"What's with the anger on ATS?"

On another note, I have been haunting forums, for many, many, years, many,

Nothing is new, just a different day, you could start the most benign topic, and someone would come along and spew, watch,

Just sit and watch the dynamics, forums have taught me so much about human nature, I know exactly what kind of responses I am going to get from a topic or a controversial post, will I stop being controversial? No, because it is interesting.

It will teach you a lot about yourself and others if you are paying attention, and most the time the insults roll off your back like a duck when you learn to let go.

Some of you folks should really check out the debate forum and consider taking on a debate or two.

It's a nice break from the hubbub of polemic threads and a good outlet for considered discourse without fear of distraction.

It isn't a substitute for discussion at large for it is by definition rather insular ... but some find it a worthy undertaking and one that complements their ATS experience.

reply to post by Section31


I know, and its disheartening to say the least. I just hope the content of the threads and comments improve. Why post a thread if you are not willing to debate it? Boggles my mind. Anyhoo

Nice to meet you

Originally posted by intrepid

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
I think we are to quick to rush to judgment...

Storm, I think that little snippet explains exactly what's wrong here. TOO QUICK! Everyone doesn't even take the time to think of what's been said before a post, probably already in one's head and has been repeated ad nauseum, is thrown out there. Offense/defense. Wow, what did we learn from that? Nothing.

Exactly, no communication skills,

Most times, I don't respond to a topic until I have thought it through,

reply to post by moosevernel

Nice to meet you, man. Good point.

See you around.

reply to post by schrodingers dog


I will certainly check it out, bit i feel my powers of debate leave a lot to be desired. I need to learn a lot more before i tackle a full blown debate. my ignorance knows no bounds

MooseVernel

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
I understand Intrepid, I understands completely, and both sides are guilty, Intrepid I don't complain often, even when I am bashed as I have been for the last few years, LOL I mean days,

I think we are to quick to rush to judgment, what would it hurt to even understand the mind of a bigot,

We are all screwed up to one extent our another, yes?

Now that could be a topic.

You're right, everyone does rush to a judgement.

This is a symptom of the problem however, not a cause. Judgements about people shouldn't even need to be made. We should be judging the information, not the people. I think this perhaps is where we are all going wrong yes?

Would you agree with me that we need a greater burden of proof on ALL topics in order to give creedance to legitimate conspiracy and alternative subject commentators? Perhaps something like a "Hoax-O-Meter".

Each thread can be given a % of viewers think it's accurate, and a % of viewers that think it isn't. I still think this is the way forward to calm the anger....

Parallex.

Originally posted by intrepid

Originally posted by moosevernel
I personally think as ATS grows it will attract more and more people that dont care about the issues and threads on here and only come here to 'troll' for their own amusement even if it is not apparent trolling.

Very good point MV. It was apparent the other night. We were in a lively thread and the trolls sure were in evidence. Color me OH so not surprised when I went back to the thread the next day to see one of the trolls state, "We won. Everyone else went to bed." WHAT? This is a game? Jeez, these are serious issues and if trolls are just at it to "win", ignore them. The topic is more important than "winning". Don't feed the troll. I live by that now. Learned the hard way.

I think this is worth commenting on. The poster in question seldom would or apparently seldom could answer real questions put to them.

Examples like: I could pick that post apart in seconds like swatting flies but why bother, you should get a life.

I wouldn’t answer that question it’s not the kind of information I divulge to terrorist sympathizers.

You are a fool.

Move to another country if you hate America that much.

Nothing but non-answers, personal attacks, and what little topical information they did post, had been debunked again and again in the thread previously.

So yeah it was trolling, and the over half a dozen Off Topic Post edits that were applied to the member demonstrate that.

None of this leads to a quality debate. The thread turned into little more than a cheerleading bash fest, where posts of absolutely no topical quality were rated simply because of the ‘side’ of the issue people were on.

The vast majority of people participating in the thread were not participating in it in an honest way.

Yes it was trolling, but sadly some people are so convinced that this is acceptable behavior because of the ‘importance’ of the issue.

Yet the reality is, that these people aren’t the ones who provide the content to ATS that keep people coming back and interested when there is no ‘important’ issue.

Creating an unpleasant posting environment with this incessant “They picked on me first, they made fun of my politician, or religion, or country first, so ‘they’ had it coming.” is only going to turn ATS into a very dull place for these very same people as quality posters and thread starters choose not to participate on the site because of it.

