Civility, decorum and the Aliens and UFO Forum

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord

Originally posted by Slippery Jim
The scientific method demands that someone making a claim proves it.

And to do so in a manner befitting the "scientific method." That is, without insults, rancor, or personal bias.

I've been very good, mate. I haven't slagged anyone off and I've been very polite (recently - since this whole argument has started and even before.)

While one may wish to argue that ridiculous cases, hoaxes, and overzealous sighting mistakes have harmed the "field" of UFOlogy, I firmly believe the tonality from the "skeptical" side that has evolved here on ATS could potentially do much more harm, both short and long term.

I keep hearing this. Maybe other people have been abusive but I haven't and every time I have stood up for the rights of the skeptics against the actions of the Mods my posts have been deleted. You claim the "skeptical Side" are doing more harm than good but I would contend that people who misidentify very obvious objects are doing even more harm!

If someone with an inexplicable experience were to consider sharing it here -- and it had real potential value -- they may choose not to based on a brief observation of a few threads.

I have said in the past that I welcome all input. I want to believe. When that input is obviously an airoplane or a Chinese lantern then I may just tell the OP that that is what it is. Is that rude? Or just the truth?

And that, UFO forum denizens, is a far more tragic result than allowing a sighting of dubious credibility to gain popularity.

I agree. I want to see all the videos. I also want to make my honest comment on them. Don't for one minute think I should shut up and let those people continue to to propogate those videos as real when they can obviously be proved to be not.

I can tolerate 1,000 "Blossom Goodchilds" (with respectful/direct challenges, of course) if it means we ultimately have the opportunity to interact with someone who has had an experience that astounds us.

I think thats exactly what I've been saying. The difference is that my posts get deleted and yours don't because you're a Mod.

To me, that's more than a fair trade.

Only for the selected few.

For there to be retrospective banning over past posts, just to prove a point,would many Mods themselves need to back out or begone?

If there isn't some sort of semblance of real-time modding, then at some point it can get a bit ridiculous. Members and mods of current good standing getting post banned over past actions, PAST posts, seems more than a bit after the fact...
Hell, when I was 12 I took 3 bucks out of my moms purse for a Star Wars replica 's tax... do I really need the punishment now??

Slippery Jim just said he is post banned for a past post,...
Mod 12m8kall2c has been VERY snarky to members, should he be post banned as well?

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I AM PHARAOH..obvious lie and hoax right there. The member fond of shouting that did get banned yet joined again and still claims he is Pharaoh...what's to prove there? Full on lies, yet....

Originally posted by Chamberf=6
For there to be retrospective banning over past posts, just to prove a point...

Members who have a long history of complaints, removed posts, and related actions are far more likely to find themselves under consideration for action when their current posting activity requires staff intervention.

No mystery.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord

Originally posted by Chamberf=6
For there to be retrospective banning over past posts, just to prove a point...

Members who have a long history of complaints, removed posts, and related actions are far more likely to find themselves under consideration for action when their current posting activity requires staff intervention.

No mystery.

I don't recall saying there WAS anything mysterious, if you read the ENTIRE post that was not my point at all.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
No mystery.

This is a microcosm of why the Civility-Push (for lack of a better term) has been controversial.

No one is going to argue with or disagree with the need for civility. The problem is how it is being handled. There seems to be a complete tone-deafness and lack of foresight on the part of the staff. And it is amazing that none of you seem to be able to see this. You seem mystified by the controversy.

It blew up in your faces and it is not hard to see why. A specific group of members were targeted in at least two of the Civility-Push-threads and those threads were allowed (at least initially) to become a forum for the bashing of those members. When members voiced just concerns over how these calls for civility were being handled, they were met with condescension, dismissal or had to watch their words be twisted; not by other members but the staff. (To be fair, not all the staff).

This could have been handled a lot better. There may be significant damage in the quality of the boards. And other problems are sure to have been exacerbated. You may have won kudos from some members, but other members have been annihilated, people who made this place special. Can the damage be reversed? I have no idea; I wouldn't know how to begin.

Please do not take this as an attack; it's not. It's disheartening to see what has happened and I hope you take this into consideration.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


I have real pictures of alians and a picture of a ufo . Its no false or made up .People arnt interested tho. Show them the real machoy and for some reson they just cant take it in. I would post them and show you but I don't think I can untill I commented on 20 . Shame realy.

reply to post by johnwignell


First off, what does this have to do with the conversation at hand?

Secondly, I don't think you have anything of the sort. If I sound rude, I apologize, but far too many people have made claims similar to your own and have not produced what they claim; either they don't have pics to begin with or they are underwhelming.

reply to post by DoomsdayRex


To paraphrase you, "This is a microcosm of why the Civility-Push (for lack of a better term) has been controversial necessary."

Here you're replying to someone who's been a member all of 3 days. You're already telling him he doesn't have anything before you have a chance to see it. But you're "sorry" so it's ok? Can you not see how an attitude of "you don't have anything" before someone even has a chance to participate isn't a welcoming atmosphere? You're fatigued because "too many people have made claims"... and that's his fault?

Take a break, man. If you have to respond like that to a new member, you need one.

reply to post by DoomsdayRex


thanks for your concern. A member has kindly shown me how to copy and paste so hear is one of the pictures of the alien craft and one of the aliens.
files.abovetopsecret.com...
files.abovetopsecret.com...

?

Originally posted by yeahright
To paraphrase you, "This is a microcosm of why the Civility-Push (for lack of a better term) has been controversial necessary."

