Can we have ATS back, please?

a reply to: ForteanOrg

Long time lurker and I decided to join up when all this politics started happening. Wish I had joined earlier..

a reply to: Specimen

According to Alexa, traffic here has actually decreased. There hasn't been this "uptick" in traffic that some seem to think there has.

If it hasn't been mentioned yet, but I vote for Political MudPit threads to be removed from the recent topics section! Problem solved!

The Cause of ATS Downfall!!!

Once upon a time, there was a site called "AboveTop Secret!
A lot of "cyber surfers" has found it.

Most of the early members we're "secret holders", and some were poignant wanderers.
As "like attract like", ATS has attracted lots of leakers of "secret knowledge" on board that made ATS the place it was once.

As time goes by, wanderers have learned of the secrets and "secret sharers" has decided to leave ATS since then,
While the "wanderers" stayed on board and expressed their excitement of once "secret knowledge".
But everything has change when the "Troll Nation"attacked. They we're once the poignant wanderers who decided to stay but has nothing left to share but troll on ATS.

And so there the once great old ATS has lost it's glory and shaded by it's name.

The End.

a reply to: ForteanOrg

I agree completely. As you can see beside my name I joined in 2007, but that's only because I forgot the password to my previous account which was about three years older. That means I've been here for about thirteen years now and that makes me one of a small group of core ATS enthusiasts who were here from almost the beginning. This place has changed. It's become nasty, politically partisan, increasingly brutal and disrespectful of other people's opinions, and we're now finding fascist ideas permeating the website. Trump's campaign and election win might be making things worse because we have this nasty spirit of hate and anger at everyone who disagrees with them. Honest debate isn't like on that Monty Python sketch where arguing is about "yes it is" or "no it isn't". Honest debate requires honest open minds where people are capable of having their minds changed when presented with sound, cogent, logical views and facts. This place has moved away from that and it is very distressing. I don't spend as much time here anymore as a result. Let's try to move away from hate, bigotry, and closed minds, and move back to open minds, intelligent and respectful debate, and plain ol' human kindness. It's much more rewarding all around.

a reply to: dovdov

I first came into contact with ATS around 2003, maybe 2004. I didn't become a member until 2006 I think. Not sure when exactly ATS began. Seems that I heard it came into being around 1998 one time, but I don't recall.
Anyway, in that time, I have seen many waxes and wanes here. For a while, there was a huge influx of Atheist posts. Then there was a huge influx of thought provoking philosophical conjecture. Personally I loved the philosophical period, but it has long since passed. Then there was the "I think I'm a crystal, indigo, star child" period. Then it seems the site plunged into the political arena around, oh, I'd say between 2009 and 2011. It doesn't seem like anything else has fluxed into the mix. So, I don't see it changing any time soon. I mean it has been predominately political for the last 6-8 years.

originally posted by: game over man
If it hasn't been mentioned yet, but I vote for Political MudPit threads to be removed from the recent topics section! Problem solved!

I mentioned similar actions way back in this thread. I agree the mudpit is a problem In addition to what you propose I would like stars disabled from the mudpit. The mud pit should be the lowest rung on ats no one should be rewarded for posting there.

I don't come on here as often as I used to because of the terribly annoying political threads. Recently, politics has been forcefully shoved down everyone's throats and I don't want to log on here and see more of that bull****.

a reply to: DarkestConspiracyMoon

Most I don't even open. Of course, my last thread was political too, so, I am a "fine" one to talk. However, I think most of the irritation arises from the influx of the "Mudpit" posts, which is nothing more than party liners throwing snarky comments at one another and drawing absolutely no substantial conclusions or solutions whatsoever.

Here's another vote for a Fortean site!

originally posted by: SolAquarius

originally posted by: game over man
If it hasn't been mentioned yet, but I vote for Political MudPit threads to be removed from the recent topics section! Problem solved!

I mentioned similar actions way back in this thread. I agree the mudpit is a problem In addition to what you propose I would like stars disabled from the mudpit. The mud pit should be the lowest rung on ats no one should be rewarded for posting there.

The mudpit isn't used as it was meant to be used. It's now used by a few well known members to simply troll the forum and start arguments. No intent for honest debate.

originally posted by: game over man
If it hasn't been mentioned yet, but I vote for Political MudPit threads to be removed from the recent topics section! Problem solved!

ATS made the choice to cater to the social media and drive-by post generation. Many of us said it was a mistake at the time. But, their choice.

That directly impacted the quality of the forum though. Forced the more intellectual members elsewhere. There's not even a reason to take the time to post long OP's on various topics anymore as they get quickly ignored. But that's what happens when you cater to the ADHD crowd.

a reply to: MysticPearl

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that a site as big as this costs quite a bit to keep running. Hence the advertisements. In order for those ads to generate revenue they have to be seen by people.

