Five Things You Should Keep In Mind Before Posting In The UFO Forum

Alright, as a member who mainly frequents the UFO/Alien forum here on ATS I feel I need to state some things that hopefully some will keep in mind(I always try to) before posting in the forum. As someone who is dedicated to exploring the UFO phenomena I want to at least try to do what little part I can to keep the forum in order, I am no mod or FSME—and not claiming to be, I just want to help out the flagship forum here on ATS. I am in now way trying to dictate what should or should not be posted in the forum, only offering a set of friendly suggestions to keep in mind BEFORE posting anything. I don’t want this to be a lengthy thread so I will start now:


1. All It Takes Is A Brief “Google”

Okay, there have been a lot of duplicate threads recently, as well as many obvious CGI youtube videos. Firstly, I always use the ATS search function before posting anything. Now as I have heard from staff it is okay to post a duplicate thread (non-Breaking News) every 4-6 months, as there is a lot of threads on ATS, some may have been covered 5 times already, but not since 2006—In that case in my opinion(and by information from staff) I would assume it is okay to repost, but it is always a goal of mine (personally) to at least cover the topic in greater detail if I am going to “re-hash” a topic.

For example, there have been many threads re-hashed (it is REALLY HARD to find a topic not already mentioned on ATS) on ATS, but they have mostly been done in such a greater detail that they are in essence “reduxes” of the original topic. So I always like to keep in mind “is it really worth it to re-hash this topic?” I mean there are threads from 2005 that I personally would not re-hash(even if they need more attention because they present great cases, like many of Gazroks UFO threads, which are older but well presented) I personally would still not re-hash them because IMHO if a thread topic has been “mastered” there is no need to redo it.

Alright, now on to the infamous youtube videos. Simply put, please research the topic before posting. Do not automatically post something because it “looks good”. Most of the time if it looks to good to be true, IT USUALLY IS. I am but one of four FSMEs in this forum, we all would be happy to assit you in anything we can.It is why we have the badge in all honesty. In fact I am going to present the u2u links of these members for everyone’s ease.


UFO Forum FSME U2U Links

internos

ArMaP

Gazrok

jkrog08

karl 12

 

Example of a classic youtube video that may appear ‘post worthy’ at first, but not after further research:

Here are the two actors IMBD profiles.

This will also apply to pictures and stories. I always like to cross reference from AT LEAST 3 sources before even CONSIDERING posting, sometimes I have consulted other members, especially our great FSMEs.

SUMMARY: DO A LITTLE RESEARCH BEFORE POSTING!!!

2. Are You Sure This Is The Right Forum???

Sometimes things we all think may be ‘worthy’ of the UFO forum are in reality NOT. Things that have ZERO evidence to back them up are considered [color=gold]SPECULATIVE and thus belong in the Skunk Works forum. Here is an example of the difference:

This belongs in the UFO forum:

The Coyne incident: Mansfield, Ohio, 1973
- This case has NUMEROUS documents to back it up and is UFO related.

This belongs in the Skunk Works Forum:

Many of you are actually Aliens
- While this may be true, there is absolutely ZERO evidence to back it up. Therefore this is considered speculative. I am not attacking this thread, as I myself have posted MANY things in Skunk Works, but they would not be appropriate for the UFO forum because I have nothing other than word of mouth or non-empirical evidence to back it up. This is important IMO because when highly speculative topics are posted in the more serious UFO forum it usually leads to a many paged, argumentative thread that distracts from the more evidential cases that get presented.

SUMMARY: MAKE SURE YOU ARE POSTING IN THE RIGHT FORUM!!!

3. Even The Best Looking Evidence May Turn Out Mundane

There have been MANY threads here on ATS, even in my short 20 months or so that I have been a registered member that have appeared legit at first view, but later PROVED to be a hoax or misidentification. Just remember that if you are truly interested in finding the truth to this whole UFO phenomenon then you should be GLAD to solve cases, even if they turn out to be bunk. Yes, you can be disappointed, but do not go off on an attack on anyone that doesn’t agree with you. I have made this mistake in the past and trust me, it is NOT the correct way to go about ufology.

So if something you truly believed to be a real UFO related event turns out to be something else DON’T GET MAD. It is only human to make mistakes and after all we are all trying to find the truth behind UFOs right? Always try and remember to be OBJECTIVE not SUBJECTIVE to your own wants of a UFO reality.

SUMMARY: BE OBJECTIVE!!!

