The SUSPENSION of illicit drugs/mind altering substance topics on ATS (The experiment failed)

Originally posted by ravenshadow13
Although the drug issues do come up in other topics like the economy and stuff, I think the best idea is just to move them ALL to this proposed forum as to not offend anyone and to allow for stricter moderation. Kind of how, like, posts get moved to Skunk or sometimes mine get moved to Politics when I post them elsewhere. Just to organize it better.

Or how about we do the opposite?

Since drugs are a tangent to many issues we discuss here, it doesn't make sense to have anything that is related to drugs be stuck in one forum. For instance, if I wanted to make a post about MJ-12 running the Mexican coke-cartels to fund their cover-up of UFOs, it would make much more sense for that to be placed in the Aliens & UFOs forum.

So, any thread that relates to illegal drugs should first be posted in the proposed Drug forum. Then a moderator can approve it and move it to a more appropriate forum, flagged so other moderators know that it is to be strictly moderated.

reply to post by kcfusion


Banning the anon posts is probably a really good idea, but they're all checked before they're posted anyway. And I don't think a point requirement is a good plan, I mean, it could help but it is a really important issue and I think there are lots of new, responsible members with important things to say on the issue. If you're concerned about the "bad posting," they would be covered by the rest of the terms of the board, and banned from there if they don't follow the rules.

So yes, you can one time reapply to a moderator of the forum if you are banned from it for not following the terms of the drug forum. And if you do it again, you're out forever. If you complain on the rest of the site, you're out, because we're working to give you a chance.

Which reminds me, if you're posting about how unfair the new rules are without reading the recent posts, FYI we're trying to give you a real fair extra chance to allow the discussion of illicit drugs on a separate, strictly moderated board with it's own terms and conditions, and with the ability to ban people from JUST THAT board if they are immature, brag about their personal experiences, and bring up personal stories "one time I was eating mushrooms and I saw singing birds singing showtunes" or something. The discussion of drugs related to medicine, like the legal use of Prozac for legit treatment of a disorder will be allowed in the Medical board, which will have more strict moderation, and insults to people who take those medications will not be tolerated. Also, the discussion of legalizing marijuana for medical use will be allowed in the Medical forum, but posts saying "It's not fair if they can get high and I can't" will not be tolerated. And I believe the discussion of using hemp for textiles and alternative energy will be allowed to be discussed in the economy and science forums, which will moderate and delete posts about getting high off of any of those substances.

reply to post by skeptic1


I'm not sure the "no illegal use" could apply to a War on Drugs forum. After all the "illegal" part is 90% of the conspiracy.

I think a good solution would be to keep it really simple for the site staff, yet be effective as needed.

So i'm not sure about the approving every single post. Sometimes I don't see anonymousATS posts come up for hours. It would be a big job.

I think more ability to slap people with warnings and stuff. People care about points don't they? Double point deduction. lol.

You could give them temporary 1 day or more bannings if its that out of control. There will always be some miserable bastard putting their anxiety into the board so generously so that we may all feel their frustration. .. but why not just get rid of the member.. and let everyone else know. Bannings don't seem to be too public.

Let us know, especially in such a topic you think will get the most out of control.. make a little sticker "Member had to be banned for violating simple forum requests"

It would deter people I think.

But the main thing I wanted to highlight was to keep it simple for the staff, yet also make it just as effective as you feel it needs to be.


I don't think any member really has a problem with having to watch our mouths (I would hope).. I think they are just concerned about the topic not being discussed at all. But I could be speaking for myself.

reply to post by SaviorComplex


Yeah I actually just amended that in my previous post. If it's about politics, it goes in politics. Or UFOs. Or economy. Or wherever. But no talking about smoking or taking it! If you want to talk about that in the "War on Drugs Forum" it will be permitted in a mature way regarding policy and cultural differences and it being legal in one place and not the other, and the charges and laws for possession, etc, and no personal stories will be tolerated anywhere.

reply to post by tyranny22


I mean personal stories.....

Of course activity is involved in the conspiracy, but it can be addressed without personal stories of how you got high every day of college and how great is was.

reply to post by tyranny22


I think the no illegal use thing would apply for the rest of the site. And no personal use stories or anything in the War on Drugs Forum.

I cannot say that I am not saddened by this choice. Yes, some posters abuse the subject, speaking of their personal experiences and not of the money-based conspiracy that ruins a hundred thousand lives a year in this country (USA).

And yes, it would be rough to be a mod on a specific section, trying to delete posts like those that would extoll virtues...but because the whole War on (some people who use some) Drugs was a vanguard assult on our Constitution, and as such fully owns a place on a board devoted to conspiracies, I feel ATS should keep some way of discussing this.

To expect a complete picture to emerge of what is going on while banning discussion on one major support of the apperatus is foolish, but then, perhaps the goal is not understanding this world...?

I too would offer to Mod a section discussing the conspiracy aspect, but...

