ATS Decorum for members and moderators : May 2023

a reply to: TXRabbit

Agreed. Am I allowed to say that?

Hope so.

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: TXRabbit

Agreed. Am I allowed to say that?

Hope so.

Now you have your answer.

To reiterate:

ATS is a 100% Free Speech Platform and we welcome all topics and opinions but with freedom comes personal responsibility. 

As a reminder.....

This is the topic:

ATS Decorum for members and moderators : May 2023







and, as always:

Do NOT reply to this post!!

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: TXRabbit

Agreed. Am I allowed to say that?

Hope so.

ATS Decorum for members and moderators : May 2023

Seems a little late for Decorum, after being labeled a shill, communist, troll, unAmerican, "peoplle like you" for years by both members and ...

Perhaps with the new owners this insulting of members can be brought under control rather than continue as a competition sport in the forums, piling on some members until they eventually leave or get so frustrated they get banned because of T&C infractions.

a reply to: olaru12

I'm going to throw up the next time someone introduces a team with "the three amigos". What's that, a new adult childhood trauma?

So what do you do if a super moderator insults you including swearing.

You make a complaint about the post and nothing happens.

So what is anyone supposed to do about that.?

a reply to: Nexttimemaybe

You could reach out to a different staff member.

It would be brought up to all staff to review.

First off, please pardon my lateness to this thread, I've been gone for a bit. My sincerest apologies.

Secondly...WOW! This is perhaps one of the most enlightening and frankly welcome threads I've ever encountered on ATS. I particularly applaud the fact that nothing seems to be candy coated. I am not an 'original member' (even though I read posts on this site since '05), but I have been around 'here' a fair bit, and I would like to think I've provided some meaningful input and content while I have been here.

I have spent the last hour or so reading all the replies on this thread (as I always try to do before responding), and I have so many comments I almost don't know where to start (or if I even should). Mind you, none of my comments are negative, certainly towards ATS anyway, but some of them are clarifications and/or minor exceptions to various statements. At this point, I think my best course of action is simply reply with some summary level comments, and then maybe go back re-read all of the replies here again.

At a summary level, one theme which much of the discussion on this thread has circled around is what I would characterize as 'maturity'. I think we can probably all agree that, while the Internet proper (and social media) has become more 'technically' mature, people's behavior on the internet and social media has become increasingly almost exponentially more immature. Many of the replies discussed on this thread can be encapsulated under the theme of mature adult behavior in a civilized society, and accountability for one's own behavior. Both of these fundamental responsibilities seem to be all but lost in much of online society today, and I attribute this to the anonymity (among other things) of the 'interwebz'.

When it comes to concepts such as the freedom of speech, as some others have noted, it's not what you say, but rather how you say it. In other words, just because we are free to say things, we equally need to understand that the manner in which we say them should not be viewed as having no consequences. In fact, the converse is true; while we are free to speak, we should know that what we say will, and often does, have consequences. These consequences can range the full spectrum from vigorous agreement, all the way to censure by peers and even prosecution, if in violation of law.

Ironically, the internet and social media is not isolated in this behavioral shift, society as a whole has become less polite, more caustic, more divided, and more selfish recently too. Whether online culture breeds this behavior, or vice versa, is a 'chicken and egg' dilemma, but the fact remains we all see it every day. This is certainly become much more pronounced since (and I'll try my best to be polite here) the covid 'events', but it was still going on before this, maybe at a lesser rate.

We could write volumes speculating the reasons why all these social issues are upon us now, but the only good served would be to understand the past well enough to make corrections going forward. The bottom line though is, we as a society, are fast-marching towards a future filled with chaos if we don't wake up and truly take stock of the importance of individual responsibility for our actions. If I had to pick one word to describe what I think is wrong with society, or government, social interactions, social agendas and behavior, it would be...accountability (or lack thereof).

I don't know, maybe this is all just hooey on my part, but it's how I feel, and what I see around me every day. But I'm just an old geezer, so what does my opinion matter.

I hope to come to ATS tomorrow, and the day after (metaphorically), and still find spirited debate on a wide range of topics, as has been the case since I've been here. I certainly don't want an echo chamber! Nor do I want everyone holding hands and singing Kum-bye-ya; that's not the answer (for anyone). Frankly, we should be able to scale ATS up to the same scale as society and see no differences. And herein lies our challenge. If it fails, we all fail, as does ATS...right along with society as a whole, not because ATS rules society, but rather because it is a microcosm of it.

Thanks for listening.

ETA - When there is no longer personal accountability, there is no longer a civilized society.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Thankyou for the summary.

At the end of the day, it is none of our jobs as members to make this site viable or whole. But, in the same breath it is all of our jobs to decide if we wish to participate such that this site survives.

Members will always come and go, but when the content value and/or contributions from established members diminishes interest to the point where more members are leaving than new members are signing up, then the downward spiral will begin, and it will continue into the abyss.

It's somewhat bittersweet to me. I've had my skirmishes with mods; I won't lie. I've wondered where this site would wind up. But I tend to look at things in a very matter of fact way...a site will survive or perish based on member participation. That's not only about mods, but rather about all membership. Regardless, I really like ATS, and I hope it continues; it's a very unique place indeed. But, if the structure, or cadance, becomes untenable (as it has in the past) then, sadly, I will move on also.

I wish I could point a finger at some select group and say...'this is your responsibility', but I cannot.

Always remember, for every finger you point at someone else, there are no less than (3) three fingers pointing back at yourself.

We are what we make it.

Looks like things have changed up a bit since I last dropped by when Steve died - which is a good thing.

I shall now wish folks well and go back into hiding.

a reply to: neformore2

You don't have to be alone, Nef. Everything changes.

a reply to: neformore2

I have no seen you in a while, I hope you doing well