The ATS Issues Thread

And it gets better. I swear this is true. I've just been given another fine by a super moderator for "excessive quoting!" You couldn't make this up.

reply to post by schrodingers dog


No, I didn't call any of the staff pathetic, I said the ruling is pathetic.
It's agood job I wasn't interested in saving up those points as by the time I've got some satisfaction I'll have none left!

reply to post by Mintwithahole.


Well. I hate to butt in now, but maybe you should just take a step back from your computer and ATS and relax. Watch a movie and just kick back and when your back and feeling calmer than discuss this issue. Because right now, I can tell your not calm or relaxed your going on anger and not clear thinking. Relax and step away

Originally posted by schrodingers dog
Sorry for butting in here M, I realize you might have had some trouble achieving initial communication with staff ... but ... it has been my observation that airing this stuff out in public is not really the best way to get any remedy for any perceived issue.

Sorry to but in myself S Dog. I consider you a virtuous poster and voice of reason.

HOWEVER, this is the ATS Issues thread. Seems like THE EXACT appropriate spot to be voicing "issues." No?

I myself have been on the receiving end of what I perceive as less than fair treatment in the past and can relate to the frustration that Mintwithahole is describing.

I often have to step back and realize that I'm just an uninvited guest in someone else's sandbox. I'd just hate to see it mistaken for a tray of kitty liter.

Without Wax Kinda Kurious

[edit on 21-8-2009 by kinda kurious]

reply to post by kinda kurious


KK I understand what you're saying, but my comments were more from a "what is one trying to achieve" sort of perspective.

Trust me, I am not immune to butting headz with our hosts, but I have always found that when a personal grievance is the issue (something that is about my actions), if one wishes to obtain an agreeable resolution or a cordial clarification, and have ANY hope for reconsideration of staff action, it is better addressed via either U2U, alert feature, or complaint submission form. Conversely, if one wishes to make a public display of what is a personal issue the message sent is that one is more interested in somehow "exposing" staff than any possible resolution.

Thus, and this is just my perspective, I have learned to use the issues thread to address general board issues and the other private communication channels to address personal concerns.

Of course this is just my opinion as a member based on experience and observation and is no way meant to outline what this thread is or isn't meant to be used for.

In fact I could be completely off base ...

But to me, at the end of the day it simply boils down to what one is trying to achieve.

[edit on 21 Aug 2009 by schrodingers dog]

If you take any member of this site who has been here for 3 months or any member who has had any sort of interaction with a staff member, at the very least, 9 out of every 10 will say that the staff here are completely approachable, understanding and open-minded to situations that arise. Especially those concerning the actions of a fellow staff member. The members hold us to a high standard, which we expect. But we hold one another to an even higher standard and any current or past staff member can vouch for that.

With that said, when a situation presents itself where conflict is evident, it is best solved via u2u. Airing in this public forum, regardless of what the thread title is, is not going to be the most seamless solution. Quickest route from point A to B is a straight line. That straight line is our u2u's. Private communication between the two parties involved and no background noise.

So if you are a member with an issue, contact the staff member and discuss it. If you are not comfortable discussing it with that specific staff member, submit a complaint and ask a staff member to contact you. We will and we will do everything to find a common resolution to any and all situations.

Kinda kurious and S.Dog.

As far as I'm concerned I've been turned over by an unfair decision, hence the reason I posted my complaint. Although I feel hard done by by the mods the last thing I want is to cause other good ATS members to start arguing and falling out over what's happened to me. I appreciate your words and kindness but it's not worth falling out or arguing over.
I've had my say and that's the end of it.

Thanks.

reply to post by Mintwithahole.


No worries Mint. S Dog and I are chill.

My next door neighbors are Japanese. We visit them often.
Despite the numerous pairs of shoes just inside their front door, I often forget to remove mine upon entering their home.

They are always gracious and never say a word about it.

My silly metaphor for membership here.

Blue skies...KK

[edit on 21-8-2009 by kinda kurious]

Ok so I really hope someone can help!


I'm on my phone, a Google G1... I do a lot of ATSing on it... well I have a recent problem.

There appears to be two massive images covering the entire top half of every page... its only started in the last week. And it is ONLY on ATS. This is a touch screen phone.

The images are massive invisible squares, one on each side, left and right, over lapping in the middle. When I click anywhere on the top half it high lights these images.. I have to click dozens of times to get to the links underneath.

Again, this only on ats and it is a new issue...

Any help?

Oh and to go with the current topic....


No one on ATS has been warned more than me I think... 3 or 4 red flags at once with a post ban at that... I think nearly every one of the older mods has warned me, banned me, told me off etc. Including the admins. Not something I'm proud of, and its been a looong time since iv been warned and a few months since my last 72hr post ban.


My advice?

Get over it. Take a breather. Have a beer. Don't take it personally, because its not personal.

Originally posted by Mintwithahole.

Finally received my answer to what I did. I pasted a quote from a book and at the end quoted the book and it's author but because I didn't use quotes I've been fined 500 points (I'm not bothered about that) and given a warning. Is this really what ATS promotes? If you're not computer savvy then don't join this site!!! I've pasted in text before as I did on that thread and nobody has even told me that what I was doing was wrong!