I guess the decision has been made and that is that.

Still... I shake my head sadly.

EDIT to add: I admit I have not read all the posts here - too many pages! - but it looks like, from above, as if some more equitable solution is being discussed - if not actually to be acted on. I surely hope the suggestions are taken to heart and a solution to this is forthcoming!

[edit on 2/25/2009 by Amaterasu]

my thread was removed. it had nothing to do with drugs but had the name drugs in the title.

it was about a picture that i took in front of my school of a "drug free school zone sign" and it had the mason insignia on the bottom.

here are the pictures

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/9a06e2781e55b8d8.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/418cf64ec00f09a1.jpg[/atsimg]

the thread was called "masons hate drugs too". once again it had nothing to do with drugs but it was about mason control of school.

i have contacted gemwolf the mod who took it down and i am requesting it back.

i post this here because i think more needless removals will come. if my thread was read it would have been clear.

Boy, I'm used to being ignored around here, and seeing as my comment on page 10 was overlooked, (and BH didn't nominate me) can someone who has Springer's ear please let me know why in the world Hemp would EVER become a topic that is banned?
post by jasonjnelson
I mean, you would have to be fairly uneducated to not know the truth behind the THC content in hemp.... Jason

[edit on 25-2-2009 by jasonjnelson]

reply to post by CavemanDD


Right. They shouldn't all be screened (the posts). But more mods, and mods with experience, would mean more warnings, more pointing to the rules of the forum, more bannings from posting in that board, and the ability to reapply once for entry back into the board. They'd still be able to use the rest of the site, as long as no more discussion of using drugs, or how it's unfair that we have these policies comes up from them. If it does, like if they make a scene on BBQ, they get banned from ATS.

I wish I could have a constructive discussion like we've had over the past 3-4 pages in other forums here on ATS.

Whatever the result from this thread regarding a new forum - I hope maybe we could take a look at applying it site-wide. It's been a long time since I've been on a thread that wasn't constantly derailed, or plagued with constant derogatory comments - which is why I haven't fully participated in five or six months ... or longer.

Is that what we can expect now? Mods deleting threads because it has the word drug in it? This is the complete opposite of denying ignorance

reply to post by jasonjnelson


THC content means nothing in certain places. In most places, hemp is the same as MJ. It isn't right, but it's true.

Originally posted by skeptic1
reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

 

I agree....

...dedicated forum
...strict moderation from a large group of Mods
...strict oath/rules to agree to before being allowed to participate
...2 strikes and you are out of dedicated forum
...certain drug topics allowed but nothing about illegal personal use or personal "pothead" stories

A nice summary. But add:

...threads do not appear on front page

reply to post by jasonjnelson


It wouldn't, just smoking it was up for being banned and getting high off it. Using it for textiles is fine as long as people aren't talking about it's recreational use.

We're -trying- to give everyone another chance. The decision has been made for right now but the staff is looking at our proposal and is possibly considering it. So please just look at the ideas over the past few pages and either agree or disagree, but instead of complaining, why not contribute?

Why can't the mods just ding the poster like they always do? Put up one of those bars about the infraction, ding the poster 500 points so they get the message and move on. If the poster continues to accumulate infractions IP ban them.

I'll be looking for ads from big pharma now because this whole tornado is completely over done. Just IP ban people. Done.

I don't recall ever having talked about any of the drug experiences in the distant past but the vociferousness of this debacle leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

It's a privately owned board so censor away! Who cares?



[edit on 2/25/09 by stikkinikki]

Originally posted by skeptic1
reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

 

I agree....

...dedicated forum
...strict moderation from a large group of Mods
...strict oath/rules to agree to before being allowed to participate
...2 strikes and you are out of dedicated forum
...certain drug topics allowed but nothing about illegal personal use or personal "pothead" stories
...maybe a review of posts before they appear in the dedicated forum??




[edit on 2/25/2009 by skeptic1]

Sounds Good

But i do not like the laast one. Too complicated. The rest are all great, and should be enough to enforce.

[edit on 25-2-2009 by darcon]

Originally posted by ravenshadow13
Yeah I actually just amended that in my previous post. If it's about politics, it goes in politics. Or UFOs. Or economy. Or wherever. But no talking about smoking or taking it!

I may have misread or missed the fact that you did. Sorry!

Anyhow...any thread that discusses drugs, after being moved to the appropriate forum, should have a big banner at the top and bottom of every page of the aforementioned thread, warning that certain things will not be tolerated and could put the member's account in peril of they violate the T&C.

Originally posted by ravenshadow13
no personal stories will be tolerated anywhere.

I don't think there should be such a strict prohibition on personal stories. For instance, stories of where people discuss their addiction and recovery should be allowed. Only personal stories advocating illegal activity should be prohibited.

[edit on 25-2-2009 by SaviorComplex]

reply to post by Reddupo


Or in the google searches, similar to those in RATS...