This site is user-driven, and if the people stopping by here want to talk politics, that's where the ad revenue is coming from.

So, unless there's an influx of members that want to drive the topics another direction, I don't see anything here changing.

originally posted by: ForteanOrg
Folks,

Preamble: I posted this in "above politics" as it is not a rant, and it sure does not belong in "political mud pit" either. But some may read a rant into it, others may suspect I'm throwing political mud - I can assure you, that's not my intent.

Can we have ATS back, please?

I am a fortean. Forteans, as you probably know, thrive on the unexpected, the weird, the strange, the stuff that happens still - though scientific models say it shouldn't. We are a curious bunch, always looking out for a ghoul, ghost, leprechaun, the occasional UFO. We are hardly surprised if visited by an alien (not to be confused with folks from Mexico), accept that some folks communicate with inner earth lifeforms or bump into Venusians, We don't believe, nor deny, we simply observe and enjoy. It gives us intense pleasure, it is an activity like breathing: constant, life-supporting, mostly unnoticed.

We toe no party line. Politics in themselves are fascinating in their absurdity, so many a fortean spends at least some time observing what happens in the political landscape. To be honest - it's not half as exciting as most other fortean topics. Sure, many forteans support a political ideology - I, for example, consider myself to be an Anarchist (not to be confused with folks from Mexico either). My personal beliefs about how people should live together will colour my utterings, of course. But as a fortean it is of no interest: people from all walks of life, and all colours of the political spectrum enjoy the weirdness that can be found on this planet. In pubs they pour beer to all kinds.

I joined ATS because I am a fortean. ATS, when I joined, provided both recaps of interesting fortean topics already known to me, sometimes brought me new joy by providing an new gem. A lot of people that posted in here clearly were intelligent people, many seemed to have that awesome mix of intelligence and emotional stability that is necessary to have a proper, constructive discussion. Especially when the topic is about seemingly absurd stuff.

Alas, something went totally awry some time ago, and the result is a handicapped forum. At least, that's how it is for me.

Can we have ATS back, please? The ATS that had inspiring, respectful discussions, in which nobody felt the need to raise himself by killing another and step on his corpse? The one bubbling with theories, the one that often had fortean news before any other source had? The one that had threads about UFO's, ghosts, leprechauns, levitations and remote viewing on the front page, instead of item after item about American politics? And, may I add: I've never seen such disrespect for manners and decorum before in my life as here, on ATS, lately.

Can we please have ATS back, folks?

You should want your free will back and the others on this site as well.

originally posted by: SpeakerofTruth
a reply to: Specimen

According to Alexa, traffic here has actually decreased. There hasn't been this "uptick" in traffic that some seem to think there has.

people might've become tired of the trump topics and avoid the site alltogether is what i can think of : //

a reply to: jamsession

Well, yeah, it gets tiresome, especially to those who have been around here longer than four or five years. I went on quite the hiatus from here. Fact is, I have been here more in the last month than I have in the last five years combined. When I first joined in 2006, the site was great. However, around 2011, I began to notice a significant change here. When I look at the site now and the quality of a lot of the posts, it's not remotely reminiscent of what it once was.
It's pretty disheartening to members who have been here 10+ years. I suppose what will eventually happen is that there will no longer be any of us who have been here 10 or more years. The herd has already been significantly thinned in that regard.
I had a lot of friends on this site at one time, but I don't even know who ninety percent of the posters are now. I still see a few who were around when I first entered ATS, but not many.

I agree, I miss the titor threads, the moon landing threads, DIA, and yes even the 9/11 threads

the partisan bickering has caused a lot of people to just close their eyes and root for their team

I don't see a lot of things being questioned, no more "follow the money" type of ideas. I see a lot of people twisiting things to fit a narrative given to them by the party bosses

pretty scary actually

There's nothing more I'd like than going back to nickel Cokes and driving a 1958 Custom Royal.
But you can never go back, no matter how bad you want it.
Life is constant change and many times not for the better.
All you can do is reminisce and remember how it used to be back in the " Good Ole Days".



Buck

originally posted by: [post=21986328]syrinx high

I don't see a lot of things being questioned, no more "follow the money" type of ideas. I see a lot of people twisiting things to fit a narrative given to them by the party bosses

pretty scary actually

I agree. What's even worse is if you do bring any such things up you are greeted with one of two responses

1) Ignored

2 ) Snarky comments are tossed in your direction

This is the rightist and leftist modus operandi. I just haven't figured out if it's due to a lack of intelligence to discuss any such matter, which is my suspicion, or if they truly believe their tripe.

Recent events have proven politics belong here.