A Question About ATS

A Question About ATS. In fact, many questions.

Why has it become ok to post videos with no description, explanation and opinion?

Why has it become ok to post threads referring to a medium (film, news, book) with no explanation of what the medium is?

Why do most posters assume ATS members are familiar with American current events?

How come at school we had to assume “the reader has no idea what you are talking about, therefore explain everything” ? But now that has all gone to pot.

Too many assumptions.


This is only personal but... it’s got to a point now where I come on here and I cannot understand half the threads. You guys are posting stuff with no context, background or explanation. And all that results in is people who agree with you replying.

There are YouTube videos with no explanation.

There are references to Trump’s impeachment with no background - we don’t all watch American TV. Some of us need background and explanation to understand what’s going on.

It seems like our standards have slipped. Massively. And nobody cares.

Surely we’re not so self centred that we have forgotten why threads need background, introduction, explanations and summaries?


The place has become really dumbed down recently and I’m not proud to be a member. I’m not flouncing. This isn’t a flounce post. I just think that with all the incredible minds we have here we really could do better.

a reply to: and14263

There are YouTube videos with no explanation.

Any links? Or is that even allowed?

a reply to: and14263
This needed to be said, Thank you!

It has been downhill ever since social media was encouraged/required to sign up.

The abbreviations people use like everyone knows what they are talking about drive me crazy.

We are allowed more than 140 characters people.

originally posted by: carsforkids
a reply to: and14263

There are YouTube videos with no explanation.

Any links?

Would not want to break TandCs by linking to posts. Not allowed to make threads about other members.

But they’re there. Else I wouldn’t have made the thread.

a reply to: and14263

I would suppose that in general across the board school systems have basically failed younger generations. Good writing is a skill. Now a days writing a school paper where you must cite source material, start with a premise and then methodically follow it thru doesn't happen till college.

It'd be nice to just blame inadequate writing skills on the members, but if you were never taught?

The Tower of Babel for one. For instance you use the word flouncing to describe your input here while I have always known flouncing to be a physical movement of annoyance. I see how your annoyance is expressed by that word but for me it was not readily understandable.

I think that our language is morphing(morphing meant to mean changing but with no real perceptible points of reference to mark that change other than a comparison over a given time period. Like looking away from the moon for an hour or so and when we look at it again we can see the change of position then.)

As our cultures cut their own courses , as cultures are want to do, they take some of us one place and others another. Same with generations. As one generation seeks it's own identity from the previous it invents it's own language and contexts and references.

So we have generational shift as well as cultural shift and none of that is to mention political shift. All going on at the same time. Contexts did not used to need to be explained because contexts were shared, Not so much any more.

This appears to be happening all around us with both political parties pushing to define those contexts. It ain't gonna happen.

Here we use to hold to the context of dialogue and discussion. Now we seem to hold to my way and forget your way cuz you are wrong.

ATS ain't gonna change that back again. I hold an assumption that ATS is studied by psychologists and scholars making note of the morphing going on here and that is just fine with the owners who seem absent from the forums now entirely.

a reply to: and14263

No doubt just wanted to check it out. One day this place will be
a cyber gangland. Only because it's inevitable and that's the way
of humanity. Ats is no different by way of the ghetto, the barrio
or the projects.

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

I am happy for language to evolve or morph, this is evident in multiple previous posts. But language evolving does not or should not influence thread context. They are two separate issues. Communication should still achieve its end, which is to communicate and explain. Thanks for your well thought out response.

a reply to: Caver78

Yes. A fair point.

Then we should enforce our standards and educate posters? Or at least someone should.

But as Terry says, the owners are ok with this. So who enforces, us or them?

a reply to: and14263

It seems like our standards have slipped. Massively. And nobody cares.

