A new way to thank our members who contribute consistent quality -- no ads!

reply to post by mmiichael


I just don't understand this, this thread was started by Mr. Overlord - as a simply "Hey Thanks for everyone who has achieved a certain amount of stars and flags - here is your reward for that".

Now - the whole premise of what the thread is actually about has gone down the drain to a level - it does not need to be at.

so when you say "intelligent" conversation/debate etc. and people are leaving because they aren't getting it. I have two questions to reply to that.

Are you not now taking a direction yourself of which the thread was never intended - is it really an intellectual debate you are having right now - or is it over petty and small claims that in reality mean nothing?

If you think threads are not intelligent - then I would suggest - looking in the "Fragile Earth" "Breaking alternative News" "current events" etc. there are many many great threads located all over ATS that encourages serious and intellectual debate. Also - if there is something that interest you on an intellectual level, well start a thread about it.

My whole point is why has this thread now become a B---h about "who has what and who doesnt"?

Come on - we are all adults here - let's get over having or not having something - because in the reality - NONE of that matters. It does not matter who has what points, stars, flags etc. What it boils down to and what does matter is what we ourselves learn from this site - if that is what we want to do..... learn.

It is silly and not becoming of those who are here to deny ignorance to become embroiled over who has what points, stars, flags.

Now - I am going to go into various threads and see what I can learn about what is going on - and something I am interested in, besides expand my horizons some.

reply to post by SLAYER69


Hi Slayer69...

I have to agree with you... it is not WRONG to flag your own thread... as a matter of fact I do believe that I have flagged all seven of my threads...

I had read that it is YOUR indicator that you have found the thread to be a valuable and worthy thread. I have indeed found that each thread I've started fits this description. As I'm sure other may find also.

But even this can lead to an abuse... we can have someone start a thread that is a duplicate of many of the same threads that they've put forward before and then have their cronies jump on the bandwagon and flag and star away. Meanwhile the T&C states that duplicate threads are not wanted.

That's why the only real numbers I pay attention to are the years the person has been around, post count/replies and the number of Applauses the person has received. These will usually indicate the following of a member. Their Friends and Foe list can be used to also help ascertain their quality in a way.

Rgds

Originally posted by AllTiedTogether
That's why the only real numbers I pay attention to are the years the person has been around, post count/replies and the number of Applauses the person has received. These will usually indicate the following of a member. Their Friends and Foe list can be used to also help ascertain their quality in a way.

Or or, you can just read what they write.

That's how I do it.

reply to post by schrodingers dog


Yes, I did that for a while then realized that in a lot of threads that some things are a regurgitated mess of garbage and that you can't read them all... that is why the Stars were instituted I believe... to show the reader what other members have found to be the 'diamonds in the rough'.

I'm sure that not everyone will read every posts within a given thread. why do you star a comment or flag a thread? I do it to call attention to it, so others know what I've found to be valuable or worthy of reading.

reply to post by LDragonFire

I would like to see it return, and it makes it easy to see who has paid there dues vs some one who joined the site to troll or with some sort of vendetta.

Plus it would motivate newer members to stay here on ATS for the long term, not just to join and post for a month then go on to another site.

BTW Im Very Much Guilty of helping a couple of members get some needed flags to be in the club. !!!!

I'm very curious as to why you think that it makes it easy to see who has paid their dues when you state that you are guilty of giving flags to those that wanted to be in 'the club'? How can you believe that this symbol was worthy when you admit that you've given flags out to those that are not deserving of the attention it gives?

***ADDED*** Do you really think that symbol was enough to "motivate' newcomers to spend 'more' time on ATS... just to get rid of the ads?



[edit on 12-5-2009 by AllTiedTogether]

You know, after a while, everyone on here finds there own niche. Some like to start threads, some just like to post in others' threads, some like to hang out in the debate/writing areas, some prefer BTS. Whatever; to each their own, right?

But, if everyone just spent their time reading and posting in the threads that already exist, and there were no "Threaders" going out and watching/listening for hot content to post and creating threads, as I like to do - then there wouldn't be much of a site, would there?

As Springer pointed out, the "Threader" job is actually a very important job. It's the Threaders that get ATS into the search engines, which drives the whole site. Right?

