Thank You ATS MODS and Site Owners for the MUD PIT!!

I just want to send a quick shout out to ATS and the owners here for the decision to create "The Mud Pit" quite some time ago, and I am asking that it not ever be changed in the slightest.

This forum has come under fire from all sides of the political spectrum lately. I have noticed a lot of criticism of the "Pit", and frankly I'm sick of it.

I am thankful that a place exists on ATS where people can talk, rage, have melt-downs etc regarding the political state of our world without feeling they will be TOO heavily policed.

I get that people are offended, but that is WHY we NEED the Mud Pit!! The Mud Pit is NOT a college campus, where the offended get to silence speakers from speaking because it might hurt someones feelings. Serious debate needs to take place, and sometimes, feelings need to be hurt to accomplish this. Especially in today's society, where feelings are hurt for simply stating facts. It's ridiculous.

I created this thread to petition the site owners and the MODS to NOT shut down the "PIT", regardless of the few on here who have complained about it.

I am for personal freedom. I don't believe that personal insults should be against the law, or the rules. BUT websites have rules, and ATS has T&C's we must all abide by, which has nothing to do with the 1st amendment as ATS is a private establishment. However, in our current society, honest and sometimes heated dialogue is a MUST. If we can't have it here, where can we have it?? Dialogue is important, and in the PIT, you are sort of forced to have it if you so choose to participate. Otherwise, DON'T READ IT. That's freedom!

Anyway, thanks MODS/OWNERS, it's a wonderful thing! Please don't change a thing, no matter how badly some folks choose to get triggered over it. I have witnessed many very useful threads in the pit. Some debates have lasted days on end.

To the offended ones I say, simply don't read it if it offends you so badly.

Thanks!

a reply to: Wookiep

Pits a good idea, keep it.

a reply to: D8Tee

W00t.

a reply to: Wookiep

I like the pit because it gives me a great perspective into the person that is [insert member name] beyond that of being a crazy conspiracy theorist, or a crazy debunker of same.

Vote #1 for mud.

a reply to: Sublimecraft

Agreed, and just as a side note... I wish we could star posts in threads like this. Your post is a good reason why.

a reply to: Sublimecraft




“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

originally posted by: Wookiep
a reply to: Sublimecraft

Agreed, and just as a side note... I wish we could star posts in threads like this. Your post is a good reason why.

He's not lacking in stars

a reply to: Wookiep

Yeah, its the only time you get to rip it up the Antidilluvian ..... smart lil bugga.

Ats is going great, if it aint broke....

a reply to: Wookiep

Here is the thing, just because you can, does not mean you should. Yes venting and rants are okay, but just remember, be careful what you reflect unto the world. It can and will be used against you in the long run. (Just some thoughts on wisdom.)

However I agree that the mudpit should remain where it is. Since it does reveal people's true colors after all, and they give great insights into someone's mindset.

My motto is; learn from other people's mistakes. Learn what not to do. Stay humble.

With that said, the mudpit is an excellent place to grow thicker skin. Lessons can be learned everywhere.

Cheers

a reply to: Wookiep

There is not currently any plans to shut down the Political Mud Pit forum, or to make any drastic changes to it.

That said: every member that tends to be active there should review our rules for that forum. Back in Feb of this year, ATS staff noticed an up swing of people using the PMP to simply try and troll other members with personal insults, and creating threads that are not political in nature. That is not what the PMP is for. So many of you may want to refresh yourselves of the rules for the Pit:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

We (staff) do notice however that members who tend to spend a lot of time in the Mud Pit, have a bad habit of trying to post in threads outside of the Pit like they are in the Pit, often resulting in post removals. It's a good idea to double check where you are before posting a reply to something, least you end up with a post removed.

Also keep in mind that the Pit is not a place for any to just insult other members on a personal level. That is not what the Pit is for and is explained in the rules.



The above in the box is just my personal opinion as a member here.

Again: There is no staff plans to shut down the PMP or do any major changes at this time.

a reply to: Wookiep

The Pit has opened up so many doors to exposure.

Doors that were sealed so tight they were water proof for years.

The world is more educated now (in more ways than one) !!

💓

!! The MSM has been caught and exposed too !!

I find the "pit" allows you to dig a little deeper into the personalities of the members .Kind of gives you a frame work for where they stand in the bigger picture . Its where a shill can be a shill and everyone knows it Yes thanks ATS for the pit and the op for the post

a reply to: eriktheawful

Thanks for your input, and you do bring some good points to the table. Especially the part about being aware that other threads do not have the same rules. I agree, it's important to understand the difference in order to stay out of trouble.

With that said, I am glad to see there are no plans for any changes!

With so much negativity lately toward the Mud Pit, I thought it fitting to create a positive thread about it while pointing out why it is necessary.

originally posted by: eriktheawful
a reply to: Wookiep

There is not currently any plans to shut down the Political Mud Pit forum, or to make any drastic changes to it.

