I'm pissed!! (political trolls and hacks)

I'm infuriated at the tone of politics on ATS... and fed-up with the trolls, hacks, and idiots who favor insults over issues.

We tried...

Over the years, we've attempted to correct the course of political discussion on ATS in several ways with numerous announcement threads, policies, and warnings. The result has been little more than a temporary reduction of the name calling and rote insults by political idiots and ideological parrots.

I'm fully aware that the contemporary atmosphere of politically-inspired hate fostered by the mainstream (and not-so-mainstream) entertainment sensationalists spewing exaggerations and lies for attention's sake is the primary contributing factor. I also agree that this is likely an unwinnable fight, but firmly believe it's one worth fighting.


DISCLOSURE: My personal political leanings are staunchly agnostic, with a slight leaning in the general direction of conservative and libertarian. However, I firmly believe that all ideological viewpoints on important issues have merit, and that no viable solution to "big" problems are purely of one dogma or another. Real solutions to society's problems are the correct solution and will never be the solution that exclusively favors one political precept.

SIDE NOTE: This thread's opening post is written with "I" as referring to how I personally feel about this issue. Make no mistake that this post has been discussed with our staff, and it reflects our collective frustration. But since I take ownership of the rather strong emotive words to follow, the thread is titled, "I'm pissed."




And now we are really pissed...

With that in mind, every ATS member and guest can now know this: If you post on ATS as a political fool engaging in gratuitous ideological insults, you will find no favor or sympathy from our staff.

We can only assume that these people have no concern for our site or our members who are interested in real dialogue on the issues.

We can only assume that these people are here to entertain themselves with their witty political flames.

We can only assume that these people embrace an agenda that aggressively deflects attention away from meaningful dialogue.

We can only assume that these people are part of the larger problem, and never will be a party to a solution other than the "victory" of their particular ideology.



If you are a political troll, forget about complaining...

I don't care about your complaints, because you don't care about us.
Let me say that again to emphasize the importance of that statement.
I don't care about your complaints, because you don't care about us.

Our staff won't care about your complaints, because you don't care about them.

Our members won't care about your concerns, because you're not concerned about them.

Suck it up. You must now sleep in the bed of your making.



If you care about ATS, complain...

For the majority of our members who care, please keep us informed of these idiot parrots of ideological canned insults that pollute our web site.

For the majority of our members who care and see these fools in threads, don't respond to their low-brow partisan tactics... in fact, don't respond at all... kill them with silence.

For the majority of our members who care, take comfort in the knowledge that we (ATS owners and staff) feel your pain, and desire civil dialogue on important issues.



We are not discounting ideological discourse...

Again, this is so important, it needs to be said more than once, we are not discounting ideological discourse.

I understand, and support, the need for representatives of ideological viewpoints to debate policy stances and perceptions as it relates to important issues. I also concede that passionate expression is often an important component of productive debate.

I (and most thinking people) reject the contemporary notion that political discourse should be focused on character assassination and broad-stroke insults.

I (and our staff) encourage and embrace our members' ability, right, and responsibility to vigorously debate the merits of one ideology over another as it applies to proposed solutions for society's problems.

I (and our staff) will not tolerate the trivialization of issues that are important to our members through derailment as a result of name-calling, insults, and reflexive disparagement.




Please do not pretend to be confused by this...

The only people expressing confusion by this will be those feigning bafflement in an effort to continue slagging away at political opponents.

If you honestly are confused as to why we don't care about you when your posting habits demonstrate mindless knee-jerk dogmatic insults directed toward members of a different political party than yours, then ATS is not the discussion board for you.




Finally, this is really very simple...

If these issues are important to you, then discuss the issues, not each other.

It can't be any more simple than that.

edit to add-I wanted to be the first on this thread, sorry boss for just posting gibberish!

Anyway, I joined here for political discussion ONLY.

I have actually changed my positions several times.

Trolling does suck! But we do need to investigate ALL aspects of it. I have even posted things to just prove my postulates. Glenn Beck being one of them.

We are meant to not come together!

I have tried to show our positions are not that far apart. We KEEP getting distracted by trivial things, but we need to investigate even the trivial things.

