Negative Feedback - The Anti-Star

Nowadays I am finding it increasingly difficult to find threads of substance on ATS. The whole website is diluted with ridiculous claims and poor attempts at threads. By ridiculous claims I mean things that can easily be proven wrong, for which there is strong undisputable evidence against. Chemtrails for example fit perfectly in this category in my opinion. I see people getting stars for the most idiotic of posts and think it would be a good idea to introduce an anti star. Kind of like a "I dont agree with you" star. After all you have a friend and a foe system, so why not have a star and anti star system. It makes sense and I think it would discourage people from making rude or stupid posts.

What do you think ATS?

reply to post by Pryde87


This has been brought up many times before, and is usually frowned upon. Mostly, people think that it would become even more of a partisan popularity contest than it is now....

That said, I here ya. My favorite of what you are describing are the threads that scream definitive proof of Niburu is that there are two suns in the sky!!! That is just such a ridiculous thing to say on so many levels, yet people have no shame in yelling that out a couple times per week, lol.

Best,
SN

Originally posted by Pryde87
Negative Feedback

What, your life doesn't have quite enough negative feedback as things stand?

reply to post by skunknuts


Ah OK thanks for the reply. I wasnt aware it had been discussed in detail before. I know exactly what you mean with the Nibiru thing, thats a prime example. I thought the Anti-Star idea would help combat threads like that. The only other solution to "purify" ATS and help it retain some credibility is if such threads were closed by Mods once it was obvious they were wrong (or delusional). I mean threads claiming to be written by people from the future or aliens can go straight into the HOAX forum in my opinion. Theres a bit too much slack given to content at ATS, which is allowing the quality of threads to degrade.

reply to post by pieman


Negative Feedback is sometimes more useful than positive feedback.

Whilst yes, this has been discussed before, I still think that it'd be a valuble thing for the site to add. It could show real distain to the rascist/homophobic/anti common sense threads that crop up from time to time. Maybe even make people think twice for posting such tripe. (I doubt it, but hey, we can all hope)

Oh thats great...now i cant vote down any post i dont agree with.

Originally posted by Pryde87
reply to post by skunknuts

 

Ah OK thanks for the reply. I wasnt aware it had been discussed in detail before. I know exactly what you mean with the Nibiru thing, thats a prime example. I thought the Anti-Star idea would help combat threads like that. The only other solution to "purify" ATS and help it retain some credibility is if such threads were closed by Mods once it was obvious they were wrong (or delusional). I mean threads claiming to be written by people from the future or aliens can go straight into the HOAX forum in my opinion. Theres a bit too much slack given to content at ATS, which is allowing the quality of threads to degrade.

slack? where have you been! ATS is pretty much facist when it comes to whats being posted. there was one poster who who wanted 'christian zealots' to strap bombs to there cheasts....nothing happened to him . But another poster who said " i dont agree with gay marriage" had posting rights taken away.

why? because the moderaters said the post was intolerant(i talked to a guy who used to post here).

WTF? a atheist got off scott free from advocating violence and death...but some dude got booted because of that?!!

ITS BULLCRAP!

my point is this. who is gonna decide what is good threads and bad threads?

although i do agree about threads such as those you were talking about.

i take it back....ats is not facist when it comes to whats being posted. there is just no balance.

ATS is becoming to PC.

Originally posted by Acidtastic
Whilst yes, this has been discussed before, I still think that it'd be a valuble thing for the site to add. It could show real distain to the rascist/homophobic/anti common sense threads that crop up from time to time. Maybe even make people think twice for posting such tripe. (I doubt it, but hey, we can all hope)

THIS IS MY POINT!!!

WHO IS TO DECIDE IF YOUR POST IS RACIST OR HOMOPHOBIC?

one could say "all illegal mexicans should be deported" or "all illegals are parasites" and you could get in trouble because YOU deemed it offensive.

BULLCRAP.

MORE PC BULLCRAP!

Just remember its a two way street! if you post something i find 'offensive'...well what goes around comes around!

You mean Nibiru and Indigos aren't real?

Yeah, you'll see a thread like this once a month about anti-flagging/starring. As someone that is growing tired of some of the threads you mentioned, I'm still against an anti-starring feature - it'd screw me for starters... but then I don't clamor for stars myself.

What I think I would like to see though is a polling system - that only went on an OP, a for or against option that wouldn't weigh on someone's profile, but would allow ATSers to see a consensus of opinion on that thread, it might also save wading through a lot of guff perhaps.

I feel compelled to ask for links and verification when people claim things, simple things like having done research... I once spent 5 or so posts asking someone to link to the wiki research they claimed, only to be put on ignore. It would've been easier to just ignore it, but that's not why I'm here.

Summer's coming, school will be out, there'll be some bored teenagers trolling us and as ever we'll have the core of mentally ill, basement dwellers claiming to channel Zolgar from the planet of love and puppies... what I would like to see is some stuff getting moved to skunkworks more swiftly.

reply to post by jokei


Your polling idea I think is excellent. There could be a little poll at the top of the thread, kind of like a review system. I.e. 5 Stars-Great, 3 Stars-OK, 1 Star-Why did you even bother!?

