petition(please don't remove this)

I don't go into chat that often, maybe four times a month just to see what's up.

But everytime I go there it's always StellarX and rogue1 going at...it's so funny.

The two are like an old married couple, one can say the grass is green and the other will disagee...it's like a debate thread on steroids. But it's all out of good humor

Sporty

Originally posted by dk2852
how will this lower abuse, all that will happen is they will abuse once they get 200 posts.

[edit on 11-5-2006 by dk2852]

No, in theory by two hundred posts most members who will be abusive will be rooted out and eliminated. It's not that large mass to reach, just got to BTS and post. In fact, posting 7times a day for a month and you'll be fine.

Chat itself isn't that special either, it's like any other chatroom. We tend not to have any major indepth conversations in there about anything important.

200 posts is an excellent pre-requisite in my opinion. It is very achievable, whilst requiring some dedication to the site, eliminating those who float in and float out without any understanding of what ATS is all about.

Originally posted by Bibliophile
I think 200 posts is reasonable. According to another thread here there have been abuse issues in the Chat area. I am with the administrators and moderators on this one and I am not even eligible to chat yet.

It is a good rule.

I have had many IDs on this site, and 200 is a normal on the internet for chats, etc. I see nothing wrong with it. I always forget my passwords, etc. , but I've never had a problem with most of the policy, maybe the quotes and sigs ones, but I'm not too worried about them anyways, too trival much. Besides, it's kinda stupid. So no siggy here for the petition.

Just to make an observation for the benefit of new members who may find some of the rules a little unfair...

We have councilors, we have a suggestion button (which posts your complaint in a special forum where they are considered- they don't just go to one person and get ignored), and we're even allowed to U2U the staff, which blows my mind.

There are plenty of legitimate ways to question the user-friendliness of ATS policy if one must, so I question the wisdom of starting a thread like this one.

This thread basically invites new members who may not yet be fully familiar with ATS rules to vent their frustration at the administration. There is a potential for unnecessary drama, and possibly for some people to go too far and get in trouble, which would be lamentable.

As I have said in the past, when you are on ATS, you are not in your home at your computer. You are in Simon Gray's place of business; on his property if you will. That places all discretion on the run of this place in the hands of the management.

Democracy is optional, yet ATS has opted to give us a democratically elected member council. By starting a petition thread, you are circumventing that democratic process and trying to establish your own, less precise, less effective one.

I'm not trying to chastise anyone, I'm just making an observation for the benefit of people who have not yet seen as much of ATS as I have.

I go away for 1 day and i get tons of posts, i must say i'm impressed. I can't believe so many ATS members are dedicated to the rules. So far all arguments seem clear, concise, and decent, except for 1, the dramatization. I had no intention of creating drama I just wanted to attract members attention. I must say I have created drama. I've already been applauded and I could leave but instead I'll stay because it will make an important statement
I care. Please keep your posts coming.

I began on ATS before the 200 post rule and I enjoyed chat very much. Then the rule went into effect and I lost the ability to chat. ATS went through many more changes at that time and I became too intimidated to even post to try to make it to the 200 level. I was so dismayed that I left completely.

Many months later I have returned and I am glad to see that ATS has put into place what it needed to in order to preserve the chat room. Looking back, it appears that ATS simply had some growing pains. From what I have experienced since my return, it looks like things are now running a bit more smoothly.

I don't want to see ATS abused and when I do finally get back into the chat room, I don't want to have to deal with abusive morons that gained access after just a few ill written posts.

See you in chat some day.

Just go on a posting Blitz on Below Top Secret. I acessed the chat use in 1 month.

Originally posted by IAF101
200 posts ??? I never needed 200 posts when I first came in to access chat! Well it does seem a little steep. What is so great about the chat that one needs to prove ones worth?

Yeah sure decency needs to be maintained and Im all for that but IMO it is utterly pointless because when you have people abusing each other in 199 of the posts 200 posts are not a certificate of decency.

It should be counted in applauses IMO, get 10 and your in. That would be a much better way to do it.

That means i'd be out since I rarely get applauses, that wouldn't be fair, I would be at the mercy of moderators applauding me or not.

200 posts is fine in my book, I complained more about RATS access when they upped it to 5000 points or something.

Originally posted by dk2852
So far all arguments seem clear, concise, and decent, except for 1, the dramatization.

