Why does ATS Require a Verified Social Network Account for Signing Up?

IDK...maybe it's just a script error

The join now button is missing.

The little person icon above thel ats guy highlights and does some buggy stuff via phone.

I alerted so hopefully a mod will be along soon .

Looks like something very recent (just days ago).

If you look at the Members list and go to the last page, you can see many new people who joined with just a valid email account and not through social media sites.

Could be several reasons for this, and not all of them means that ATS is forcing new members to join only if they have a social media account.

Best guess is to wait and see what the moderators here have to say, and not make assumptions about anything just yet.

There has been a temporary change to the sign up procedure.

I would like to get input from a MOD or the site owners about this.

I feel that it is only reasonable to get an explanation regarding this before we all start drawing the wrong conclusions. It may be a way to gain more activity to the site via social media. I know ATS has been struggling paying the bills while also trying to defend against attacks on the site. This is why the donation option is now available.

Let's not speculate anything until we hear an explanation.

Edit: ZAPH has joined the discussion, I posted one post too late.

a reply to: Zaphod58

May we ask for an explanation as to why? And why is it just temporary? Thanks!

a reply to: Wookiep

Skeptic is doing a little tweaking of things to get the site to run a little smoother. No big deal.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Is this an unintentional side effect?

a reply to: SafePlace

I mean since this text appears,

Join Via Social Network Pick a social network below to create your account using your credentials there: Note: You must use the selected social network every time you log into AboveTopSecret.com. Also, AboveTopSecret.com only uses the authentication data and username, provided by the social network you select. We will never access or use any other information for any reason.

We can only assume it was intentional and planned.


Or was this text always there?

Glad it's temporary. Older members like me weren't required to present social media links.

Plus, my burner Facebook accounts keep getting shut down and I'm banned from instagram.

I only joined a couple of weeks ago and only needed an email to do so. If I had needed to give social media info too (which I don't have), I wouldn't have joined at all.

Please take note that, by clicking the "I want to join" button or social network icons below

Someone already pointed this out but this does indeed say there are two options, only the "I want to join" button is not there.

So glitch then?

originally posted by: SafePlace
a reply to: carewemust

I don't see how it can be any clearer. They want an account for which you have to identify yourself.

If you break the law they can get to you no matter what, the point is that this requirement discourages people from speaking their minds, or signing up in the first place.....

If you think it is a good thing then we disagree.

Thanks for explaining things so clearly. I don't like to assume what someone means, from a single sentence they post. It's interesting that these ATS member identification/tracking tools were implemented while President Obama was in office. They seem more like something that the Trump administration would compel social media websites to employ, for national security reasons.

Reality is just different for different people.

I have long had a suspicion, for example, that not everybody on ATS sees the same posts.

Each individual sees selected posts approved for them to see, and when they post responses, those responses are only seen by select other members.

This is the only way to explain the odd behavior of the star and flag accounting, that seems statistically odd and illogical otherwise.

Go figure !

originally posted by: AMPTAH
Reality is just different for different people.

I have long had a suspicion, for example, that not everybody on ATS sees the same posts.

Each individual sees selected posts approved for them to see, and when they post responses, those responses are only seen by select other members.

This is the only way to explain the odd behavior of the star and flag accounting, that seems statistically odd and illogical otherwise.

Go figure !

well that is true for the internet as a whole, but if you're friends with people on ATS they never mention a thread you can't find..

But google searches and stuff like that.. If you are friends with someone and they give you .au links and you go to it like on youtube for instance there were two videos of the same name, but the au version was slightly different and had 2 million less views than the .com one..

But from my computer on it's own I could never find the other link..

my computer still gets confused sometimes with au websites..

google searches even with no history loaded seem region specific.

Think of what you can do with that, and molding the world.

a reply to: AMPTAH

i am wondering how many of us can see your post...(i have had similar thought as you)
can you read my post?
i am just conducting a small test...

a reply to: peppycat

I can read your post. Please don't be overly dramatic about this. ATS has an excellent staff. I happen to know from personal experience that the staff here is well balanced beyond most other websites and message forums.

There IS a valid reason for this change, and as Zaph said, it looks to be temporary, and no big deal. I believe him.

a reply to: Wookiep

I happen to know from personal experience that the staff here is well balanced beyond most other websites and message forums.

This is ATS and that statement if true seems like a conspiracy a mole might start

I do have at most respect for the ATS staff, still curious.I hope it is 'temporary', but at the same time, we have to question everything you know.
Is it because of this - for our own safety ...

a reply to: the2ofusr1

I only know because I have been in trouble here more than once, and had more conversations with staff than I am proud to admit. They were quite pleasant convos, pretty much every time. I've talked to many mods with a diverse set of beliefs. They are many, and they are not all the same.

It's not a conspiracy. Sorry to burst any bubbles!