The ATS flags system could very well be a conspiracy.

Some Guy at a bar the other day told me as he gazed longingly at the sky...that RATS is coded.
Dinee nee if this true ..but it could be.

Here, I gave you a flag so you can see there is nothing to RATS at all

I feel the same but more about other things such as the applauses and such, I think I posted many meaningful posts in the 2500 posts I have made over the last 8 years of being on ATS.

You will get there eventually, Just post something interesting that hasn't been covered and you are bound to get a few flags.

This thread was just made to make people want to get into the RATS forums. I think it is Bush's fault

Well, I was just searching to have a better understanding of the whole flag system. I found this thread. In all honesty, every time I see the term "flag" I think of something negative. Most systems have you flag something if it needs a mods attention or contains in-appropriate content. I'm sure that somewhere there is a complete explanation of the system but I didn't see it anywhere obvious. It seems to me that two things come to mind. One, it shouldn't be called flags. Maybe kudos, points, circles, squares or anything except flags. Next, this site doesn't cost anything and you'll note very little, if any, advertising. So you get the advantages of communicating with any number of people on any number of subjects and being able to contribute to an untold number of communities. I noted that there isn't much flaming or spamming. Content is usually well thought out and the threads are usually thought provoking. Now, I can only guess that RATS is a collection of forums. I would guess that having these "flags" as a system for entry is an attempt to take those that are above normal posters and provide an area just for them. This, of course, is assuming that normal is based on the majority responding to preexisting threads and above normal is creating them. Now to discuss conspiracy. All conspiracies are perpetrated by those who have something to gain by it's perpetuation. Seeing as the ATS website is more likely to drain the pockets of those that support it, I can't see how this flag system would benefit anyone but those who actually use the site.
Now from what I can tell, there are several systems in place and quite frankly I find it all somewhat confusing. Stars, points, flags and who knows what else is hiding in the background. Now if they did choose to make a change to the flag system in favor of allowing more people access to RATS, then perhaps they could make a certain number of stars equal a flag. Or maybe change the name of "flag" lol.
But hey, that's just my input and thanks to your post I have better idea of what flags actually are.

OP your theory reminds me of freemasonry and the illuminati.

Only the elite can get in and this is sort of the same. With enough flags we see the RATS

Originally posted by glen200376
If you want flags post a really crazy unbelievable thread.I.e. I have secret knowledge,I have aliens in my garden or my person favorite,I'm a 140 year old time traveller.
Those threads go on for 40 odd pages & will earn you plenty of stars.

..Or perhaps we should all start putting a great deal of thought and effort into what we write. Those threads on average do by far better than the sensationalist one's.

heres an idea: why not give everyone an insane amount of flags. That way everyone can see it.

I was being sarcastic, if you want in earn it. Thats what ill do