Why are Mods allowed to star posts more than us regulars?

a reply to: Akragon

But again, THEY are the staff of this forum... IF they want to push something that they believe is important, why shouldn't they be able to...

Why.... because the staff should not be able to sway the direction a thread is headed in, heavily starring a post early on in a thread can help sway peoples opinions ...

Perhaps an ATS Staff Appreciation Thread!

I kinda like that, for all the hard work they endure in this place.

Domo, there is still time to take this thread down. I'm telling you, you don't want to get banned. It's not worth it. Don't do this! You will be missed and you will miss us. Wouldn't you rather stay with us? Who knows how many wonderful people you are yet to meet here?

originally posted by: Bigburgh

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: Bigburgh

Yes i believe they can give extra stars and flags...

But again, THEY are the staff of this forum... IF they want to push something that they believe is important, why shouldn't they be able to...

It cant be all that bad. Perhaps a great thread awaits, but is not getting noticed. I think its ok in that case to drive members to the thread. Perhaps such thread has speacial meaning to Super mods and up.😊

What you mean to say is that they may be using their leverage to push a personal agenda (paid or not paid is still up for debate).

No different than what Google and Twitter have been caught doing.

Crazy question; do we know for a fact that none of the mods are on anybody's payroll (excluding ATS)??

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: Akragon

But again, THEY are the staff of this forum... IF they want to push something that they believe is important, why shouldn't they be able to...

Why.... because the staff should not be able to sway the direction a thread is headed in, heavily starring a post early on in a thread can help sway peoples opinions ...

Well the staff actually talk to each other on a regular basis... again, at least thats what i've experienced in the past...

probably every day, for at least a few hours on a private setting... everything about this forum

they're like minded so to speak, IF a STAFF member gives extra flags, it its probably consensual...

OR

It might even be that they have discussed the content of a thread and all decided to flag or star it....

a reply to: Chickensalad

Crazy question; do we know for a fact that none of the mods are on anybody's payroll (excluding ATS)??

Now that opens up a can of worms....

a reply to: Chickensalad

Not quite, but i see your point. I was more or less hoping a little encouragement for a new member with a good thread.
Granted i had gotten torn apart at times in the beginning, i earned my Lump. But ive come across newbies with a good OP. But everyone just bypassed it because it's a brand new member.


"Crazy question; do we know for a fact that none of the mods are on anybody's payroll (excluding ATS)??"

I would never ask, it's none of my business.
Eriktheawful and Zaphod58 i beleive are not payed. They only took on headaches it would appear at times. But they happily do it because of thier unique knowledge of particular subjects.

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

heavily starring a post early on in a thread can help sway peoples opinions .

Whose opinions? Exactly?
I am often quite stunned by the idiotic posts which gain a silly number of stars. It does not make me think they are good posts or threads.

While the OP's premise of bumping a thread to the front page may have some merit, I don't think that mods give away enough stars to do so. In any case, is this a popularity contest?

Or sour grapes?

originally posted by: awareness10
Perhaps an ATS Staff Appreciation Thread!

I kinda like that, for all the hard work they endure in this place.

Seconded. They deserve this

If mods can dash out multiple stars, the system is broken for me. Because I use stars to highlight my opinion in other posts. IDC if I get them, it´s nice to see others agreeing. But I don´t want a mod give me 10 stars and then in the end it reflects one opinion, giving a false representation to others.

It´s definitly a way to sway a thread for uncertain users.

a reply to: Bigburgh
The million star glitch was fixed. Even though there would be a way to calculate all the stars back to normal numbers, the problem is this script would have to run through every post ever made since the system was introduced.
Very load heavy and ATS would have to be taken down for some time. And then who knows what might happen else.

The risks are to high.

a reply to: Bigburgh

Perhaps such thread has speacial meaning to Super mods and up.😊

I can give an example... IF no one minds some shameless promotion



A while back i found a Video that literally brought me to tears, so i wrote a thread on it... pretty sure i got a few extra flags

THIS IS SPARTA!!! No seriously...

a reply to: Akragon

Then do it in the open by just highlighting it as "staff selected" on the front page.
I think there should be no problem, as you say, it´s their website, they should be able to support topics they see fit.
With a honest and propper way, not by generating virtual stars. I mean, where is the problem?

Better be transparent and have some members complain about "pushing topics" (there will definitly be some) rather than have this conspiracy inside a conspiracy board. Well, I guess, now that some members now it, they might adjust their interpretation of stars. Problem is, many members wont be aware.

a reply to: Phage

Whose opinions? Exactly?

A lot of people like to follow, popularity is something that is followed so a heavily starred post might just be enough to sway a persons opinion...

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

Oh. I see lots of stars and flags so I'm going to agree!
Would that be the majority of ATS members? Followers, I mean?
That being the case, I suppose the idea of "you get what you deserve" would apply.

a reply to: Akragon
Could it possibly have been you brought the Battle of Thermopylae up ? Looks as if a lot of members posting on that thread did not even know that battle was real . They thought 300 was a made up story .

a reply to: verschickter

So the staff of the site should have a special flag or star to signify that they did it?

Wouldn't that separate them from us?

The staff of this forum are still members, but with privileges...

According to how ATS is coded...

originally posted by: Gothmog
a reply to: Akragon
Could it possibly have been you brought the Battle of Thermopylae up ? Looks as if a lot of members posting on that thread did not even know that battle was real . They thought 300 was a made up story .

A few had no idea... read through the thread

Mind you it was a highly dramaticized... Frickin Awesome Movie

which would make it hard to believe...

But ya...

a reply to: Phage

We're not all immune to social persuasion like you Phage, you rebel, you.

a reply to: Phage

Surely there are some

originally posted by: Night Star
Domo, there is still time to take this thread down. I'm telling you, you don't want to get banned. It's not worth it. Don't do this! You will be missed and you will miss us. Wouldn't you rather stay with us? Who knows how many wonderful people you are yet to meet here?

You do understand that ATS is a firm that sells us to make money,not only that but we do the work. ATS is not something that has been given to us by the gods. Take the time to check up on ATS its not what you think it is