We must end the rising "culture of negativity" (SOLUTION POSTED)

IMO
War, torture, famine, Aids, genocide, corrupt government, Flu, bailouts of the rich, police and elected leaders above the law, pedophile preachers, thugs in the streets, TAXES, child abductions, crappy economy, jobs, poor & homeless, useless UN, nuclear tests, missile defence, UFO’s, false flags, Taliban, alciada, evolution vs. creationism, patriotism, NWO, monetary system that is unable to sustain our futures, globalism, entering in to NAU, trade restrictions, Armageddon, 2012.... Ok I’m stopping here cause I’m going to bust.
It’s hard to stay optimistic when debating very pessimistic situations. And most of the places we dwell are within secret, hidden, and oppressed issues. A lot are over the top but they are fun. I personally have a very hard time staying optimistic because I find the reality of most social structures of the world lack the understanding and/or the will to do things right, they just don’t care. Anyone that doesn’t have a vault of gold accomplishes nothing. And once you realize what is going on you will wish you didn’t know. If you could only swim with the school again. IMO a lot of fish ventured from the school and got eaten up for all to see and remember. If there was a Jesus (he was defiantly the first to be honest and show us a better way, so we have actually de-evolved since 30BC), JFK, Ghandi, Dr. King, Malcolm X, I can think of a lot of fish that ventured from the school, and when they were killed we all unconsciously learnt that it meant if you stray it’s your neck. So in conclusion I can only say that when people cannot release the built up energy nor have justice served by honest means, they carry around a grudge and become excessively pessimistic about every issue. But that’s just my IMO, Take care.

I have been guilty of negativity, most of the members here have, some times passions over personal belief can get the better of you, especially on my part when I see the same people doing it time and time again on different threads, you feel compelled to speak up, I often wonder how many members just star a thread rather than taking part because of the negativity.

What about a second star to disagree on a post as well as applaud on them? that would let people show their feelings across without reacting, then maybe the members who do this all the time would get the message and stop it, and others who feel like they are being attacked would see some anonymous support, no need for the mods to get involved then imo.

An out of order star so to speak?

Just thinking aloud for what its worth.

Originally posted by Mr Green

Oh goody. Does this mean I can return to speaking of spreading love and light again without being told to shut up we are sick of it!

I cant see the problem with saying love and light at the end of a post but recently its been looked down upon and labelled new age and fluffy, so I stopped.

Love and Light All

You should not have stopped.

Stick to your guns.

[edit on 053131p://bTuesday2009 by Stormdancer777]

[edit on 053131p://bTuesday2009 by Stormdancer777]

The negativity is a disease. When one person directs negative comments at another you will see that trend rapidly spread. Many posts start off generally civil but tend to end in a "mud" fight.

There are certain members on this site that seem to get a sense of satisfaction through belittling other members. I, myself have thrown and been hit with this "mud".

Moderators probably need to become more stringent in their "moderating" of forums. Instead of just acting on poor civility to other members, perhaps they could act on the instigators of these "mud fights", or those who add comments with the indirect intention of affending. Maybe something needs to be added to the 'T&C' to cater for "mud flinging".
We are after all decendants of monkey's who are expert poo flingers

Though moderators already have their jobs cut out for them and can't be expected to monitor every thread, perhaps we need more moderators to help respond more rapidly to alerts and have random thread inspections.
Those who instigate should be warned as those who are uncivil are warned.

[edit on 5/5/09 by spearhead]

[edit on 5/5/09 by spearhead]

I love the 911 conspiracy theories threads and I do not believe in the government version or what is called the official story. However, there is a serious problem with negativity on the 911 threads. There is a group of people in these threads that have been posting for several years who have attack others and me and personally on an on going basics. Just about every comment these people post to people like me are full of snide, ridiculing, and insulting, remarks. These people couldn’t careless about the topic at hand and they are not happy until they have railroaded the topic and have the last word on the thread. You would think these posters were children; however, these people claim to be expert in aviation, building engineers, demo experts, scientists, and military personnel ect, yet they seldom post any evidences or links to credible sources to back up their claims. The mudsling fests can be insane sometimes, even I have been drawn into some. However, I finally decided to put them on ignore to avoid further conflict. Even that was not enough as one of the “ignored” U2U’d me telling me that this mean that I had surrender to him and that I was defeated buy putting him on ignore, I couldn’t believe it.

