To the members of AboveTopSecret.com, a gut-check

This is all too familiar for me. Every website that is dedicated to give people a chance to spread their opinions of this world is, like it or not, going to go through opposites, bashing, flamewars, insulting, cencorship, banning, ignorance and all the worst that a human being will do when his ideas of a world are challanged.


Lets face it. Most of it comes because we all have different experiences, differing intellectual capacity, different information about things and so on. some may have read a hundred books on UFO's, some may just have had a glimplse on some article. That creates opposition, because there is nothing we can do for human nature.

In my opinion, the politics ATS staff are using is one of the best when compared to rest of the forums on internet. There are difficult decisions to be made and keeping a site from going nuts requires control. You may not like it, but perhaps you would want to check how other sites are doing.

They (ATS staff) have done a great work to prevent birth of certain well informed elitism atmosphere. All forums are usually doomed to go into that direction, while this one somehow, magically, appears to avoid that atmosphere from being born. You do not want it, I do not want it and most extremely intelligent people do not want it to happen anywhere. It destroys capacity to create new aspects, information and theory that is outside of accepted norm.

When a forum discusses alternative realities, theories and observations, birth of elitism atmosphere in where only well informed and very intelligent people dominate, will destroy purpose of this forum.

You do NOT want it, therefore: accept some cencorcism, accept some control, accept that there are things to be done to prevent that.

Personally, I hope that this certain feeling on this site never goes away.

One thing I do notice a lot is Mods not being able to add to a discussion without people accusing them of being "bullies" for lack of a better word. I think it is totally unjustified for us to expect Mods to not have strong opinions on topics here and they must be able to post as "normal" members as well as their capacity as the "thought police (JK)".

I know it is a matter of people not knowing what Mods do but perhaps they could be allowed to "take off" their Mod hats for certain posts, perhaps taking off the Mod sig, so no one accuses them of using their Mod powers for evil. The 3 Amigos don't pay the Mods enough, they should get a 50% raise in their current salary.

Just a thought.

The most important question, if the resources are already straining, and solutions to the current in-fighting cannot be resolved, why implement (re-implement?) a new feature to drive even more new traffic to the site?
DIGGing Threads On AboveTopSecret.com

Is seems counter intuitive.
DocMoreau

It's difficult to explain, but not hard to visualize.


Displaying Thread Content

Our core code and database is exceptionally well optimized to display thread content. And even more optimized for non-members. And non-members make up nearly 90% of our daily traffic and page-views. Our current single database server can support up to 3x the current average daily traffic level for the simple display of content.

Those types of database accesses are optimized/efficient because all the forums, posts, and threads are categorized with simple integer indexes.

In fact, if we simply decided we'd never display posts-by-members again (which is a rare feature in forum sites our size/activity), I'd not have to worry about our database server for some time.


Displaying Specific Posts

This becomes more and more complex based on what data we query against, and how large the data-set is. We have a massively large data-set of over 4 million posts. We have a complex data-set as all posts are full-text indexed to enable boolean search. And when you introduce variable length text (such as user names) as your search parameter, the query can take time.


One Slow Query Slows Everything

Currently, a search of all posts by any given member takes at least 8 seconds, and it can take up to 15 seconds if that member has lots of posts. While the database is running a complex and lengthy query, it can rob resources that would be used be the faster and more efficient queries... and when that happens, everything slows down. And when everything slows down, we often get a cascade of slower queries with more and more queries piling up in the queue waiting to happen.


The solution will be to "offshore" the more complex queries to "slave" or mirrored database servers, leaving the master server free to run the much more frequent and more efficient thread content queries.

OMG everyone stop the bitching and complaining! What a farse, there are some of the most interesting threads on the net on the current main page 'right now' and you are all over here like a bunch of ingreats. Big deal if there are some current glitches that are 'being worked on'. Show me a website with this level of tremendously interesting topics and ability to maneuver through millions of posts and I will quit here and join there! Really this thread and some of the people are just repeating bs to keep the real work from being accomplished. If you dont like the way the forum is progressing glitches and all then move on find someplace that will cater to your every wish and need.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord

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Geek stuff!!!!! I think I love you.

Yowza, to keep the one-line polizei from striking.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord

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SO and the staff of ATS have my full support and i can think of no better site to spend time reading up on stuff i know little or nothing about.

And it is most definitely a deal!!

whoo hoo! then i'm forgiven? can i have my old identity back? i will NEVER, EVER make you mad at me again. i promise to be humble and i accept my station and i do apologize so can i come home?

As a nooB I for sure agree to a deal ::extends hand for handshake with the OP (that is original poster right? I'm still a little new on the acronyms around here).

Hopefully my posts haven't been painful for anyone to read and I promise not to write anymore one liners or anything that might set anyone off. I haven't 'met' anyone here yet, but I have no doubt that the longer I stick around, the more I post, the more I might meet some good folks. I honestly haven't seen a lot of negativity around here so it must be in the threads that I don't read (selective reading can come in handy )

Anyways, like I said...DEAL!

Tela

PS> I also was so excited for the U2U but alas, it was just a mass mailing of one.

SO, you have my wholehearted support and agreement with your propositions. I am enthused that ATS is growing. It means that many more people are beginning to question the bull**it that is broadcast by the MSM.

ATS is an open-minded place that allows even the most "out-there" ideas to be discussed. IE: "I am Thoronimus, King of the Underground Hill People and I predict that the rising price of underwear is a conspiracy and will contribute to the 2012 hangover quotient". People will actually discuss this for a while before sending it to skunktown. Bravo.

Come the day when you need more tangible support, count me in.

i humbly ask you forgive the "mental-health moment" when I unjustly, and w/out merit questioned the validity of answers given to me by SO. I am dazed and confused at times but it is at a higher level and if I make it out of bed and on-line w/ATS what more could one ask of me.

i would appreciate my identify of "musselwhite" be restored so i can shop at ats store to spend my 21,000 points and change my avatar. i may be old but old habits of shopping and changing ones looks never goes away.....vanity, vanity!

what say you?

I have been here for a while, but I have always been a lurker...
I do not recall, where there any problems with the lurkers?

reply to post by musselwhite1

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Musselwhite, I looked at your original profile and it shows member status. What kind of problems are you having? Are you not able to log in?

It must just be a glitch, maybe someone will read your request and straighten things out for you.

I miss your "mildred" avatar!

Wise words from the OP. Good job.

I feel a group hug comming on for everyone here.

Wise words from the OP. Good job.

I feel a group hug comming on for everyone here.

Personally, I never had issues with how this board has been run. Though I don't post often, I read a lot. And when I post I have never had a problem.

[edit: bloody typos!]

[edit on 3/5/2008 by Amaterasu]

reply to post by interestedalways

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I miss the old girl too. thanks for noticing. has to be a glitch 'cause the punishment does not fit the crime.

reply to post by musselwhite1

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Check your u2u in box.

Springer...

reply to post by Springer

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thank you so very much. it is so, so, so nice to be home! my oxytocin level is registering after 5 years! me and ats have a "thang" going!

reply to post by Springer

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ahh, springer
people thought you were the tin (foil hat) man
but it seems you already have a heart


I promise not to spread it around.









Too much