And yet, the "Threaders" get very little in the way of points or recognition - UNLESS they are also getting lots of applause. They also get no "FSME"-type profile badge that they can take pride in. And everyone likes to take a little pride in their work, in a job well done, right?

Why NOT have a unique profile badge for members who are performing a very important function - consistently creating threads, especially "TOP" or high-flag threads?

Originally posted by mmiichael
"I was kidnapped by aliens, here's my story" is more popular than "that video is a fake."

It depends on what you want to achieve.

If you want to make a thread that attracts many people, with the corresponding stars and flags, the most important, from what I have seen, is the way you present it.

A thread titled "I was kidnapped by aliens, here's my story" could have many stars and flags, but it would depend on the content of the Opening Post, a weak OP would mean that the thread would be ignored.

In the same way, a thread titled "that video is a fake" can have many stars and flags if the OP is interesting.

Another way of making popular threads is to use an attention-grabbing title, so instead of "that video is a fake" it could be something that "Proof of fakery, Ufologists behind it?" A title like this could bring to the thread people that felt that the thread author was being unfair to Ufologists and people that felt that he had uncovered some Ufology conspiracy. This conspiracy could also be turned into two possible conspiracies, one from infiltrated Ufologists that were "planted" by the government to mine Ufology, the other that Ufology is in itself a conspiracy to move people away from the real source of UFOs (and here we could have several possible theories).

As my way of doing things is not like that and my literary skills are not good enough, I will never start a thread like that (at least as things are today), I only start threads about things I see that have not been talked about (or for which I found no threads, but that is usually a problem of the search feature ), and those are usually ignored because the subjects were not talked about because they were not considered interesting enough.

So, I think that this is just a question of why we are members of this community; do we want to be famous, popular, useful or unknown?

reply to post by ArMaP


Well put ArMap!

You are exactly right about the OP and the thread titles. Also another important thing I have noticed is timing of post. For instance if you start a thread b/w the hours of 12am-6am it could take awhile to get noticed, if it does at all. Or if you post one when another member has posted a "mega thread"(ie; lots of replies,stars,etc) all the other threads get less attention. But ultimately it comes down to what you said- quality of OP and work involved. Most of the time if it is a poorly thrown together OP with little or no research it doesn't get attention, but if it is well organized and researched it gets lots of attention in the form of stars, flags, applause, but sometimes not to many replies as those depend on how well put together the thread is (ie; if it is evenly balanced there is not much room for discussion, and thus I call those threads "read only" threads). But all those factors go into it, there is occasionally the very provocative topic that is poorly written and researched that still gets lots of everything (except applause I hope) because of what it is about. Those are just my observations as a member who threads a lot.

After sleeping on it, I think I was probably part of the problem yesterday in regards to the 250/250/250.

The whole badge thing was misinterpreted and (I'm assuming) only helped push SO towards removing the profile tags.

I just want to clarify things.

As stated in the OP,

These members are in the "250/250/250 Club," and a new link in their mini-profile (displayed next to their posts) indicates the milestone.

One (small) way to say thank you to those members, and also give other members an interesting milestone based on quality contributions to ATS.

These quotes to me say that the milestone is something a member should be proud of and be something they display with pride.

If earned properly, getting 250 of each of the requirements is no small task, and takes years of consistent, high-quality posting on the members part.

As many have said in this thread, they were proud of that achievement and were proud of displaying the achievement on their profile. It was not about excluding other members or making yourself look good, but showing the membership base that you were someone who worked to improve the quality of ATS threads and showed dedication to denying ignorance.

My stupid little badge idea was only that, a stupid little idea. It was a light-hearted way of having the 250 recognized on your profile. A little badge of honor. No different to many little BTS-related symbols and comments that people in that particular clique put on their profiles.

So after all this... I still find it incomprehensible that the numbers were removed. Surely not because it excludes some members? If that is the case then the removal of the FSME and Conspiracy Masters should surely follow.

Something earned by dedication is something to be proud of, and should be displayed boldly, if for nothing else than to inspire and entice the newer members to strive for the same goals.

Everybody wins in that situation.

I gotta tell you i'm liking this new feature.

Thank you administration for reducing that annoying distraction.

reply to post by fooffstarr


I personally LOVE your "stupid little badge", fooffstarr!