4. You’re a Disinfo Agent or Charlatan!

The main doctrine of ATS is to deny ignorance is it not? This one is a biggy for me because at one time I (yes I will admit the obvious

) I let my passion in UFOs blind me from the real way to go about investigating and discussing this topic. I have seen MANY threads where members immediately start to flame ‘skeptics’ for bringing another point of view to the topic(I have been guilty of this in some respects in the past, but I quickly learned that is not the way to progress this field.). I have also seen many threads where ‘skeptics’ start to flame ‘believers’ for bringing their point of view to a topic. It is always important to keep in mind that anyone that is SERIOUSLY trying to investigate the UFO phenomena should be readily open to the Scientific Method and Peer Review. How can we get anywhere with reviewing the evidence? Sometimes that very evidence is not in one ‘sides’ favor but it still leads to the ‘truth’.I mean would you rather go about your life believing in something that is not true or go about your life investigating things and separating the REAL from the UNREAL???

It is always prudent to maintain neutrality and maturity when discussing these topics that appear in the UFO/Alien forum. Remember everyone that the true ufological approach is to discover this ‘truth’ that we all want and it is necessary to WORK TOGETHER and be UNBIASED. Either way how productive is it to engage in a pointless and childish name calling battle with each other, when the majority are in the same boat? So what is the point in trolling , flaming, or just being rude and unhelpful? What does that help do? If you want to help the situation just present evidence and arguments that IN A NICE and orderly way that defeats the other argument, if possible.

SUMMARY: DON’T BE MEAN!!

5. Always Try To Present The Best Case You Can

Please do not post a 5,000 word external quote and a one sentence opinion from one source! This does not help anyone out, it usually leads to either
A) An ignored thread due to the lack of research(when it might be a good case in reality)
B) A circular thread with redundant debates going on back and forth over something that could be covered in the OP. This then leads to a waste of time to the already small community that is willing to spend time investigating things.


It is best to present a thread or post with all the available information in as many of YOUR OWN WORDS as possible(there are a few exceptions to this however). If we are truly trying to PRODUCTIVLY research UFOs here then it is best for the starter of a UFO thread or post to present all the available information so the rest of the community does not have to waste their time retrieving it. We can then spend our time PRODUCTIVLY researching explanations to the case, not details of the case.

Continued....




[edit on 1/5/2010 by jkrog08]

If you are presenting your own sighting or encounter it is always helpful if you will consider the following procedure:

Excerpt from: AIR FORCE CADET MANUAL

PHYSICS 370

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY

Courtesy: preterhuman.net...

What is an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO)? Well,
according to United States Air Force Regulation 80-17 (dated 19
September 1966), a UFO is "Any aerial Phenomenon or object which
is unknown or appears to be out of the ordinary to the
observer." This is a very broad definition which applies equally
well to one individual seeing his first noctilucent cloud at
twilight as it does to another individual seeing his first
helicopter. However, at present most people consider the term
UFO to mean an object which behaves in a strange or erratic
manner while moving through Earth's atmosphere. That strange
phenomenon has evoked strong emotions and great curiosity among
a large segment of our world's population. The average person
is interested because he loves a mystery, the professional
military man is involved because of the possible threat to
national security, and some scientists are interested because of
the basic curiosity that led them into becoming researchers.



The literature on UFO's is so vast, and the stories so many
and varied, that we can only present a sketchy outline of the
subject in this chapter. That outline includes description
classifications, operational domains (temporal and spatial),
some theories as to the nature of the UFO phenomenon, human
reactions, attempts to attack the problem scientifically, and
some tentative conclusions. If you wish to read further in
this, area, the references provide an excellent starting point.



33.1 DESCRIPTORS



One of the greatest problems you encounter when attempting
to catalog UFO sightings, is selection of a system for
cataloging. No effective system has yet been devised, although
a number of different systems have been proposed. The net
result is that almost all UFO data are either treated in the
form of individual cases, or in the forms of inadequate
classification systems. However, these systems do tend to have
some common factors, and a collection of these factors is as
follows:



a. Size

b. Shape (disc, ellipse, football, etc.)

c. Luminosity

d. Color

e. Number of UFO's



Behavior

a. Location (altitude, direction, etc.)

b. Patterns of paths (straight line, climbing, zig-zagging, etc.)



page 455 

c. Flight characteristics (wobbling, fluttering, etc.)

d. Periodicity of sightings

e. Time duration

f. Curiosity or inquisitiveness

g. Avoidance

h. Hostility



Associated Effects



a. Electro-magnetic (compass, radio, ignition systems, etc.)

b. Radiation (burns, induced radioactivity, etc.)

