The reason I stopped posting on ATS

a reply to: anxietydisorder

I am the Hydra.


I'm still trying to recall this epic content you use to provide.

a reply to: Lysergic

Hail Hydra

I dislike the policy of first post on a topic gets to stay and all others are closed. This leads to a lot of minimal posts done in a hurry when posts that were much better and thought out get deleted. This keeps my motivation to post very low.

ATS is a product of its membership. The propietor's here have given us a microphone, and a soapbox. They have asked us to respect the establishment, and stay within the guidelines. Whether or not the content here is good or lacking falls on the membership much more than it does on the staff. I agree that staff can make things more or less conducive to a degree, and mistakes are bound to be made occasionally. But overall, the onus is still on us to contribute quality content that begets more quality content.

As I recall I identified your computer, city, and had an image of you posted in the thread. There was also the maps and sat images of XXXXXXX that showed Simon's home, along with other details. No false information was ever posted by me, I was just too thorough in my investigation, and that made some people uncomfortable.

If you actually did this, I'd have pulled the plug on you too.

a reply to: anxietydisorder

The members are ATS, and we provide everything of interest that draws people to this site. What do you think they should do to keep us coming back?

Then you must be the change you wish to see in the (ATS) world. Like TrueBrit said, I too have ventured into alternative sites only to be disappointed at the base-level ning-nongs posting on those sites where every 2nd word is an expletive and every other word is gibberish.

When it comes to thread topics that are, lets say, "controversial", I always go with the adage that "there are plenty of ways to skin a cat" inasfar as it is in the method of delivery of the message that may determine if it remains or is pulled.

For instance, ATS moderators/owners are against any threads on Hitler....or are they?

I like how this site includes so many different topics and not only conspiracy topics. The variety is good for the mind.
One of the main reason's I've joined is because of the Moderators keeping posts amongst members civil.
I have started to read really fascinating, out there threads that have been pulled and never found out why, but I keep coming back.
When I first started lurking, a little over a year ago, I found out about Ebola before the news and that was a hot topic for awhile.
I think the upcoming US presidential election is a hot topic because it's what's going on right now. I'm waiting to see this political stuff die down and move on to the next hot topics. Hopefully it's something other than a pandemic.
Alien contact? Human trip to Mars? Bigfoot found? Who knows what the future holds!

a reply to: peppycat

You are the type of person this site needs right now. A fresh perspective on some old threads that can bring some life back to the place.

I guarantee you will find an endless supply of informative posts to read, and I hope you won't be shy about adding current information to any topic. If people like you have a new idea, even on an old topic, start a new thread and bring it back to life. ATS needs fresh content, and you might be the sort of person to provide it.

Forget about stars and flags, just dive in and see what the people here have to say. Most of them don't bite, but expect some disagreement.

Just curious though, "Alien contact? Human trip to Mars? Bigfoot found?", what topic really grabs your interest?

a reply to: anxietydisorder Well, there have been a couple of threads in the last four or five months, asking what brought you here to ATS. I can't remember exactly, but before I stumbled across ATS, I was looking up famous people that I thought were evil and things like their connection to the Illuminati or Satan. It's hard to prove this sort of thing as fact, but it's something I believe people should be aware of.
I've been blasted in posts I've made a few times already, but I always strive to at least, 'agree to disagree' and eventually I'll be brave enough to start a thread on the one topic that I'm pretty sure is how and why I stumbled upon ATS.
Thank you for the reply. I feel a bit more courageous.

a reply to: peppycat

Start it today, even if you do a rough draft in a text program you can edit before copying to post. It's worth it to you just to get the words down, decide how you want to put them out there, then do any editing before you post.

Look what I did today. I criticized the entire site and management of ATS. Sure I was looking to stir the hornet's nest to see some constructive ideas on improving this site for all of us, but I expected to be shot down. Believe me, I've caught flack before, and it stings.

But be bold, and I'll be one of the first people to watch your back.

originally posted by: anxietydisorder
This was such a fantastic forum in the past, but the number of mods started to grow. Everything started to be scrutinized, including threads in "Cooking" if you posted a recipe for owl soup.

Owl soup? I thought it was raccoon?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Anyhow, it's great to see you on the board again, its been kinda dull without you and other members

STM

a reply to: anxietydisorder Thank you Anxietydisorder for the encouraging words!
I will have to get started on something with pen and paper first. I'm stuck with tapping words out on a simple tablet but, look forward to doing some serious research!

originally posted by: CharlieSpeirs
a reply to: Metallicus

Hopefully after the idiots that support Sanders / Trump etc are done with their threads it will get better.

You're forgetting/ruling out that one of those two is going to win...

Which will only ensure another 4 years of it.


Our only hope is a Hillary win.
No fans on ATS it could be the shining light to the division we currently face as a site.

"Our only hope is a Hillary win."

