Old lurker upset with how discourse has devolved over the last 2 years.

Am i the only one here getting tired of the vitriolic fervor from ...well, everyone, it seems. Dems and Repubs, Libertarians and "Free-thinkers"?


I'll put it bluntly: If you can't be a gentleman or lady, then take it to the mud-pit or go back to youtube comments.

Trump sucks, i think he is a terrible choice along with hillary, but good god. Some of you are unironically voicing opinions that make Trump and Clinton look like Adam Smith and Margret Thatcher. Even the 2008 elections weren't this vitriolic, nor bush's second term. Actual nazis would tell us to dial it down a few marks.

Is it not our duty as skeptics and nuts to rise above the droning dreck of dullards and ( oh god, forgive me for the word i am about to use) the masses of " sheeple?"

All it took to get some of you fired up and throwimg your fellow ATSer under the bus was the mere mention of trump. Same goes for some of the Anti-Clintons....


Ive been lurking on this board since the age of 13, in 2001. I have grown up with ATS as a staple in my online diet. Think about that; some of us literally grew up on this board. This place helped me form my own "independent" intellect and taught me valuable epistemic principles.

I lost the email for my first account and have gone silent for the last few years. I am no big name like Phage or Slayer...but ive earned my stars and kudos. It really sucks to see my favorite BBS site devolve into youtube-grade flame-wars.
All it took to get some of you fired up and throwimg your fellow ATSer under the bus was the mere mention of trump or hillary.


Please guys. This needs to stop.

Let's make ATS great again. ( Chill anti-trumpers, i mean this in a literal manner)

From this post on, i pledge to be less of a petulant fool myself. No more partisanal rhetoric will tint my thoughts, nor will i let petty labels get to me from small minded reactionaries who use the Reply box as a soapbox.


Will you all join me and help me as well as eachother?

ETA: I Know i am screaming into an empty closet here..

Whatever ... no!!

a reply to: DeathShield

I'm down. Getting pretty fed up with it myself...and not just here, either.

I agree with you but there's always been a segment of trolls & one-liner whiners...they come & go but are unfortunately a part of the reality that is the interwebs

We should all try harder to have intelligent dialogue but it will inevitably devolve in the face of very controversial issues (religion, politics, race...etc.)

originally posted by: DeathShield

throwimg your fellow ATSer under the bus

Can you cite examples of this? I may not have been around as long as you, but I have no clue what you're talking about.

a reply to: DeathShield

The US elections will be over soon and things will slowly come back to normal . Have fun with the elections , both sides get wound up like cheap Japanese toys .

a reply to: DeathShield

it's only going to get worse until about December.

Sorry to be a spoil-sport.

I find myself more civil with people I meet in person. More tolerant, more loving.

But I find that here with how blatant people are, how expressive. Granted a few take it to far, but is it not therapy to play with ideas considered taboo in face to face social life.

While the partisanship I see here is ironic considering the culture this site represents, I laugh. I find myself guilty of the game we are supposed to play every four years. I know better and yet I fall into it.

None of what I said is linear, that's because I myself haven't figured out what I am trying to say. Rant on the rant haha.

I hear you though.

Amen brother. And that's coming from an Atheist.

To be honest ATS has always been a bit of a cesspit. If it's not the elections, it's militant atheism or people trolling Mars rock threads saying users suffer from Pareidolia.

So, pick your poison.

It used to be a place for intelligent discourse, clever reasoning and in depth research.....I've been here about 7-8yrs (lost email for other account) and seen it degenerate into laziness with personal attacks and name calling taking the place of reasoned argument. Jeez people lately can't even be bothered to read an entire post but still feel there points are oh so valid. If a post has more than 2 paragraphs..forget it!! People bung up posts without even attempting to check facts, repeat hearsay and facebook nonsense then get all hurt when its pointed out to be a hoax. Oh and the biggest and it seems only come back to losing in argument is PROVE IT knowing full well that we, as laymen, have little hope of ever getting actual concrete proof. That's why its a conspiracy theory site

I've learned a lot from this site I might add and one of the things its taught me is NOT to take everything at face value. Research, read up check things out for yourself, then maybe you can add something of substance to the thread

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
I find myself more civil with people I meet in person. More tolerant, more loving.