c. Ground disturbance (dust stirred-up, leaves moved, standing
wave peaks on

surface of water, etc.)

d. Sound (none, hissing, humming, roaring, thunderclaps, etc.)

e. Vibration (weak, strong, slow, fast)

f. Smell (ozone or other odor)

g. Flame (how much, where, when, color)

h. Smoke or cloud (amount, color, persistence)

i. Debris (type, amount, color, persistence)

j. Inhibition of voluntary motion by observers

k. Sighting of "creatures" or "beings"



After Effects



a. Burned areas or animals

b. Depressed or flattened areas

c. Dead or missing animals

d. Mentally disturbed people

e. Missing items

SUMMARY: PUT AT LEAST SOME EFFORT INTO YOUR POSTS and ESSPECIALLY THREADS!!!

Final Comments

In conclusion I think that if these 5 things are kept in mind then everything will flow much more smoothly in the UFO/Alien forum. Also I want to state again that I am only offering suggestions because I truly care about this forum and would like to see it become even better than it is now. Keep in mind there are A LOT of viewers that see threads and posts on ATS, so with that said I think it is also important to discuss and present cases in the best and orderly light we can.

Also here is an important thread made by Springer that I feel is extremely important:

UFO Forum READ BEFORE Posting



The folowing posts has been edited to reflect additions added on later in the thread.

****Addition:

Consider The Pros and Cons of Starting A Thread Out of Emotions

Is what you have to write really worth starting a whole new thread? Is it just 1,2, or 3 sentences of childish-like remarks? You probably should NOT post the thread in that case, as it does nothing but detract from any real research and learning. I understand that the UFO field can be very annoying at times, however one must look at the benefits of cluttering an already cluttered forum. There are countless other ways to go about expressing your frustration, here are a few:

1. Just don't say anything at all out of frustration, sit back, relax, and chill out. Everything will be okay in the long run.

2. Find a already existing thread to post your comment(of course make sure it is somewhat relative to the topic at hand), instead of making a whole new thread for a simple remark.

3. If you feel it is absolutely nessicary to start a thread, at least make it some what mature and intelligent. This would be an example of what you should NOT do:

OP: " I am sick of UFOs because there is no evidence of them, these aliens need to show themselves or just leave us alone!!!!"

Now honestly, what purpose is there to creating a whole thread just to say that?

What you could do is maybe try to start a discussion for members who are just as frustrated as you are, but maybe not post it in the UFO forum. Also maybe you could give detailed reasons behind your statement, as well as your own plan on what should be done to fix it. This will ALWAYS lead to a much more intelligent discussion that while still maybe not the most important of topics, it surely won't hurt anything.

Again, I am only trying to offer some friendly advice from experience.

I have been guilty of creating a thread I maybe should have thought out better because I was letting my emotions take over. We are human so it happens, hopefully though some will keep this post in mind and save themselves from the same trap others and myself have fallen into before.


*****Addition:

Misleading Thread Titles

I forgot to add this but it is a HUGE problem in this forum. Internos made a thread in the business forum about this and the suggestion from head staff was use the alert button. Of course not all titles are going to be changed, even if they likely should, it just depends on the severity of the title.

This is a huge issue with threads containing nothing more than speculation or a youtube video being titled something like "UFO's EXIST: PROOF HERE[MUST SEE VIDEO]". Now come on, we all know that if it was any real type of proof it would be on the major news networks. Even if the video or information came from a "whistleblower" and is authentic it likely is not going to be presented in that format. So unless your thread contains absolute non-debatable proof that has been verified and would hold everywhere in the world and force the government to acknowledge it please DO NOT make a exclamatory thread title.

For some the title is all about attention and getting flags and stars, if that is all you want you are in the wrong place and definitely the wrong forum. Also it is what is INSIDE your thread that gets flags and stars (if that is what you want), the title has little to do with it. So keep that in mind, and also keep in mind that regardless of our emotional attachment to the UFO subject it is best to present possible evidence in a ethical and factual manner, as it will only help the field, and not HURT it. Of course you should try to make a title as appealing as you can without being misleading, there is a line, please don't cross it.

Summary:


-Please don't use all capital letters.

-Please don't claim absolute proof when you know there is none.

-Please don't degrade "skeptics", "debunkers", or "believers" in your title, as it only makes all of us look bad. We are all here for the same reason(if you are truly interested in finding the truth behind the UFO phenomena)

If these simple guidelines are followed I personally feel this forum (and all of ufology) would be MUCH better off.










[edit on 1/5/2010 by jkrog08]

thank you for this, I just hope those who this applies to reads it....

