Where is the accountability?

I have been thinking about this a lot over the last week. Where is the accountability in the the conspiracy theory community? I know ATS is a forum to bounce ideas and concepts off other people, discuss current events, and other things of the sort. But too often these forums become a battle ground of crazy nonsense. For example, Comet Elenin, this one comet has lead to countless threads, countless predictions of doom and gloom, countless outlandish claims with no evidence. These threads are litered with sarcastic comments and remarks but still the threads keep coming. I am curious why there is no accountability? Why are these posters allowed to post? This makes it harder for serous researchers/conspiracy theorists to make progess. Help me out here...

I see flaming in your future....

Because this is an open space, so you can say whatever you want or think, but not harming others and showing respect for others points of view, no matter how crazy sounds to you. Thats the objective after all... challenging your mind with "crazy" and "loon" old and new ideas. Deprogramming yourself and freeing your own mind.

I hear ya. When elenin comes and goes and the world doesn't end, they'll clam up and pretend they never said anything, and then start mouthing off about some new ridiculous theory.

If anyone out there reads a lot of my posts, I probably come off as a cynic. I am just less prone to believe BS when I hear it, and I tend to ridicule the obviously ridiculous.

@awakeinnm I agree complete with you. I get a lot of crap because I come off as a cynic. But I want to see one of these crackpots to come toward and say "yep, I was wrong." Instead when they are wrong about alien contact in September, it becomes alien contact in October.

Flame me... I speak the truth here.

Are we a "community" ? Or just a "messageboard?"

Sometimes I feel one way, sometimes the other. But its an important question to answer because of the OP's question. If there is a "conspiracy theory community" then you can begin to talk about accountability. But if there is no social contract along those lines to begin with, the question of accountability goes out the window.

I really WANT us to be a "community." But I don't think we are all the way there yet. I'm hoping in another 3-5 years this "thing" we are building here might start to stand up and walk of its own accord. But we aren't there yet.

When a fully-fledged "conspiracy community" takes shape at last, I will be there right on the front-lines as accountable as you please. But that day isn't here yet...

reply to post by TheHistorian


Are you being sarcastic?
If you are, you shouldn't be allowed to post. There must be some accountability!!!
Respect my authoratai!!!

reply to post by kyred


I being deadly serious... I want the members of ATS to call each other out when they post garbage about Reptilian aliens on Pawnstars and other such dribble. All this does is lower this cause to a joke.

reply to post by TheHistorian


The accountability is to the membership as a whole. Every idea will have its adherents and detractors, until it is a proven fact or incorrect. People either give weight to one's words, or they do not...based on their own personal criteria for credulity.

I completely agree with your point... the issue I have is when people keep posting garbage/hoaxes/disproved bunk theories.

That's just going to keep happening. Nothing much can be done about it. I'd say approximately 95% of the topics posted on this website are complete garbage, hoaxes, or otherwise complete wastes of time.

I find myself wanting to slap these people across the face and say "stop being so damn retarded". But that would definately get me banned. Which means I would be missing out on that 5% of good topics.

Part of my issue is with the 95% garbage is that it makes it extremely difficult to get to the 5% of real/worth while content. I still relatively new to the conspiracy game but it gets difficult to stay positive when I have to read 500 Elenin theories/posts about what the MSM and NASA is hiding from us. And how these people are right based on their psuedoscience. GRRR!

If you limit people's free expression then you have to have a line of where it begins and stops. For instance Slander is a very serious crime right? What if a person say's well hey so and so is an alien? Is that considered slander or just free expression? It's a very thin line but I think on a forum like this unless it is proven falsified and proven slanderous than let it be open for discussion. Also, I do believe there is a hoax forum for those that have been proven patiently false. Also if I am not mistaken feel free to correct, there is consequences for posting a hoax here. But I may be wrong.

reply to post by Golithion


What I am saying is there is a lot of garbage that is put out on ATS where people have to know what they are posting is not true.

reply to post by TheHistorian


That is true but I think those who do it are just trying to be attention whores not trying to be malicious in their intent. And that isn't against TOS with regards to being an attention whore.