But I find that here with how blatant people are, how expressive. Granted a few take it to far, but is it not therapy to play with ideas considered taboo in face to face social life.

While the partisanship I see here is ironic considering the culture this site represents, I laugh. I find myself guilty of the game we are supposed to play every four years. I know better and yet I fall into it.

None of what I said is linear, that's because I myself haven't figured out what I am trying to say. Rant on the rant haha.

I hear you though.

If you knew what you were takling about you would know why the site was made and what political way it leans.

Obviously, all are welcome within the T&C, but I am not sure what you mean by 'the culture the site represents'.

originally posted by: Konduit
To be honest ATS has always been a bit of a cesspit. If it's not the elections, it's militant atheism or people trolling Mars rock threads saying users suffer from Pareidolia.

So, pick your poison.

A what? Militant atheism? You are definitely not seeing reality. The reigioon forum is active. I have talked in them. I have talked about being Wiccan.
I have seen no militant atheists.

a reply to: DeathShield

What has gotten to me over the years - and frankly I rarely post anymore or visit much - is the quality of topics under discussion.

The trolls and youngsters and reactionaries I can deal with, but I get bored with the lack of a diversity of topics. Most topics, this year and much of last are purely political. Nothing about issues, or science, or health, or aliens, or any of the myriad topics that were regular daily threads. Now it's all politics - bread and circuses so to speak.

What things of real interest lurk beneath the political scandal-du-jour.


Don't know....

originally posted by: FyreByrd
a reply to: DeathShield

What has gotten to me over the years - and frankly I rarely post anymore or visit much - is the quality of topics under discussion.

The trolls and youngsters and reactionaries I can deal with, but I get bored with the lack of a diversity of topics. Most topics, this year and much of last are purely political. Nothing about issues, or science, or health, or aliens, or any of the myriad topics that were regular daily threads. Now it's all politics - bread and circuses so to speak.

What things of real interest lurk beneath the political scandal-du-jour.


Don't know....

Look at the words above my avatar. I was not meaning that for this site.

We have a plethora of great threads that aren;t political. I have complained about 'too many political threads', but in regard to the site in general, that is just not true.

It will look like it for the next few months, but many other forums, especially the short story forum is particularly active now. I see a lot of grey area threads.

originally posted by: Konduit
To be honest ATS has always been a bit of a cesspit. If it's not the elections, it's militant atheism or people trolling Mars rock threads saying users suffer from Pareidolia.

So, pick your poison.

A cesspit? Go to GLP and you will find a cesspit. That avatar really sux, too.

a reply to: reldra

The site shouldn't lean. The two party system is a joke.

If it did lean it's right.

The site is a conspiracy site.

The current political situation for the US is a joke and has been.

While I admited my post was not linear, I fail to see your point. We shouldn't play into the two party system.

a reply to: reldra

Also it shouldn't lean. I'm like many on here, an agnostic. I have no place to say someone is wrong. And with the knowledge on this site im confused that there are only two ways to think.


Since I'm new as a member (though I've lurked) and you're a veteran, could you tell me what to think since you represent the open minded thinking of the two only choices of thought?


Doesn't that sound silly?

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: reldra

The site shouldn't lean. The two party system is a joke.

If it did lean it's right.

The site is a conspiracy site.

The current political situation for the US is a joke and has been.

While I admited my post was not linear, I fail to see your point. We shouldn't play into the two party system.

LOL, it leaned left. It hasn't really changed, more people just joined it.

It is intrinsically the same.


I am not telling you where to lean.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: reldra

If it did lean it's right.

The site is a conspiracy site.

That is a little dissonance.

Regardless, the lean is not right.