Amazingly enough the worst offenders are all citing religious reasons for doing this yet bristle at the notion that their own religion could be part of the problem.

Go figure.


[edit on 17/8/10 by ProtoplasmicTraveler]

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


two words

Nail, Head

after reading my previous comment i just wanted to clarify i DO NOT mean someone should embed a nail in your head

reply to post by Parallex

Would you agree with me that we need a greater burden of proof on ALL topics in order to give creedance to legitimate conspiracy and alternative subject commentators?

Well, I have started many topics, full of links and research, and no matter how much evidence I presented, because the people didn't like me, or they didn't like the topic, they wouldn't cut me any slack,

In fact they like to use that humiliation tactic.


For this to work people would have to be totally honest with out malice, or preconceived notions,

People would click the nay side because they just want to be contrary, or if they agree because they like you,

We are to human.

Originally posted by moosevernel
after reading my previous comment i just wanted to clarify i DO NOT mean someone should embed a nail in your head

Lol I'm sure you didn't, why that would be a crime if you had and lived in the USA.

What did you mean

Originally posted by moosevernel
after reading my previous comment i just wanted to clarify i DO NOT mean someone should embed a nail in your head

No, that just makes people more angry:





Sorry, thought we could use a laugh.

reply to post by Thepreye


'You hit the nail on the head' is what i meant

it probably would have been easier to type that out in the first place in retrospect.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


ATS is a critical environment. What might be interesting to you, or something you consider to be well researched, isn't necessarily going to be interesting to someone else, based on your own editorial or lack of one, or the quality of your research.

Ultimately skeptics require good sources to consider adopting a different position.

They are the judge of what then becomes a good source based on the level of information they require to form a decision or alter one.

Bottom line is people aren't always going to agree with you.

Taking that personally or imagining that people are rejecting your opinions or your sources because they don’t like you, or they are unable to recognize the quality of your attempts to convince others, are an emotional exercise, not an academic one.

I can tell you that in the last several days I have seen people post lots of links to 'sources' that weren't sources at all, but YouTube Videos and Blogs where those authors claimed something without citing the source for the claim.

When I challenged one poster on where the information they were purporting came from, and other posters did to, they ignored the request and their inability to properly source the information, by suggesting that the posters questioning it "Have issues with women".

So yeah, people who want to pretend that's a quality answer, well they are free too, but ultimately if that's a posters way of providing an answer to a quality and critical question, they aren't in fact endearing themselves to such critical minds and they certainly aren’t providing the real quality information in fact people are requesting of them to form the opinion the person that is posting the incomplete or false information wants them too.

ATS is a critical environment, but sadly some have taken that to mean just criticizing for the sake of criticizing, where all of a sudden, I tried, and they said, and they did, becomes good enough in their mind, when people with truly critical minds wanting to know all the facts, patiently wait for them to play their little games.

Once again the post where this poster accused the people of asking as having “Issues with women” was rated simply because of sides, not because it was topical or informative.

So that’s the kind of posting environment such people are creating.

I used to be friends with a certain member until they started engaging in the same type of tactics they would privately confide in me that they felt and knew were unfair and upsetting to them.

That poster claims to never complain, yet they always do, and amazingly about the very things that they have become one of the worst offenders of.

Go figure.

ATS is a critical environment and members should be prepared to deal with other member's questions and provide high quality answers and sources on many occassions to answer those questions.

reply to post by intrepid


We did, and you provided one my friend

Good Job

Originally posted by moosevernel
after reading my previous comment i just wanted to clarify i DO NOT mean someone should embed a nail in your head

Oh wow, I wish you would have said that earlier, this thing really hurts!

Oh well now I know, I bet it's really going to hurt taking it back out!

***THREAD CLOSED***

The environment has become too angry.

As a result, this thread is closed and Skeptic Overlord has banned himself.

For me it boils down to this:

If I wanted to read the MSM talking points and all of the predictable and trite comments, replies, responses and feigned outrage - I would log onto another, more corporate and mainstream news website.

As this is ATS, I expect deeper and more critical thought about the issues - from all perspectives - and an elevated sense of decorum and debate.

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


As a general rule it hurts less if you do it really really quick.

But theres no way around the tetanus jab, thats gunna hurt like a bitch. good luck