Could the thread title rules be changed?

Something I've been noticing for a while here (and much more so recently) is that people like to post links to fringe blogs/websites. The problem is, a lot of these websites use very clickbaity names for their articles. ATS has a policy that if you're linking an article, you need to copy the sources title. This in turn leads to ATS, especially the political forums to be filled with a bunch of clickbait titles.

Perhaps it would be worth discussing revisiting that rule? Standards could be made for the title to be descriptive of the thread without requiring such sensationalist headlines being duplicated.

Backdoor attack on Alt-right by obfuscation,much?

originally posted by: Aazadan
Something I've been noticing for a while here (and much more so recently) is that people like to post links to fringe blogs/websites. The problem is, a lot of these websites use very clickbaity names for their articles. ATS has a policy that if you're linking an article, you need to copy the sources title. This in turn leads to ATS, especially the political forums to be filled with a bunch of clickbait titles.

Perhaps it would be worth discussing revisiting that rule? Standards could be made for the title to be descriptive of the thread without requiring such sensationalist headlines being duplicated.

I understand your concern... but I think it's far more valuable -- and in keeping with the motto and spirit of ATS -- to continue using such clickbait titles for the purposes of identifying it as such and shining a big fat spotlight on it, thus furthering the denial of ignorance.

I would suggest that ATS may not be the appropriate discussion forum for those not up to that challenge for whatever reason.

a reply to: Aazadan

I think that rule is only for breaking news forums.

Oh Yay.

Another "let's censor everything" thread.

If a source story is not "accurate", just prove it out.

Simple right?

a reply to: xuenchen

Aazadan is clearly talking about ditching titles to articles if you want to because so many of them are clickbait... nothing to do with censoring anything. You're more paranoid than ever.

a reply to: Aazadan

Hey, we can't even have punctuation in the title anymore...

originally posted by: xuenchen
Oh Yay.

Another "let's censor everything" thread.

If a source story is not "accurate", just prove it out.

Simple right?

I didn't say censor the threads, or even that you couldn't use that source. I said, eliminate the rule that people have to copy the article title. If anything, that gives posters more options, not fewer, and plenty of threads have started with the disclaimer that the title isn't accurate, but the information in the article was... yet they were forced to use the poor title.

originally posted by: cavtrooper7
Backdoor attack on Alt-right by obfuscation,much?

How so?

originally posted by: Aazadan

originally posted by: xuenchen
Oh Yay.

Another "let's censor everything" thread.

If a source story is not "accurate", just prove it out.

Simple right?

I didn't say censor the threads, or even that you couldn't use that source. I said, eliminate the rule that people have to copy the article title. If anything, that gives posters more options, not fewer.

Yeah and do you think the thread titles our members would come up with would be less clickbait? Things would get WAY worse.

a reply to: Aazadan

What rule is that?

It must be in the T&Cs somewhere right?

In fact most forums have no such "rule".

a reply to: Aazadan

That rule only applies to certain forums I think.

originally posted by: intrepid
Yeah and do you think the thread titles our members would come up with would be less clickbait?

Things would get WAY worse.

A fair point, but I think it's worth giving people the opportunity. If posters are prone to making clickbait threads, just ignore the poster... simple. As it currently stands, good posters sometimes have to make poor thread names.

originally posted by: Aazadan

originally posted by: intrepid
Yeah and do you think the thread titles our members would come up with would be less clickbait?

Things would get WAY worse.

A fair point, but I think it's worth giving people the opportunity. If posters are prone to making clickbait threads, just ignore the poster... simple. As it currently stands, good posters sometimes have to make poor thread names.

And what does it look like to the casual reader? The visitor?

a reply to: intrepid

I think it would look the same. People that are happy to post clickbait will continue to, but those who want to avoid it would at least have the option.

originally posted by: Aazadan
a reply to: intrepid

I think it would look the same. People that are happy to post clickbait will continue to, but those who want to avoid it would at least have the option.

That's my point. Potential new members may just see total crap and walk on by. I see that as a HUGE problem.

It is only in the Breaking News forums that the thread title is required to match that of the news article which is the subject of the thread.

originally posted by: intrepid
That's my point. Potential new members may just see total crap and walk on by. I see that as a HUGE problem.

The current rules create the same system though because people have to copy those clickbait titles.

Perhaps I'm wrong though, maybe the solution is to just not read the news forums. Then again the thread that made me think of it was this one www.abovetopsecret.com... which isn't in the news forums.

a reply to: Aazadan

BREAKING ALTERNATIVE NEWS INSTRUCTIONS

1). All sources must be no older than 36 hours old.

2). The source/article MUST contain an obvious alternative or conspiracy angle. BAN is not for submitting general, political, or 'tabloid shock' news.

3). Copy and paste the EXACT headline as it appears in the original news article. Do not create or sensationalize your titles. Some editorial leeway is allowed, of course, if the original title is too long, inappropriate for ATS, inflammatory, etc.

4). The submission MUST be an actual news piece. Opinions, rants, blog pieces are not considered valid sources.

5). The submission MUST contain a permanent, valid, and direct link. Links that take the reader to the main page of the source site but not the article itself are not permitted. Submissions with broken, expired, or invalid links will be moved or deleted.

6). After providing a snippet from the news source in the news field, use the comment box to add your own spin or opinions on the topic. We want to know what you think. Do not simply copy and paste more from the article or leave a commentary post that boils down to, 'This is crazy! So what does everyone think?' Add your own thoughts and information in order to facilitate discussion to your thread.

I think the rules are plenty clear if people read them. I've bolded a few things that prohibit what concerns you in the Breaking News Forums.

I get what you're saying though, but what you think is wrong may not be what someone with a different opinion thinks is a bad title.

originally posted by: xuenchen
Oh Yay.

Another "let's censor everything" thread.

If a source story is not "accurate", just prove it out.

Simple right?

Says twenty seven political threads a day...

For most of time on ATS... members are allowed to create their own thread titles... BAN forum was the one where thread starts had to utilize source "headline"...

Kinda funny, especially these days when those same sources are coming up with some of the most biased headline news articles...

I find comfort from the ATS T&C's... Folks who have differing opinions, can create their own content, to include "thread titles", and the MEMBERS get to make up their own mind on the material presented...

I kinda like that freedom of thought...... YMMV