New ATS Policy For Very-Large Threads (Serpo!)

The Project Serpo Thread has become an ATS Phenomenon as it rapidly approaches 4,000 replies with no indication of slowing. It has quickly become our longest thread, and is rapidly moving up the ranks of our "most viewed" threads.

However, the subject has become highly controversial as the fantastic claims become increasingly scrutinized by more members each day. Certainly, fantastic claims eventually require similarly fantastic evidence, else difficult questions rise to the surface.

And many difficult questions have indeed rose to the surface, calling into doubt the motivations of Bill Ryan, some members, personalities external to ATS, and even ATS management.

In order to understand the truth, and that's why were all here, discussion of the claims and related information should continue. However, the thread and subject are in danger of devolving with an uncontrollable life of it's own. In the interests of regaining quality discussion in the ideal of our motto, we've had to consider unique a management approach for threads such as this. And with our continued growth (we'll hit 2 million posts this month), a policy for giant threads is long overdue.


ATS Big-Threads Policy

From this point forward, any thread with more than 1,500 replies will be classified as an "ATS Big-Thread". Threads of this size have become difficult to manage and impossible for new members to fully comprehend. We are putting this new policy into place as an effort to encourage new discussion, while managing the size of our largest threads.

Replies: Short, pointless replies that do not add to the subject matter of the thread topic will be removed, and the poster subject to a red-flag warning (and 250 point deduction).

Big Quotes: Large quotes (especially quoting entire posts, or nested posts) will be removed from your post (your post will not be altered, just the quoted portion). Repeated big-quoting will result in a red-flag warning (and 250 point deduction).

Trolling and Abuse: Events of trolling and related abuse (including "thread hijacking") will result in a 3-day posting ban.

Thread Index: Members who would like to create a thread index summary of the important points throughout the thread should contact myself or Springer. If your index is used, you'll be awarded 100,000 points and your post referenced on the first post of the Big Thread.

I know many may see these measures as harsh, but if you've ever spent time involved in an interesting large thread, you know the frustrations that can occur as the size approaches 1,500 replies and more. However, nothing in these new policies represents anything additive to our Terms & Conditions, we're simply going to be more strict with very large threads.

These measures are an effort to keep these extraordinary discussions on-track and focused on-topic. Because one thing is crystal clear, on ATS, with our effort to ensure every post counts, a thread with more than 1,500 replies must be very important to our members and we want to respect and protect these important threads.


Unique Procedure Specific To The Project Serpo Thread

As many know, this thread is unique and is our biggest Big-Thread. Because of the highly charged subject matter, we request that all members keep these points in mind when participating:

1) Stay on-topic and focused. Do not post simple "no photos yet?" posts.

2) Please respect Bill Ryan and any future expert guests that participate. Without them, the quality of discussion would suffer.

3) Our expert guests (such as Bill Ryan) should stay focused on relaying important new information and replying to direct questions (when possible) from our members.

4) When we have expert guests involved (Bill Ryan) please respect his time and limit your questions to no more than two per post, and wait until your questions are addressed before asking more. Remember that the value of our expert quests relies on the quality of your questions, and their ability to have enough time to respond with a quality answer.



We want to be certain that very large and active threads like this remain a benefit to our members first, foremost, and always. The moment a large thread ceases to benefit the community, we will take corrective action, close it, or even remove it.


Thank you.

The owners and staff of AboveTopSecret.com

Well done Amegos, this should hopefully clear up the mess.

Is this thread going to be put up on the banner? Otherwise people might not get to see it and end up loseing points.

Is this retroactive, like the John Titor Civil War 2005 thread?

I'd like to ask a question, I can't think of anywere else to ask this (I don't know if it would be considered spam in the thread) but I'm new and I'm not sure what this big project Serpo thing is all about. The thread is confusing. I'd like an explanation if possible.

Originally posted by Mainer
Is this retroactive, like the John Titor Civil War 2005 thread?

From this point forward, it applies to all threads with more than 1,500 replies.

We won't be looking backwards through the threads for violations of the new policies.

Great job Amigos.

You've probably already thought of it but may I suggest that several people take chunks (30 pages or so) of the Serpo Giant for indexing. That way no one person will be doing the whole thing, as that's a huge job.

Originally posted by Kacen
I'm not sure what this big project Serpo thing is all about.

I've sent you a U2U.

This is an expert response to the problems I've noticed on the Serpo thread. I suspect it will be a difficult task for the moderators to make judgements based upon the parameters laid out, but I'm sure that they are all capable...shiny buttons and all.

Kudos to the Admin

I can't see this as doing anything but improving ATS.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
From this point forward, it applies to all threads with more than 1,500 replies.

We won't be looking backwards through the threads for violations of the new policies.