I don't think the suggestion is so much that you intended to create drama. It's just that the battle-scarred old flame warriors around here (myself included) sorta have a nose for the potential. I don't think anyone has sensed malice on your part, and I don't think there would be any reason for them to, hence the decency you have noted.

I remember reading a joke somewhere about the 5 most dangerous things in the Marine Corps...

the 3rd most dangerous was a warrant officer saying "watch this"
the 1st was a colonel saying "I've seen that before"

I know it's a very loose analogy, full of holes to be sure (for instance, if ATS had a rank structure, I'd be a private on permanent KP, not a colonel) but I kinda feel this thread as you, in all good will, saying "watch this". Nygdan and I (if I may presume to speak for him without getting banned) are basically saying "I've seen this before".

Its not unreasonable you can just tag for points and get that in about 15 minutes at the most.

Actually, it's 200 posts, not 200 points. Tagging threads will not get you any closer to chat.
200 posts are very easy to get, and you don't even have to go nuts on BTS to do it quickly (that's kind of a loop hole anyway- the whole point is to make 200 good, relevant posts which show the management that you aren't a trouble maker.)

Stick to short threads if time is a factor, or just stick to things you really care about and don't mind spending time on. Your post doesn't have to be 600+ brilliant, applause worthy words.

Let's say that I was a new member. I'm kind of a geopolitics enthusiast. I go to war on terrorism. Right now 7 of the first 10 threads in that forum are still on page one. I drop into each one of them, peruse quickly, find a point somebody has made that I either agree or disagree with and can back up with a respectable argument, and I slam out a paragraph or two summing up what I think and why. I could easily put out 5 non-spam posts in an hour if I was going for volume. I'd have my 200 points in 40 days... less if I had more than an hour, or if I did make the occasional BTS post.
If I've got more time and I don't see anything else in ATS, I go to PTS and check out the Security Issues forum, and do the same bit I did in WOT. No sweat. Seriously.

well...I have only been in chat once and it was dead. Nothing happening..so I dont know what you expect? Like, lmao, soon as you get 200 points you will rush in there and it will be dead or your the only one in there.

And who wants to rave on about skull & bones anyway? lol Is it 2 rooms that have topic for each?

I feel your getting a bit worked up over nothing!

care factor = zero

Originally posted by NJE777
And who wants to rave on about skull & bones anyway? lol Is it 2 rooms that have topic for each?

lol Bud, that's just the room name...it had to be named something you know...it's better than "Chat Room 1". Anyway you can talk about anything you want though I'm sure you knew that already. Take care friend...

Blessings...

Well I would like to add last night was my first experience in Chat and it was probably one of the greatest times I've had on ATS. chatting it up with members I've watched post for several months now was great.

It maybe dead at times, but its a great time when members are in and talking.

I know I'll be sure to check back from time to time.

Well if anything, this thread brought an added interest in chat from the other members. ive seen alotta new faces in there recently, makes for a good ole time.

I know this forum hasn't been alive in a while, just thought I'd revive it by saying, did it work? I have noticed the number of required posts has changed to 100, much more reasonable. So thanks ATS, for making my life easier, now I am one step closer to chat.

[edit on 20-11-2006 by dk2852]

Well, you've got 33 so far! On the right track.

My suggestion? Just browse through some of the topics on the three boards and I can absolutely guarantee you that you'll find something you want to voice your opinion on. Before you know it, 100... 200... 1,000... it flies by.

There's no shortage of interesting topics here!

i have a confession

haha

well yea i gotta lot of posts real fast, you can ask anyone, but im not proud of it in some ways, alt of them were BTS... but hey i had a great time sooo

Bur yea buddy, just like right now, how you see the same person talking alot its cool, just have input, and in BTS o yea! you can have the input, back and forth.

Try PTS to, and ATS is just ok...

but it was not a joke i just spent a but load of time here and well I LOVE ATS

but hey buddy its ok, its easy play the ATS game, and BTS rocks so

but hey man be careful dont post a ton a ton a ton a ton of random careless poo poo, but then again on BTS it does not matter w00000t!!!!

be easy and simple put some meat into those posts, we like to see some fun, but it is hard, but don't be overwhelmed, its ok...

yea so



here is a thread i had for members to check out it kinda better explains ATS in a formative way

www.abovetopsecret.com...

peace



[edit on 21-11-2006 by ragster]