Originally posted by Springer
Both sides have been increasing the negativity. While many "True Believers" complain about "Debunkers" hammering on every thread with repeated demands for evidence they already know the author can't provide, I have seen many threads started by the "True Believers" that are little more than flame war bait.

Hello Springer,

As one of the site owners - you should not take sides like this. Obviously with the skeptics, "Skeptic"Overlord's side is pretty obvious as well.

Eventually and inevitably with this attitude, quite frankly all you'll have left here are skeptics, and nobody will want to show any more conspiracy material and evidence (believers always have something to offer), skeptics got nothing to offer but hot air from the rear side.

Threads will keep getting started, but they will cease to be about anything interesting... It'll just be below-top-secret news -- with a twist to make it seem more interesting; when it's really not.

There are no shortage of forums out there which match ATS' plethora of skeptics and people who have nothing better to do than enforce their "Scholarly" mentality and attitude upon others.

Who is to say which belief system is right? .... Just because the skeptics are like you?

Remember, it is the believers (not the obvious whackos) who make this site what it is, and have everything to offer.

Kind regards,

GC

10 ignores is NOT enough!

100 would suffice

wZn

reply to post by GateCrasher

As one of the site owners - you should not take sides like this. Obviously with the skeptics, "Skeptic"Overlord's side is pretty obvious as well.

I think I have seen enough and heard enough of Skeptic to believe that is not true, all of us are skeptic on something or other, I don't profess to know the mind behind the man, but I have never seen anything to say he is unfair, or even critical when a good point is made.

Remember, it is the believers (not the obvious whackos) who make this site what it is, and have everything to offer.

Again, its both believers and non believers that deliver the truth, you cant really have one without the other and keep the truth out in the open, that would make us like those who we strive to deny.

Deny Ignorance.


[edit on 5/5/2009 by azzllin]

Originally posted by silent thunder

To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed this is even a question being asked by the board's administation. ......... But sometimes there is a tendency to micro-manage that creates more problems than it solves. This is one of those times. You are talking about micro-managing peoples attitudes now? Doesn't that strike you as a bit heavy-handed, if not downright bizzare? Moreover, its sadly ironic coming from a board that should serve as a bastion and bulwark of free speach and the ability to proble limits and ask real questions.

Please don't Disney-fy this board. There have already been some decisions made about the limits of permissable content I'm not too happy with. Nevertheless I can live with them. When you start talking about managing user perceptions and attitudes, that's a whole other level.

I have read a lot of the posts and find it interesting that most don't seem to agree with SO...at least it looks like that to me.

A site that deals with the mostly unusual topics that ATS deals with can't expect things to be all love and hugs, it just won't happen. It doesn't happen on even the most mundane sites I have looked at.

As others have said as long as the supposed negativity is respectful and reasonable I say leave things as they are. I know moderators etc are busy but isn't that what they are here for?

The above quote says a lot to me. Micro managing peoples emotions etc. is very heavy handed and should be discouraged imo. And considering how "different" ATS strives to be this seems uncalled for. I think they hit the nail on the head when they used the term bizzare.

If you are looking to hang on to what you consider the most intellectual members your size will shrink not grow. There should be room here for everyone. And intellect, negativity are all in "eyes of the beholder"

What does negativity even mean in this context? Ad hominem? Rejection of subject matter? Your momma jokes? Contrary arguments? Links to Alex Jones?

It's just a catch all phrase that would allow moderation to throw a wider net. It's the sort of vagueness that reminds me of an Obaaaamanism: "The change is me".

Am I being negative because I don't agree we should suppress negativism? If I agreed would I be positive? If I change polarity would the ice caps melt?

See, even my magnetic field is confused with this thread...

"The culture of negativity".
Seems to be predominant in people under 40 for some reason.
I noticed it years ago in the real world. It doesn't surprise me at all that it's showing up on websites. IMHO, I think after my generation dies, the world is just gonna be swallowed up in one big negative bubble....

This article reminds me of what I would call back to square one. If you asking what to do about it besides banning the person or groups of people doing it sending warnings doesnt work, its like a gun law if a criminal is going to go commit a gun crime a gun law on a piece of paper saying its illegal to carry or fire a firearm isnt going to stop the person from doing it.

Especially if there serious about doing it and people with a agenda are just as bad and are just as much as falt for being part or causing part of the problem. Even when we get into inrefutable facts that can be backed up for instance dealing with a government scandal and the government that did it itself accidentialy or delibertly puts out the documents related to the issue there is still going to be people who will denigh the facts placed in front of them.

