Restoring peace to ATS

Part of the problem is that there are many people who do not know how to attack the material, so they attack the poster. The other problem is the poster who feels attacked when their material is attacked and goes on the defensive.

Communication is an art that is learned. Perhaps we should realized this before we start attacking the posters and not their post. Not everyone believes in UFOs, ETs, God, explosives in the twin towers or planes that were not there. On the other hand, many have passionate beliefs about these things.

If we learn to question the poster’s claims and post our own evidence rather than attack the poster, we should all get along much better.

I am a relatively new poster here, so my comments may not be highly valued, but for what they're worth:

ATS has proved itself to me to be composed of a wide variety of people. Some have agendas they are attempting to promote. Others have closed minds to any concepts they have not heard before. Still others are blindly searching for truth, pressing it to the side in order to keep searching.

But there are also those who love to debate issues. This is the group I feel I am in, and I hope others agree with me on this. I have debated in countless online forums in the past, and each one I have quickly left due to the lack of intelligent debate. ATS is different. Here I find what I am seeking.

The Internet is an open forum in itself, with precious few barricades to information of all types, true, untrue, imagined, real, speculative... and that is as it should be. A closed door may shut out falsehoods, but also barricades truth. No matter the 'balance', no matter the 'intent', some of both will enter in. It is, therefore, the task of the user to determine which is which.

All this is my usual long-winded way of saying: ATS is fine as-is. I would like to thank SkepticOverlord for creating this space, and the mods who maintain it (in my opinion, in a very fair and decent manner).

The problems you have mentioned will always exist to some degree. To combat them, one need only follow a few simple rules of decorum that I hope will be plainly apparent: ignore those who are not worth debating; they will leave... engage those who are, and do it courteously; they will respond likewise... understand your topic as best you can (heh, see? Even I mess up sometimes ), and others will understand you.

Those of us who enjoy the site will stay; those who do not or have agendas will not. It is the way of the 'Net.

TheRedneck

Infinite, I understand where your coming from but the first problem that we all have is that we are not sat facing each other in a room discussing our relative points views or theories. Much intent good or otherwise can easily be lost just in the word we type.

I quite get to loggerheads with members such as ROCKPUCK and SEMPERFORTIS but irrespective what we argue about in our sometimes much heated discussions I respect them both and their views and opinions. We are all human and we all err but I think the main problem at the moment is the fact that there are spoilers at work here on ATS and it is sometimes difficult when to judge if a member is intent on serious debate and discussion or are they here to cause trouble.


Is it just bored people or are there dark forces at work here, how do we quantify the problem and how do we deal with it. The more ATS grows the more the problem does and it cannot be easy for the mods to decide who is here for the right reasons and who is not. INCARNATED thinks he is the reincanation of an angel, he may be mad as a hatter, he may genuinely think he is who he thinks he is or he may be a spolier but how do the mods decide what he is or his intentions.

Its almost certain that this site and its members are monitored by security forces and may have members on the site but again how does one decide who it is and what they are up to.

Originally posted by magicmushroom
...but I think the main problem at the moment is the fact that there are spoilers at work here on ATS and it is sometimes difficult when to judge if a member is intent on serious debate and discussion or are they here to cause trouble.

I am in complete agreement with this. I think that as ATS has grown in number, it has grown in influence. The result is that there are more than a few members, employed by or affiliated with God-knows-who of the PTB, who tailgate issues to mock, manipulate or derail.

Problems arise when the average member has had enough of the subterfuge or drama and just snaps.

Here's the deal. We have to be better than that, myself included. When we snap we are giving them exactly what they want by discrediting ourselves and thusly devaluing our arguments. We have to lock it up.

[edit on 23/3/08 by kosmicjack]

Being a political junkie I am very much use to the them vs us mentality . I have found that the same mentality is wide spread in the 9-11 forum and debates concerning the war in Iraq. Some threads just scream avoid and that is what I do . In one instance I have been accused of spreading dis info so if that is anything to go some of the traditional ATS topics that don't interest me must be hard going for those accustom to the high quality discussions .

