Amen to that Majic.

I have noticed recently that even just a handful of rude posters can change the entire feel of a forum and make posting there less pleasant.

Being the type of people that most of us are at ATS / BTS / PTS, many of us have had unique experiences or have unique theories and ideas to discuss. It is the very nature of these types of experiences and / or theories and ideas that they are unusual, outside of the norm, innovative, and at times, downright outrageous. In my opinion, that's one of the things that makes ATS / BTS / PTS such an incredible site. If we all remain civil, then we can ensure an environment where all of our experiences and ideas can be shared.

[edit on 7/13/06 by wellwhatnow]

The Name 'anxietydisorder' Means I Have Anxiety Disorder In My Life...........
When a member hurls an insult I feel the pain and hurt intdended for that member.

Originally posted by Majic
Our forums are here for people to be able to share opinions they cannot share with anyone else.

Confiding in people you've never met and trusting them with information you would otherwise never discuss is a step which takes courage.

When members are rude, they not only discourage those whom they intend to hurt, but offend everyone who reads their rude posts....

So please, be respectful of other members...........

I came to ATS because I find a safe environment where I can exspress my views without undue criticism, or being berated for my point of view.
I exspect to be challenged, and that's part of the fundemental basis of ATS.
BUT, I expect other members to reply with a certain amount of decorum and recpect for their fellow members.


ATS is above the rest.
Let's keep it that way.




I Can't Do This, But..............

You have voted Majic for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have two more votes this month.

sorry, but no vote for you Majic.
I wish I could.....



edit:sp


[edit on 13/7/2006 by anxietydisorder]

Majic..well said

If people keep being rude to other people i think we will see less & less threads being posted & more people just looking

Nail on the head Majic

When I first joined this site I fell into a common trap that many(that I have seen) have also fallen prey to. I felt that I was always right and that others that I disagreed with were somehow inferior for they're beliefs. After only my 3rd or fourth post I recieved my first (and only) warning. I was humbled after re-reading my post and realized that I had indeed been so inconsiderate. Since then, I have made it a of the highest order, to be as polite and respectful as possible.Not because I did not wish to receive another warning; but rather, because I said to myself "Gee, how would I feel if someone treated me this way." And for the last six months I can happily say I have received 0 warnings and 7 applauses. So I think I have seen the light. Also since my recovery from false pride syndrome or FPS, I have learned alot of information that I would have never absorbed before my internal revelation.

The first sign of true wisdom comes when we realize we do not know anything at all.

How can we as people be critical of the ethical practices of our political leaders if we practice the same ideals. Pride, greed, gluttony, sloth, envy, lust, vanity.
Great job on helping to keep this topic in the forefront of our members thought processes here on the board. Most of the members here are an absolute joy to debate and share info with. But there are always a few bad apples.. I know I used to be one of them.



[edit on 13-7-2006 by TONE23]

Tone, that was a very good post. I fall prey to it sometimes too. I try to be easy to get along with when in a debate, but then I have to become a complete and total know-it all-moron when I see misinformation being posted. I'm trying to tame the ol' ego down some, but it's hard when you're getting your buttons pushed. Alas, just another one of my many internal struggles.

There, But For The Grace Of Mod, Go I

Originally posted by TONE23
When I first joined this site I fell into a common trap that many(that I have seen) have also fallen prey to. I felt that I was always right and that others that I disagreed with were somehow inferior for they're beliefs.

You too, huh? Tell me about it.

If you hunt out some of my really old posts you can find me being "Mr. Snippy" -- that side of my personality which is never wrong and eternally impatient with everyone else for being wrong.

Believe me, I know how easy it is to get in a mood, forget myself and go off on other members. I've done it plenty of times.

And I have always ended up regretting it.

Now the punishment for my sins is even more ironic -- and poetic. Now, next to all those nasty old posts is my name and the title "Super Moderator".

Whenever I see one of them (those old threads get bumped now and then), I am forced to see my name next to a post I'm ashamed of, and a supposedly respectable member of the staff acting like an idiot (even though I wasn't a staff member then).

I hate it, but I deserve it, because I earned it with my thoughtlessness. And if I ever need a reminder of why I need to keep my cool, those old posts do nicely.

