Whats happened to ATS recently?

DP

originally posted by: OtherSideOfTheCoin
AboveTopSecret.com is not what it was 2 or 3 years ago.

Yes there has always been slumps, there have always been the annoying political badgering but in the last year or so I feel there has been a real shift in what ATS is.

ATS should be a conspiracy forum first and foremost however its not a conspiracy forum any more. ATS has transformed into more of a forum of social commentary with a few conspiracy forums in the mix. Its became way more mainstream and much less "alternative" there has been a real shift in the identity of ATS, we are no more a conspiracy forum than any other forum these days but strangely still tries to be a conspiracy forum. Good members are leaving or posting less, there are more and more new member who join up but seem more interested in discussing gender issues or health fads than discussing stuff like UFO's, 9/11, Secret Societies and the such.

The blame for this is both the members and the owners, I really do think that ATS has tried to expand too much, tried to attract newer members who don't take conspiracies as seriously as those of us who have been around for 5 or 6 years.

Its a shame really but this place is really going down the proverbial toilet.

Much of that is true. In regard to a lot of 'conspiracy-like topics' , I see people trying to post them, but the hard debunking is swift. It seems that every single possible UFO MUST be a dot in the sky, odd clouds, ice crystals or lens flare. I WANT TO BELIEVE but others simply want to DEBUNK, every single time.

Forget about chemtrails, one of my favorite topics and what brought me here.

The mandela Effect is treated like a joke.

The political 'conspiracies' get so overbroad they mainly say 'TPTB has Chosen Ones and Your Vote Doesn't matter, The Bilderbergs had a Meeting!' I would like to know more about these things in more detail.

Topics about ghosts/hauntings do seem to do a little better, in civil and often empathetic debate.

Regardless, there is a vast amount of archives I could probably never finish in my lifetime, I can read those. If the national conversation includes the election (in an election year) and civil rights, the topics will be found here. I lurked for a couple years before I registered and the list of forums seems about the same.

I have a recent U2U where a long time member says it reallly has always been like this, the topics du jour change ( I see less about immigrants in Europe, for example), but that the site really hasn't changed that much. I answered that I thought others ma be looking at the past of ATS through rose colored glasses.

When clicking 'new', today, I found a great deal of posts that zero to do with politics or bathrooms. I would imagine if ou don;t like these topics, you should A) not read them or B) Create some other content.

The site also seems to have been infiltrated with malware/viruses just as Yahoo has been. Coincidence?

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

Just to let you know, somebody already has this exact thread this morning here.

Oh, I'll be darned, that thread is YOU.

It is him. I alerted this as double posting the same thread via using a different forum. Not sure anyone did anthing about that.

originally posted by: WAstateMosin
The site also seems to have been infiltrated with malware/viruses just as Yahoo has been. Coincidence?

If you think there are maleware or viruses (which none of my virus scanners have found), you should make a board business topic to that effect.

I have great virus protection and maleware scanners. I use Avira for constant protection and scan at 3am daily with malewarebytes. Nothing ever found from here.

User Generated Content, mmmm.

originally posted by: AmericanRealist
move along people, nothing has changed, only perceptions. Click the cross-hair in my sig, and you can pick nearly any date after 9/11 to see what was ATS like. Although the topics and the names have changed, and the community population has increased, the divisive bickering is still present as far back as one wishes to research. PERCEPTION!

The more people join and start topics of their choosing, the more people will 'perceive' that there is a sudden increase in hostility or agenda pushing. I would say the physical numbers are up, but not the rate (%) of certain topics or hostility. Hell, just go back to 2005 after Bush was inaugurated. And people THEN thought it had ever been more divisive. It was worse than now IMO.

Absolutely correct.

a reply to: reldra

Yeah, and get shouted down and called a liar by every reactionary 'progressive' on here. No thanks! I prefer a peaceful existence; that's why I stay out of things, mostly.

originally posted by: WAstateMosin
a reply to: reldra

Yeah, and get shouted down and called a liar by every reactionary 'progressive' on here. No thanks! I prefer a peaceful existence; that's why I stay out of things, mostly.

I am often 'shouted down' and in insulting and off topic ways by 'reactionary conservatives'. It is your choice to enter a debate of that kind or not. There are a lot of forums that will have less of that. Simply click 'forums' and pick one.

originally posted by: reldra

originally posted by: WAstateMosin
a reply to: reldra

Yeah, and get shouted down and called a liar by every reactionary 'progressive' on here. No thanks! I prefer a peaceful existence; that's why I stay out of things, mostly.

