ATS has just about closed..needs a buyer

[727Sky]

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread1266591/pg1

It's time to face the harsh reality. This website is quickly approaching a difficult situation. Here are the facts:

For independent sites like ATS, advertising revenue has been dropping across the entire Internet for the past five years. Combined with the recent significant drop in advertising due to the economic fallout of the pandemic, and it's horrible.

The number of visitors blocking what meager revenue is available on ATS continues to climb. We're well above the broader Internet average at more than two-thirds of all visitors blocking ads and other analytics tags.

The blocking of the analytics tags artificially deflates our actual traffic and visitor statistics. Making it impossible to attract a higher-quality ad supplier. Compound that with the reality that the current political climate has made many of our freely-expressed topics "toxic," and it's double horrible. (For example, Google AdSense is not an option for us.)

There are only two options:
1) Find a suitable buyer with the resources to invest in growth.
2) Slowly fade away until revenue can't support hosting.

We don't say this lightly — especially me, who has devoted 12+ years to this endeavor.

I can imagine the long list of ideas our members will suggest. I appreciate your passion and enthusiasm. It's why I did this. However, they would all require time and resources that we don't have.

The best hope for this project's longevity in free expression is for someone with resources to pick up the torch and carry it where we currently cannot. A new torchbearer would be critically important in these times where "free expression" is under attack.


Some contextual history:

We've entertained acquisition deals from a few suitable entities over the past several months. The most recent company was a near-perfect fit. But they are also suddenly facing an uncertain financial future due to the gutting of the online advertising markets.

We cannot find a business broker specializing in websites that are willing to represent a 100% ad revenue model to their buyers (for now).

Marketplaces and auctions such as Flippa are problematic. First, for success, an upfront investment that we don't have is required. Second, confirming the intent and principles of a potential buyer is near-impossible.


What Comes Next

Soon, we will make some type of "this website for sale" indication. From there, we'll see what interest we get. Please trust me in that we will have high standards for any new owner.

The website will continue to run. In the event we begin seriously fading away, there will be a fair warning.

With a heavy heart, thank you for your participation. It's my sincere hope that a new "torchbearer" will come forward, and you all will continue your efforts unabated.

[BIAD]

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread1266591/pg1

It's time to face the harsh reality. This website is quickly approaching a difficult situation. Here are the facts:

There are only two options:
1) Find a suitable buyer with the resources to invest in growth.
2) Slowly fade away until revenue can't support hosting...

I remember when ATS used to be a website that saw organisations that talked like this, as 'sell-outs'.
It shows people what ATS was really from the start or became due to its need for money.

[Wallfire]

I followed ATS for some years, and have watched its slow downfall. From the way mods wrote it was easy to see that a lot of infighting was going on, MODs blocking and deleting the work of other MODs. Then came the big purge and the winning MODs started to mess the site up. Posts were censored not because of been offensive but because the post did not fit into what the MODs wanted.
They would just block people from signing on with no warning, it was also suspected that MODs had multi names to try and cover up what was happening, MODs posting as normal members so to control the posts.
ATS was one of many sites and news papers that were chosen for a project to study how MODs try and control information as well as the use of posters with multi accounts.
I seen some of the results and ATS did not fair well.
Having said that I have no wish to see ATS fall.

[guohua]

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread1266591/pg1

It's time to face the harsh reality. This website is quickly approaching a difficult situation. Here are the facts:

There are only two options:
1) Find a suitable buyer with the resources to invest in growth.
2) Slowly fade away until revenue can't support hosting...

I remember when ATS used to be a website that saw organisations that talked like this, as 'sell-outs'.
It shows people what ATS was really from the start or became due to its need for money.

That site was always about the Revenue.
I remember not to many years ago they were thinking of having members pay for a Premium Package or something.

[guohua]

I followed ATS for some years, and have watched its slow downfall. From the way mods wrote it was easy to see that a lot of infighting was going on, MODs blocking and deleting the work of other MODs. Then came the big purge and the winning MODs started to mess the site up. Posts were censored not because of been offensive but because the post did not fit into what the MODs wanted.
They would just block people from signing on with no warning, it was also suspected that MODs had multi names to try and cover up what was happening, MODs posting as normal members so to control the posts.
ATS was one of many sites and news papers that were chosen for a project to study how MODs try and control information as well as the use of posters with multi accounts.
I seen some of the results and ATS did not fair well.
Having said that I have no wish to see ATS fall.

I think we are more Liberal with our content and the why we encourage people to Post their Thoughts.
We have The VERY Best MODS of any site.

By The Way,,,,,ATS'ers need to check us out, we are not the complicated of a site to post on.
I think we are Fair and Welcoming. 
JMHO

[Chiefsmom]

I know I haven't posted here much, but I do still slink around.   I may, or may not have PM'd a few nice people over there with a link to this website.  I hate to see ATS go down, but it sure seems like the owners just don't care anymore.

And yeah, you all have been very welcoming.  

[guohua]

I know I haven't posted here much, but I do still slink around.   I may, or may not have PM'd a few nice people over there with a link to this website.  I hate to see ATS go down, but it sure seems like the owners just don't care anymore.