I'm sorry all but this is pathetic. . .

No you didn't quote the book. The website you copied and pasted from quoted the book as reference. If you quoted the referenced book slightly different than the way the website did, then we could have given you the benefit of the doubt, but you didn't.

Compare your post here:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

with the source here:
Source

Word for word. You even copied and pasted the part where they referred to the photographs ("bottom"). How can you still deny your fault? You agreed to the terms and conditions, you were the one that didn't hold your end of the deal.

No-one asked you to be computer savvy. Even if you didn't add the BB code tags, and just mentioned "this is from website so-and-so" you wouldn't have been warned. And you've been here well over a year. Is it really that hard to add 4 letters [ex] before and after copied text? You made the effort to go find the text, why not go that extra centimetre and add the necessary BB code?

Originally posted by Mintwithahole.
I said it so you would react to it! And it worked. . . Nothing you say is going to convince me that warning me about plagiarism when I actually quote the author and book that I took the text out of is fair. All I'm doing is attempting to get my point across without being called whiny or whatever.

So you lie in public to make me look like the bad guy? As have been mentioned previously there are better ways of resolving your issues. Because you insist on doing this publically, everyone get to see the reality for what it is. I don't understand your strategy.

The bottom line is: You made a mistake. You are responsible for your posts so take responsibility for your mistake. In less than 48 hours the warn tag will be gone and everyone would have forgotten about it.

Edit: Clarity.

[edit on 22-8-2009 by Gemwolf]

Originally posted by Rockpuck
Again, this only on ats and it is a new issue...

The "squares" you see are clickable layers that enable the background skin/wrappers to have links (such as on Aliens & UFO topics). It's possible that mobile browsers will have some trouble with the CSS/HTML used to make that possible.

Instead, why not use the mobile version of ATS?
m.abovetopsecret.com

Originally posted by Rockpuck
Get over it. Take a breather. Have a beer. Don't take it personally, because its not personal.

Here here I would like to second that as very good advice . In five years I have only been the victim of over zealous moderating just once . That is all round excellent in my book . I haven't had a lot to do with the mods in there position as staff members although that isnt necessary a bad thing . Its not hard to get stay within the T&C . As time went I on I began to realize what threads or topics are just not worth posting in for various reasons that could to frustrations .

reply to post by Gemwolf

Anyone who is reading this follow Gemstones link above because this is the clearest case of him having psychic powers that you're ever going to come across! He says I didn't credit the book so read down and at the bottom you'll see;

Martin, D. & Boyd, A. (1999). Nessie: The Surgeon's Photograph Exposed. Thorne Printing.

Now if that's not a credit and not written by me at the time, where on earth did Gemstone get that information from? He is indeed a gifted individual to be able to produce such information seemingly at will.
You then go on to call me a liar!!! And say I'm trying to make you out to be the bad guy. . . Oh dear.
There's only one liar here and he apparently likes Pugs! You don't need me to make you out to be the bad guy- you've done that all on your own!

Originally posted by Mintwithahole.
I said it so you would react to it! And it worked. . .

Explain one thing to me, please, what is the meaning of the above quote?

Did you said that you sent a U2U to see the reaction when in fact you did not sent any U2U? Is that it?

Thanks in advance.

Originally posted by ArMaP

Originally posted by Mintwithahole.
I said it so you would react to it! And it worked. . .

Explain one thing to me, please, what is the meaning of the above quote?

Did you said that you sent a U2U to see the reaction when in fact you did not sent any U2U? Is that it?

Thanks in advance.

I did send a U2U but received no reply. As you said earlier, to receive a warning and fine without being told why is ridiculous. Now I know it's something to do with crediting an author which I did, or quoting a website which I didn't because I thought the credit alone would do. But it's all got out of hand. Now I'm accussed of lieing. . . To tell you the truth ArMap, I'm really not interested anymore. From now on I'm just going to relax and let them get on with it.

Originally posted by ArMaP

Originally posted by Mintwithahole.
I said it so you would react to it! And it worked. . .

Explain one thing to me, please, what is the meaning of the above quote?

Did you said that you sent a U2U to see the reaction when in fact you did not sent any U2U? Is that it?

Thanks in advance.

I did send a U2U but received no reply. As you said earlier, to receive a warning and fine without being told why is ridiculous. Now I know it's something to do with crediting an author which I did, or quoting a website which I didn't because I thought the credit alone would do. But it's all got out of hand. Now I'm accussed of lieing. . . To tell you the truth ArMap, I'm really not interested anymore. From now on I'm just going to relax and let them get on with it.

[edit on 22-8-2009 by Mintwithahole.]

reply to post by Mintwithahole.


I'm not saying this is what happened I'm just pointing out the flaw in your train of thought ...

If you input:

"For years skeptics were sure that the photo was somehow a hoax. But no rigorous studies of the image were conducted until 1984 when Stewart Campbell analyzed the photo in a 1984 article in the British Journal of Photography." into google search the first result one gets is:

www.museumofhoaxes.com...

It's really time to let this one go M.

reply to post by schrodingers dog


You're right. As far as I'm concerned enough is enough.