Atheist Discussion

Full Version: Modify Welcome Message?
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On our landing page, we have the message:

"Welcome to Atheist Discussion, a new community created by former members of The Thinking Atheist forum"

Could I suggest we modify this in order to update it?  After two years have now passed since the startup of our site,
I'm thinking that the bolded part is now outdated and unnecessary, and could even be confusing—particularly to
passers-by who may well never have heard of TTA, or understand what's now a fairly nebulous connection.  I'm also
guessing that anybody/everybody who was a TTA member will by now have made the transition to this site, and/or
chosen not to.

Maybe something like this...

"Welcome to Atheist Discussion, a community created by atheists for conversation about atheism and the world we live in."

—Any thoughts?          Good?  Bad? Unnecessary?       Consider
I agree. It's time for a change.
Seems reasonable to me, its been two years since Seth did the dirty on us which in Internet time is an age. We all joke and call TTA the forum that shall not be named, perhaps its now time to do just that and exorcise all remaining vestiges, any former member has had two years to locate us and that's plenty of time.
It's been two years? How can it have been two years? Maybe more like 8 months. I think it's only been 8 months.


.... Feels like 8 months.


Unsure
I think so, too - it is a perfect time for a change!   Sun

As such, the introduction page could reflect our security of sovereignty. We know who we are ... time to move beyond who we used to be. Shy

It will be even more solid with the move on Sunday. Nod
We still to this day have lost TTA members coming back to us because google spiders that welcome and includes it in listings. I don't really want to remove that bridge yet.
(11-04-2020, 06:48 PM)Dom Wrote: [ -> ]We still to this day have lost TTA members coming back to us because google spiders that welcome and includes it in listings. I don't really want to remove that bridge yet.

I'm not sure about this Dom.  If I search for "TTA", "TTA+atheist" or "the thinking atheist" all I get
from Google is dozens of page links to Seth Andrews' sites and podcasts etc.  Unless I add the word
"forum" to the search, there's no links to (our) old Thinking Atheist Forum.  I'd be interested in knowing
how many old members of TTA have found us in the past 6 months or so, as I've not seen any evidence
within our forum.

      Sun
(11-04-2020, 09:11 PM)SYZ Wrote: [ -> ]
(11-04-2020, 06:48 PM)Dom Wrote: [ -> ]We still to this day have lost TTA members coming back to us because google spiders that welcome and includes it in listings. I don't really want to remove that bridge yet.

I'm not sure about this Dom.  If I search for "TTA", "TTA+atheist" or "the thinking atheist" all I get
from Google is dozens of page links to Seth Andrews' sites and podcasts etc.  Unless I add the word
"forum" to the search, there's no links to (our) old Thinking Atheist Forum.  I'd be interested in knowing
how many old members of TTA have found us in the past 6 months or so, as I've not seen any evidence
within our forum.

      Sun

Upside down dog was here a week or two ago, I don't remember what name he used. And there was someone else who trundled in about a month ago.  

This is what is in second place when you search "atheist forum":

  Atheist Discussion

www.atheistdiscussion.org/forums[url=https://www.bing.com/search?q=atheist+forum&cvid=f3a893ae21524ff08e38da1283a12638&pglt=515&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=NMTS#][/url]
Oct 20, 2020 · Atheist Discussion Welcome to Atheist Discussion, a new community created by former members of The Thinking Atheist forum.
And, if you search via google, without all the google biases established by the shit ton of cookies google drops on your drive like a herd of cows dropping turds, this site is the first listing on the page. The second page. Try it with duck-duck-go or startpage.com. Without google being able to hand you what it thinks you want, you get far different results.

ETA: After further review, duck duck go does significantly better. My bad.
(11-04-2020, 09:37 PM)TheGentlemanBastard Wrote: [ -> ]And, if you search via google, without all the google biases established by the shit ton of cookies google drops on your drive like a herd of cows dropping turds, this site is the first listing on the page. The second page. Try it with duck-duck-go or startpage.com. Without google being able to hand you what it thinks you want, you get far different results.

ETA: After further review, duck duck go does significantly better. My bad.

Bing has it in second place of page one.
(11-04-2020, 10:17 PM)Dom Wrote: [ -> ]
(11-04-2020, 09:37 PM)TheGentlemanBastard Wrote: [ -> ]And, if you search via google, without all the google biases established by the shit ton of cookies google drops on your drive like a herd of cows dropping turds, this site is the first listing on the page. The second page. Try it with duck-duck-go or startpage.com. Without google being able to hand you what it thinks you want, you get far different results.

ETA: After further review, duck duck go does significantly better. My bad.

Bing has it in second place of page one.

