A Few Questions For ATS Veterans

For the purposes of this thread I will define "veteran" as anyone who has been on ATS for at least one year, although, I know there are members who have so much more experience than that. I suppose other members can reply but you must declare yourself as a "noob".

1. What makes a thread good?
- Evidence?
- Rhetoric?
- Controversy?
- Thread Title?
- Speculative?
- Well Researched?
- All Of The Above?
- Other? Please State.

2. What Makes You Participate In A Thread?
- Topic?
- Number of Pages?
- Other Members Participating?
- Seriousness?
- Ridiculousness?
- Other? Please State

3. Estimated Ratio Of Threads Viewed To Threads Replied?

4. Your Favorite All Time Thread?

5. Your Personal Best Thread?

6. Your Favorite Board?

7. Your Least Favorite Board?

8. Are There Always This Many Crazies On The Board Or Is It Just Halloween?

Disclaimer: This thread is a direct result of too much wine with dinner and a really lame forum board for several days running.

1. I think a good thread is one that you can use your imagination to think up stuff in. We all know evidence isn't a must here. Controversy certainly helps to get people posting, and so does a good thread title. Well researched makes a thread better I think to, better than just a few lines.

2. I participate in threads I think are interesting. I scan over any thread I see, but only really get into ones that I think are interesting. Number of pages or members in it doesn't really matter that much to me. As for being serious or crazy, both have there times. If there was only serious threads people might get worked up too much, so you need some crazy stuff to balance it all out.

3. 45 views per one thread replied to, I'm guessing. No idea really...

4. My favorite all time thread is AboveTopSecret.com is a Government COINTELPRO Disinformation Operation. Cool thread.

5. My personal best thread is kind of funny actually, it's called Don't Post In This Thread. People didn't really listen to the title and the thread went 12 pages. Unfortunately it was closed before it could go any longer.

6. My favorite board is the General Conspiracies board.

7. Least favorite would be the 9/11 Conspiracy Theories board lately.

8. I think there are more, but not because of Halloween. All the new ATS ad's on the radio plus Springer being on TV might on helped that.

I thought this was a good thread, with nice questions.

Good questions. Intermediate!
I have only made one good thread, the others are just there.
A good thread would include:
~~~1~~~
1.Title which can draw people in quick(nothing misleading though),

2.Pile of evidence not too many though because then you have people always agreeing with you, you want people to have a reasonable debate.

3.There needs to be 2 sides to the story so some may take one side and other take another. Example: The Atheists VS Christians turns in a lot of people because both people are defending their stance.

4.Good writing skills, as you don't want to sit through something that looks like it could have been constructed by a grizzly bear.

5.Make sure you are well educated in the subject before posting, unless you are posting a question about a subject. (Please make sure you at least google it before coming here to ask)

~~~2~~~
1.I usually go in to any interesting threads. Note my interests could differ from the next persons. I usually go into breaking news about the war on terror, Religious conspiracies, and sometimes aliens & UFO.

2.Number of Pages-I usually stop posting after a thread reaches page 4-5, just because the thread dies down and people start debating about stuff other then the OP's subject. (some subjects may differ)

3.I also participate in a thread if I see people ganging up on one person. If I feel a person can't handle themselves in a debate about a subject that concerns me, I step in and try to help.

~~~3~~~
I do not mind views, flags and replies just as long as I am interested in a thread.

~~~5~~~
My personal best thread was one about Atheists attacking religious people for their beliefs.

~~~6~~~
Personally, I used to love ATS but now I am enjoying BTS just as much.
(and it's not because I have negative points in their):shk:

~~~7~~~
My least favorite board is Above Politics, although they have had some pretty interesting topics.

~~~8~~~
What do you mean by crazies?

Hope this somewhat helped!

reply to post by enjoies05


#5 - HILARIOUS!

This goes hand in hand with members who don't read the entire thread before posting. (confession: I have done this once or twice and have been pretty embarassed!)

Equinox99

If I feel a person can't handle themselves in a debate about a subject that concerns me, I step in and try to help.

This is good, Gold Star for you! I don't think it serves the board or any particular member to make themselves look good at the expense of another person.

Come on ATS! You people have an opinion on just about anything, real or hypothetical! Even the thread about the menstral cycle got more reaction!

I'm not a veteran (per your criteria), which is why I haven't answered. I just can't bring myself to call me a n00b.

[edit on 26-10-2007 by MajorMalfunction]

1. What makes a thread good?
I think a good thread needs to be interesting, have a good topic title, be well researched and of course have supporting evidence.

2. What Makes You Participate In A Thread?
I generally participate in any thread that I feel I can add valuable input to.

3. Estimated Ratio Of Threads Viewed To Threads Replied?
95:5.

4. Your Favorite All Time Thread?
conscious Oobe....It's Real!!

5. Your Personal Best Thread?
"Best" is in the eye of the beholder.

6. Your Favorite Board?
Paranormal studies.

7. Your Least Favorite Board?
9/11 conspiracies.

8. Are There Always This Many Crazies On The Board Or Is It Just Halloween?
Crazies? I take that personally!

1. What makes a thread good?

My posts


2. What Makes You Participate In A Thread?

Responses to my posts. Its all about me, me, me, me and more me.

3. Estimated Ratio Of Threads Viewed To Threads Replied?

Only view threads that relate to me, me, me again.

4. Your Favorite All Time Thread?

My threads.

5. Your Personal Best Thread?

My threads.

6. Your Favorite Board?

The ones I post in the most.

7. Your Least Favorite Board?

The ones I dont post in.

8. Are There Always This Many Crazies On The Board Or Is It Just Halloween?

Its not Halloween, its Christmas. I am not crazy, the rest are.




Disclaimer: Just kidding.

And now for a serious response.

1. What makes a thread good?

* Its something different than already posted. Its new, unique, a fresh angle at something, or very entertaining.

* Popular does often not equal good.


-2. What Makes You Participate In A Thread?

If its a fresh perspective, or very well-intentioned or other interesting friends and foes are posting on it.


3. Estimated Ratio Of Threads Viewed To Threads Replied?

about 7 thread views for each thread reply

5. Your Personal Best Thread?

you you want to hear "Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars"?

6. Your Favorite Board?

Skunk Works

7. Your Least Favorite Board?

9/11

8. Are There Always This Many Crazies On The Board Or Is It Just Halloween?

Again, its not Halloween, its Christmas...so who´s the crazy one here

1.What makes a good thread? That's an easy question. I must be personally interested. I am a very curious person and I write and reply to threads that deal with topics that genuinely intrigue me. Why write to simply garner points? I want to know. I want questions answered. In lieu of answers, I want to be "led down the rabbit hole" into a realm where I find that there are still yet more questions.

2. Whereas a good title might draw me into "checking a thread out", a thread has to, once again, interest me. A thread needs to pose a question, state an opinion or raise an issue that has made me curious -- curious enough to have done some research and to make some personal speculation.

3. The number of views or the number of replies to a thread is immaterial. If a thread garners a lot of interest or no interest at all, to me the important thing is the question or statement made. Again, I'll respond to what interests me personally.

4. My personal favorite thread? I would find that almost impossible to answer. Just like asking me what my favorite music is, I have so many favorites that it would be impossible to pick out just one.

5. I would have to say that my personal "best" thread is "Why do people hate the Jews?". It was a question that puzzled me at the time I posed the question and it is one that continues to confound me. Yes, I do have some "answers" but, ultimately, I am still at a loss as to why an entire population of people can be "hated".
This is my favorite thread because of the discussion which this thread garnered. I was most impressed by the quality of the discussion and the fact that this thread did not become a thread that spawned a discourse in futility. For the most part, the discussion was intelligent, well researched and, most importantly, interesting and informative.

6 & 7 I don't have a favorite board and I don't have a "least favorite" board either. I enjoy Above Top Secret in it's totality. Whether it's an alternative topic on ATS, Chit Chat on BTS or some political diatribe on AP, I enjoy them all!


8. Crazies on the board? At ATS? No way!