I am often 'shouted down' and in insulting and off topic ways by 'reactionary conservatives'. It is your choice to enter a debate of that kind or not. There are a lot of forums that will have less of that. Simply click 'forums' and pick one.

OMG, me too.

I've been told to leave threads, called a troll and informant, yada, yada.

I think its funny when "they" accuse me of name calling. I've yet to figure out what they're referring to.

a reply to: reldra

Just FYI, a TRUE conservative is not reactionary, nor do we shout people down. We just go away for really long periods of time and think, not meditate on what reactions we can cause or have. Goodbye.

originally posted by: WAstateMosin
a reply to: reldra

Just FYI, a TRUE conservative is not reactionary, nor do we shout people down. We just go away for really long periods of time and think, not meditate on what reactions we can cause or have. Goodbye.

A true conservative would concentrate on financial matters, extravagance, misuse, & family.

Not denying minorities equality determined by the Constitution.

I wouldn’t blame ATS they have to reflect what’s on peoples mind and what interests them.

There’s is always space in here for alternative things one rarely finds anywhere else.


Also that’s how the public square is turning into….a conflict zone entirely


Blame the culture

originally posted by: TruthxIsxInxThexMist
The front page or first page with new Topics is being over-run with Trans/gay Topics and/or people...

Why is this?

And why is it even Above Top Secret??

Maybe its just me but they seem to be doubling up on a daily basis.

but i have an idea how to avoid them.

BTW... I did start a new Thread today about this because it has become pretty annoying. I'll say now that I didn't start the Thread to cause trouble... I just started it because well... it's becoming annoying like i just said.

Don't worry about it, ATS is actually a sociological experiment in all sorts of things...you'll get used to it!

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: Skywatcher2011
a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

I agree..I joined ATS to find out more about conspiracies, UFOs, global issues...and all of a sudden this is turning into a let's go gay and trans..

Everyone has the choice of which thread they participate in. Even you.

Why complain about something you have no interest in - - - when all you need to do is go to FORUMS and choose a thread that does interest you?

The problem is though that to participate in a thread one will enjoy one has to first find that thread.

Right now there is so much crap on the forums that its almost impossible.

Just take a look at the 50 most recent threads, how many of them are truly discussing "conspiracy theories"?

Anything less than 75% is just not good enough for a conspiracy site.

Its turning into a case of quantity over quality.

originally posted by: OtherSideOfTheCoin

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: Skywatcher2011
a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

I agree..I joined ATS to find out more about conspiracies, UFOs, global issues...and all of a sudden this is turning into a let's go gay and trans..

Everyone has the choice of which thread they participate in. Even you.

Why complain about something you have no interest in - - - when all you need to do is go to FORUMS and choose a thread that does interest you?

The problem is though that to participate in a thread one will enjoy one has to first find that thread.

Right now there is so much crap on the forums that its almost impossible.

Just take a look at the 50 most recent threads, how many of them are truly discussing "conspiracy theories"?

Anything less than 75% is just not good enough for a conspiracy site.

Its turning into a case of quantity over quality.

Searching a subject works too.

The fault is not with the site - - - it's with the person who finds it too tedious to look for threads that interest them.

Then blames other posters for making threads of current issues.

I guess if a UFO lands on the White House lawn that will be a current issue worth making a thread on.

originally posted by: OtherSideOfTheCoin


Its turning into a case of quantity over quality.

It's been that way for a while... but it's OK because it's just election season... and then it's school holidays and then it's just after a tragedy and then it's because of paid shills and then for the 2 weeks of the year it's none of that, ATS is pretty cool.

a reply to: Annee

I guess if a UFO lands on the White House lawn that will be a current issue worth making a thread on.

BS. We'd all just get into a fight about which bathrooms the aliens are supposed to use, never come to a consensus and I'd be advocating for a space wall.

originally posted by: Domo1
a reply to: Annee

I guess if a UFO lands on the White House lawn that will be a current issue worth making a thread on.

BS. We'd all just get into a fight about which bathrooms the aliens are supposed to use, never come to a consensus and I'd be advocating for a space wall.

LOL,

a reply to: Annee

Yep...I just go there first...more than several times a day. Until I get more time to sit n surf....