It has become apparent to Owners of ATS, (Simon Gray, SkepticOverlord and me, Springer) this forum is slipping into the dark pit of petty name calling and derisive commentary on fellow Members with opposing view points.

This ENDS NOW.

This forum is on "Strict Terms and Conditions of Use ENFORCEMENT" until further notice.

"Strict Enforcement" means:
Any Member lowering themselves to name calling, no matter how innocuous, will be red tag warned on the spot, no questions asked.

Any Member who, after receiving a red tag warn in this forum, commits another breach of the TAC will be post banned on the spot, no questions asked.

One warning is all you get before being post banned.

Any posts, replies or new threads, that are about Member personalities instead of the issues will be red tag warned and deleted.

The concept of this forum is to try to dig through the myriad theories "out there" and discuss/debate their value and see if some light can be shed upon the many conflicting ideas and reports being bandied about.

If you feel you are about to post ANY form of negative comment about another Member, go take a walk and calm down. If you think you are superior in intillect to another Member and therefor need to "correct" that Member, you may need to go find another forum to preach in.

Consider this post "fair warning" this forum is getting cleaned up.

Springer
Partner,
AboveTopSecret.com, LLP

[edit on 4-20-2006 by Springer]

[edit on 8-5-2006 by Springer]

Originally posted by AgentSmith
EDIT:

What a hypocrite, you got all upset because you were booted off a forum you frequented for not agreeing with the owner's unusual ideas, yet are guilty of similar behaviour for throwing around Government Agent insults because someone points out the ignorance of one of your ideas.

You mean things like this? Sorry AgentSmith but you're a mod and still do it. Thanks for listening.

No name calling...this shouldn't even have to be said, but I understand the owners and mods need to from time to time do just that, repeat themselves.



No name calling from Me.

It may be in the "owners" best interest to "police" the threads. Who knows what bizzaro stuff they're dealing with. I take no umbrage, nor offense - it is "their" forum - to do with as they see fit within their agency.
Party-On! Flame-Off! Full-throttle!

[edit on 11-4-2006 by V Kaminski]

Sorry i just get a bit angered sometimes, i will cur my temper sir!!! No more More and

The Moderators are fully authorized to deal with any "issues" that come up, that's why we invited them to be Moderators.

That said, this thread contains proof of how this subject can get even our "cream of the crop" so riled up they can't avoid giving to the "D-Ego" and launching a missile.

My hope is this thread and all it implies and promises will "snap" us all back to the traditional ATS style of truth seeking through the Denial of Ignorance in a CIVIL manner.

I will be spending lots of time in this forum the next few days to keep an eye out but I hope this post will suffice.

Springer...

[edit on 4-11-2006 by Springer]

Yes - it all goes back to the basic rules we learned in kindergarten. Play nicely, share your toys, and don't flick boogers into the hair of the girl in front of you.

Originally posted by Griff
You mean things like this? Sorry AgentSmith but you're a mod and still do it. Thanks for listening.

Yes, well I'll have to stop. It's not on really and I shouldn't have to be told anyway.. Probably best not ot post early mornings...lol sorry..

Sanity rules! Bill Werner/Mert Lawill/Gary Nixon style - real people - real truth - real issues. I think the "owners" and the "mods" and many members do a reasonably good job of setting forth boundaries - it must be very difficult at times - having someone "go-off" with passion and having to reign in the situation when, in regard to some issues, little but vituperous invectives are used and convectively recycled without end. I just wish threads wouldn't disappear without explanation sometimes - Makes me wonder who's lookin' over shoulder of-those-with-their-shoulder-to-the-wheel. Thanx - ATS is premier as THE FORUM of this type on the planet. Shoot, I even consider this something of an educational site.

Heads up on this post Springer,and of course to Simon and SO. I just think that its sad that members are unfortunately unable to control themselves and revert to the petty name calling and basically showing ignorance instead of denying it. Once again heads up to the Three Amigos!

There are a lot of situations in which a member (myself included) makes specific derogatory remarks to ones ideals and beliefs. For example, To say something to the effect of:
"Christianity is a method used to control peoples minds, and anyone who follows such beliefs are weak minded sheeple." (this isn't meant as an insult to Christians, only as an example of the question)

Because of the indirect insult to the Christians on the board, would this be considered derisive commentary worthy of a warning?

