Why have you allowed it to change so much?

I was sat in my mates back garden back in 2005 and we both seen an oddly bright star in the sky. We was sat watching it for about half hour because we knew it looked odd. We was joking, saying imagine if it's a UFO. I was about 17 at the time (my mind frame and environment wouldn't allot my brain to even begin to comprehend the possibility of UFO's, aliens or secret military aircrafts)

Then all of a sudden, this bright star split into four parts, one part went south East, author south West, one North East and the other north west. They moved very slowly, for.about 10 minutes and then stopped.

Me and my friend was in absolute awe, we could not believe what we was seeing. We didn't have camera phones or a camera, we was ill-prepared for what we were witnessing.

We sat there for a couple of hours watching it and gave up after a while, went to bed talking about it and even looked out of the window to see if it was still there, which is was.

The next day we talked about it and told a few friends, asked a few people if they seen the same thing but to no avail and people were saying we had smoked too much bud, which we probably did but trust me it wasn't the bud!


A few days later I started to Google what happened, trying to see if anybody else in my area had seen it too, but to no avail. I started reading about experiences other people had, and there was very simular ones, one that was on this very site back in 2005. This is how I found ATS.

ATS flooded my mind with information, information that I could never imagine reading. There was a point in my life where all I would do was read this website, nearly every article posted on the new thread board was interesting, alternative news. UFO's, secret society's, lost and ancient societies, new world order, political conspiracies and conspiracies in general.

All I did for about three years was read, read, read. I could never imagine posting and mingling with these great minds. I would favorite members here like Skyfloating, mikesingh, protoplasmictravelller, Arken, undo, Isaackoi, gortex, zorgon, trueamerican, theredneck, corruptionexposed and a handful more whose names I have regrettably forgotten, everyday I'd check to see if they had posted anything so I could get my fix.

These people were like...I dont know...wizards, demi gods or someshing to me. They helped me learn so much, I can't explain how greatful I am for the knowledge and pursuit of knowledge that they embedded into me at such a young age. And also how greatful I was to have a website, Above Top Secret, facilitate these great minds and help people pursue actual above top secret information which one couldn't attain on normal sites.

I would look forward to the time I'd get home, jump I'm bed and read my self to sleep after reading a thread and researching the background, id genuinly chase the rabbit hole every night, learning something new everyday.

It is without a doubt, a great, hurtful feeling I get now when I visit this website. What was an eager to learn and be a part of the community which helped me, is bow anger and confusion at how the website has changed for the worse.

Near every members name I posted above has been banned or disappeared into nowhere. The last past 3 years of this site has seen the foundations of ATS turned upside down. ATS stood for deny ignorance, yet embraces people who avidly post nothing but. I'm not talking one sided here, yes it's prodomantly hate on Muslims but there is a couple of anti Christian threads which pop up from time to time.
A couple of years ago, them threads would have been closed, shut down before the arguments started or before a search engine picked it up and attracted the wrong crowed

ATS has changed from conspiracies, alternative news, new world order, UFO's and ancient societies, to political news about America, middle east issues and hate thread about religions, prodomantly towads Muslims. This can not be argued, merely go to a time jump website and visit the statistics on on ATS, you will see that over the last 3-4 years the post content on politics, religion and middle east has nearly taken over UFO'S and general conspiracies.

Why have the owners allowed this? What I and many others, pre-2011, joined for is not here anymore. Are you happy with this, the direction which it has changed, the audience you have attracted and members you have lost?

I genuinly would like an answer to this because I feel like I was part of a community which has been maybe a little bit betrayed with the direction it has gone. I know I'm not alone on this, right?

Who is to blame? The lack of moderation orand their political feelings? The owners? The members and the content? I truely believe that it's down to the moderation of the site. Its like the new members have pushed out the old and become more vocal, bringing the content of actual above top secret news down and getting no attention, because now the user Base is prodomantly here for American political news.

No doubt I'm going to get an asshole on here saying "leave then" but it's not as easy as that. ATS, to me, is like one of them sentimental things, like an old pillow or a random object you've had for years which would be wrong to throw away. Instead you want to get rid of the problem before you contemplate giving up on it. I'm already at the stage where I don't visit it as much I'd rather not throw it away yet but... Maybe that's the best thing to do

a reply to: n00bUK

Except for topics that are in conflict with the Terms & Conditions, we've never moderated or otherwise removed topics, the ebb and flow of discussion is completely up to the membership.