Zero Tollerance doesnt work either its been shown over and over again to have failed in schools higher drop out rates lower test scores. Most people would say thats like comparing apples to oranges. Not so it takes 2 people to fight it also takes 2 people to argue. When ever a topic or discussion is taking place on ats people can choose to ignore the topic and not have a opinion on it and not discuss it.

They also make the choice to disagree with the topic at hand or agree with it. Its the same for people also engaging in discontent or people that are angry at there countrys or society in general. What to do about it? It is so much of a strech to say to have a spine when talking about a conspiracy theory? I dont think so you have to be of a different breed to even be a member of ats let alone any other site like this.

People in my family do not support what I do they never have and they never will that doesnt mean im wrong about the things I post here it also doesnt mean im wrong about the things ive said in the past have I made errors of judgement yep I can admit it to.

Lets just start off here by dealing with something simple the gene pool. A lion cannot change his or her fur color. A person was ment to be and born to be who they are not who someone or some group wants them to be. Ideas and Opinions for instance 90% of the time come from the apple off the tree or the parents of the child that has been raised to be a man or women.

A long time democrat that has a wife that's also a democrat that raises children may find those children wont group up the way they had intended everyone who has different expirences in life effects there daily outcome. Someone thats a natural bully most of the time had parents that didnt care about them or someone picked on them so they have to pick on other people exc exc.

Theres no reason why anyone should have to apoligise for who they are, you could argue that a murder that choses to murder people has to apolgise for his or her actions but that wont happen. If people took your comments the wrong way well too bad for them. How do you measure someones feelings if you can even say that anyone has any feelings why posting online for instance?

You really cant to tell the truth. ATS saw the problem you all created a forum for people to go and take there ideas there and no one did it correct? Society wont allow itself to be regulated and controled yes its true that the United States has about 44 million laws on the books in the United States alone but who follows all 44 million of them?

The answer is no one does no matter how much control people had in germany before it fell it did fall so did china with all the dictators and power mongers it all fell apart one after the other. What the NSA does about things like this is they let 2 parties with both agenda's that disagree with each other fight it out and take as many people that agree with them with them when they go.

The CIA does it too a good example is how to get rid of a jew a jew believes that pig blood is unclean so people that hate jews force jews to eat pig blood or something close to that. Where as if you have a czar type commie that's bent on power and control you give them no way to control what it is they dont have already and they lose. Exc Exc.

People would say thats insiteing a riot your correct it is gov does it all the time the only reason why this government hasnt colapsed yet is people are being too distracted by how bad the problem really is. When you get enough people fighting among each other over a issue or problem there eventually going to forget what started the arguement or issue that got them fighting the first place.

The Navy to Train navy seals for years sends there people to the middle east to learn how people that have been fighting war for 2000 years have been doing it so we are so called prepared to take on that kind of people.
After all that and all the money this government has spent on problems like this the best this government can come up with to solve problems like this is to have 2 group's that appose each other fight it out then kill the winner.

Im being serious on this too its not a joke when it comes to negitivity the way the czar does business is to do the oppisite of what ever the orginal problem was or is. If people from the KGB were here they would say something like get everyone drinking vodka it was there solution to there econmic woes after the U.S. colapsed the russian ruble.

Even counter balancing it cant go on forever before it colapses and that goes for everything. ATS, the economy, the internet exc exc exc. Create a program for ats so that when for instance there has been too many articles posted about what obama's doing wrong members have to find something positive to say about his adminstration?

I used to think about things like this all the time you cant please everyone its not something that can be done. The only thing I can see besides creating somekind of new program to create a counter balance of number of posts would be levels of posting privilages for instance 100 + posts to post in for instance RATS but you still have to pay the fee.

So on so forth thats my 2 cents for it now a program is the only thing I can think of as a attempt to create a counter balance.

Falcon

Originally posted by azzllin
reply to post by GateCrasher

 

As one of the site owners - you should not take sides like this. Obviously with the skeptics, "Skeptic"Overlord's side is pretty obvious as well.

I think I have seen enough and heard enough of Skeptic to believe that is not true, all of us are skeptic on something or other, I don't profess to know the mind behind the man, but I have never seen anything to say he is unfair, or even critical when a good point is made.

Remember, it is the believers (not the obvious whackos) who make this site what it is, and have everything to offer.

Again, its both believers and non believers that deliver the truth, you cant really have one without the other and keep the truth out in the open, that would make us like those who we strive to deny.

Deny Ignorance.


