Ignorant people ruining this site

Well, I am amazed! Not only did I remember my user ID and password (got it right on the 2nd try), but apparently they still work after all this time! I can't remember the last time I actually logged in and posted something here. Has to have been a couple of years, at least..........

Anyway, the reason for me doing it now is just to register my general agreement (with some reservations) with the OP. One of the reasons I continued reading but stopped posting was that over a relatively short time I saw a definite degradation in both the intellectual quality and the civility of the posts which continues to the present time.

I was a visitor who read long before I registered, and I will continue to visit (and maybe very rarely post), but a great many threads here leave me sighing in disgust and moving on after reading only the first few posts (as they rapidly descend into idiocy and incivility).

That's all. I was attracted by the thread title and couldn't resist. Maybe I'll post again soon, or maybe not for a few more years. Ciao

See what most people people are complaining about in this thread, is exactly what makes ATS... ATS!

If everybody who joined this site was intellectually sound and accepted the popular belief on topics, what would we be left with?

The ignorant are what make ATS so strong

The day the ignorant stop posting on ATS, is the day ATS stops becoming ATS.

A recent example, I currently followed close to a John Lennon/Beatles thread. Myself and a fellow member argue for the Beatles being authentic while other members argue for an absurd angle that McCartney has been dead for years and the group was completely fabricated. At the beginning I was completely annoyed and posted out of frustration.

After about 5 or 6 posts in the thread, I finally realized it is people like this that make ATS so great. Not to say my argument was superior to theirs, but the fact I can come into a board and discuss a situation with people who have a completely different outtake than my own.

I fell in love with ATS all over again.

Believe me, the day the ignorant turn a cold shoulder to ATS is the day ATS goes under.

Ignorant and Intellect alike, are what make ATS so strong.

WAY TO GO
Chissler!!!!

[nice Springer OFF ]

The post above is the HEIGHT of hypocrisy! I'm sorry mate but it simply is...

First you say...

Originally posted by RR98
I can't remember the last time I actually logged in and posted something here. Has to have been a couple of years, at least..........

Then you go on to slam/criticize our site with...

I was a visitor who read long before I registered, and I will continue to visit (and maybe very rarely post), but a great many threads here leave me sighing in disgust and moving on after reading only the first few posts (as they rapidly descend into idiocy and incivility).

That's all. I was attracted by the thread title and couldn't resist. Maybe I'll post again soon, or maybe not for a few more years. Ciao

WHO do you think can CHANGE that trend?!

answer... YOU THE MEMBER who posts QUALITY information!

But NO! You "quit posting" because some immature, in YOUR OPINION, people posted?! What are you going to do when they start ruling the world? Run away? Why don't you climb down of that artificailly high horse you think you're on and SHARE your civility and knowledge with them? Lead by EXAMPLE, nobody can see your wonderful civility and quality, or more importantly, LEARN FROM IT (DENY IGNORANCE) when you're hiding in the shadows my friend.

So the only rational answer is you don't CARE ENOUGH about the site, denying ignorance or bettering this world to lead by example, or "it's not your job to do so". I would have NO PROBLEM with that EXCEPT you "COULDN'T RESIST THE THREAD TITLE" what does that say about YOU?

I am not trying to be an arsehole here, but I am worn OUT by the pitiful IGNORANCE and IRONY these threads exemplify.

This is a FREE and OPEN forum to anyone who CARES enough to participate. There is NO "post police" who have 24 hours a day to monitor every thread and impose THEIR standards on other's ideas or opinions. We wouldn't allow it if we COULD find the people to do it.

NOPE, it's up to the Membership to make sure the quality is LOUDER than the noise. Every time I see one of these threads I think, if this person would've added some quality info to the board with this effort his "gripe" would have been eliminated to some degree by that alone. THESE posts/threads add WHAT to the "Quality"?!

But when I see someone who OPENLY admits they don't care enough to even post at all, except when an opportunity to criticize the MOST CIVIL BOARD ON THE WEB for not being civil enough for THEM I simply laugh at the IGNORANCE I just read...

PITIFUL...

[nice Springer back ON ]

[edit on 5-13-2006 by Springer]

* Chissler barks like a dog

*WOOT*WOOT*WOOT*WOOT*WOOT*

Welcome back Nice Springer!



Aside from that sarcasm, it really is a great post. We are all humans and its great to see honesty from the staff members.

This is a kind reminder to all members that the staff/admin are people and are capable of turning off nice mode at any time.

Springer...

[edit on 5-13-2006 by Springer]

SPRINGER!!!
Wish I could vote you a WATS

I did Chissler though.

You guys keep up the GREAT work!!!

Originally posted by theBman
I think one of the main problems is people who are so blinded by what they want to be true they only see what they want to see.