I am and will always be your friend! Damn, Spock had a way of saying things!

Oh and for you TROLLS-

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b7301096a1db.gif[/atsimg]

[edit on 2/25/2010 by endisnighe]

Thank you SO.

I know I'm not a mod, been a regular joe since 03, and I try to correct things and be reasonable.

There are a number of us that try really hard and after a while the frustration at the trollish behavior and inability to discuss the OP tends to lean us in the direction of troll tactics out of anger (sometimes) or causes us to have to take breaks.

Love ya, love ATS, thanks for the support and opportunity to have a place to talk.

Peace
KJ

So your saying don't feed the trolls. Sounds like a plan.

Thank you for letting us know where things still stand here at ATS. Who cares if it's the biggest site, as long as it's the best!

Handling one another with care is the highest mark of a human being's personal evolution, surely.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord

We can only assume that these people have no concern for our site or our members who are interested in real dialogue on the issues. We can only assume that these people are here to entertain themselves with their witty political flames. We can only assume that these people embrace an agenda that aggressively deflects attention away from meaningful dialogue. We can only assume that these people are part of the larger problem, and never will be a party to a solution other than the "victory" of their particular ideology.

So we should make posts without any hint of political bias one way or another? I know you said to not act like we are confused, but without examples of the behavior that made you so ticked off, I am a bit confused. I will be afraid to make a post in a political thread for showing favor toward one side or another.

A round of applause, Skeptic Overlord. This is much needed, not just here but in every facet of this country. For far too long both political parties have used these tactics to distract us from the issues and their own failings. It is time someone stood up and told them enough, even if it is just in our little corner of the web.

I do not support mindless attacks against others on political debate. It is one thing to debate another member because politics is a controversial subject which leads to many tempers flaring. We should argue with facts, not senseless claims.

S+F

Someone explain breifly what a troll is?

New to site (2 months) and don't want to do it unknowingly.

Originally posted by jackflap
So we should make posts without any hint of political bias one way or another?

Really?

That's the take-away you got from reading my post that centered on politically-inspired insults and gratuitous trolling?

The opening post has NOTHING to do with political bias, and even indicated our desire to embrace ideological political discourse.

Hence my comment about feigned confusion.

Originally posted by Sean48
Someone explain breifly what a troll is?

Internet Troll

best thread i've read in a long time.



i hope this warning will stick with people.

GOOD! This is the best message to come from ATS management in a long time.

Ideological ranting and baiting serves no purpose and the internet is fill of 768,000 octillion threads of people making identical "arguments" with no hope of ever convincing each other of anything.

Terminate. Terminate with extreme prejuduce.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord

Our staff won't care about your complaints, because you don't care about them.

Our members won't care about your concerns, because you're not concerned about them.

Suck it up. You must now sleep in the bed of your making.

Bravo.

SO best website for real discussion period.

You do what you have to do.

Deny Ignorance!!

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


It's not feigned. I may have used the wrong word, bias. Apparently this has gone over my head, I usually like these threads you do. This one, I believe I'll sit back and watch to see if what I'm confused about is addressed. Yes, chalk me up to being dumb.

Originally posted by Sean48


Someone explain breifly what a troll is?

New to site (2 months) and don't want to do it unknowingly.

Sure thing, Sean.

A troll is someone who posts an inflammatory comment to solely provoke an emotional response and disrupt the conversation.

BUMP.

Don't feed the the trolls.

Please - help keep this thread at the top for a while.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


Thank you, I used to love politics and have made the decision to stay away from those threads...don't know what the answer is, thanks again for addressing this very important issue.

reply to post by Sean48


meta.wikimedia.org...

It's an essay based at Wikipedia Trolls, but the general outline stands for all trolls.

Trolling is a violation of the implicit rules of Internet social spaces and is often done to inflame or invite conflict. It necessarily involves a value judgment made by one user about the value of another's contribution. (Because of this it is considered not to be any more useful than the judgment 'I don't agree with you' by many users, who prefer to focus on behaviors instead of on presumed intent). Not to be confused with large warty monsters thought to dwell under bridges, in caves etc.

[edit on 25/2/1010 by Monts]