AboveTopSecret.com

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AboveTopSecret.com screenshot

Abovetopsecret.com (ATS) is an internet forum dedicated to conspiracy theory and alternative discussion. It is also one of the biggest and best known forums on the web for this sort of topic.

1 History
2 Site arrangement overview
3 Forum participant titles
4 Point system
- 4.1 Store
5 Projects
6 Staff
7 Criticism
8 See also
9 External links
10 Related discussion threads on AboveTopSecret.com

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History

Started in 1998 by site owner Simon Gray, ATS began as a collection of conspiracy theory related pages. Later a small discussion forum was added, and over the years grew to become the biggest forum of its area of focus.

In July 2005 SkepticOverlord, Springer and Simon Gray (the Three Amigos) joined forces and formed a Limited Liability Partnership, sharing ownership of ATS. Abovetopsecret.com now has 70000+ members and over 210000 threads, and over 3 million posts.

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Site arrangement overview

The ATS website is structured with various areas and topics.

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Social networking

ATS provides an integrated social networking service to it's members. User Profile pages feature a Friends system reminiscent of that of MySpace. Unlike MySpace, ATS social networking also allows members to "add" foes. User Profiles also showcase three of the recent threads authored by the member. There are also sections to write about likes, dislikes and other information that will help others get to know the member.

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Podcast

The ATS MIX podcast website is at atsmix.com

AboveTopSecret.com provides podcast feeds where members have to opportunity to be heard.

There are five ATS Feed Channels:

ATS.C: Conspiracies & NWO
ATS.G: Government & Military
ATS.P: Paranormal & New Age
ATS.X: Aliens, Space & Science
ATS.F: Fragile Earth & Health

ATS also offers these other feeds

BTS: Talk
BTS :Music

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Member blogs

ATS provides a free blog hosting service to its members. Any member with 1000 ATS points can purchase their own blog from the ATS Store.

The blogs have been temporarily suspended as the site works to find a better system for the members.

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Below top secret (BTS)

Belowtopsecret.com is a fun place where the many of the strict guidelines of ATS are not enforced. The terms and conditions of membership still apply but you can get away with being silly and such. BTS subjects are listed at belowtopsecret.com.

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Really above top secret (RATS)

The "Really above top secret" forum is a private area away from guests and search engines. This forum requires 5000 ATS Points to gain access and 250 points to renew the monthly membership.

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Chat

ATS rewards its members who have made 150 or more posts with access to ATS’s own “live chat.”

There are four chat rooms:

ATS Chat
Subversive Pub
Extraterrestrial Round Table
Off Topic Banter

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News stories

The news is posted here.

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Forum participant titles

Writer, Fighter, and Scholar are custom titles given to those who participate in the Collaborative Fiction forum, Debate Forum, and the Research Forum, respectively.

There is also a title called Subject Matter Expert.

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Point system

To provide a meaningful measure of contributions to the community, more than a simple post-count, there is an ATS points system.

Each post in an ATS or BTS, forum gains the poster one point. Two points are earned for each reply to one's thread.

Each reply to a Breaking News thread started earns 50 ATS points.

ATS staff have the ability to Applaud posts they feel offer an excellent contribution to the discussion, or the ATS community. Each Applause is worth 500 points. An Applause on Above Politics is worth 1,500 points. An Applause from a Forum Subject Matter Expert is also worth 1,500 points.

Participating in research, fiction, and debates can earn high points as each post in a debate can be worth 250 points, or more if one wins the debate.

Podcasting on ATS will earn 2500 points.

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Store

The ATS store is found in the Member Center. Here members can use their points to purchase new features.

ATS Special Features
Item	Cost
Custom Title, first line	500
Custom Title, second line	750
ATS Member Blog	1000
Add 100 to U2U quota	250
Secret forum access & 1 month	5000
Custom mini-profile background color	250
Custom mini-profile text color	150
Custom mini-profile background image	2500
Increase upload quota by 10k	100
Turn on low-bandwidth mode.	50

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Projects

Remember, remember the 5th of November...

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Staff

The ATS Three Amigos are helped by a number of people to keep the website and forums in order.

Owners	Administrators	Super Moderators	Moderators
CEO: Bill "SkepticOverlord" COO: Mark "Springer" CPO: SimonGray CFO Stephen "Crakeur"	William One Sac ZeddicusZulZorander Djarums	12m8keall2c ADVISOR alien asala Byrd chissler Crakeur dbates DJDOHBOY DontTreadOnMe Duzey elevatedone FredT Gazrok Gemwolf Gools Hellmutt intrepid JAK junglejake kinglizard Majic masqua Mirthful Me nightboy82 pantha parrhesia sanctum TheVagabond TheBandit795 worldwatcher	benevolent tyrant Dave Rabbit Dr Love gallopinghordes GAOTU789 HarlemHottie JacKatMtn Jbird JohnnyAnonymous khunmoon kleverone lombozo MemoryShock neformore Nerdling NGC2736 Quicksilver Sauron seagull Skyfloating spacedoubt Spiderj TheBorg Theyre Here UK Wizard watch the rocks WyrdeOne yeahright

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Criticism

Some accuse the ATS debate website of not being neutral. A quote from the Australian website GaiaGuys.net:

The ATS site trashes the truth in general and (along with any evidence of protected blood sacrifice cults horrifically harming children) it trashes the ET-focused Michael Horn, Billy Meier and the Plejaren Federation, in particular (while pinching one of Meier's irreproducible day-time beamship photos for their adverts).

Another type of criticism comes from people who address the forums to tell about alleged unexplainable experiences. Some posters like this complain that there is too much skepticism and that the ATS reception of stories about experiences is too dismissive.

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