Treat others like you want to be treated works just as well behind the keyboard as it does in other aspects of life. I have formed friendships that I other wise wouldn't have if I wasn't a member.

Peace In Our Time

Whenever anyone seeks to drive a discussion off topic with personal attacks or absurd non sequiturs, responding in kind only serves to aid such efforts.

That is, in fact, usually the motive for such posts.

But there is a powerful and effective way to do something about them:

1. Read and understand the AboveTopSecret.com Terms And Conditions Of Use. Yeah, I know. I didn't read them when I started here either, and a lot of it is the sort of thing that makes peoples' eyes glaze over. But they are the rules we live by, and knowing them puts you in a position of knowledge -- which is power -- versus its opposite, which this site exists to deny.

2. Report violations of the rules. If you allow someone to bait you into posting retaliations for rule violations, they win and we all lose. Rather, when you see a T&C violation, hit the ALERT button under the offending post and let us know.

3. Be patient. It can take longer than you might like for us to respond, but it's important to give us time to do our jobs. Also, it may not always be obvious when we do respond, because it's not uncommon for mods to send U2Us to try and resolve issues rather than slap red flags on every problematic post.

One thing that has really been driven home for me as a moderator is the fact that what may seem like an evil, unforgivable act by a member may, in fact, be an honest mistake.

Nobody's perfect.

ATS takes getting used to, and can be baffling, intimidating or downright overwhelming for new members. We want to make it easier for them to adapt to the community and -- hopefully -- "get it", so they can share their unique insights and points of view with all of us.

And hey, God knows us old-timers have our moments, too. Even the most calm, collected and revered member can blow a gasket now and then.

Our best "litmus test" is civility, because experience has proven that as long as we can maintain it, ATS will thrive.

Deliberate disruption and trolling inevitably leads to an account ban, but for the vast majority of members who come here with a sincere desire to Deny Ignorance, it never hurts to cut each other a little slack now and then, either.

Just sayin'.

To be honest, this past month I've seen a significant rise in people trying to discredit conspiracy theories that have been pretty well rounded in fact.

I am not going to single anyone out and call them a disinfo agent persay, but that's what it amounts to.

hi.
I am just reading....flagging and staring.
Good thread INFINITE and most EXCELLENT postings by SO & Magic.....

There are places on this board I no longer visit to avoid the negative spew.
I hope many folks read this nice thread here and ponder the message within.

reply to post by biggie smalls


I think this is where the misunderstanding is happening.

Members who do not believe in certain conspiracies are called "disinfo agents" because of their beliefs. If someone thinks 9/11 was not an inside job, it's their right to say and believe it.

I got accused of supporting the NWO because I thought Ron Paul would be bad for America it's absurd. That NEVER use to happen on ATS.

reply to post by infinite


Too many people with pre-conceived ideas and opinions who are unwilling to even consider alternative ideas no matter how reasoned the arguement.

My opinion on so many subjects has altered since joining ATS.
There seems to be an increase in members who will never be able to say the same due to their ingrained and entrenched ideaology.

reply to post by Freeborn


I remember when we use to break down topics and try to find the truth in theories instead of just believing them out right. Just try doing that now and hell breaks loose.

There are certain topics I will not discuss on ATS because I'll end up being attacked and called an "agent" That's a sad conclusion.

When I joined ATS, I was VERY open minded and believed many conspiracies, but I've become a lot more sceptical within the 5 years of being here.

reply to post by infinite


Yes, I agree.
But it cut's both ways.
When I first joined ATS I firmly believed 9/11 to be an open and shut case.
Islamic terrorists conspired together to fly planes into the twin towers and The Pentagon etc.
Now, I genuinely believe there to be much more to the build up and the actual events of that day than has been admitted.
Exactly what did occur that day I am not certain, I just think that the current official version of events is incomplete and that a new, independant enquiry is necessary.

My point is that I would never have been able to come to this conclusion uness I had approached all the conflicting evidence and contradictory theories without an open mind.

The amount of bithching and personal attacks that occur in 9/11 threads discourages reasoned debate.
A lot of the contributors seem to be so unwilling to even consider anything other than their already set in stone opinion.
The same can also be said about so many of the religious threads.