Of course nobody cares, that’s what they want. In a place where there are no standards for the truth their opinion is just as valid as actual facts. The majority of members only care about having what they already believe reinforced. It’s been a mission of a lot of people to turn ATS into the same kind of right wing cesspit they feel comfortable in. A la godlikeproductions. I used to read people talking about it in other forums. And we’re almost there. Not too long ago a completely false OP was on the front page for the better part of a week, and no one did anything about it. Because it was bashing Democrats.

That alone shows you that the people in charge aren’t concerned about the truth as much as placating a certain political party. Of course people who value the truth and put thought into things aren’t going to hang around that kind of environment. And I can’t blame them.

The further ATS strays from calling out lies, the more it will turn into all the sites it used to pride itself on not being.

a reply to: underwerks

Thanks for twisting this into more political BS.

a reply to: underwerks

I don’t think this is a right vs left thing.

Both sides are just as guilty.

The reason right wing politics is taking over conspiracy forums is because left wing politics is prevalent in popular media and right wing politics is popular in alternative media. Thus serves a self fulfilling prophecy.

Poor thread standards are not related to left vs right politics.


Please don’t take this down the political route. I understand your point but I genuinely feel it is misplaced.

Confirmation bias is a terrible thing but it is not what I am alluding to here. I’m simply describing crap threads from both the right and the left.

originally posted by: stosh64
a reply to: underwerks

Thanks for twisting this into more political BS.

What he said ^^^^^^^^^^^

I come here for the content but stay for the #-house rat crazy posters. That said, the posts with multiple links, graphs, and videos tend to be the most insane as they aren't related to the topic at all. For instance, Moses and his wife 42 years, Halley's Comet, 41 years baktun, etc etc. Those make me laugh.

If I can't understand a post, I usually just shake my head and move on to another. As an American, I try to ignore foreign political posts as they tend to have little relevance to me. I love the American political posts because both sides truly believe in these "bombshells" that never come. Overall, this site takes all types and that is why I enjoy it.

originally posted by: and14263

Why do most posters assume ATS members are familiar with American current events?

How come at school we had to assume “the reader has no idea what you are talking about, therefore explain everything” ? But now that has all gone to pot.

Too many assumptions.

The place has become really dumbed down recently and I’m not proud to be a member. I’m not flouncing. This isn’t a flounce post. I just think that with all the incredible minds we have here we really could do better.

I feel pretty much as you do, I even took out for a good while. I always thought you make honest posts, and for the powers that be here now..they should pay attention big time...that's all.

originally posted by: stosh64
a reply to: and14263
This needed to be said, Thank you!

It has been downhill ever since social media was encouraged/required to sign up.
The abbreviations people use like everyone knows what they are talking about drive me crazy.
We are allowed more than 140 characters people.

Well at least I don't have to look elsewhere for daily news (that is not a good thing) because the threads have become discussions of current events and unless there is some serious editorialism this is just not very interesting. I can start a thread and test this.

originally posted by: vethumanbeing

Well at least I don't have to look elsewhere for daily news (that is not a good thing) because the threads have become discussions of current events and unless there is some serious editorialism this is just not very interesting. I can start a thread and test this.

Your premise works both ways, many threads here are quite the manifestation of total political crap and cant, and very poor disinfo webs...that is the known. I don't think that this is the exact thing the OP is getting at though.

a reply to: and14263

At the risk of creating a minimal post:
Be the change you wish to see

a reply to: and14263

Have you tried actually watch the videos like the rest of us do before commenting?

a reply to: burdman30ott6
I’m not sure how that’s relevant to my point.

But our standards are even explained before every thread which is started:

Opening posts that contain no content, links with little or no explanation, YouTube videos with no commentary, images with little or no commentary and similar content may be removed without warning or explanation.
If your topic is important to you make sure you explain why with links and supporting material so that our members may offer more relevant contributions and ultimately better threads.

In fact, if you have less to say than this simple notice you probably do not have enough to start a thread.

Thank you for your assistance in helping to create great threads in ATS. [quote]