[edit on 5/5/2009 by azzllin]

ATS is yet another skeptic website, the owner is a self-professed Overlord of skepticism. If you were him, which side would you be on? ... Obviously, you have to pick a side when there are two who are in a constant state of battle on your website. It seems that from day-one the choice has been made. Look no further than the user name.

If my words are hurtful in any way - or spark a feeling of "negativity", then it's probably because it's the closest to the truth.

I have seen how Skeptics are treated here. They are catered and rewarded. When in-reality, they have nothing to offer a "supposed-to-be conspiracy website". They offer nothing but scorn and ridicule. Bumping threads, deflecting the topic to sub-topics of science and conventional every-day-BS, and engaging in emotional tactics that cause the OP (or someone else) to lose his/her temper and make his/her thread fail.

Originally posted by GateCrasher
ATS is yet another skeptic website, the owner is a self-professed Overlord of skepticism.

No... I am not.

I have seen how Skeptics are treated here.

Everyone is treated the same.

We've often seen that conspiracists tend to anticipate preferential treatment, when they see "skeptics" not being driven away, or even tolerated, the assumption is that we favor skeptics.

However, "skeptics" tend to think just the opposite.

Now here is an example of a thread deletion that just happened

The thread was :Attention ATS users i need you help so i can you this is no joke i promise

It was someone who wanted help in making contact with aliens and wanted to be taken away with them.

It was deleted.

Now, I know someone who starts a thread like that, is putting themselves out there for enormous ridicule by some members.
That is the chance they are taking.

But, they are willing to do it, that is their decision. Also, everyone's belief system is different. With that in mind, why delete the thread?

Yes it was an "out there" thread, but hey isn't ATS in the general public's mind "out there" anyway?

I really enjoyed that thread! It really has made me smile and laugh and I posted in it, wishing him/her luck.

But why police and delete that - because it was too far out there? But everyone's perception is different in what they think is "out there".

Many people are angry when they get in to debating the 911 topics and once you start seeing the truth it really hurts and it is normal for anyone to get angry when they feel betrayed by our government. So I think some poster just want to lash out at the truthers for exposing the facts. Some of the information is quite shocking and some people can not handle it, maybe there should be a warning at lease on all the 911 threads that some of these topics can cause unsettling and emotional problems and if you have a mental disorder please be advised, to take your “pill” before entering this topic.

Originally posted by GateCrasher
.... (believers always have something to offer), skeptics got nothing to offer but hot air from the rear side.

How wrong could you be?

Remember, it is the believers (not the obvious whackos) who make this site what it is, and have everything to offer.

See my above comment!

Talk about "negative"!

So you think this site should just have believers discussing how right they are. Maybe it's good (if not essential) to have different perspectives, even if they don't suit your rationality, they can help you think outside the box.

And don't forget about "Denying Ignorance".

IMO If you have faith in your own research and thread then soft skinned or not, the negative posters should just be ignored.

A good point made by an earlier post in this thread, was that we should remember everyone is at diffirent levels. Levels of understanding, levels of ability and levels of confidence in their ability to debate with long standing members.

How many times do we see " Ive been a member for a long while, dont post much, but I have to say..........." It takes courage to defend your corner against some people on here but eventually we get there with learning and respect from others and not with policing threads.

I feel there are more important issues to be addressed such as.... non source posting in important update threads..ie. the swine flu updates.

There are also a small group of users with such strong nationally political views that basically hijack any thread that has a view of their country that differs from their own. They are negative to any point that differs to theirs. When they express their opinion most on ATS can handle this kind of joint ambush of their threads.

Everyone has a right to an opinion just please dont police or vet ATS. The mods do a great job, under difficult conditions, especially with all the turmoil and crisis we are seeing in the world - and on the board right now. Let them continue to do it.

Everyone visits here for diffirent reasons. We are big and ugly enough to look after ourselves and our threads. We support those who are not. If we get carried away we are brought back down to earth iether by respected friends, enemies or the mods. That is all we need.

Just my tuppence worth.....


Respects

I was suspecting this thread would end like this....

Perhaps the perception, once recognized, can be overcome. But it's like pushing against a pendulum. The harder you 'push' back, the harder the return swing will be.

This issue of fractiousness and friction is not really about negativity after all, is it? In the end, as Shrodinger's Dog opined, it's a more fundamental issue, one that casts it's shadow over all disagreements here.

reply to post by questioningall


Ummm, I think it goes just a tad bit further.

If memory serves me, creating threads for the purposes of recruiting are definitely against T&C.


AB1