New Policies for Political Bickering on ATS ## MAKE IT STOP! ##

We have gained lots of insight from this thread and we are going to be implimenting some BIG new features that reflect that insight.

THANKS everyone for your input.

Stay Tuned.

Springer...

I hope I'm not repeating here, but if you have questions or confusions about this concept, if you can, be sure to hear Majic's Moderator Monologs on this subject.

www.podtrac.com...

New PTS improvements and additions:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord

Originally posted by pawnplayer
Trust me, there are very smart pro-Bush Americans who can take on Springer or SkepticOverlord and tear them apart.

That's likely very true. I spend most of my available time ensuring that a very popular discussion board with custom technology and a complex server farm remains up and running for the 2+ million monthly visitors we get. Since I don't spend my time honing my political bickering skills, I'm sure someone that does will out-bicker me hands-down.

But the last time I checked, PTS is rather slow. I'm wondering why our politically minded members aren't spending more time engaging on politics over there?

Also, the Mods sometimes conspire with certain members to make sure the "point" is demonstrated. As my co-conspirators and I have clearly demonstrated: the left/right conversations stay at PTS.

Hang On, Help Is On The Way

Originally posted by Tha Troubleshoota
Also, the Mods sometimes conspire with certain members to make sure the "point" is demonstrated. As my co-conspirators and I have clearly demonstrated: the left/right conversations stay at PTS.

Oh but there can be so much more to talk about than just left/right!

There's more than two sides to every story, and in politics, there's usually hundreds.

As SO and Springer have mentioned, we've been listening to our fellow members and talking about this, and we want to take a fresh new approach to the issue of politics.

There are many excellent ATSers who refuse to ignore the political dimensions of conspiracy theory, and unfortunately, we have often made them feel unwelcome here. In truth, all we really resent is the practice of steering non-political topics into political directions.

But the fact remains that politics are a huge factor in the world of conspiracy theory, and now it's time for us as a community to give those of us who want to explore this vast arena of deceit, deception and palace intrigue a place to do just that.

A place worthy of us. The new PTS.

We're going to go for it, and if we play our cards right, members may well want to banish themselves to PTS. :

Wouldn't getting these "political bickering" posts moved to a forum where maybe not as many people would see them an advantage for the so called "trolls" and "paid political agents"?

Why not punish the posters instead of the discussion.

Originally posted by ImplementOfWar
Wouldn't getting these "political bickering" posts moved to a forum where maybe not as many people would see them an advantage for the so called "trolls" and "paid political agents"?

Why not punish the posters instead of the discussion.

If that were the case, yes it would be an advantage, but it's not what we are going to do. The only threads that will be moved are threads obviously started for, and are nothing but an attempt at political baiting.

Threads that are about a genuine topic that get hijacked will be cleaned up and the offending Members banished from ATS for two days, NOT the thread, just the offending Members.

Springer...

[edit on 7-9-2006 by Springer]

good stuff, guys.

first page of this thread is f-ing hilarious though.

I like that, a topic about stopping political baiting and we have some one post "Anyone who believes X is an anti-American commie who should be stopped!"

Like duh, that defeats the whole purpose, doesn't it?

So, it is ok to call Ann Coulter a Right WIng nutjob as she is, but calling everyone who supports Bush a right wing nutjob isn't.

Calling Michael Moore a fat profitteering liberal is ok because he is, but calling everyone who doesn't think Hilary CLinton has the bigger pant size out of the two CLintons fat profiteering liberals isn't.

As a major offender of this sort of crime, I support ya. My first inclination was "yea, can't wait to see how this goes" but on second thought I guess you can pull it off. Gonna be lots of work though, thus I myself will try not to turn any discussions political in the ATS.

One question though. If I log on and there's a thread overtly political in nature (before you guys move it to PTS or remove completely) in the ATS and I respond as such. Am I going to be banned also? Does my response count as spam?

Originally posted by notbuynit
One question though. If I log on and there's a thread overtly political in nature (before you guys move it to PTS or remove completely) in the ATS and I respond as such. Am I going to be banned also? Does my response count as spam?

Hold you fire, and wait for it to be moved (if you think it should be moved, I'll bet the Staff does too ), or post in a manner that follows this new guideline... Those that choose to live dangerously, will end up in Majic's gulag.

The Gilded Cage

Originally posted by Mirthful Me
Those that choose to live dangerously, will end up in Majic's gulag.

But rest assured, if you should be banished to PTS, I want you to feel welcome and have a good time.

And if we do a good job fixing up PTS (we're working on it right now!), you may just want to hang out there anyway.

After all, you can talk about politics AND conspiracies (political ones, anyway) on PTS if you want to.

I won't be kicking anyone off PTS for being into conspiracies. :shk:

That would be just plain stupid.

Hold you fire, and wait for it to be moved (if you think it should be moved, I'll bet the Staff does too

), or post in a manner that follows this new guideline... Those that choose to live dangerously, will end up in Majic's gulag.

Ok, so responding to a thread you feel will be moved/ removed is spamming? Ugh. Ok, so lets let it go a day before letting loose. Let a mod decide. Is that what you're saying? I'm only touchy on this because I'm on other forums and responding to such a thread usually gets a warning or ban.

Give it a day. I can live with that.

Location, Location, Location!

Originally posted by notbuynit
Ok, so responding to a thread you feel will be moved/ removed is spamming?

No, nothing like that, silly.

Remember, this thread is about new policies for ending political bickering on ATS.

So if you're bickering in a political manner on ATS, this thread applies to you and you're part of the problem of politics on ATS.

On the other hand, if a thread is on PTS (on it, not anticipated to be on it) and you politically bicker in it, not only are your political opinions (or any opinions, really) welcome, but you may well be applauded for them.

I want political debate on PTS.

That's what it's for.



[edit on 7/13/2006 by Majic]

On the other hand, if a thread is on PTS (on it, not anticipated to be on it) and you politically bicker in it, not only are your political opinions (or any opinions, really) welcome, but you may well be applauded for them.

I want political debate on PTS.

That's what it's for.

Hmmm, enticicing I must admit. Ok I'm there. Hide the women and children. I'm coming.

If history is written by the victor, then lets be the authors of history.

We Who Write The Future

Originally posted by notbuynit
If history is written by the victor, then lets be the authors of history.

You're talking my language!

Now get busy so I can shower you with PTS points.

I hear there's a war on.

I dunno. It seems like it's just an attempt to get some posts over at Politics@ATS. You can't ever even for an instant believe that you can remove political side-taking and debate out of a forum, no matter how hard you try. It's like atempting to change someone's core POV just because you don't want it.

I love this site - I really do - but this will fail. It seems to be either an extremely naive dream or an extremely desperate move to bring life to P@ATS. Sure, I'm tired of every thread turning into a political flame fest, but that's all a part of being online.

Thanks Majic. Not for this thread but for something else I just realized.

Yeah....in order to get to the core we need to take a step back and examine OURSELVES........trite discussions that occur because a member(s) is too lazy to do the research is where alot of the problem stems......you have reactive posts, rather than proactive..rather than collaboration.........

I know I haven't been active in awhile, however, I urge, everyone who reads this to take a look at what they present on this site......do an 'intellectual double take,' for lack of better phrasing......then ask why........why does another human think differently..or the same, whatever the case may be........

Until then, we're just a mishmash of thought........

Hey does anyone know any threads or soem exaples of this violation, and about how the logo was turned upside down, I just wanted a way of knowing by seeing.....