Maybe rename it to "ATS Threader", or something like that, and make it clickable, and have it link directly to the list of a member's threads - maybe sorted in descending order? - and it's absolutely perfect!!

What a wonderful way to create a new goal for new members and help people to take pride in their work! Love it!!

Originally posted by questioningall

Are you not now taking a direction yourself of which the thread was never intended - is it really an intellectual debate you are having right now - or is it over petty and small claims that in reality mean nothing?

If you think threads are not intelligent - then I would suggest - looking in the "Fragile Earth" "Breaking alternative News" "current events" etc. there are many many great threads located all over ATS that encourages serious and intellectual debate. Also - if there is something that interest you on an intellectual level, well start a thread about it.

My whole point is why has this thread now become a B---h about "who has what and who doesnt"?

Come on - we are all adults here - let's get over having or not having something - because in the reality - NONE of that matters. It does not matter who has what points, stars, flags etc. What it boils down to and what does matter is what we ourselves learn from this site - if that is what we want to do..... learn.

It is silly and not becoming of those who are here to deny ignorance to become embroiled over who has what points, stars, flags.

Reading what you have said I'll concede I may have spoken out of turn.

What I expressed I do feel is valid. It being brought to my attention like this, I'll admit this isn't the ideal time or place to voice it.

I come to ATS very much in the spirit of denying ignorance. My frustration comes when I see ignorance and intolerance inadvertently rewarded with popularity polling.

Truth should be it's own reward. Adults shouldn't need report cards.

Thanks for the heads up.


Mike

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


So 4,437 / 61 / 3,957 wont get it

Just kidding of course. I guess I need to start some threads.

Nice idea.

Wow! No good deed goes unpunished. What an incredible amount of whining.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


I've been here for 5 years and felt a little proud of that honor. Sorry to see the "tent folded" after so little time and possibly due to some excess whining (by wannabes?).



Do the work. Post the new threads. Post the replies ...



[edit on 5/13/2009 by centurion1211]

reply to post by centurion1211


If whining means showing the population of ATS that it was wrong and subject to abuse and that there were many people who were abusing this "Symbol" of what is supposed to be so "great" in your eyes, then I am guilty...

Time for the firing squad...


[edit on 13-5-2009 by AllTiedTogether]

Originally posted by AllTiedTogether
reply to post by centurion1211

 

If whining means showing the population of ATS that it was wrong and subject to abuse and that there were many people who were abusing this "Symbol" of what is supposed to be so "great" in your eyes, then I am guilty...

Time for the firing squad...


[edit on 13-5-2009 by AllTiedTogether]

Calling it "wrong" by someone here for only 6 months is rather subjective and perhaps open to the whining interpretation. Subject to abuse? Maybe by a few, but what isn't subject to abuse, maybe by a few? You going to ban it all? What will be left?

[edit on 5/13/2009 by centurion1211]

reply to post by centurion1211


Not planning on banning it all... just trying to make people see that if you leave a backdoor open then someone will try to get in that doesn't belong....

You don't need a symbol to show that you're who you think you are... neither does anyone else... If I want to find out how good you are in contributing to the ATS community I can look at your public profile... that's what a true ATS member would do.... Somebody off site may think that a little badge or notch may indicate something in particular.. but they are not of the ATS mentality.

The people that really matter as to what they think of your contributions can find out quite easily... You have contributed to ATS in a positive light...

Thank you on behalf of all the other members Centurion.



[edit on 13-5-2009 by AllTiedTogether]

reply to post by AllTiedTogether


Then support banning all the tags that members earn - writer, fighter, scholar, moderator, super-moderator, etc. When all of those are gone, we'll all be ready to sing kumbaya together. Or maybe you might try sticking around for awhile and earning some experience points and other things yourself - before passing judgement on those that have done all of the above ...

I been thinking, take all my points, stars and flags and post numbers and give them to someone else, then reinstate the 250 250 250 club honor tag, some people really deserve it.

I don't think it is a bad thing, people get honored for the good things they do in all walks of life.

I am sure this forum has won awards.

Not good to give an honor then take it back, looks bad, bad karma,

Please, I don't want it but please give it to the others who give freely of their time and energy.



[edit on 113131p://bWednesday2009 by Stormdancer777]