That said: every member that tends to be active there should review our rules for that forum. Back in Feb of this year, ATS staff noticed an up swing of people using the PMP to simply try and troll other members with personal insults, and creating threads that are not political in nature. That is not what the PMP is for. So many of you may want to refresh yourselves of the rules for the Pit:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

We (staff) do notice however that members who tend to spend a lot of time in the Mud Pit, have a bad habit of trying to post in threads outside of the Pit like they are in the Pit, often resulting in post removals. It's a good idea to double check where you are before posting a reply to something, least you end up with a post removed.

Also keep in mind that the Pit is not a place for any to just insult other members on a personal level. That is not what the Pit is for and is explained in the rules.

The following is my opinion as a member participating in this discussion.

Personally I do not like the PMP, because too many people hang out in there for so long, the end up posting like that in other areas of ATS.....and then get into trouble with us, and have the audacity to act surprised that their behavior is unacceptable.

Many that consistently post threads in the PMP, turn around and try to post the same "flavor" of thread outside of the PMP, and then get upset when we have to remove that thread (makes a lot of work for us).

The PMP for me (and some others back here) is like a huge, ugly, infected boil on the face of ATS. If it did get shut down, I would certainly not shed a single tear over it being gone. The behavior in that forum is some of the most childish and reprehensible that I see on the internet. It's helped turn ATS more into a "Political" forum, than the ATS I remember.

As an ATS Staff Member, I will not moderate in threads such as this where I have participated as a member.

The above in the box is just my personal opinion as a member here.

Again: There is no staff plans to shut down the PMP or do any major changes at this time.

Could not possibly agree more with the opinion expressed by this post, the Mud Pit was and still is the biggest mistake ATS has get made; and it invited nothing but the worst parts of typical human discussion to float to the top and invite even further degradation of the rest of the forum.

At the very least, stars and flags need to be taken away from the mud pit, if it is not excised from ATS entirely.

a reply to: eNumbra

a reply to: eriktheawful

Unfortunately, this is happening in the real world outside of ATS and the Mud Pit as well. Politics have caused a deep divide on both sides, it's changing many people, and often for the worse. I think we are all affected by it in some way or another. It's hard to imagine that it's not all on purpose.

a reply to: eriktheawful

Erik, I think you may have forgotten another detrimental effect of things like the Mud Pit, while some have spent time in there and as a result have become terminal mudders, the opposite is also true. A lot of great contributors who have seen what the effects of other people are, have also evaporated. It's a little difficult to bring decent content into a site like ATS, when all the attention that is given seems to be an extension of Facebook fighting warriors.

originally posted by: Wookiep
a reply to: eriktheawful

Unfortunately, this is happening in the real world outside of ATS and the Mud Pit as well. Politics have caused a deep divide on both sides, it's changing many people, and often for the worse. I think we are all affected by it in some way or another. It's hard to imagine that it's not all on purpose.

I agree with what they are saying. The overall attitudes are heavily carrying over in to non political threads. Makes me wonder if all the political threads should now have more similar rules to the Mud Pit.

I don't want to be bitter, I don't come to ATS for that, never have and if I wanted that would venture into a mainstream site where I have seem them attack ATS for being a "nutbag" site. Stooping to that level to defend myself but is leaving me only with that option, where I have to reply to these people as they have to me risking breaking T&C rules.


Have You experienced this IRL? I wonder how many people have, outside of let's say demonstrations, protests and college campuses and the numerous videos shared about incidences? How widespread is this comparatively? Gonna make for a frightening summer in some places apparently.

I do believe it is by design, whether it was Hillary or Trump winning, there's a giant division that must remain, to keep the partisan politics in place, and the informed voter picking least of the worst. If it's going to destroy sites like this then the information war winning, because this one deemed "fake news" site(and still is on at least one site) will be discredited.

a reply to: dreamingawake

I have experienced it IRL. I think most people in large populated areas have as well to some extent. I have had personal struggles with family, witnessed one side totally gang up on the other. In my case, it was mostly the libs dog piling the Trump supporting fam both IRL and FB etc. I also hear almost daily someone complaining about Trump, and calling him and his supporters racists etc, it's pretty much a non-stop thing. I mean while going to the store, or at work, etc. That's what *I* see, and I live with 6 liberals. 2 classic liberals and the rest are regressive indoctrinated millennial ones.. I am the only right leaning person in my household. There are some eggshells I have to walk around, there have been some arguments, but I don't push my political beliefs on anyone. I only defend my own when forced too. My family has calmed a bit since we have all come to realize that family is more important than politics. But others aren't so lucky as I.

PS- ATS and the Mud Pit, whether I participate or not, has been a refreshing thing. It beats screaming at a loved one due to pent up frustration when people are simply un-willing to listen at times.