To what extent should you support your friends on ATS?

TA, you are already on my friend list!

Strange enough, my approach is a bit different.
If I find myself starring a poster often, I make them a friend.
Like minded people should get to know each other.
By making friends this way, it allows me cultivate a larger friend circle.

I don't post enough to attract too many buds, but I try to reach out often.

Originally posted by shadow watcher
Strange enough, my approach is a bit different.
If I find myself starring a poster often, I make them a friend.

Now see, there's some great input. And of course you're on my list too- I try to keep up that. In a sense I think we all do that, making friends with people we agree with often. But in one of SO's more brilliant posts imo, he points out that a greater challenge resides in facing the people, and ideas, you don't like. That really made me think.

How many of your friends have come on here to star and flag you?

I am at times guilty of picking my friends threads to read over a newbie if Im flying through and don't have much time. Of course if a great title catches my eye then I always go with that. Stars and flags are as DGTempe said neutral.

Content should be the deciding factor in whether you star or flag a post/thread. Unfortunately there is political bias that comes into play. You have to get past that. The purpose of those tools are to bring attention to good content.

Originally posted by antar
How many of your friends have come on here to star and flag you?

Truth is, I have no idea. I was wondering the other day though about that very thing, when all of a sudden people were starring and flagging the bejesus out of one thread. I was very curious as to who all those people were, but there is really no way to know, other than when on a profile occasionally spotting one of your threads in their "recently flagged" list.

I am at times guilty of picking my friends threads to read over a newbie if Im flying through and don't have much time.

Ahh, So the truth comes out eh? j/k

reply to post by TrueAmerican


Hey ya kinda took that one out of context! But really there are just some people here that I just can't get enough of. I love everything they write and I trust that when they start a thread its going to be interesting if only to me.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican

Well, for starters, do you give more flags or stars to threads that your friends start? I ask myself this question sometimes, because I'd hate to think that I do this. Why? Because I'd like to think that I am neutral on the matter. A good post or thread deserves a flag or star regardless if they are my friend or not.

Well don't forget, I'm sure your friends with most of these people because they posted quality content in the past. You chose them because you liked their style. So chances are, they will probobly post other things that you can agree with.

I doubt you are giving stars and flags to them for nothing, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Hey Antar, i just flagged you.
You saved me the trouble of posting the same thing and for that you deserve a cookie.

wow I had NO idea that's how things work around here

I've never starred or flagged a post based on whether someone has me as a friend or not (speaking as both member and mod)
I've also never seeked out threads authored or posted in by "friends"

Guess I don't really support my friends on ATS sorry guys and gals, but if you're my friend, I know you don't mind

[edit on 3-5-2008 by worldwatcher]

Originally posted by intrepid
Content should be the deciding factor in whether you star or flag a post/thread. Unfortunately there is political bias that comes into play.

Ahh, see? That has got to be one of the most challenging issues as a mod here in dealing out applauses. Many will say it isn't, but having been here a long time, I will disagree, because I saw it myself from the inside when I had the power to applaud and see certain site features only available to those privy. I am in no way saying however that it is some kind of problem, or that I disagree with it. It just goes with the territory, and is interesting to contemplate, not only for members, but for mods too.

You have to get past that.

Well, I prefer not to get past it, but simply look at it. And get others to look at it too.

The purpose of those tools are to bring attention to good content.

Of course, and I hope this thread will help call attention to that fact, as opposed to using those tools for the very political bias you mention. Good content can directly be in opposition to your own views, and often is. What separates the men from the boys so to speak is the ability to overcome the temptation not to star or flag a post or thread because of that bias. I will confess to having fallen victim to my own bias at times.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican

Question: Has the ATS experience increased or decreased for you, for better or worse, since this feature's implementation?

Decreased, there's more silly crap now to deal with on ATS, i came here to read and sometimes post my opinion, not to be social, but now i've got to waste the little bit of bandwidth i've got on stars and flags loading and all the other extraneous crap that has all to do with looking pretty and being a socialite. What's ironic is it seems to mirror the social ills of our society.

We really need a list of who we like and who we don't? That's just encouraging separation, segregation, and all the cliques like you see in society, a parallell of a dynamic that i refuse to participate and perpetuate. You're all my friends, even my foes, because we're all one anyway and the less separating and grouping of people, places, and things, the better. ATS felt a lot more friendly back when there was no friends list. I used to post almost everyday back then, now it feels impersonal and cold, and all about stars and flags and points and friends and foes and looking cool with flashy avatars like this is a high school fashion show and popularity contest.

I boycott all the features, so to speak, that encourage such division.
I let my words and actions define me, not some rating or judgment of worth imposed on me by others, just as i refuse to judge others with stars and flags and other juvenile crap. Who am I to judge you, and you me?

