Why is there so little recent and new topics on ATS anymore?

a reply to: theabsolutetruth


Yes I think you're on to something - the cliques and the egos really do impact the site, more than anything.
Those aiming for the number 1 spot, the big egos is one part and those who just post for their side or clique but with no substance and no purpose are another part of it.
It is like a mix of the worst aspects of Twitter, Facebook and the YouTube comments section.
And people really think they are something on here, that they're celebrities, that somehow they're above others.
You can see it in their responses to others.

I think we all know who they are.

originally posted by: nrd101
You're takin it to serious. I want change. I demand change, but what I do here at ATS is for entertainment. I don't think any of us are willing to go protest. seriously? protest? naw not me. why even protest ats? they give you the goods for free. nothing is different nothing has changed. it is YOU that has changed. You have become the jaded one. I'm not at all calling you out either, maybe you are feeling that you need to spend your time more constructively, I know I myself need to. I waste ample amount of time videogaming with friends, and posting on ATS, when I should be focused on my career path. I think if anything you are just bored with the template provided, and need to spend more time feeding creative projects. Like someone else said, if you are disappointed with ATS content, then why don't you hone it to your desires, if you love/like the site that much, otherwise just step back and do something creative.

Very good points to consider nrd101, in fact you may be total right with respect to spending more time constructively, I do have things I've been procrastinating on. Also, I have been preoccupied with ancestry.com for the past month, rushing before the paid subscription ended, and have just about completely burned out on the computer from that. Star for your insights.

ETA: The star feature isn't showing up on my browser for some reason. I'm signing off for a while and will try to give some stars out later.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Thanks for the comments True Brit, I have enjoyed your posts everywhere I've been seeing them.

I suppose I should start some more threads, I do have a few things rattling around in my brain. I may have a topic or two from my genealogical research that would interest you actually as many of my forefathers were from England. Yes, some things are fermenting in my noggin indeed.

originally posted by: 727Sky
Just an observation on my part.. It seems things started slowing down after the Snowden revelations about NSA having everything you have ever posted or sent via email locked away someplace for a Snoopy day. I noticed a progressive tenancy for comments in threads to be reduced by some significant number across the board.

I think you may have a big piece of the puzzle here. I personally have squelched my opinions and narrowed my topics because of this sort of thing. For me it started when Facebook became more intrusive with their data collection. When they started to talk about facial recognition, I cleared out of there and have been very concerned with what I post online. The NSA-Snowden revelation only verified what we already suspected for a long time now.

Also, I can say with some certainty that most bloggers will read the content of a thread and check out the source links in far greater number than those that will actually comment or leave a star or a flag. I'd have to go over some research I did to show that this is still how it works, but I'd think is even truer now a days because of what you have mentioned here.

I think ATS has been swept along with the technological advances we have seen since the start of the century. We have moved from the desktop only access on a slow connection to the era of 'access anywhere' via a small mobile device or a tablet. Devices designed for consuming media in short bites rather than readings (let alone creating) long detailed posts like we used to see in the past.

Plus of course as others have pointed out the classic conspiracies of the past have been discussed in detail for over a decade so the majority of new posts are confined to the regurgitation of news stories from recent MSM stories or political polarisation.

We are where we are.

Perhaps it's time that "short" postings such as a youtube video and a couple of words from the thread author are separated from longer posts giving a lot more information and food for thought.

I joined in 2005 and participated mainly in the ufo forum. It was a reasonably fast-moving forum back then, and there were many colourful posters with a passion for the subject actively discussing ufo/conspiracy subjects around the clock 24/7.

Then I noticed all my favourite posters were getting banned. And yet, they were the ones being bullied by what I would describe as 'gangs' of skeptics running riot. Then I found myself on the receiving end of this bullying, and simply stopped posting.