Almost too bad, some retroactive indexing might be helpful.
I started the Serpo thread myself but gave up after awhile.

I just want to applaud you, the ATS staff

I completely agree with this and thank you for doing it as it should make ATS much more enjoyable, more specifically the larger threads.

I dont care who decides what is permissable... that thread is becoming useless, and that defies our slogan...

so kill the trolls, ban the bickerers, and toss the toddlers...
and keep the thread alive...

i guess you'll just have to accept that thats the way things work and these things happen. I doubt theres any kind of appeal service or something.

(Predictable) Cheer From The Fanboi

I think this is a good call.

While no one is likely to be completely satisfied with any decision, this decision addresses the specific complaints of members who are both for and against closing the thread and does so in a manner that minimizes unnecessary drama and churn.

Solomon, eat your heart out.

I'm glad this is being done. Big threads kind of scare me off because it is sometimes hard to get through them with out spending hours reading through meaningless posts.

This thread is an ATS Big-Thread with 2801 replies.
There are important new policies for threads this large. Stay focused. Stay on-topic. Minimal posts are subject to a warning.
Please click here for more information.

www.belowtopsecret.com...

Was this only intended for ATS?

Originally posted by Damocles
is this discretionary or do you have guidlines as to what is pointless? agreed some posts are blatantly pointless...but if someone is just making a comment about the thread itself or a current discussion (as we all have seen serpo has taken many tangents and has many discussions going simultaneously) or even makes a joke about a current discussion tangent...is this piontles? i mean laughter is the best medicine?

It looks like they are getting really serious about the content now.

I posted a little comic about aliens speaking telepathically which "i thought" brings up a big inconsistency with the ebens from known ufology lore.
and also brought a bit of humor to the thread, but it was quickly removed by SO, as a "one-liner".

So enjoy the "Serpo Disclosure Flavored Discussion Thread"
Now with Less Flavor! and more Dryness!
Instant Cooking, Just Ad Nauseum...






[edit on 2-2-2006 by KDX175DUEX]

Originally posted by KDX175DUEX
Instant Cooking, Just Ad Nauseum...

No "Just add content". I'm sure this comes as no surprise as you received a u2u about it, SO created a thread outlining everything and there is a reminder tag at the top of every page in the thread.

I think that, if the pics eventually come out and they're good, that the Serpo discussion will have to 'divide' into multiple threads (with titles like "Serpo: Society" or "Serpo: Technology").

Right now we are only debating whether or not the story is real. If evidence for it materializes we will eventually have to start talking about the information the story is conveying.

I was chashing the end of the thread for 2 weeks. I was reading 8 pages a day and was still not gaining ground. I was fearful that skimming would cause me to miss something. I am fine with the new guidelines. Even though I just caught up this morning. I am glad the thread remains open.

Originally posted by AboveTopSecret.com

Thread Index: Members who would like to create a thread index summary of the important points throughout the thread should contact myself or Springer. If your index is used, you'll be awarded 100,000 points and your post referenced on the first post of the Big Thread.

IF no one else steps up and
IF you have a sense of my personality and skills sufficient to judge that helping with summarizing and indexing a particular large thread would fit--I'm game. I'm partially retired and IF the timing is fitting--I'd seriously consider such a request.

IF You asked me to summarize and index, I'd much prefer your clear wishes, preferences, parameters of what you expected as a product, result.

Sounds like progress. Congrats on taking such steps. Thanks.

For "Big-Threads", is there going to be any kind of mechanism where if we are viewing a Big Thread, we can immediately tell that it is such? For example, would the title or first post be amended to include that the thread was a Big Thread, or maybe in the 'reply' screen, there could be a note that said something like "This is a Big Thread: do not post unless the content being added is substantial", or something along those lines.

I think that this increased moderation of big threads is a really good idea, since there are a few Big Threads that I haven't read (even though their subjects look interesting) because they are so long and so full of posts of the nature SO has outlined in his 'no-nos' that they become too difficult to muddle through. This should help prevent future Big Threads from getting out of hand.

I am so glad something was finally done about this. It began to get frustrating reading some 5 pages in a row of the same people popping up either making short one-line smarta$s remarks about the thread, cries of "close it - this is boring me", "you people are fools to believe this stuff" (I don't remember anyone saying they actually believe it - just that they are prepared to believe it - that's a huge difference) or they will attack Bill Ryan in a snide way, perhaps not maliciously but certainly underhandedly and condescendingly. And then you get the ones that simply say 'where are the photos'.

If you took away all those trolls, the thread would still be humungous but at least still circumnavigable - these people are obviously trying to kill the thread for reasons only known to them, and I am pleased to see the ATS staff finally take some direct action to encourage open-minded discussion.