If something deserves merit, i post that in real words, more words than any stars or flags can convey, and i'd rather receive a comment on my words replied to in words, rather than stars and flags. I never read posts based upon any of the "popularity" criteria because they're mostly petty, banal, boring, and meaningless dribble about some social drama rather than any real substance.

It's usually the non starred and flagged threads that deal with the REAL nuts and bolts technical intricacies of the issues rather than the shock and awe exaggerated headlines that the drama queens seem to gravitate to in order to participate in some drama.

Originally posted by DezertSkies
It's usually the non starred and flagged threads that deal with the REAL nuts and bolts technical intricacies of the issues rather than the shock and awe exaggerated headlines that the drama queens seem to gravitate to in order to participate in some drama.

Interesting. Because doesn't that opinion completely devalue the whole entire system? I mean you are saying in essence that the best content here is unstarred and unflagged. That is almost an insult to ATS's trust in its membership to flag, particularly, good content right into top spots on the site.

But I say that really while in awe of the rest of your post, because it was intriguing. At the very least.

And on another note, do we really need discussion here that attempts to belittle the thread as trite, in addition to making clever remarks that attempt to point out just who is on who's friend list? Ahhh, no. We don't. Please don't go there. That's not what this is about, so don't take it there please.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican

Interesting. Because doesn't that opinion completely devalue the whole entire system? I mean you are saying in essence that the best content here is unstarred and unflagged. That is almost an insult to ATS's trust in its membership to flag, particularly, good content right into top spots on the site.

Yes it does, for me, because i find no value in the popularity polls. What's popular to the broad spectrum is usually fairly shallow in content and becomes the same old issues rehashed. I read the same things over and over, feeble complaints about being "forced" to do this, buy that, or how the elite removes the power from the people's hands, etc. and how every time some old lady is tazered, there's the obligatory outrage expressed, police are called swine, nazisque people defend the swine, drama ensues, stars and flags fly. Stars and flags don't stop octogenarian tazering, people saying they've had enough and refusing to show up for work or for shopping until the bovine excrement stops Se how fast stuff would change if we all practiced economic disobedience and refused to shop anywhere. In a matter of a week we'd have change. No stars and flags needed, just passion, will to change, and a loss of fear that keeps you in line.

Well thought out posts with few replies and few stars and flags and crap, are usually lacking in drama associated with flaring emotions, and have the air of a technical discussion, logical, analytical, and sensible. That's dull and boring though to most, and if it doesn't bore most, it goes over the heads of those who are still stuck in worldly material thought, for those who believe the facade is the content. But, that's the reason i'm here. I usually ignore the "top" headlines and popular posts themselves, and will go elsewhere for a non-biased perspective rather than wade into a monkey cage while a poofight is ensuing and tempers are flaring for reasons unknown to those whose tempers are doing the flaring.

reply to post by DezertSkies


lol, ok

A whole different way to browse ATS: specifically go for stuff that is not flagged or starred, or replied to.

I guess I'll have to try that sometime.

reply to post by TrueAmerican


I am one of those people who will probably never have a profile or an avatar on ATS. Could be I am just lazy, but I figure my words should matter more than all the flashy stuff. While I do enjoy other people doing so, it just doesn't seem to fit me.

As for flagging and stars? I do so when a person has impressed me with their well deserved efforts. Brilliance in thought, impresses me the most.

While I do favor to read where well seasoned members reply, there are some real gems to be found in the posts of newcomers as well. (We were all there once, heh?)

Mods are just people, too. They don't impress me one way or the other, except for the fact that they do their jobs well, not forcing their powers into a thread, until it is exactly needed. We all have opinions, and that includes Mods.

I am not one out to win a popularity contest. I don't care if I make friends. What I desire out of ATS is intelligent conversation. But then again, even I enjoy getting goofy sometimes! Depends on the day, the week, or the hour sometimes. THAT, is what makes ATS such a wonderful place!

I guess a bit better way to phrase it would be that irregardless of popularity, any thread that could be of interest and if i spent my time at the top thread i'd sift though drama for 2 or 3 relevant posts out of 3 pages of shock, and countershock.

Topics get starred and flagged a lot on emotions, not based on meritorious content, and i'm more interested in issues than emotion. Same thing if i were to attend a social function, while everyone else is finely dressed working their way towards the social center with gossip and drama, i'd be in the corner unseen, engaging in critical thought session of LLO (look, listen, observe) or in said corner discussing in depth the inner workings of something in intricate detail, be it sociology, technology, spirituality, or anything that has many facets and dimensions.

You could show me pictures of the top 100 celebs and i'd probably be hard pressed to come up with a single name match, same with sports, and all the other idle distractions of drama, it's just completely meaningless to me, as is al the references to stuff on the television, which i don't ever see. Nobody I really associate with watches tv either, so i'm accustomed to not being exposed to the social toxins associated with what's broadcast. When i do interact with "matrix people" i usually am confused because most of what i hear is references to and emulation of purely fictitious people and things, not based in any real reality, but in one carefully crafted for maximum psychological effect by those who wish to alter mass reality for nefarious means.