Excellent Post jkrog08 and some seriously good advice!

I've taken note's

Flagged and Starred

Very good man!!!! All we need now is for the mods to make a help forum and make this the first page!!! Excellent S & F!!!!

MessOnTheFED!

Fantastic thread! Starred and flagged.

I don't know what the policy on sticky-ing threads is, but this seems like an excellent candidate to me.

1. The thread is full of skeptics
2. They will tear apart what you have to say
3. You will be accused of being a disinfo agent
4. Your mental health will be attacked
5. If you're unlucky enough, they'll ban you

Thank you. It has been quite painful to read posts for the last couple of weeks.

I think that people need a little reminder from time to time that there is a search function and to check it all out before they publish a thread in any of the forums.

WOW, thank you everyone!! I did not expect this kind of reception to the thread before I signed off. LOL, I was worried about being flamed! Anyways I am just glad the advice was taken the right way. I think the UFO forum could be SO much better than it already is.

[edit on 7/28/2009 by jkrog08]

Cool, now if a real UFO ever shows up hopefully it will work out...

reply to post by werk71


Well that is the point right?

It may be annoying for the old hands to keep seeing repeated threads about topics that have been done to death, but you have to understand that there are always going to be new members who don't understand this, haven't seen the old fakes, etc., and who enthusiastically go boldly forth where everyone's already been before. That's the downside of an open forum.

ATS might consider incorporating an automatic search function, though, that scans the headline and then performs the search the poster should have done, presenting similar threads and asking whether this topic belongs there. I've seen this done with a bug report site. It just scans for keywords and then finds similar titles.

This feature wouldn't completely prevent thoughtless posts, but it might weed out some of them, and it could also help people become aware of other threads where they can find more information about topics they love.

Chances are good that the people who need to read your OP are the same ones who will never see it, because they are so excited about their new discovery and never consider it might have appeared already.

I haven't started many threads, but you gave me a good idea to check the topics before I do post, just in case someone already got it going.

reply to post by chiron613

I am glad to hear that. I already have alerted mods in the last 24 hours of 3 duplicate threads in this forum.

It does not take but 5 minutes to do a good search(I know the search function is not the best but if you really try it works). Hopefully some will take notice of this already redundant topic....

I think a working list of people to AVOID is needed, too. Cohen, Maussen(sp), etcetera. If you got a UFO vid with the names of the crackpots and charletens attached to it, reconsider....

Great post!
Now people have just got to follow these instructions...

Originally posted by -midnite-
Great post!
Now people have just got to follow these instructions...

Yea, that's the thing ain't it?!

All we can do is try though!

reply to post by jkrog08


hope so, i can't wait.

Originally posted by wylekat
I think a working list of people to AVOID is needed, too. Cohen, Maussen(sp), etcetera. If you got a UFO vid with the names of the crackpots and charletens attached to it, reconsider...

I don't think that would be constructive.

While there are certain names that are more infamous than others in this field, anyone we dismiss we do so at our own risk. We may miss important information.

And we must also be mindful that every person we dismiss as a crackpot has their followers; look at the attitudes towards John Lear and the reaction when his name is mention. A person non grata list will only generate fights.

Star and flag for sure!!! Thanks to the OP for bringing this subject on the table.

A couple of things i would like to comment on in general regarding the UFO/Alien forum.

While i welcome everyone to get a feeling of beeing a part of a comunity there´s just too much information drowning in "chatter" in here. The one liner rule has a certain function but i would far prefer one good thought out sentence compare to 2000 characters based on "thinking out loud". Seriously, i do not mean to come through harsh in any way and i like people to be able to comunicate about their favorite subject. It´s just that the information flow in here requires 100% focus 24/7 and most of us don´t have that time. For the sake of trying to find the truth i think we need to keep things a tad more to the point.

Also, maybe this forum should be split into more specific section. It´s a diverse field. Observation of unidentified flying objects is a topic in itself and not automatically associated with aliens. There´s just so much stuff/aspects stirred together in one pot in here it´s almost impossible to keep up with half of it.

Also, to those whom it concerns, please please please read the entire thread before posting an answer. So many questions are asked over and over again often with only a couple of pages between them.

Gah, todays rant...and rave, thanks again to the OP, woot!

reply to post by DoomsdayRex


Also I think that we can't be too quick to call things "bogus", of course we can put things on the "back burner" until more solid evidence comes to light. IMHO e need to focus on the cases with the most evidence to support them. It is never good to down something before you have enough information yourself to make n accurate judgement, well IMO anyways.