State of discourse on ATS

Has anyone else noticed more and more the state of discourse on ATS is going down.

I've noticed this for some time but in the past few weeks I've seen:
Original posts where at the end of the post the author says something like "and if you don't agree you're an idiot, or brainless"(paraphrased)
A few posts later the OP complains that they can't find civil discourse on ATS anymore.

New posters joining an old thread and then proceed to call long standing civil posters trolls simply because the "troll" disagrees with the new poster.
A new poster who by the content of their post it is clear they didn't even read 1/2 of the entire thread.

People cursing at others for disagreeing with them.

People throw out the word "troll" like it's nothing.
What happened to discourse, when you discuss something not everyone will agree with you.
It doesn't make them a troll just because they don't agree with you.

Even the Deny Ignorance motto of this site is falling into disservice.
So many people seem to want to propagate bad information, or information that is proven false.
Worse if someone steps up and tries to rationally say "that's not right here is my logical response".
Bam! they get called a troll for trying to disprove the theory presented.
How is it denying ignorance if we insult those brave enough to stand up and say "No, that's not right"?

There are even threads where it seems everyone participating is in lock step, and turns on anyone who disagrees.
ATS is supposed to be a place where people can disagree and still have a conversation about it.

Why are you here if you only want lock step agreement to your posts?
What happened to welcoming dissenting opinions?
Why does it seem everyone only wants threads where everyone agrees whole heartedly?

On top of that, it does seem that even the real trolls are increasing.

What is happening to us?
Why can't we civilly discuss something topics?
Why are so do so many threads seem like kool aid drinkers afraid of those who disagree?

Well I guess that is it for my rant.
I just see too many threads on there where the word troll is used to describe anyone who doesn't agree.
Too many new posts that read as if the poster not only didn't read the thread, but doesn't care to read the thread.
Too many threads where when someone tries to deny ignorance they are the ones vilified.

reply to post by Pigraphia


Things are kind of crazy here sometimes. Hard to tell what goes on behind the scenes. I've definitely noticed a disturbing trend of members who, instead in engaging in debate, engage in name calling and other forms of posturing. I've seen threads where someone will link to a bunch of articles and explain their point of view and people will fly out of the woodworks to say that they are "trolls" and "idiots". I've seen members on these forums refer to others as "pricks" "dicks" "idiots" and on and on...unfortunately I've yet to see these posts get moderated in time (usually not at all).

All I can say is just stay your course and remain civil and try to get the knowledge out there. If the board turns into something that you don't agree with, guess it will be time to find a conspiracy site whose motto isn't ironic.

It isn't just ATS, just take a drive, people are going nuts out there....and this is just been happening recently, last few months.

reply to post by MidnightTide


Oh yeah I see it all the time IRL.
It's getting to the point where it's almost dangerous to take any sides unless you know 100% you are among like minded people.
Which is sad, as individuals we only grow when challenged and exposed to differing opinions.
Even if those opinions only make our belief stronger by forcing us to defend them that's still growth.

I just remember a time when there were more bastions of civility out there.

I LOVE it when people call other people Shills or accuse someone of being a piad shill. I've seen new poster use the word completely out of context, SO GOOD. They don't even realize how ridiculous their posts are....kind of embarrassing. BUT....


HILARIOUS.

Wow this got moved to Rants...

I don't think this is a rant, it's a legitimate concern about the state of ATS.

Maybe Board Business was the wrong place, I didn't know where to put it.

It certainly shouldn't be in the rant section though.

reply to post by Pigraphia

So many people seem to want to propagate bad information, or information that is proven false.

hitting the Nail on the Head...last week there was a thread promoting fake news, I said it was fake because main stream wasnt reporting on it and it was the typical 5 rag sheets on one lead. BOGUS right? so I got a reply of,

How do you know this story is bogus? Everyone knows we cannot trust the MSM anymore.

COME ON!!!!

Dude I feel ya, for sure

This is just my opinion and it doesn't apply to everyone...

A lot of people want so much to believe somethign they they refuse to think objectively about a subject. Be it supernatural or something that can easily be researched and debunked. More and more, there will be entire threads or posts where posters will bicker non-sensically about the most ridiculous subjects, and not even give any ground one way or the other.