On another subject, with regards to ATS being Slack, I wasnt refering to the Mods cencoring posts, rather entire threads which are obviously rubbish. If someone claims he is a lizard but doesnt provide a photo, then off you go to the Hoax bin. At the moment these kind of threads are just littering the boards and ruining the reputation and credibility of ATS as a whole.

if ya don`t like a thread leave it. its not up to you to decide whats right or wrong. if the thread does not die then people are interested so leave them be it is there choice not yours, even if its insane or not PC enough for ya

edit to add - i can`t star here but tauempire is bang on with his/her opinions. 3 imaginary stars from me

[edit on 27/5/10 by Aceofclubs]

I can't help but be cynical on this and say I think the gullible out way those who are independent on this site, just look who gets stars already.

This isn't a sheeple site but at times it comes close.

You need to remember how many lurkers out there are, that rarely post.

Posting here isn't like a private debate, we have an audience. Which is also another reason to be PC, this isn't your living room what you say can be read by dozens if not hundreds of people.

Sooner or later tptb are going to come gunning for all us “crackpots.” not being PC in today's society is just giving them another stick to beat us with when they do decide to turn there attention to us.

Just remember we are not alone... we have an audience.

reply to post by Aceofclubs


No, this is a conspiracy forum. Not a dumping ground for the internets mentally unstable. Topics should be thought provoking and relevant to the theme. If something is disproven or debunked then it shouldnt be allowed to pop up in a thread once a week forever after. The way things are going nobody will ever be able to take ATS seriously. As long as there are threads with 100 stars titled "I am a Space Lizard", then we will always be the laughing stock of the internet.

Originally posted by tauempire

Originally posted by Acidtastic
Whilst yes, this has been discussed before, I still think that it'd be a valuble thing for the site to add. It could show real distain to the rascist/homophobic/anti common sense threads that crop up from time to time. Maybe even make people think twice for posting such tripe. (I doubt it, but hey, we can all hope)

THIS IS MY POINT!!!

WHO IS TO DECIDE IF YOUR POST IS RACIST OR HOMOPHOBIC?

one could say "all illegal mexicans should be deported" or "all illegals are parasites" and you could get in trouble because YOU deemed it offensive.

BULLCRAP.

MORE PC BULLCRAP!

Just remember its a two way street! if you post something i find 'offensive'...well what goes around comes around!

Which is MY point. It's ok to dissagre with me, even "anitiflag" a post of mine, should someone want to (or should the option be available) It'd be alot more fair IMO. What you scared of? Knowing that people may not agree with you? End of the day, it's just a little points system on the internet, not like it's actually important.

reply to post by Pryde87


I understand what you're saying, but think there is a real place for the minority viewpoint, particularily in areas where there are multiple and legitimate views on a given topic, such as economics.

Perhaps a better solution would be the ability to ignore entire topics. That would likely require a fair bit of work to the data structures, but it might be the solution you seek. You'd never see a chemtrail thread at all.

I wouldn't use it for the simple reason that I want to be exposed to all kinds of information and often there elements of other topics in threads of a totally different type of thread.

Originally posted by tauempire
Oh thats great...now i cant vote down any post i dont agree with.

ATS is perhaps one of the most (if not most) diverse and wide-open discussion venues online. We experience a wide variety of opinions from wildly-speculative theories and extreme ideas to reflexive debunkers and staunch denialists.

A simple "anti-star" is an exceptionally lazy way to express your dissatisfaction with an opinion appearing in a post... and counter-productive to the idea of collaborative and informed discussion.

If you disagree with an opinion expressed in a post, then compose a well-considered informative reply that shows how that opinion is either incorrect or misinformed. Such a contribution is infinitely more valuable and ultimately much more informative than "voting down" a particular post.


To reiterate an often posted policy --- there will never be negative stars or flags, or any other simplistic voting method to express disagreement or disbelief. Either post something (as stated above) or find threads and posts with which you agree.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord


A simple "anti-star" is an exceptionally lazy way to express your dissatisfaction with an opinion appearing in a post... and counter-productive to the idea of collaborative and informed discussion.

Surely though, the same can be said as a simple "flag" when you agree with something? I know I've done it on many occasion, just flagged a thread which I thought was good, and not left a comment. I'm sure I'm not alone in this too. Not arguing by the way, just think it could be good. But if you say it's never going to happen, it's a bit of a mute point

Originally posted by Acidtastic
Surely though, the same can be said as a simple "flag" when you agree with something?

No.

The intent of the flagging system is to provide members with editorial control over which topics rank in overall importance, and appear on the site home and other pages that show which topics are most-important within given time-frames.

reply to post by Pryde87


well if the people on here did not feel the need to show there "supa wit" by trying to mock mental people the thread would die almost empty. every post in these threads bumps them up the resent post list. if something is disproven without a shadow of doubt then yep it should be in the hoax bin but that hardly ever happens. why not just ignore the thread and leave others be. who cares what others on the net think of ATS let them laugh don`t be offended by something so insignificant.

all censorship is bad, even if the guys insane or trolling

edit to fix/remove quote box

[edit on 27/5/10 by Aceofclubs]