Meh. Bing does the same thing as Google, using data from previous searches to "enhance" current searches. YMMV. As I already said, DDG did significantly better than Startpage with, placing the site in third place on the first page. I personally refuse to use Bing or Google (without an internet condom) due to privacy concerns. With a gun to my head, I'll use Google over Bing every time. As little as I trust them, I trust M$ even less.
(11-04-2020, 06:32 PM)Aliza Wrote: [ -> ]It's been two years? How can it have been two years? Maybe more like 8 months. I think it's only been 8 months.


.... Feels like 8 months.


Unsure

Sorry lovely lady but its definitely 2 years. October 2018 to be exact (I occasionally hold grudges, mostly it's a curse but sometimes it's actually useful)  Tongue Big Grin
(11-04-2020, 09:11 PM)SYZ Wrote: [ -> ]
(11-04-2020, 06:48 PM)Dom Wrote: [ -> ]We still to this day have lost TTA members coming back to us because google spiders that welcome and includes it in listings. I don't really want to remove that bridge yet.

I'm not sure about this Dom.  If I search for "TTA", "TTA+atheist" or "the thinking atheist" all I get
from Google is dozens of page links to Seth Andrews' sites and podcasts etc.  Unless I add the word
"forum" to the search, there's no links to (our) old Thinking Atheist Forum.  I'd be interested in knowing
how many old members of TTA have found us in the past 6 months or so, as I've not seen any evidence
within our forum.

      Sun

One person I believe.
Recently: redtwin, MarylinC and zzyzx.
(11-04-2020, 11:57 PM)adey67 Wrote: [ -> ]
(11-04-2020, 06:32 PM)Aliza Wrote: [ -> ]It's been two years? How can it have been two years? Maybe more like 8 months. I think it's only been 8 months.


.... Feels like 8 months.


Unsure

Sorry lovely lady but its definitely 2 years. October 2018 to be exact (I occasionally hold grudges, mostly it's a curse but sometimes it's actually useful)  Tongue Big Grin

Well at least you called me lovely.  girl blushing
Call me sentimental, but I tagged it in my twitter bio. It wouldn't fit so I had to shorten it to ...I am a member of Atheist Discussion created by former members of the TTA forum.

Any one who knows what TTA is.... will know what TTA was.

I've had athiestdiscussion.org linked in my twitter bio since inception of AD.
(11-05-2020, 12:15 AM)Dom Wrote: [ -> ]Recently: redtwin, MarylinC and zzyzx.

Oh OK I thought it was just zzyzx, it's easy to lose track when folks change their username.
(11-05-2020, 12:41 AM)Aliza Wrote: [ -> ]
(11-04-2020, 11:57 PM)adey67 Wrote: [ -> ]
(11-04-2020, 06:32 PM)Aliza Wrote: [ -> ]It's been two years? How can it have been two years? Maybe more like 8 months. I think it's only been 8 months.


.... Feels like 8 months.


Unsure

Sorry lovely lady but its definitely 2 years. October 2018 to be exact (I occasionally hold grudges, mostly it's a curse but sometimes it's actually useful)  Tongue Big Grin

Well at least you called me lovely.  girl blushing
Oh no Panic its not a grudge against you! I'm talking about Seth Andrews.
As one who came here after TTA, I have to wonder what the obsession is with the old site? In my 30 years of various sites (from streaming chat to modern posting), I've gone though many sites on various subjects. Some fade out, some self-destruct, and some just vanish when the originator gets tired of it. I can appreciate that a community of people had to move, but, well, what was there about the old site that was so spectacular you all grieve about it so often. And that isn't here?

No offense, I didn't experience it.
(11-05-2020, 10:35 AM)Cavebear Wrote: [ -> ]As one who came here after TTA, I have to wonder what the obsession is with the old site?  In my 30 years of various sites (from streaming chat to modern posting), I've gone though many sites on various subjects.  Some fade out, some self-destruct, and some just vanish when the originator gets tired of it.  I can appreciate that a community of people had to move, but, well, what was there about the old site that was so spectacular you all grieve about it so often.  And that isn't here?

No offense, I didn't experience it.

For one, the content gathered there was like a library for atheists. We were not allowed to keep it or anything, and the lights were turned off without warning. We were given a period of time to say good bye and then that didn't happen, the switch was just turned off. A lot of people had put a lot of work into creating a knowledge base there. Poof. 

The community was like a big family that was torn asunder because of the sudden closure and no place to go prepared yet. The forum was some 10 years old and going strong. It was home away from home to many.
(11-05-2020, 11:18 AM)Dom Wrote: [ -> ]For one, the content gathered there was like a library for atheists. We were not allowed to keep it or anything, and the lights were turned off without warning. We were given a period of time to say good bye and then that didn't happen, the switch was just turned off. A lot of people had put a lot of work into creating a knowledge base there. Poof. 

The community was like a big family that was torn asunder because of the sudden closure and no place to go prepared yet. The forum was some 10 years old and going strong. It was home away from home to many.

Yeah, that Deadpan Coffee Drinker