I may not have very many posts, and I've never made a thread (for this reason)...but I have been a long time visitor...and the state of ATS has been lackluster. I'd go as far as saying worse than "MSM" at times.

I used to look forward to opening my homepage and catching up on legitimate posters and threads that were thought out and well informed. Nowadays, all you need is a title that is a blatant lie and a youtube video...BAM! Thread worthy...really? C'mon.

I feel like a jerk everytime I open a thread that sounds sort of interesting, only to find garbage research/data, and lack of quality sources. If trying to find out more is the purpose, by all means, there is nothing wrong with trying to get a discussion going in order to get the more man power behind a topic. However, too often the latter is not the case and I am compelled to rage on how ridiculous a thread/post truely is. Thus, making me..A) Look like an A-hole and B) Look like I don't care about the topic, when I actually do.

Now, that should be in the rants section. Haha.

Haha.

The place is filled with that kind of stuff!

Ya know.......a few years ago you might of had 1 or 2, 3(in a given thread) at tops people that would act like that...

But for the most part, people would act civilly. For the MOST part.

Now you can coin it up to the massive amount of new members, yaddida yaddida, or you can coin it up to the fact that because of the mass amounts of new members there's a rudimentary rule set in place.......

Make people angry and they'll forget what they we're thinking.

I had exactly the same idea just the other day. It happened fairly quick as well, I remember back in the days I just lurked around the site, and I could find civil discussions on topics that would generally be shunned in an everyday conversation with someone who can't accept a different answer to something they feel is right.

I could read a thread I found interesting, and based upon the differed opinions it would allow me to come to my own conclusion about it. Now I read a thread and members don't even try to understand eachother, or bother to hear a different opinion or theory.

Not much you can do about it though. The ever increasing number of new members is always going to bring in those that are always right, as well as those that can recognize the wrong or possibly incorrect areas of their opinion. The decrease in moderation isn't helping the situation either.

Before long this site will be overtaken by the brainwashed,and don't you disagree with me or I will consider you a threat to my own state of mind and will be forced to throw witty, overused comments in the form of pixels right in your face.

reply to post by Pigraphia


I guess part of the reason I came to ATS was because other news websites' comment sections where I thought I could debate people turned into, "you suck because ur a librul, or u suck because ur a conservatard."

So imagine my disappoint when within a month or two of getting here this place turned into, "you suck because ur librul, you suck cuz ur a conservatard."

I have seen it go from using legitimate sites for information, to either you agree with WND or GTFO.

As some of you may know, I'm a journalist. So I have a low tolerance of BS, and people that say all mainstream media is fake, or bought, just don't know what they are talking about. My advice, if you don't like TV news, pick up your local newspaper. It is your best source of information, even if they are dying.

My other problem is that people have a tendency to call facts wrong, because it doesn't fit that person's worldview. I really hate that. Facts are facts, your beliefs are your beliefs, don't be ignorant and deny facts because you don't like them.

It's an election year and now it's summer.

Two things that make this place's IQ drop about 25 points if you ask me personnally.

reply to post by databomb


To be honest I wish this wasn't in the Rants section.

This was a legitimate concern that was moved by a mod.

I'm surprised there are even replies I thought the Rants area was where threads went to die.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Wow I didn't even make that connection.

I guess the decisive nature of elections could even bleed over into other topics.
Everyone is all on edge from another thread so when they switch threads they are still angry.

Not an excuse but a possible explanation.

Also why I really try to avoiding political threads like the plague, I only look at them once in a blue moon, and comment even less often.

Hello. I have taken notice of an increased percentage of new ATS members who jump the shark with their posts in the introductions thread, rushing out information as in fear of being silenced at any moment. A sure sign of paranoia.

The problem is with new members not familiarizing with rules and regulations written in the Terms and Conditions, nor taking note of which postings should go where. It would help the website's moderators day be a little easier if they did so. Then none of us would have to keep annoyingly reminding them.

It is sometimes a puzzle to understand posts written indicating spiteful blame to others.