ATS Is A Mere Shadow Of What It Once Was

Speaking in terms of credibility, believability, and all-around quality of the information presented, ATS has gone DOWN HILL.

I attribute it mainly to the forums, which, although a good idea, have really strained what little credibility this site once had.

No longer can you easily distinguish some unexplained thing of true intrigue, from some random person's story of how they were abducted, or how the men in suits are out to get them, or how they can speak to the dead. If you do question the validity of their claims, you are eventually (and sometimes immediately) not praised for being skeptical, but labeled as close minded.

The problem with what the community has turned into, is a double edged sword. On one side, you can get multiple accounts of similar occurrences, which helps to make that similar occurrence more believable. On the other side, just about anybody, no matter how mentally stable, mature, or otherwise can now add their information. Once they do that, we can't really state absolutely if their information is a satire on the subject at hand, dis-information, or if it truly happened.

In short, because of the forum, the line between the intelligently presented information ATS originally had, and the tripe that is now spewed on the forums, has been blurred.

I find myself embarrassed for some of these people, when before this site had forums, it was right up there with Wikipedia, in my mind.

Anyway, I'm done ranting. I'm sure this thread has happened many times before, but I am interested in your opinions on the subject, whether or not you agree with me.

Not to rain on your parade or anything...but,

ATS is much more than just abduction stories, however fanciful or outrageous, or mib...

ATS has grown so much in the past two plus years that it's getting harder and harder to separate the wheat from the chaff. On that we'll agree. But it can be done...if I can, anybody can, trust me...

Many of the regular contributors are trained professionals in their fields or at least play one on the internet. We've got airline pilots, scientists in many fields, well read layfolk like myself (ouch, patting myself on the back like that hurts...), and others who are just out to see if they can learn something new. That's a lot of wheat in amongst all the chaff that is indeed present.

Downhill? No. Changed? Yes. Sometimes I wish it was the same fairly small community I first joined, but I realize that it's actually better now, more sources of information. There's a lot of truth to be found in amongst the falsehoods.

Is it that time of the month again on ATS?


/sigh.


I mean I could whine bitch and moan and be like "03 was the shiznit whai oh whai can't we go back to spring of 03?"


But I don't.

Not trying to tweak your nipples or anything.

Welcome to the internet there will always be hoaxers and idiots, all I can suggest it take a break from ATS, come back refreshed.

@seagull
I think I just have to calibrate my BS-o-meter more precisely.

@Lysergic
Its just, I remember when ATS was a (mostly) static repository of conspiracies, secret aircraft projects, etc. I loved that era! I guess, nostalgia really skews your attitude on change.

And I just recently came back to ATS. I had been gone for maybe 6 months, after I left due to a feeling towards this site similar to the one I feel now.

Bah.

[edit on 7/6/2008 by prototism]

s'alright, I know how it goes, I vanish from time to time myself.

reply to post by prototism

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Be the change you wish to see. I know the amount of is neck high sometimes, however I feel that if you don't contribute something then you are part of the problem and not part of the solution.

I don't go into the UFO section much, one, I am not that convinced, and two, I just don't have enough data to contribute anything relevant to that forum. So I steer clear of that kind of place.

There are posts out there that do bring to bear a lot of genuine interest and relevant discussion, these threads often have posts in them that are truly worthwhile reading. After a while tho every topic gets cluttered, so I personally switch gears every once and a while. Mostly I stay on BTS because often I just get too angry with the posts on ATS to be much of a good member. Sometimes tho I will see a thread on ATS that piques my interest and I go to that thread. I spend time reading other posts, if I have any relevant information that has not already been discussed then I add to the thread, otherwise I read and star those posts that I feel that I agree with.

Lysergic:


I think so Lysergic, I must have missed the mass U2U about today...

No offense but your account reads member since November 2006.
You have started 6 threads in that time, and made an all total sum of 25 posts including this thread.
Like WhatUKno said.."BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE"
ATS is user generated content. It doesn't fly out of thin air from no where and appear on your screen for you to criticize.
IT COMES FROM ALL OF US.
When you put down the content of the site you put down every single member, moderator and amigo that brings this information to you, free of charge, straight to your computer.
Either you chose to digest it or not.
Everyone has their own tastes.
For breaking news alone..ATS IS BAR NONE.
Whatever other topics you chose to read or contribute to are your choice. But don't diss the site because it doesn't meet YOUR standards.
CONTRIBUTE, or don't let the door hit you in the ass.

So there ISN'T a load of BS on this site, now that just about anybody can contribute? Did you even read anything I said?

Unlike you, I am not attacking any one particular person. I am merely pointing out the fact that the a lot of the times, the quality of information presented on this site is not as it once was.

[edit on 7/6/2008 by prototism]

reply to post by prototism

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That wasn't an attack. If I was attacking you, you'd know it.
Obviously you didn't read what I posted.
I was stating the obvious...
For someone who contributes very little..who are you to judge content?
And yes, ANYONE can contribute as long as the T&C is followed.
Do you feel you are a cut above the rest?

