Many ATS members should be banned!

I came across this site several months ago and have really enjoyed reading the viewpoints from others - especially those outside the US. However, it seems like I'm reading more and more disrespectful, rude, racist remarks lately. It's gotten to the point where I'm reading some pretty interesting, if not entertaining, posts and I just can't continue. I understand many of the topics discussed here are controversial, but come on folks...

if you have concerns about this why not contact the admin through the complain button at the top, with the post link you are concerned with etc. then it can be delt with.

I understand what you mean though i love a good debate but what really puts me off threads is the constant derailment and mudslinging that tends to ensue it. Regardless though i tend to avoid the argument threads and find somthing that i can discuss with people in a respectful way aswell as having a great debate at the same time. Dont let people like this get to you this is why there is an ignore button.

new to the internet?





you can also ignore people that so offend you.

Lysergic makes a good point, if you think ATS is bad, check out usenet. Or most other web-boards. Thats not an excuse for bad behaviour on ATS, but ATS is simply one of the best behaved discussion formats that I have seen, short of one that has no controversial topics at all, or something like that.

Originally posted by Lysergic
you can also ignore people that so offend you.

That is one of the greatest features of this forum in my opinion.

why not contact the admin through the complain button at the top, with the post link you are concerned with etc. then it can be delt with.

I have done that on numerous occasions, pointing out blatant racist and islamophobic post, as well as regular trolls, yet i have never ever seen anyone banned or even gotten a reply from a mod explaining me that such behaviour is allowed/ not allowed. I do understand that there are probably a LOT of posts to go trough, and the internet will always be full of trolls.

I argee with putting someone who is incapable of having a civil debate or discussion on ignore, then again, you can only ignore 10 people on this forum... and my list has been ful for a long time...

Maybe they could adjust it so that you can put more then 10 trolls on ignore, just an idea/suggestion.

hmm you have a point, i wasnt aware of only being able to ignore 10 users. Maybe would be a good idea to have this number put up if that is the case.

I have seen members receive one or both red ticket WARNINGS in a single day and I have also seen members banned very quickly for breaking the T&C.

I, myself, have reported a couple trolls in threads using the COMPLAINT button asking a MOD to check out whatever particular thread was relevent and never received a U2U in return, but that was because the MOD investigated it and there was no feedback to me required.

I have been very satisfied with the few times that I have had assistance from the MODS or ADMIN here, but those are just my experiences.

Cheers,

JDub

Originally posted by undecided2
However, it seems like I'm reading more and more disrespectful, rude, racist remarks lately.

Originally posted by Nygdan
ATS is simply one of the best behaved discussion formats that I have seen...

I agree with NYgdan in general about the quality of ATS, however Ive used a variety of internet forums and Ive seen quality of these other forums peak then degrade into the type of forum that undecided2 talks about. Imho ATS is heading that direction.

It seems that operators of ATS are in a no win situation. A heavy handed crackdown will cause ATS to lose members that support the views of the banned members. Letting things go with no action will cause ATS to lose members that want rational discussion.

Originally posted by Lysergic
you can also ignore people that so offend you.

This is not reasonable to me as it makes threads difficult to follow and it surrenders the public debate on many topics to those that hijack threads and spew nonsense & propoganda.

At this point I will be surrendering ATSNN. Ive just removed it from "favorite forums" and I will no longer post news to this forum until something changes. It is pointless for me to continue posting articles that are quickly hijacked by mindless partisan drivel that is repeated over & over and drowns out all meaningful discussion.
.

Trust me. The Staff here is as on top of the ball as they can be on this subject.

This board takes ethics and proper conduct very seriously. They also have several threads with announcements about the enforcement of said policies. I have never seen the staff fail to put someone in line for deviating from the T&C.

I can totally understand your lack of tolorance for people that feel compelled to be racist. And "trolling" is a matter that has gained alot of attention of the staff.

rest assured, undecided2, You will continue to see this board get cleaner and cleaner as the next few months unfold. keep the faith

my 2nd suggestion would be:


Grow some skin.
It's the Internet, of course everyone isn't going to be hunkydory friendly.
Dont Feed A Troll if they offend you that much, I mean damn, you ain't gotta click the ignore button, just choose to not acknowledge their idiocy, take from me, they are probably just trying ot get a rise out of you.


So you are going to Censor yourself because of some random idiots on the "intarweb" wanna troll eachother?

why should you even care?