A great example of this is Jaime Maussan, heres one of his conferences video.google.com... . I'm sure he's an intelligent man but he's so desperate for evidence he'll believe anything.

I watched the video and thanks for the link, I enjoyed it and frankly it was very good. The only part that was questionable to me was the still photos with apparent aliens in the background which others have called puppets or dummys. He even says that there is good possibility of this being the case but other wise the images he had were legit. That is being above board in my opinion.

The other material had no easy explanation and you seem to believe otherwise so it you want take it to the UFO forum and lets see what you know?

The problem with ATS to be frank with everyone is that many people do not have any background in the fields they spout about but they feel they have their 15 minutes to tell the world their opinion. I can always out these types by a few good questions or comments. I don't have trouble with those types in general.

The real threat to the site I see is the pro-debunkers and agents who are either paid to do this stuff or are in related industry and their employment depends on maintaining the 'state lies.'

Originally posted by denythestatusquo
The real threat to the site I see is the pro-debunkers and agents who are either paid to do this stuff or are in related industry and their employment depends on maintaining the 'state lies.'

Hows that? The facts speak for themselves, either they are wrong - in which case the facts will show that so whatever they say will still be wrong regardless - or they may actually have a point.
When you are presented with facts and cannot find an argument to counteract them then quite often that's because they are correct, if you can find an argument then use it - problem solved!
I'm not sure that there is a serious threat from disinformationists promoting ideas from the official side anyway (9/11 conspiracies at the forefront of my mind as I write this) as the majority of people who believe in the more extreme conspiracies are so set in their ways they are never going to be convinced otherwise anyway.
How many times do you see any of the suspected paid debunkers actually convince someone they are wrong? Never... So that would be a gigantic waste of time and money that benefits no-one.
It seems hard for some people to accept that just because someone follows elements of an official story does not mean that they go for it hook, line and sinker, nor are they defending it due to financial/job interests.
Sometimes, just maybe, if they do have involvement in that industry it may be because they know more about it than the rest of us.

People are too suspicious these days to fall for the old authoritarian tactics, people know the Government are screwing them over because it's in the papers and on the news every day, frankly they are not going to sway anyone whose suspicions have been aroused by employing someone to talk to them like a teacher - even if what they say is right.
The only realistic way to tackle the 'problem' from their perspective these days is to swamp the scene with as much drivel as possible, this serves to distract people away from any real issues which should be discussed, and also by promoting and making forefront some of the wildest, most implausible theories it serves in making the whole movement look like a bunch of nutjobs to any tempted onlooker, driving them away before they start.

A lot of people also seem to make the consistant mistake of looking at everything in black and white, for instance I could say 'I think an airliner hit the Pentagon', to which I usually get some sort of spouting off along the lines of 'Well if you want to believe your (not mine actually as I'm English) Government wrap themselves up in the Stars and Stripes and do everything to protect you, and they weren't involved in any way.. blah blah blah'.
Hold the phone, I said I thought an airliner hit the Pentagon, not that I said the Government weren't involved, etc.. But so often people seem only capable of seeing the Black and White, which is a major setback.

You need to have a variety of opinions to learn from all angles, even if there are some paid disinformationists promoting the official line on anything then they are a huge assett. No matter what the topic is, UFOs, 9/11, Bigfoot - if there is any chance of the truth coming out then having to pitch arguments against the official line/opposing views is a huge part of the whole operation.
By having people posting opposing views it forces one to research their point further, and sometimes in doing so you may find out more useful information and leads - or you may find out you're wrong

That's something else we all have to accept, sometimes the truth will not always be what we want it to be.

I got your truth right here.
So what you think about that, hmm yupper, em are apples.
Just entertain an idea, maintain that open mind.
No one said it was going to be easy, yet it has and continues to be done.

*********
LMAO
This is my Mountaindew commercial;
*Scene opens to clip of "A Few Good Men"*

Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee (Tom Cruise): I think I'm entitled to them.
Jessep: You want answers?
Kaffee: I want the truth!
Jessep: You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives...You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall.
We use words like honor, code, loyalty...we use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending something. You use 'em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it! I'd rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!

*Someone brings in a bag, Kaffee looks in*

Kaffee: Did you order the code red?
Jessep: (quietly) I did the job you sent me to do.
Kaffee: Did you order the code red?
Jessep: You're goddamn right I did!!

*Camera pans onto code red mountain dew bottles in each mans hand, scene closes with them drinking.*




[edit on 14-5-2006 by ADVISOR]

Originally posted by chissler
If everybody who joined this site was intellectually sound and accepted the popular belief on topics, what would we be left with?