You can read ....you can type......you can think......you can postulate an infinite number of Ideas ...you've been a member since 2006

This is the best thread that you could come up with in 2 years.

yes ATS sucks so please create something or leave so it will suck less



As a member of ATS WE are responsible for the content WE provide

[edit on 6-7-2008 by The Utopian Penguin]

You can be a skeptic of any post you want. Ill never complain. Being skeptical of everything is most of what this site is about.... But!

To insinuate one persons alleged encounters are "silly" and anothers are "credible" is why you're catching so much flak

To you - someone who claims to have been abducted seems silly
To another person - your claims of UFO pictures seem equally as rediculous


dont be so quick to pass judgement, because you never know who's telling the truth, until the truth reveals its self.

ATS going down hill?

No. ATS is one of the only bastions of true intellectualism on this planet.
I think you should embrace it for these reasons, and skip over the threads of people you dont agree with

[edit on 7/6/2008 by Andrew E. Wiggin]

I have to thank you for posting this thread.

Had you not done so (by inquiring on RTS where it should go) I would have never even visited this place.

I have been guilty of being focused on a limited number of 'areas'. This means my experiences are in no way similar to yours. I haven't met with too many extreme posters, although I lack your longevity here. Those that I see appear rather shameless and are easily spotted and duly contended with by the local ATS veteran's I most frequently run into.

As far as a self-policing, aside from the occasional foray into the childish, this place seems adequate.

I can't say I appreciate or agree with the notion that you are expected to post threads to be a member (although why be a member if you don't intend to?) I would hope that I can post as frequently or as infrequently as I can, or want to.

I think you're dissatisfaction with the forum is of course you're own affair. I know that we occasionally get an influx of new members, and some can be a 'disappointment' in terms of substantive contributions or at least insightful commentary. But that comes with the terrain and is mercifully temporary, as those with less meaningful motivation to be here, move on.

I propose you take a break for a while. All things in moderation you know, too much emotional sensitivity on externals, such as this or any cyber-social activity can be draining.

Well said.

I didn't mean to attack anybody, or the community as a whole, but doesn't anybody else remember the days when ATS was just a static website? It just felt more credible during those days. I don't know. Maybe I am wrong.

We have become 'dynamic'...whatever that means.

The more people who log on in response to a truly static news report on TV (you know, the ones you can't respond to...) is a step in the proper direction as far as information communications go.

Ten years ago, most of us only had access to newspapers and the evening news.

Now, we can gather abstract news reports and attempt to create a logocal synopsis of the implications...as a collaborative effort.

We will encounter some inanity. We will encounter irrelevancy. What we will not encounter is suppression of honest information seeking, expression, and collaboration.

Period.

As we grow, we grow. In all areas of the spectrum...and that makes me happy.

reply to post by prototism

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Well I have to say Access Denied has a point. Six threads (including this one) and 175 posts since 2006. Be the change you wish to see.

Regardless, I keep seeing threads like this pop up. I only joined in December of 2007 but quite often I will do topic searches that yield results from the 2004-2006 era. To me, the quality since then has actually improved. Threads from that time are usually a paragraph or two asking some random question but current threads seem to be far more organized and the original posters collect their thoughts, evidence, and take a side at the very beginning. This is not always the case but it seems there are many more well researched threads in the original posts as there were during that time. Maybe it is just a coincidence but that is my observation.

I realize I haven't contributed much myself.

But yes, a higher population in general will yield more quality threads (and the theories those threads discuss), relative to the amount of quality threads during the period of low population. My comments was centered around the notion that because of the population growth, there are now also more threads (wacky, silly theories, with no proof or evidence whatsoever) that are almost insulting or mocking to said quality threads.

I don't know if the ratio of bad threads to good threads has changed, but many of the threads I read nowadays make fantastic, outlandish, and sometimes ridiculous claims, but the author never bothers to fully explain or attempt to prove any of it. I know all of you know what I am talking about.

[edit on 7/7/2008 by prototism]

Oh yes I know exactly what you are talking about. With a site that has millions of unique visitors, we are bound to get some dud threads.

To really review this issue we would have to research the ratios of well researched threads to dud threads from that era and this one. Since that is a lot of work and really doesn't do anything to improve the situation, all we can really do is ignore the dud threads and concentrate on the solid ones.

I'm not much of a thread starter myself so I don't blame you for taking the seat of an observer and reader but at the same time, since the content of ATS is member driven, there really isn't anything that can be done except for taking a proactive responsibility to make quality threads and to ignore the troll and attention whore threads. That would be what members like you and I can do since we don't like to start threads very often. Give attention to the good ones and ignore the duds.

You are absolutely right. Time to make some threads! Good ones that is.

I've only been a member since last October, but so far I've always been able to find something interesting to read and/or respond to. I'm never sure when I begin a thread how much response I'll get. It seems like the more sensational ones get the most attention, but I post things I'm interested in, have some evidence for, and have a point of view about, and let the members decide for themselves what's useful to them. Sometimes it seems like the same topics get discussed time after time; for instance there's a thread now on abortion, for about the 100th time. Responses, when I get them, are usually well thought out and I appreciate the feedback.

I'm not sure I know what you mean by "static," but I don't think I'd like that as well. There are some threads that are more intelligent than others, and some that apparently were composed when the author was drunk or stoned, but they keep me entertained and informed.