I am a member of another message board (ohhhh, I feel so dirty) that deals with the music industry. Too many members with foul mouths and/or minds have prompted the admin of the site to incorporate a function that allows other members to 'flag' a thread and/or post containing inappropriate content, which will in turn bring it to the admins attention where it can be dealt with in a swift and according manner.

Perhaps this is an option!?

Kudos, Springer;

This forum is too valuable to the world of true believers, and the last forum i was on had to be shut down and it was a GREAT concept of a very deserving entertainer, but it was shut down to insults and profanity.
Thank you for caring so much..

I am new around here but I can feel the pain of rejection one must feel when members are reamed in public for having a different opinion or posting unpopular ideas. Even in community such as this there must be a feeling of safety to share yourself and your information. My experience has been that my opinion is subject to change based on new information, but how can we grow if we risk being made fun of. On another note I have seen some real supportive and caring people here on ATS and I am happy to see the mods come out and reiterate what is appropriate and what isn't.

Gotta love the way the 3 amigo's rule their site!

Originally posted by Rasobasi420
"Christianity is a method used to control peoples minds, and anyone who follows such beliefs are weak minded sheeple." (this isn't meant as an insult to Christians, only as an example of the question)

Because of the indirect insult to the Christians on the board, would this be considered derisive commentary worthy of a warning?

WHY would anyone need to say something like that to support a position? That is a piss poor, broad brush, simple minded, closed minded statement no matter what religious, political or any other "group" label you put in place of Christianity.

There is absolutely NO VALUE to the statement other than to piss off the people who fall into the group that's being said about. There is ZERO basis in fact of the statement and it's simply ridiculous to make a statement that ALL of ANY group are "this or that".

That is the kind of low brow tactic that is NOT acceptable in a real debate among intelligent Human beings.

Technically it's not warnable under the specific T&C items but it is certainly subject to the "Anything the Owners decide is inappropriate content" clause of the T&C.

While this and the WOT forum are under "Strict T&C Enforcement" I would support a Mod who warned for that depending on the context it was used in. If it was an obvious attempt to dodge backing up a statement by derailing a thread I would warn for it.

Springer...

[edit on 3-13-2010 by Springer]

Sounds fair. On the other side, I've seen comments to the effect of "If you don't accept Christ as your lord and savior you will burn in Hell for all eternity because you are a sinful un-repentant pagan and you deserve it."

I'll assume it's the same deal.

Thanks for clearing that up Springer

Originally posted by Springer
That is a piss poor, broad brush, simple minded, closed minded statement no matter what religious, political or anyother "group" label you put in place of Christianity.

If that type of language is going to get someone the boot
(and I'm glad it now will) it will sure clean out the BTS and
ATS religion forums. This is definately a step up in the
evolutionary process.

While we are on the subject; since there is no 'advertising' allowed,
then there shouldn't be 'advertising' of one's religion allowed either.
How about an announcement of no proselytising in addition to
no bashing??

You people are all doody-heads.
That's right, I said it.

SO you're saying anyone who has an opinion about someone else is going to get warned?

How far does this encompass, you say you can't call Christians Sheeple, even though a lot of them are as they follow what one person says instead of actually reading the Bible. If their leader tells them "God Loves all and you should to" is the same as their leader saying "Kill! Kill them all! Gays, blacks, jews, democrats, KILL!!!!!!" they are just listening to their leader instead of reading the bible.

Or what about Islam? SO when a republican like Ann the Man COulter says something like nuke all Arabs because they are terrorists she would be warned? Or is that her opinion and allowed?

Or the MANY Christians, Majority of them on here, calling people who don't put on blinders to the Church and its sex scandals, both little children and raping of nuns, and say you are bashing the church. I provided links, official Vatican Documents, so forth, about the raping of Nuns all around the world, most in Africa, and was just labeled a Basher.

Or Pagans, how many are condemed to hell by Christians? Which I find funny because God will judge you, not man, yet they judge and would gladly be the jury and executioner if they could.

So, how do these things apply?