I attribute the fall from grace of UFO/Alien topics to the horrible general state of such topics. Everything is a hoax, and there hasn't been a plausible sighting since the Chicago O'Hare UFO incident. So people generally became frustrated with the subject matter.

The world has become a stressful place, and people are concerned. As more people have looked to online sources of information and conversation, it's only natural that current events has generally dominated discussion here.


That being said: we are working on an initiative to bring in some new experts and/or hungry young journalists to focus on creating original content in most of our core original subject areas. Stay tuned.

ATS has changed a lot since I first discovered this site back in 2008. I've noticed subjects like UFOs & the NWO are heavily ridiculed without any intellectual debates. For instance, check out this thread from years ago when one of my favorite ATS members "LunaCognita" was around.

ATS Thread

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

I wholeheartedly appreciate your fast reply Skeptic, thank you.

I, and hopefully many others are genuinely excited about your last statement. I cant argue that current affairs have steered the direction of content on these boards, but I will say that, that is an example of the power of the mainstream media.

Even after 9/11 or the war with Iraq/Afghanistan, the racism/fear wasn't as bad as it is now, nowhere near. Its only these last couple of years where it has become more dominant within these boards.

I suppose I could do my self a favor and stop reading things that wind me up, yeah, maybe that's a good start.

originally posted by: FearYourMind
I've noticed subjects like UFOs & the NWO are heavily ridiculed without any intellectual debates.

To be fair, a great many UFO (and to some extent NWO) theories/sightings deserve ridicule.

ATS never promised to be a place where every conspiracy/paranormal/UFO idea is embraced... it promised to be a place with fair and open debate on those subjects is embraced.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord

originally posted by: FearYourMind
I've noticed subjects like UFOs & the NWO are heavily ridiculed without any intellectual debates.

To be fair, a great many UFO (and to some extent NWO) theories/sightings deserve ridicule.

ATS never promised to be a place where every conspiracy/paranormal/UFO idea is embraced... it promised to be a place with fair and open debate on those subjects is embraced.

Understood, but I wish the "tin foil hat" comments and trolls weren't so plentiful. Either debunk it or prove it, but there is no need to attack someone's character simply because they are curious about a controversial subject. Seems ATS has lost something here. I still enjoy it, but I'll never post a UFO thread again regardless of how authentic the story, video or photo may be. Plus, I've noticed the same guy jumps in every STS UFO related thread to debunk it which raises my suspicion.

You won't see him on any other threads. I think the UFO subject is important because this could be a form of free energy propulsion that we are being denied by our government. If it's Extraterrestrial that's important as well. We have dozens of sane and highly respected ex-military and others who are testifying that these things are tampering with our Nukes at nuclear sites. What could be more important than that?

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord
a reply to: n00bUK

I attribute the fall from grace of UFO/Alien topics to the horrible general state of such topics. Everything is a hoax, and there hasn't been a plausible sighting since the Chicago O'Hare UFO incident. So people generally became frustrated with the subject matter.

I find that hard to believe. A member of my step family saw a UFO just a couple months ago. It wasn't a big deal, just an odd light he saw in the distance for a few seconds; but still, people see things like that all the time. I don't see why the sightings of today would be less plausible than the ones from a few years back.

a reply to: VP740

I've seen a large orb silently floating over my house. I went and bought a nice camera to capture it at night. My wife and daughter saw it a couple years later and it scared my daughter so much she wouldn't go outside at night for weeks. Then, last week my neighbors were over hanging out and saw 6 of them. One of their kids was yelling "Get your guns!" These things are large and low in the sky. I could throw a rock at them. I've given up on the subject. I know what I know and really don't care what others think.

a reply to: VP740

I think he meant less plausible as ones that have not garnered wide spread attention... I believe they did see something. Just like I have. But widespread attention was not garnered, so less plausible it/they are.... Know what I mean?

a reply to: FearYourMind

Id love to see some pics if You have any!!!... U2U them, if you dont want the one who jumps all over these to get ahold of them! I know who You meant, and I too am suspicious of them...

a reply to: SyxPak

I sit out at night with my telescope and monocular on clear nights a lot. If I see it again I will have great footage of this thing, but most people will say it's just a zoomed in pic of Venus and so on. It's hard to get the houses and trees with the object in the background at night, but hopefully this camera will show how low it it is and pick up objects in the background as well.

a reply to: FearYourMind

Good luck on that and keep me posted!!

a reply to: SyxPak

Will do. This is the camera I bought. Any suggestions on a camera that might be better for recording these lights at night? I could always return this one and get another.