Since then, I have seen this forum change into the complete opposite of what it once was. News threads have become very slow-moving. People generally only talk about political stuff or things you would encounter on mainstream media. Very few posters now think 'out of the box', and the few old posters still around from 10 years ago always had conservative views on things. For a website that used to 'deny ignorance', there is almost a culture of ignorance pervading throughout. For instance, there's been a Fukushima thread about the fire back in May where pretty much every response in unison has been "What fire? There's been no fire. I've never heard anything about a fire" , whereas on GLP there was extensive minute-by-minute coverage complete with time-lapse footage from TEPCO's own webcams! Not only that, but comprehensive graphing of Rad readings over North America in the days following the incident. Not that I'm praising/promoting GLP in any way (they have currently banned me and I have not even posted anything! I just go there to read) - but in the old days of ATS, someone would've done the same thing and we would've had committed members providing substantial research into something going on that's been kept away from the public eye. And now, well maybe they've been ran off into the sunset and it's a darn shame.

Come here now, and every post takes up the depth of the monitor screen, yet it will typically have one line for a post, and usually a knee-jerk reaction to the topic at hand with nothing you can take away and learn from, no knowledge to impart.. just a smart comment loaded with sarcasm - no different to what you would read on the Facebook news feed. I thought ATS had a policy of strictly no one-liners? What happened to that?

It just seems everything's gone downhill in every way here. I know someone would say "well, contribute something yourself!" - that's all fine and good, but let's say I write a reply in that Fukushima thread and come up with all the webcam footage and supporting data, the hounds will be unleashed and not only make you feel unwelcome for your contribution, they will start calling you a nutter or something. It's just not the same place anymore, and hasn't been for some years now.

The way that thread makers are being treated(somewhat unfairly at times) when they share from paranormal to highly skeptical topics is probably part of why this happening. It's almost as if there's a push for more mainstream topics particularly dealing with the Left/Right paradigm. With that you will have little recent topics because of those not wanting to deal with ridicule or be ignored. There's been a shift coupled with people being less open after Snowden's revealing of privacy concerns, at least in these circles anyway. Mainstream wise they seemed to have moved onto image sharing sites instead of info timelines.

I've just made it through all the comments and can see that this is a complex issue. I haven't read any unconstructive remarks in this thread really, of course my observation about ATS isn't something that would rattle too many cages.

Over all I'd say it must be a combination of situations that have made ATS seem so lame lately and that includes my own attitude as well. I will strive to contribute thought provoking original threads and see how that goes.

Also, thanks to all the posters here, I really thought that my thread was basically a rant that would get little responses.

ETA: The topics have been hopping these last two days, maybe it's breaking into a high cycle of novel subjects. The glass is at least half full.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Yes there are always a number of factors why people become frustrated with this site. I used to trawl through posts long before I joined and found them fascinating then things felt like they'd dried up. So I thought I'd give it a go at authoring a thread or two. Some of them have been very popular, others are well under the radar and sometimes you have to put up with people who are only too willing to pick up on every tiny mistake you might have made. I think I once got confused who the US President was on a certain date and got slammed for it. (Being English and never formally having studied American History put me at a disadvantage there I guess! LOL! Even though there really isn't much of it compared to ours.)

People have to be prepared to admit they made a mistake and grow a thick skin if they are going to post anything on here. But the most important thing is if you have an opinion check your facts to back it up. Otherwise you will be in trouble.

ATS is as controlled as the news press.
all the best people left. to many constraints.
most of all the tricks of using people to disrupt a post.
and get it taken down.

ATS is now about 'I love my gun', 'I hate Islam' and 'Obama is a Muslim'. Not forgetting the veiled racism and bigotry that prevails these boards.

originally posted by: Kangaruex4Ewe

originally posted by: mr10k
I could tell it was dying when people respected Arken more than Phage. Just saying.

Really?? How is that supposed to make Arken feel? He doesn't get to choose who respects him and who doesn't, yet you bring up his name as if Phage is somehow more worthy of respect than he is. Both are worthy of equal respect.

One man's trash is another man's treasure as the old saying goes. Both Phage and Arken contribute things that people here obviously like. A fan of one may not be a fan of the other. Some people may prefer Arken's Mars rocks threads to Phage's scientific ones, but neither is more worthy of respect than the other based on that IMO.