Good grief, how did this trash get introduced into this thread? You obviously take even the slightest opportunity to plug the lying deceitfully criminal hag. You talk as if she is our last and greatest hope when she is actually pure evil.

Mods, you can remove this post at your pleasure. I don't care. It just pleases me to even briefly vent my displeasure with someone that takes "any" opportunity to push this bitch.

a reply to: seentoomuch

Holy crap, you remember the great raccoon hunt from about ten years ago?

I never caught that critter, but I can't say I'm not still an urban hunter. The geese fly in, they are great for dinner, and better than any turkey or chicken. As far as the owl soup recipe though, it was removed and deleted before it gained more than a page of replies. If you do catch a snowy white, or even a couple of barn owls, send me a message and I'll send you the recipe. Just don't mention certain owls that live in the Pacific North West. Apparently my people can eat them, but other people can't even cut a tree if they live in the area.

I've made a few posts tonight, and even crossed paths with SkepticOverlord, so we'll see how things go. But expect some of the same old Anx if I haven't been banned yet.

OH GOD!!!, I just read some of the thread you referenced and I almost got a ban for that one. NO SOUP FOR YOU...

originally posted by: anxietydisorder
But it's true that my recipe for owl soup was removed because a mod thought eating an owl was wrong for some reason.

Um yes. Because, you know, it's illegal to catch Owls throughout the US. You were promoting something illegal.

Seriously. You're complaining about a 10-year old thread thrashing, that was obviously in need of being trashed.

I was just too thorough in my investigation, and that made some people uncomfortable.

No. It contained false information, and false accusations.

I do understand the tragedy of Sandy Hook,

I don't think you do. We've been consistently unable to oblige Sandy Hook topics without someone going down the rabbit hole of accusing private people and victims -- naming names and private details -- of doing horrible things. Posting personal information always been against the rules.

originally posted by: lysacid
I dislike the policy of first post on a topic gets to stay and all others are closed. This leads to a lot of minimal posts done in a hurry when posts that were much better and thought out get deleted. This keeps my motivation to post very low.

If you haven't used the search function on ATS (which btw should have to be improved, it suckss!) you need to be more on your game. The first come first served basis although can be a pain feature, I do agree with you that some first thread posts are garbage when they could have been written better.

ATS...FIX YOUR SEARCH FUNCTION PLEASE!!!!

a reply to: anxietydisorder

This thread is very much needed!

I left for a while, because i thought the website wasn't as good as it could be. I came back, and it was worse...

I have only been a member for 4 and a half years, but i have noticed that the quality of ATS has significantly decreased in that time.

I don't think the moderation team is too large. Nor do i think the rules have become too strict. I think the website has become too lenient and the staff, inconsistent. I've seen staff break the rules and attack members, and i've seen staff drive the website to embracing clickbait and speculation over quality content. Not unsurprisingly, the same happened with the general membership and the website has suffered as a result.

We hardly see any quality content anymore. The infrequent quality threads now mostly come from older members who have stuck it out despite the changes.

We see more personal attacks and bull# from mostly newer members. This permeates throughout the entire website and is not limited to political or religious forums.

I think the best example i can think of regarding the drop in quality is this:

Last year, there was a thread about Putin disappearing in Russia. Most people were running wild with speculation, and the staff were more than happy to post speculative updates about a potential coup on their social media accounts. Older members, like Phage, cautioned against taking information at face value, but they were literally told to leave by members and staff alike. Obviously, Phage and the others were correct, and everyone else, including the staff, looked like fools for jumping on incorrect information. It was at that moment where i had lost hope for ATS. When i see the website wildly promoting unconfirmed reports while dismissing older members, i know that the website isn't what it used to be. These members used to be, and some are still, solid contributors. ATS alienated them for more clicks and bull#.

Quality content and members used to be respected. Now, we hardly see either. It's such a shame. No amount of promotion or cross-content partnerships with other entities will save ATS from its own problems.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord
Posting personal information always been against the rules.

What about incorporating ATS member names (not personal names) into posts on ATS? I know I have hashed it out with another member, got my posts removed, and because it appeared after like I trolled this individual in a political debate, I was banned from posting for almost two months! That mod decision gave me the limp biscuit for a while

originally posted by: Esoterotica
With that star to post ratio, you obviously beat the game already. No need to play further.

Really?

lol, you are a true noob huh?

first of all, most true contributors don't give a rat's tail about stars and flags.

Second, it's a glitch.

originally posted by: Razmijix
a reply to: On the level

Exactly. And it's become more political than it used to be. It used to have more threads on UFOs,ancient civilizations and just general fringe stuff. Now it seems to be all politics and current events.

I have to agree with you on the political stance.

I hate that part of ATS now. It's too divisive.

Maybe you should just take a break for awhile and concentrate on other things.
I took off for about a year and played a lot of video games during that time.