Well, you certainly missed the point of that thread...but that is not surprising, as that is what the staff has been purposefully doing with any concern.

Originally posted by yeahright
Here you're replying to someone who's been a member all of 3 days. You're already telling him he doesn't have anything before you have a chance to see it. But you're "sorry" so it's ok? Can you not see how an attitude of "you don't have anything" before someone even has a chance to participate isn't a welcoming atmosphere? You're fatigued because "too many people have made claims"... and that's his fault?

You are right, I do see your point. If I could go back and edit that post to be more welcoming, I would.

And unlike the hypocrite staff, I am capable to actually listening to people's concerns and admitting that I may be wrong.

Originally posted by yeahright
Take a break, man. If you have to respond like that to a new member, you need one.

Might I suggest the staff do the same? If the staff has to respond to any member the way they have in these Civility threads, they need one.

reply to post by johnwignell


Thank you for posting the pics.

Could you tell us what we are looking at? To be frank, these are incoherent blobs that could be anything.

reply to post by yeahright


thanks for demontrating patience . A kink member helped me out with pasting and coppying . Hear is one of the snap shots I took with my phone camer the other week.

files.abovetopsecret.com...
and this is the story , not the full story . the pictures in the paper not blown up and no detail is there but when they enlarged you can clearly see that they nothing but extrordinary.
show me more interest and I will show you a enlarged alien form .
the alien forms have light emitting from them and hae some sort of
devices in front of them and maybe sitting on some sort of flying device?!
www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk...

reply to post by DoomsdayRex


they air ballons then rex. if they inconsitent blobs then that is what they are.
maybe you should keep an open mind.Im not hear to tell you what they are .
there is a background story behind them in which im not going into yet.
you not got a possitive coment for the ufo then or is this a blob also.
Also im not hear to prove anything .
BUFORA The British UFO resurch Assosiation they looking in to it.
also it in www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk...
and several other agencies are interested. Tell them they blods!

Originally posted by johnwignell
reply to post by DoomsdayRex

 

they air ballons then rex. if they inconsitent blobs then that is what they are.
maybe you should keep an open mind.

This could be considered an uncivil, sarcastic, knee-jerk remark to D-Rex. Nowhere did he say they weren't what you claim them to be. He simply stated the obvious which is how 'they' (whatever they are) appear in the picture. Where has he shown that he does not have an open mind? Where did he discredit your images? Can you please post a quote? From what I can see, he even politely thanked you for posting them.

Originally posted by johnwignell
Im not hear to tell you what they are .

Unless I'm mistaken, and please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, you have previously claimed that they are pictures of a UFO and an Alien.

Originally posted by johnwignell
there is a background story behind them in which im not going into yet.
you not got a possitive coment for the ufo then or is this a blob also.
Also im not hear to prove anything .

I think your background story would help people assess your images better. Context is important. Personally I cannot see in the photo what you claim them to be. Does the fact that our perceptions of said photograph are different make me closed minded or a bad person too?

IRM

reply to post by InfaRedMan


I disagree, "Rex's" first response to the guy was EXACTLY what I've been railing against for weeks. He claims the fellow has "nothing of the sort" BEFORE he even sees the images of the blobs (I'll agree they look like blobs but at least I waited until I SAW them) all because many have made similar claims before.

I see he "apologized" after "yeahright" called him out on it, but the damage was done, to a member who has been here 3 days.

This holier/smarter than thou, I've seen it all before and it's all rubbish attitude is the problem, and worse yet Rex displays it in a thread about civility on ATS.

Worse than even that, Rex goes on to disparage the staff just like a young child who got caught being naughty and complains that all the other kids are too, seriously? Absolutely astounding.

Springer...

reply to post by Springer


Thanks Springer. I wanted to say that, but, felt it would just pick a fight. In fact, I haven't been posting too much at all because the response to any given reply may be bashed and torn asunder because someone here has a superiority complex.
ATS is getting old in that sense. I, as usual, read MUCH more than I reply simply for the reason that I feel whatever I may say will be cut up and thrown back in my face.
Too many know-it-alls and most subject matter here isn't "Knowable", just suspectable.

Meh.
People suck. Here is no different.

Disenchantedly yours,
Cuhail

reply to post by Springer


I didn't see that post.

IRM

reply to post by Springer


hear is a picture of the aliens in the trees and the ufo seen in the area:
also a link to the newspaper running the sightings.
www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk...
the two forms in the trees are very similar.
these are the the blow ups .
files.abovetopsecret.com...
files.abovetopsecret.com...
and this the ufo nobody commented about yet!
files.abovetopsecret.com...
files.abovetopsecret.com...
images blown up not to good because I dont have software to do it. I had a visit from them some years ago.
Thanks for your support. I dont want to go into detail with the story this moment in time. kind regards
It be nice to hear some possitive feedback . The ufo in particular. Think I wait for photo experts to decide with the two things in trees tho. cant stand anymore dead end coments. your thankfully john.

reply to post by johnwignell


Wow, those are some amazing pictures, John.

What have you done with them? Have you been able to get them analyzed at all by any professionals? I'm looking forward to seeing you hopefully blow the lid off of the whole alien conspiracy!

Thanks for the contribution!

Hi there I am a new member, I have not read through as the posts and replays (quite impossible as there are so many) so i apologize in advance if this has already been discussed.

I heard a theory about aliens that i found quite interesting this is it -

us humans could be the ancestors of an alien race, what if time travel has been discovered and the future "us" is the aliens checking up on earth and that"s why they wont contact us or interfere as that would change their history. does that make any sense not very good at explaining it

what do you think?