And yeah, you all have been very welcoming.  

Hi, Hi, Hi @Chiefsmom, it has been awhile. GREAT to see you are still active and YES bring your Friends, we are NOT going anywhere and we LOVE New Friends.

[Ninurta]

I do suggest that if anyone has any content over there that they want to keep that they archive it locally in case TOS just goes POOF! and vanishes.


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[Chiefsmom]

I do suggest that if anyone has any content over there that they want to keep that they archive it locally in case TOS just goes POOF! and vanishes.

I'm wondering why they are being vague about the timeline.  It sure seems like it is going to close a lot sooner than they are letting on.


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[beez]

Ummm. . . Hi everyone.

[727Sky]

Ummm. . . Hi everyone.

GOOD GRIEF IS THAT REALLY YOU ???????????????/ WELCOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ninurta]

I do suggest that if anyone has any content over there that they want to keep that they archive it locally in case TOS just goes POOF! and vanishes.

I'm wondering why they are being vague about the timeline.  It sure seems like it is going to close a lot sooner than they are letting on.


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SO said he didn't think it would "last the rest of the year", but he didn't get any more specific about it than that. I too am wondering why he is being cagey about it - wondering if something nefarious is up, or if he genuinely can't gauge how his business is going any closer than that. There are about 3 terabytes of images hosted there, and 50 gigabytes of thread data, so a full backup of the entire site should not even fill up a 4 TB portable hard drive.

Some of it may be found at the Wayback Machine, but there are no guarantees, so it's best for each person to back up for themselves locally anything there that they have an interest in.

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[Ninurta]

I started wondering what became of HH since ATS is now going belly up, and since we all got shown the door there and the gate was locked against us for being generally disagreeable with upper management - i.e. having the balls to speak our minds - so I tried to look it up. I didn't have a link - didn't see any reason to keep one - so I Googled it.

5 pages in to the search, about half way down, I finally found this:

Hernando's Hideaway
www.hernandoshideaway.com



This website is for sale! hernandoshideaway.com is your first and best source for all of the information you're looking for. From general topics to more of what you ...

So I went to the link, and found a notice that the domain had expired and is now up for sale. Who knew? He probably should have kept the people around who were making the site work...


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[guohua]

Ummm. . . Hi everyone.

Hi, @"beez"  it is GREAT to see you, Yes, you were missed, your Family here always opens its arms and welcomes people who need a home and friends and an ear.

[guohua]

I started wondering what became of HH since ATS is now going belly up, and since we all got shown the door there and the gate was locked against us for being generally disagreeable with upper management - i.e. having the balls to speak our minds - so I tried to look it up. I didn't have a link - didn't see any reason to keep one - so I Googled it.

5 pages in to the search, about half way down, I finally found this:

Hernando's Hideaway
[/url][url=https://www.hernandoshideaway.com]www.hernandoshideaway.com



This website is for sale! hernandoshideaway.com is your first and best source for all of the information you're looking for. From general topics to more of what you ...

So I went to the link, and found a notice that the domain had expired and is now up for sale. Who knew? He probably should have kept the people around who were making the site work...


.

Yes he should have, My Husband paid to have the Domain Name change from Dot Net To Dot Com through Go Daddy.
When he Banned Me and Sol and you others I sent all the Go Daddy information to his Personnel Email and I informed him the account was paid up for Five years I think it was.

No Hard Feelings, I remember when Senona told me about one of the Member there at H H said each time I posted it made Her Squirm in her chair because I talked about S&M and B&D some time.
No hard Feeling and OUR Site Allows that here if it is What Floats Your Boat!    

[BIAD]

Ummm. . . Hi everyone.

Hi, @"beez"  it is GREAT to see you, Yes, you were missed, your Family here always opens its arms and welcomes people who need a home and friends and an ear.

Damn... (and hi Beez and Chief's Mom!) Boy In A Dress does have a home (here), but doesn't have ears.

[guohua]

Ummm. . . Hi everyone.

Hi, @"beez"  it is GREAT to see you, Yes, you were missed, your Family here always opens its arms and welcomes people who need a home and friends and an ear.

Damn... (and hi Beez!) Boy In A Dress does have a home (here), but doesn't have ears.

I'll lend @"BIAD" one of mine along with my Skimpy Red Dress 

[BIAD]

I'll lend @"BIAD" one of mine along with my Skimpy Red Dress 

I gulped when I read this.
 

But seriously, welcome back those who've been away and let's hope others will find the RN family.

[Night Star]

I missed you guys so much! HUGS!

I have to get re-oriented and learn how to post pics again and navigate the site. I'll need a new Shed. Not sure if I'll keep that particular name or not though. OH cool I got a pic in here. LOL

[BIAD]

I missed you guys so much! HUGS!

I have to get re-oriented and learn how to post pics again and navigate the site. I'll need a new Shed. Not sure if I'll keep that particular name or not though. OH cool I got a pic in here. LOL

Nooooo! Don't mention a 'new shed'!!!  BIAD's been after one for some time now and I was hoping he'd forgotten!
(Welcome back)