The ignorant are what make ATS so strong

So you're basically saying that anyone who doesn't accept the popular belief is ignorant? Since when is being "intellectually sound" and accepting the popular belief automatically mutually inclusive? And here I thought all the greatest thinkers throughout history were famous for shattering popular beliefs, even in the face of overwhelming, organized, and sometimes deadly opposition.

And Copernicus wept...

Originally posted by wecomeinpeace

Originally posted by chissler
If everybody who joined this site was intellectually sound and accepted the popular belief on topics, what would we be left with?

The ignorant are what make ATS so strong

So you're basically saying that anyone who doesn't accept the popular belief is ignorant? Since when is being "intellectually sound" and accepting the popular belief automatically mutually inclusive? And here I thought all the greatest thinkers throughout history were famous for shattering popular beliefs, even in the face of overwhelming, organized, and sometimes deadly opposition.

And Copernicus wept...

HERE HERE! WTF is with the popular belief=intellectually sound statement? Were you serious when you said that, chissler?

* chissler ducks for cover

Hell No!

Reading my post now I can see what it is leading to. Not at all what I was trying to say. I was merely trying to explain that if everyone on the board accepted what the media feeds to us, then ATS would be alittle boring.

Intellect is deffinately not measured on this scale.

Apoligies!

ed: posts I was reading earlier were indicating that alot of members were painting others as ignorant simply because they were not accepting the popular belief. I obviously failed in my attempt to say this should not be the case. The importance of these members on ATS is crutial to its success.



[edit on 14-5-2006 by chissler]

First off, I agree with the original post in that some people are posting baseless crap with no evidence, and it seriously detracts from the good posts on the site (and actually makes it almost impossible to find them sometimes). I've often said it's that one thread in a thousand that actually keeps me coming back.

However, I also have to recognize that it is my personal opinion that something is stupid and baseless. For instance, I might give full attention, credence, and serious consideration to a post that, using only circumstantial evidence, indicates Bush as the antichrist, because I believe him to be the worst thing that ever happened to this nation. I'm going to be more inclined to believe a conspiracy related to him, than, say, Psychic Vampires piloting black triangles around to leave mind-controlling chemtrails in the atmosphere.

To me, the Bush situation is more realistic, because it's what I follow, it's what I believe. To someone else, Bush may just be a puppet of the NWO, who are controlled by someone else they dislike. Or perhaps they love Bush, and support his fight against the Greys, whom the NWO-controlled media are calling "al'Qaida" or whatever...

...see, the problem and beauty of conspiracies is that you can make one out of anything to suit an opinion you already hold, and because of the nature of mankind, we try and draw a straight line between points in the past and present to figure out what will happen in the future.

Thus if Persons A, B, and C were associated with some charity, died under mysterious causes, and they each liked to drink milk, and a milk company had a pyramid in its logo, then obviously that milk company is a front for the Illuminati, who had those 3 people killed. If they had those three people killed, and they were associated with the same charity, that charity must be in opposition to the Illuminati, so that makes them members of the E.L.F., but isn't Hagbard Celine one of the 5 Illuminatus Primeri, and he runs the ELF? So if that's the case, then the Illuminati killed off some of its own members to keep the truth from getting out that milk does not, in fact, do a body good!

A ridiculous example, to be sure, but so is any conspiracy we don't personally believe in, or have any vested interest or knowledge in. However, ATS is, first and foremost, meant to be a centralized home where anyone who has any conspiracy theory about anything can at least express their views and try to find others who feel the same way. This is what I had to come to terms with, and this sort of universal integrity is why I keep returning. Yeah, I may scoff and turn my nose up at 99.9% of what's posted here, and that's my right. But it is also those 999 other posters right to state their beliefs boldly without total fear of ridicule and retaliation.



[edit on 5/15/2006 by thelibra]

Libra
The beauty of ATS for me is expressed best that:

I am 100% diametrically in opposition to your political view point.
Yet I agree with you absolutely.

Way to GO!!!

Originally posted by AgentSmith
Hows that? The facts speak for themselves, either they are wrong - in which case the facts will show that so whatever they say will still be wrong regardless - or they may actually have a point.

There is no need for me to address the rest of your post, not that it wasn't passionate nor eloquent A.S., it's that the word 'facts' is the meat of the issue.

Facts' are always debateable period.

This has been discussed on this site before and really there is no need to get into a detailed response.

I can summarize my view on the subject of facts quite succinctly though: facts are bits of information based on our definition of reality that we use to concoct a story or belief or system of comprehension.

Facts are debateable and can be twisted and they can be used to prove a wrong as being right and a right as being wrong.

Spend some time in a court room some day A.S. and watch what goes on... your respect for facts will be surely diminished... trust me on that.