Are some boards picky?

I find that some forums will die after I make a post. It seems like the members here don't respond to the topics for a really long time... and they post in some other topic. Yet they'll post in a topic that they find interesting. Now my topics are completely understandable as they are written in plain English but I find that if I write one topic it's like the forum expects a mod to delete it or like they just don't post in the forum until my topic gets moved off from the top spot of that forum here on ATS/BTS. Why is that? I'm sure it has nothing to do with my popularity.

I assume it has to do with the way I present my information. But like if I can only present my information with what I have I don't see why a topic should be ignored on a board I think it should go on but when I present the same information on a different board they are more receptive to it. I know that audience has to do with it. I'm just surprised. I don't think any member should have to have so much of a difficulty talking about a subject let alone worrying about what people think of the thread. I see so many people online at one time and then when I make the topic people stop posting in the forum that I made the topic in for like hours. I think that's mean. Isn't ATS a place for free speech? Shouldn't I be allowed to make a topic without feeling punished or being punished for it with me basically being ignored by an entire board?

Or it could just be that it's morning so people aren't replying to my posts that much and even though it appears that they are on they really aren't.

I just feel punished sometimes because I feel like I make a wrong post at a wrong time so people aren't there to reply to it and I do feel a little bad that I made the post at a time when not a lot of people are on.

[edit on 31-8-2008 by Frankidealist35]

[edit on 31-8-2008 by Frankidealist35]

I think your thinking is turned around the wrong way. Your complaint about being "ignored" almost implies that you think people have a responsibility to reply to your threads and posts. They don't. In general, people reply to topics that interest them or evoke a response.

You might ask yourself what you are here for? I'm here primarily to learn, which means I do a lot more reading than posting. If you are here thinking ATS is some big popularity contest or competition for points, you may not get much out of it.

No one has an obligation to reply to your threads or posts, and most of mine so far have been "ignored." That just tells me that I need to start better threads, or make better posts. What I wrote did not evoke a response strong enough to get someone to hit the reply button, that's all. And perhaps they read it and thought "yep, I agree," which leaves them nothing to post since ATS discourages one-liners.

I am delighted and appreciative every time someone responds to me, and I try to say "thank you" in my replies to their replies, or in some way let them know that their reply was appreciated. Every reply is a gift of someone's time; in each reply someone is giving you a little bit of themselves. Personally, I don't feel that I have a right to sit around and complain because someone chose not to give me that gift, and whining will certainly not encourage anyone to give me that gift the next time.
Instead, I provide as much positive reward as I can to the people who DO gift me with their replies, and hope that it will encourage others to follow suit.

And ultimately, it's more about the subject and the presentation than the person. I could write the best article ever written about how access to horse manure improves the taste and quality of chicken eggs, and if no one has any interest in the topic I won't get any replies. Or I could write a really bad post about a good topic and still not get any replies.

In any case, and I'm sorry about being blunt here, it's just the way I am and I am actually trying to be helpful although it may not seem like it, complaining about being "ignored" will generally get you nothing but loss of respect. No one is punishing you, you just haven't motivated them to respond to you.

Happens all the time, the owners have stated that the threads they think are going to soar flop and via verse.

It sometimes depends on the time of day, the general mood of the board and yes title and presentation comes into play.

Look at my Harry Potter banned in schools thread, sad, but then the next day 2 different threads sprang off of mine without comment from the next OP's in my thread.

Theirs have hundreds and hundreds of reads where as mine has little to no onlookers.

If it is a mega thread you desire, just keep posting and managing and one day you will hit ATS./BTS Gold.

In the meantime, see ya round.

reply to post by Heike

I know that I'm not here to make topics but it just so happens that I'm the type of person that likes to ask a lot of questions. So when I ask a question and it doesn't get answered right away I feel ignored at times. It's kind of my fault really for asking so many questions... but how should I go about it differently? Like should I make less topics then?

Frank, one of the things you have to deal with is the fact that not every post is going to receive 1500 replies. I usually post some good threads but I consider myself lucky if anyone of my threads receive more than 50 replies. That's just the way it is.

[edit on 31-8-2008 by SpeakerofTruth]

reply to post by Frankidealist35


That depends on the types of questions you are asking. ATS is a conspiracy theory site, and although in general people here are very helpful and friendly, it's not a an advice site.

It may be that people don't know the answers to your questions, or, as in a few cases I've seen, they aren't willing to answer a question that a person should answer for themselves after doing appropriate research and talking to friends and family members who actually know them. And of course, posting "I don't know" or "that's not a question that strangers should be answering for you" is not the type of reply which is encouraged. (not criticizing; just saying)

Depending on what kind of questions you are asking, there are lots of good places to go where people will answer questions, although you may not like the answers you get. Yahoo Answers is very active and there are other sites like it.

You might also consider trying to find threads that already address in some respect the topic you are asking a question about, and insert your question there. People will be subscribed to that thread and watching it, most likely, and people who are already interested in the topic and/or may know something about it are more likely to see your question and respond to it than when you start your own thread. New threads get buried so quickly if they aren't replied to immediately .. I know the sheer volume causes me to miss a lot of threads I would probably reply on if I had seen them, and I usually just don't have the time to go digging for new threads that have already dropped off the "recent posts" page.

Alternatively, you might look for people who seem to know something about, or have an interest in, the subject you have a question about based on their posts and U2U them. In my personal experience, very few people here ignore U2U's.

I feel the same way.

Such as the Secret Society section. I see mostly one theme. I almost want to post and ask the staff of ATS to create a Mason / Freemasonry section.
I posted a legit question asking for insight into other organizations and seems there was no response whatsoever ... but the 30-40 new mason threads are getting hit hard.

I guess if I wanted to discuss Masons, 9/11 or Area 51, there is tons of discussions.

reply to post by Frankidealist35

Ask more interesting questions.

Be a bit more receptive to the answers you get, even if you don't particularly like them.

Practise a little humility.

Picky hmmm. I like cherry tomatos rigatonni and certain other culinary delights. They place a high precedence on decorum. The mods do a wonderful job of that.

Are some boards picky?

You bet!

Some boards they use to make tooth picks out of dude.

Hmm, I have days like that, where I wished people paid me contast attention.

Originally posted by Frankidealist35
reply to post by Heike

 

I know that I'm not here to make topics but it just so happens that I'm the type of person that likes to ask a lot of questions. So when I ask a question and it doesn't get answered right away I feel ignored at times. It's kind of my fault really for asking so many questions... but how should I go about it differently? Like should I make less topics then?

Frank do not take yourself so seriously.
One of the questions you asked about dreams and will power would be better discussed and researched on google.