority of those are pushed to Skunk Works. It used to be the best topics were speculative but supported with some type of evidence beyond opinion but the empiricist crew have done such a good job of making sure those subjects get poo poo'd that people don't attempt to post them as often.

This site used to support many views but seems that some of the most vocal members hide behind empiricism to come across as superior to those who take a more metaphysical approach to things.

I say all that yet I did return. I did so out of a possibly misplaced sense of duty. There is so much poor logic expounded here that people just fall in line with that the site needs people to counter those views. I said it in another thread but if everyone agreed this site would be pretty dull. I also cant entertain these subjects with most people in real life because they have been conditioned not to question reality or political correctness prevents the discussion from being appropriate in most RL context.

I do enjoy the site though just cant stand how the same few topics get shut down over and over and people know which ones I am talking about. We can hardly mention them which seems contrary to the sites intended purpose. /shrug

Like anyplace else in the world its an assortment from the wise to the village idiots .. ( though suspect several villages minus their idiots from what see sometimes here .. ) as to change its part of life .. all things change ..

It has changed immensely.
When I joined it was the world's biggest conspiracy theory forum with a couple thousand members. Posts were better quality and friendships were built, having more or less the same people commenting. Arguments were well constructed and well critiqued.
These days there are a little under 300,000 members. Posts aren't very well constructed or critiqued. It's frustrating to think about something in great detail, do the research and make a long post only to be ignored- or worse, have a one sentence reply... with bad grammar... and no punctuation... saying that you're wrong... without any reason presented... Sometimes a someone will form a response worth reading, and half way through you realize that you've addressed it already and they obviously didn't read what you posted.
It's become more of a political forum based on opinion and wikipedia/news sourcing and less intellectual discussion and reasoning.
For example, I just read a post were a member named FirePiston asked about the mathematics involved in calculating inhabitable planets in the universe. Great question. The first reply he got was

originally posted by: niceguybob
Doesn't matter and I don't know.
If your trying to insinuate that based on the math we're not alone in the Universe,your wrong.
Other then God, we are the highest form of intelligence out there.
Until humans develop ways to go to other galaxies and planets to sprinkle DNA of different species of plants and animals, there's nothing out there.
Just rocks and gases.
Humans RULE.

And if that post wasn't bad enough as a standalone- it derailed the entire thread.
I visit ATS less and less these days.
I'm happy for the board though. Honestly. It's encouraging more people to question what they are told. I suppose I've just been left behind.