To me, the facade is transparent and even when i do randomly catch a snippet of what the TV followers are watching, it's shallow and only serves to highlight the root of the psychological problems that plague our souls. I can see the root cause of the ills of society in every contrived 7 minute attention span reducing snippet of sitcom brainwashing, every shallow and morally low standard exemplified and glorified, and the scariest part, is all the millions that are home watching, hanging on every false word of a false medium as if it were the word of god, actually sometimes even moreso.

I just get the same feeling when i read a top starred and flagged post and it's the same format, subconsciously, of short soundbyte type snippets of completely predictable responses based on the expectation of what shallow perceptions would construe or misconstrue the subject as. I'm not calling all the posts that are popular shallow, but there's a LONG shallow section to wade around in looking for the one deep hole in the entire 10-100 pages of random senselessness that seems to abound. I just don't have time to sit for 12 hours a day and wade through the muck, so i've gotta be selective in avoiding the masses of emotional posts with no real opinion or content. I sek out those 12 dimensional dodecahedron type puzzling posts that actually stimulate my neurons with deep thought. When i do post in the shallow "sandbar" subjects it's like i dig a hole that if recognized for what it is, is usually called off topic, anti corporate, anti government distraction, when in reality most are just concerned with keeping the sandbar a smooth and shallow place to have fun with no treacherous holes in which to fall into. My anti corporate anti government statements are usually exactly pertaining to the topic, just not in such a way that is made obvious if you LLO and are truly impartial in your analysis.

This isn't directed at anyone, since we're all of the same consciousness anyway, it's directed at the collective state of affairs that have been pushed upon, and received by, the populus. I'm here on ATS because you guys represent what i consider the upper echelon of sense, sanity, and logic on he internet, and i truly appreciate all of you here, there is more good content here than i find anywhere else, it's just that it's not usually found in the juicy topics due to the things that make said topics appeal to the masses.

Some of the most obscure posts where someone lays out their detailed perception of the intricacies of their thoughts, theories, hypotheses and theses that receive no attention from the flag and star people are the most interesting. I'd rather read 4 people's deep opinions on the root issues of the state of affairs than sort through page after page of cosmetic opinions, and discussion of the effects rather than the cause of things. I find not many people like to talk about (or even have the knowledge and wisdom) "what's really the problem" and avoid it by focusing on the end result.


Does that clear it up a bit?

Quite honestly I go for content.
I've given more stars and flags to "non friends" than I have "friends".
There are some fantastic threads here and I only get a chance to read some of them before new threads pop up.
I really try hard to be unemotional and call it like I see it.
9/11 and Bush threads are the only ones that get me riled up so I try to avoid those,except for the past few I commented on.
Generally it's the initial post,then the mood of the thread that causes me to leave a star and a flag.

well to be honest i read this thread a little diffrent.

Im going to answer it how i thought it was meant to read.

If any Memebr of ATS is in trouble ie martial law is about to kick off in america.... nuclear war kicks off...i promise to financially help ats members and to offer some were to stay.

If any one is being chased by cia/mi6/spooks i will help them escape if i can or help them if they need flights or money....

If any one needs council or an opinion i will offer this freely....

life isn't always about brownie points or stars or flags! im here to present free information and opinions and to recieve them... if i can help a fellow human being then i will.

Peace and love to you all

reply to post by ian990003100


Awsome........thanks really. And you can do so, how?

ATS people show up enmasse, How are you going to deal with it, exactly?

I have been there, done that with Katrina. I still really have no place to call home.

Are you willing really to accept people in your perfect world? Thoughts are lovely, but dealing with what you propose and the real world, hmmmm.

Thanks for your thoughts, any way. You will never take away rape, and however else I was abused. And continue to be to this day.

Creative finanancing is nice. but when it gets to your soul, something is wrong.

Been there, done that. waiting or any sign of real humanity. Lost everything, really.............I do mean it. I moved ot Louisiana in 2004. Lost my possesions, my home, my car, my job.

Live it, you will know how I feel.


[edit on 5-3-2008 by Enthralled Fan]

The same way we as humans deal with every situation....mass panic

How am i going to do this?

How do we do anything?

Ok say you are in michigan....(I've lived their twice) And you need to get out...I would get your details from you because the 1st port of call for help would be here if you had advanced warning and i would book you a flight from here alls you would have to do is turn up with your passport.

Every situation has an answer and every situation has a way out...

The OP was asking how far do you go to help an ATS member...

I say there is no limit! Im sorry but i would not leave anyone alone and even if it was to late to help i would hope that who ever was in trouble would take solice in the words that i have emparted to you....

Each and every life is worth saving how far would you go to save yours?
How far would you go to save mine?