Nikon D7200 DSLR

a reply to: n00bUK

ATS has grown, and as the members grow...well as Barney the Dinosaur said on the Simpsons "Two plus two is four."

However I can understand, I'm a relative newcomer but I have been lurking for a decade and back then I was greeted with stories of EMP weapons, UFO's...etc. But times have changed and what we know has changed. There is still a place for UFO's and what have you, but you have do dig for it as political nattering has taken the drivers seat.

a reply to: FearYourMind

Looks like a pretty nice Cam. But I am no authority on it. Perhaps a thread in a more suitable forum for such a question? I would think there would be a place here for that...
I would say though that anything that you can get a nice and clear tight tight zoom on something, would be what you would want to have...

a reply to: n00bUK

I started here about the same time as You. There is no doubt that the scene has changed, but so have the times... Like "Thecakeisalie" just mentioned... Hang in there and mabye things will come full circle. As sometimes they have a way of doing...

Hello mate.

Aah we all remember the glorious past but some of it is perhaps a little bit obscured by selective memory and the passage of time.

Remember that back in the old days there were still a lot of topics to cover. A decade ago fast speed internet was only just opening up to the public at reasonable cost. ATS was fertile ground for discussing all those classic conspiracy, paranormal and UFO stories that had occurred through history.

Now things are different in 2015. Not only have a lot of the 'classic' stories of the past been covered multiple times but the advancement of 'social media' has had an impact as well. Attention spans have declined and smart phones are hardly the best device for providing decent content to ATS. There may be more threads but finding the quality ones is more difficult.

I've said in another thread somewhere that ATS is like a huge bar or pub. One day you decide to walk in through the doors. You may slope off to a quiet corner or head straight for the bar spouting your mouth off. Some people you'll find will totally wind you up the wrong way, others you may start to see eye to eye with and you'll enjoy their company. Then there will be the guys you at least respect for their ability to reason with you even if you didn't agree with them in the first place. Whatever the case if people stop coming then the taps get turned off eventually. ATS is a business that is open 24 hours day (with the odd downtime) to us all. We can come and go as we choose. However it will only stay open for as long as the members continue to make it viable. I guess that is why ATS is, despite it's 'conspiracy' roots, now is also embracing current affairs and politics amongst other topics.

As regards the UFO/Aliens Forum; like SO said there is a dearth of 21st century stories to get our teeth into. But then even a lot of the 'classic' UFO stories are not as robust as they seem when you dig below the surface. It's still my favourite topic on here. Mainly because I am neither out to prove it was aliens or that it wasn't. I believe in going where the evidence takes you. I also joined ATS because I thought I could have a bash at writing a thread or two on here. Some have been very popular others not so.

At the end of the day we the members are what makes ATS what it is. Time moves on. There are still some quality posts and posters around but you also have to look for them.

I agree OP.

ATS is changing for the worse.

Hopefully they reign it in before it turns into just another trashy argumentative site.

I am not sure that will happen though.

a reply to: n00bUK

Near every members name I posted above has been banned or disappeared into nowhere. The last past 3 years of this site has seen the foundations of ATS turned upside down. ATS stood for deny ignorance, yet embraces people who avidly post nothing but. I'm not talking one sided here, yes it's prodomantly hate on Muslims but there is a couple of anti Christian threads which pop up from time to time.

I still hear periodically from MuzzleFlash, and BurnTheShips, wish they wold come back. Miss their challenge to the hate and disinformation crowd. About hating on Islam, the Main Stream has been saturation bombing peoples minds on TV and the Interwebz…

Seems nowadays most of what they call "reporting" begins with "Muslim Extremists" and "Radical Jihadists" for over a decade, now. Its harder to blame people for becoming conditioned under such an onslaught.

Gotta keep up that hatred to justify continuation of the "war on terror".