I'm serious man, you should be like to hell with them don't allow them to affect you.


and at the end of the day, it's still a forum.

Courtesy Is Mandatory

While I agree that members should try not to let a few malcontents get them down, I'm strongly committed to making ATS/PTS/BTS a warm and inviting place to share opinions.

As my reminder above indicates, courtesy is not optional on any ATS domain.

Regarding bans, I now have the ability to permanently ban member accounts.

Unfortunately, that is necessary now and then.

But I have been entrusted with that power because I consider using it to be a last resort. If there's any way I can help bring a troubled member around, I'll try it.

It takes a lot of extra effort in some cases, but I think it's worth it. Some of what are now our best members initially had a rough start, and I hate the idea of us losing them to a simple misunderstanding.

What To Do

My advice to all members who may see behavior which violates the AboveTopSecret.com Terms And Conditions Of Use is to let us know.

Submit a complaint and we'll look into it. We review all complaints and take them seriously.

Reporting problems is not being a "snitch" or "taddletale". Rather, it's taking action to help minimize disruption and protect the ability of all members to share their opinions without fear of being abused for doing so.

That is a cause worthy of your support.

I've been a member here a couple of years now and I have seen people go from warn to ban but the mods seem to really take it seriously before pulling the trigger on a full ban.

As you mentioned most of these topics are going to prompt some very passionate discourse that sometimes as happens everywhere people will either say things they later regret or that are down right racist and ignorant. But you have to allow for the possibilty that the person deep down really just let their knee jerk reactions get the better of them and hope that in the future they behave.

I've seen two bannings in the past month that were well deserved and the steps seem to be, emails, warns, global ignores/temporary bans(lil'vacation) and then banning...unless it's just an incredibly obvious breach of the T&C.

I believe the last resort is sending Skeptic Overlord to the offenders home for a little bit of the sweet mind wipe juice, but that's just a rumor.

As for putting people on ignore, it's tempting but I would say dont put people on ignore. There are a lot of members on this board I disagree with but have never put anyone on ignore because you just never know when someone is going to actually say something prudent, helpful or (and the most satisfying) watching someone progress and go from a closed mind to an open minded point of view wether it be politics, ethnicity or conspiracy.

Just my two cents and opinion.

Spiderj

I'm kind of in league with undecided2.

I don't ignore anyone, even though some have successfully "highjacked" a thread or two of mine with some very well worded hate rantings. I just choose to not answer them or read their post and actually get a good laugh out of it.

Usually if you just keep posting and replying, using common sense and good manners, they either give up trying to inflame you, or come around and finally contribute.

That is what they are doing anyway. Most of the ones that are "highjacking" are only doing it because they know they can "get your goat."

Be better than they are and continue posting on the greatest site on the net.

Semper

Cyberspace is another world. And people will say things here that they wouldn't dare say in the REAL world.

My solution when dealing with www rudeness is to imagine the perpetrator as being grossly obese, sitting in front to their computer in all their gross obeseness living out a fantasy in their electronic world. I don't take anything personally usually; when I do however, I know it's time for a reality check down at the local watering hole, Or some quiet time in BTS. Mostly I love the edge and confrontational aspect of ATS and PTS.
as the bumper sticker says: if you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch!

Works for me!

Very well said WHAAA

But big people need loving too.

Semper

[edit on 7/14/2006 by semperfortis]

Thank you S!

I know we disagree on many things but if more of the members addressed the issues with your articulateness, class and style, this post wouldn't even exist.
I truly appreciate your approach and scholarship on all issues.

In the years that I have been a member I pretty much have seem a lot of different minds, views and opinions.

I have grown with this site.

A littler bit of troll doesn't bother me at all.

I like ATS the way it is and would not change it for anything else in the net.

If you don't like somebody's language that's what mods and the administration is for.

This is life and realities in a public board. you get to meet all kind of characters.

If You Give Them A Chance To Stay On,They Most Likely To Do it Again.

Take A Chance On Me

Originally posted by Rade On Earth
If You Give Them A Chance To Stay On,They Most Likely To Do it Again.

That's always a risk.

Some members take second chances as an opportunity to really run wild and try to go out in a blaze of glory before being permanently banned. It happens.

But far more often, members who are given a second chance use it to try to be better.

And that's a chance I'm willing to take.



[edit on 7/15/2006 by Majic]