As I like to say, "There are no saints, only sinners."

We're all human, including me. I hold no position of moral superiority, and when I post reminders like "Courtesy Is Mandatory", I try to never forget that they are here to remind me too.

Magic,

Thank you for this thread. I have fallen victim as well as victimized others (does that sound like good English)?

Anyway, sometimes things get so heated at home, and on ATS that i take it out on someone, or say things i would normally never say. I'm guilty and i will work on my temperature.

BTW, you do a great job, Majic.

TONE-

You're very sensitive and you know me very well. I DID wake up on the wrong side of the bed that day!

Wow, i've apologized over the past week over my aggression and hostility. Hormones, i think.
I'm better now, though. I'm ok.
Sorry about that...It WAS a bit out of character for me, huh?

You know, its funny looking back...When you post something you more or less think nobody will detect anger and hostility...how wrong!!!

I'm really lovable.

Very many thanks for these communication rules. ATS is the only discussion board I use, partly because of the focus on fringe/frontier topics, but mostly because of the ground rules. Far too many discussion boards are just bedlam due to lack of defined and enforced communication norms.

The late great science fiction writer Robert Heinlein once stated that the most reliable sign of a sick culture is personal rudeness. He also said that rude people consider their rudeness a sign of strength, not weakness.

[edit on 27-7-2006 by FutureLibrarian]

This is a very good post Majic.

I love how you bring out the best in people.

FutureLibrarian, I appreciate the Heinlein reference, and I think what he's quoted as saying is true. Rude people see their rudeness as a sign of strength - indeed, they do.

So, the problem is not that they are choosing to avoid virtue, their problem is that they are ignorant when it comes to the true nature of virtue.

Goes back to some Confucian theories on the motivations that drive people, that I think are quite accurate in their thrust. One can usually count on people trying to do what is good, and all that remains is to dispel ignorance of true virtue.

People are sometimes weak, and even if they know the nature of virtue one cannot expect them to follow the path perfectly all the time. As long as it's clear that members have a good grasp of where our compass points, then I think we're all willing to cut them some slack on those bad days. We all have them.

How ever much I agree with you majic, there are some people here that don't intend on being rude or mean, DEBUNKERS, you all know what i'm talking about. I'm a debunker in a funny sort of way, and people post thinge expecting everyone to believe it, which in this case, really isn't true, I understand that they need the confidence and courage to post things they couldn't talk about. But alot of, what I see, are that people post things expecting that everyone will believe them.

That is where us debunkers come into play, almost everyone hates debunkers, and really I don't blame them seeing as we ruin alot of peoples fun by pointing out the obvious truth. Alot of us don't mean to sound rude or mean in our posts but we state the truth plainly, and that is what, I think, alot of people take as rude here, seeing as the person then gets defensive then it turns into WWIII.

But yes everyone be nice when your posting or talking to anyone.

debunkers are not always viewed as the truth seekers that we are

It's really not hard to question the authenticity of a story, or question the plausibility of a particular theory, without resorting to rudeness.

No doubt some people will see honest, constructive debunking as rudeness, but I think you can trust the mods to be a little more discriminating.

This site wouldn't be the same without skeptics, and I don't think any of us want to culture an environment where they feel unwelcome. The key is to be pleasant, and to stick to the story without attacking fellow members.

It doesn't help anyone when debunkers (or theorists for that matter) resort to sarcasm and mockery in order to make their point.

this is why i love ATS...

i visit other forums daily and see that there is no respect by members towards other members...

it's sick

Does ATS already provide evaluation criteria for our members to use in analyzing the accuracy and usability of internet sites being included in their member posts? If so, could you point me to that info? Thanks!

Internet site debunking, and possibly posting rancor, could thus be minimized.

If ATS would like to create a list of those criteria, let me know and I'll give you a list of what I'm currently using in my studies.

Online, more is sometimes less, such as the infamous site about Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr, which turns out to be owned by a white supremacy group. It used to always pop up at the very top of internet searches on that person... sigh. Even more common is the online influence of commerce, such as a search on "flowers" that results in about 90% sites for florist companies.