The world is a big place, and frankly, some ATS members need to remember where they came from.

30 percet of the worlds population has the internet

Of that 2 BILLION people, a quarter of a million of them have an ATS account

That is 0.01% of the internets population.

The biggest ambassadors of ATS are YOU - the members. Not the owners or staff (of which there are 75 in total, leaving 250202 other people).

So when a new member - one of the 2 billion, comes knocking on ATS's door the very LAST thing they need to be treated to is sarcasm, rudeness and downright ill mannered petulance from members who simply cannot get over their own ego's fast enough in the race to dismiss a question as foolish, stupid or tell someone that they should "use the search function"

Just because you know something, it doesn't mean that someone else does

Let me say that again

Just because you know something, it doesn't mean that someone else does

People learn, and find things out all the time, and treating new people who come onto the board with rudeness and contempt is a sure fire way to make damn sure that their first visit is their last.

I see a lot of people complaining that ATS "isn't what it used to be" - well is it any wonder when people who are starting out on their journey here get trampled all over by those who don't have the courtesy to treat them properly and welcome them into what may be a huge change in their understanding of the world?

ATS IS NOT THE COMMENTS SECTION OF YOUTUBE

ATS is a discussion forum that demands civility and respect.

Just remember back when YOU were the new kid on the block - when YOU first realised there might be more to the world than what was being fed to you in mainstream news. What would your reaction have been if you were mocked, asked if you were "serious" and simply told to "use search (yawn), we've done this a million times over"?

Its about time people remembered where they came from, and treated others with the respect that they wish to receive.

reply to post by neformore


I take it that thread this morning annoyed you as much as it annoyed me?

For about a year or more I spent the vast majority of my waking life on ATS, it engulfed me entirely. At first I was a clueless newbie feeling my way in the dark.

Then I became a bit more seasoned and confident in my beliefs/theories. I used to approach the newbies and give them a helping hand.

Then a funny thing happened; I became somewhat of a sarcastic moron. I had no time for newbies and wouldn't hide the fact. "You have never heard of it!? " I tended to use that icon ( ) quite a lot.

It didn't last long though, I'm happy to say. I think a bit of time away from ATS really can put things into perspective.

As weird as it may sound to some of you: some people do not spend their entire lives in the bubble that is ATS. We're not all armchair genius's.

So yeah, I can't condemn, but I can understand.

My ATS mantra - "If you have got nothing nice/constructive to say, don't say anything at all."

I see a lot of people complaining that ATS "isn't what it used to be" - well is it any wonder when people who are starting out on their journey here get trampled all over by those who don't have the courtesy to treat them properly and welcome them into what may be a huge change in their understanding of the world?

I agree whole heartedly with this statement.

I just wish it applied to those above, as well as below.

With Love,

Your Brother

I have noticed a change in ATS over the past year. The manners and decorum that I came to love it for have all but disappeared. Most posters now just ridicule OPs when they come in with an 'out-there' theory. I even saw a thread about th illuminati get absolutely slammed.

That was one of the things I loved ATS for, we could have intelligent debates on strange articles, we would learn and teach eachover and discover together. These things that I loved are getting increasingly rare though.

But I will do more to make ATS what it used to be.

ALS

reply to post by neformore


Spot on.. Its not nice when peeps are arrogant on ATS because they know something thats common on ATS and new peeps dont.

There is gentler ways to educated them as opposed to taking the P out of them. ATS is about learning and we are all here to learn..Regardless of how much we think we know..

reply to post by neformore


Well said nef............agree with you sooooooooo much!

Holy Moly..That's a lot of members! Very well stated, and hopefully more people would be more civil, not only here, but in life in general.

It irritates me to no end, when someone says..."It's already been posted...Do you not know what the search engine is?". Or..."where have you been...under a rock? this is old news".

To those that think they know it all.....Not everyone does....or think they do.

I appreaciate a new thread being started. There are new members all the time, and even old members don't spend their entire lives on ATS. Be civil, as the moderator requested. It will help you, and it will help someone else.

ATS is a discussion forum that demands civility and respect.

IMHO, there are too many people who confuse *discussion with *debate. Wouldn't be such a bad thing except that in many eyes, debate = derision.

The cynic in me believes the interactions on the boards have progressed too far to return to civility and respect... Hope to be wrong, though.

reply to post by neformore


I came to ATS this past summer. I approached it like any other forum I have ever been a part of. It took me almost three months to learn how to embed video, ex text, and links with a title. I learned how to embed pictures after two other members patiently explained how to.