I am in no way insinuating that one is more deserving of the other. What I'm referring to is exactly what theabsolutetruth pointed out -- that certain members have a general clique in which they are accepted and gang up on other members when their viewpoints are being challenged, and I started seeing that when posters such as Phage, wmd, or Soylent would provide evidence in an attempt to reach a logical conclusion in Arken's threads, while his followers would blindly bash them with the usual "do you get paid to be a skeptic" bit. I love seeing data and graphs, I loved it when people would take time out of their day to splice together photos, track down coordinates, e-mail notable people for info or create GIF representations -- all in the name of finding the truth.

Those days are over. As soon as you start providing a contrary opinion, someone will appear out of the woodwork to unabashedly mock you for simply giving a rat's arse about the topic. Then, said person's gang will come with the obvious passive-aggressive remarks about how they are "just the messenger" and the information is provided by people who are "more expert than you". It is this current system that almost directly mirrors the SJW-ness that has taken over Tumblr. Very rarely do people collect and provide open data anymore.

It is sad, and it is this egotistic hierarchy that I only began to notice after that time.

I get an e newsletter at work that has 4 breaking news articles on science or engineering topics every work day. If someone wants me to share, I'd be happy to. That could be 4 new topics on science and technology every day right there if someone is willing to post links and quotes etc. Today I read an article on computer speed using miniature vacuum tubes that have overcome previous issues. I just don't have time to even read everything I see let alone repost here.

I will have to forward my work email to my home.
Anyway since I mentioned vacuum tubes and it appears no one on ATS has posted a story about it, here is a link.
www.gmanetwork.com...

a reply to: orionthehunter

Vacuum tubes are interesting due to the fact that they are resistant to EMF pulses that would take out chips that do the same work. Thanks for the link and the offer.

I believe anyone, not certain, can subscribe to a e newsletter at the link I posted below and will get somewhat new breaking news about science and technology just about every week day. Then if someone here has a desire to get stars they can use the information and post newer topics after doing a search to make sure it's not already posted. It takes effort but if you seek change, you can try to do some of it yourself. I see more information than I have time to read. Most of it is not on ATS until later if at all. Here's a link. I believe the enews letter from this source is the one I get every week day with 4 interesting topics every day.

www.electronicproducts.com...
I saw a subscribe area. I do not know if they require you have a background in engineering, science, or design.

I seem to not find the subscribe tab that I saw earlier. If you look at the articles tab or news tab, you can probably find a few articles you haven't read about on ATS yet. These articles would be easy pickings to create new discussion topics in the science and tech category. I already have over 2 million stars and never got any stars when I first joined. I'm wondering if everyone will have over 2 million stars after a few years. Anyway, that's another topic. You can enjoy the articles or work on creating the change you seek.

Apparently searching for articles and news within the above already posted links yields even more news articles for discoveries I haven't had time to read about such as using mushrooms to recover 80% of the gold in used circuit boards.
www.eetimes.com...

There are a ton of new stories and developments that aren't getting posted on ATS. I'm not sure if many here just don't know about it or I see a snippet because I'm an engineer.

Layout of the site is not helping. Buggy as hell but yet nothing gets done about it.

The mobile layout is now ruined for a lot of phones. The CSS responsive site is not responsive as it should be. Also the adverts/pop ups have gotten ridiculous. It will just alienate people and it has done.

All of the most popular end of the world dates have come and gone.

..and now realizing that they may have to live their lives out after all, are in a state of confused limbo.

a reply to: ObservingYou

Well said.

I agree with pretty much everything you stated.

When i have been looking at the forum's page i have never seen more than 300 people logged on at any time here and sometimes as low as 199 so there will be very few threads getting made

I blame the whole Fisher Price: My First Conspiracy look that the site has adopted. I also use the Recent tab every time I visit, but I noticed that I can't seem to keep the garbage forums turned off (Short Stories, etc). I've stopped visiting as often now. I used to come here every day, but now I might visit once or twice a month. ATS seems to be going the same way Digg did.