ATS, believe it or not, has a learning curve that only experience can benefit. After learning it though, it became more fun to partake in the games and threads and I have met several people who are friends on here. Rudeness is inappropriate and I am glad ATS moderators take the time to remind us of that.

ATS mods have also told us that when a person needs help, we are to send them private messages explaining what to do, but some people are leery when receiving private messages, so you have to be careful when sending them because some people do think it is rude for us to send them.

I would never call someone stupid because they did not know how to do something, I just send them the message as requested per moderators. One other thing, most people don't realize that sometimes you have to use Google Chrome when using the search functions, at least in the game it was like that.

Originally posted by LadySkadi

ATS is a discussion forum that demands civility and respect.

IMHO, there are too many people who confuse *discussion with *debate. Wouldn't be such a bad thing except that in many eyes, debate = derision.

The cynic in me believes the interactions on the boards have progressed too far, to return to civility and respect... Hope to be wrong, though.

edit on 28-12-2011 by LadySkadi because: (no reason given)

Yes, you are exactly right. I can't tell you how many times people have posted in threads to me about the rules of debate. I have to constantly remind them that we are having a discussion. Sometimes though, my discussion answers are very long, but that is how I talk in real life.

Originally posted by RealTalk
reply to post by neformore

 

Off Topic quote removed by staff

You bring up a good point my friend. But, what ever the statistic, you are still a representative of you.

This place is ruled by a sceptic overlord who believes none, and rejects all.

What do you expect?

The Kingdom of Heaven?

Nah, that isn't here.

With Love,

Your Brother

You've summed up something that a lot of people seemed to have forgotten about. Simply put I agree completely.

There are a lot of unfounded giant ego's here and these people make rude, unwanted comments that makes AS and it's member look bad.

I see people posting in a thread saying something simple like " Thread already posted" or "use the search function" and I wonder if they even realize they are violating the T&C and writing off topic,one liner posts. Do they even care about the T&C?

It just bothers me to see people seeming to pretend to care about ATS and then step all over it as they pretend to care.

Lead by example everyone. It's time we all quit with the one liners off topic posts, attacks, insults and more.

ATS is better than that. I was lucky enough to join at a time when the threads and posts were at an all time intellectual high and have seen quality go up and down. Right now, the quality of member posts is declining in general and it should not be.

ATS is the best of the best of the world and we all have a lot to bring to the table. No member is more important than any other. Which is why I hate to see the word "noob" get thrown around. It implies that a new member is not as important. Which is simply not true.

New members bring a lot to the table and new ways of looking at things. You are not better just because you joined before them... That is ego coming into play and simply put. You are not better than anyone else here.

Show everyone the best you, you can be. Show everyone the best ATS, ATS can be.

This is a member driven site.So let's start driving it back in the right direction. We are representatives of ourselves and ATS when we post here...

It feels silly to have to say this to other adults but it needs to be said.1) Treat others the way you wish to be treated. 2) If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

Peace and love.

Personal observations here...

ATS isn't as friendly a place for new ideas and thinking out of the box, as it once was... At times you can almost sense the collective experts (in their own minds) on EVERYTHING circling like wolves ready to attack.

When they run out of new victims, they turn on each other... Occasionally with dramatic but entertaining results.

The digital ego is responsible, along with the intoxicating liberation of anonymity, people can say, do, and be things here that they would never say, try to be, or do in their real lives... Often they feel powerful and above everyone when they can successfully attack and crush others online... Just because they can.

This isn't just an ATS problem, it is a growing trend online everywhere.

Some called this an opportunity for the human race to advance, though it seems the opposite is slowly becoming reality.

Good thread nef

Will they listen?

Thank you. That thread about Anon was really sad. People can't even be civil anymore..

reply to post by RealTalk


yes you are right, and for the topic, ats are infested with more paid misinfo agents than ever before, also a bunch of rugrats are running around here, its hard to ignore stupid/paid comments i know, just be better at ignoring them.

reply to post by notonsamepage


You have no self control?

You have no desire to help people learn?

reply to post by neformore


oO

oh i see what you are doing

Originally posted by neformore
You have no desire to help people learn?

In fairness, the judgement this Brother casts against ATS, is the same judgement being cast at me by ATS.

At least it appears that way.

With Love,

Your Brother