The ATS Issues Thread, page 20

reply to post by SkepticOverlord

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I don't really think I've been guilty of thread-drift posting. I have merely responded straight-forwardly and typically in very restrained ways because I know the hostile context I'm writing in.

BTW, I'm still curious about the points thing--is something broken or turned off. I don't understand the points not changing after 8-12 posts or so.

Thx.

reply to post by enjoies05

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OK. Thanks.

But IIRC a good chunk of posts have been on other threads.

But I could be wrong.

I'll check that out and see if that's the problem. Appreciate your response.

Hi Guys,

I was posting in Viral Attack thru ATS?, and the thread got shutdown before anyone had an answer. Does anyone have any further information concerning this issue? I never even knew it was an issue... I did a search for "avatar bug" and "viral ATS" and nothing showed up as to how to fix the problem.

Please do not tell me it's my Mac. This problem only happens here at ATS... I am not even sure it is or was a problem. But the way the thread was stopped without an answer has my "oh-oh" radar maxed out.

Cripe, I get into hot water on this site without even trying! Strange...



Update...

Another member has posted a thread with the same concerns I have...

Why does my account have a cgi bug tracker






[edit on 13-6-2008 by yankeerose]

reply to post by yankeerose

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I second that. It would have been nice to have been pointed to a thread with the answers in it.

reply to post by weedwhacker

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I am also using this feature, I just read about....'this post'....to flag where I am, and await the answer!

Thanks!!

I was posting in Viral Attack thru ATS?, and the thread got shutdown before anyone had an answer.

What FireFox plug-ins are you using? I'm also on an Intel Mac and could replicate your settings on this end to see if I can duplicate the problem.

Another member has posted a thread with the same concerns I have...
Why does my account have a cgi bug tracker

That issue was resolved and is related to a bug and/or excessively tight settings in ZoneAlarm.

Regarding your religious thread, it reminded me of a Star Trek the new generation episode. It was the one where Jean-Luc Picard confronted the character Q when the captain "died." He was faced with living a life without controversy in a low ranking uniform. The point was clear, that he would not have been the captain, without the controversial living excerpts of his experience.

Now I also remember how John F. Kennedy noted how the ancient Greeks passed a law against "shrinking from controversy."

Is ATS going a bit overboard, and becoming in an unwanted sense something different from but on the order of "politically correct," in its own sphere?

Yes you have a large board, and it is very popular. But the reasons for it are lent into many points of debate and controversy. When the capacity to debate anything is diminished, even in some cases with the gloves off, then some point of truth is also diminished. Are we missing something here in your positions and policy?

It takes charisma to admit when you are wrong and even when it is a matter of fine tuning, but is ATS becoming too big for that?

I hope the point is becoming clear.


[edit on 13-6-2008 by SkipShipman]

Originally posted by SkipShipman
Regarding your religious thread,
>snip<
Is ATS going a bit overboard, and becoming in an unwanted sense something different from but on the order of "politically correct," in its own sphere?

I'm unclear as to how you think the "refinements" and reminders in that thread would lead you to believe we're engaged in an attempt to be "politically correct?"

AboveTopSecret.com has been, will be, and should be a destination to examine issues that are conspiratorial in nature, or in the least, contain provocative mind-challenging ideas. The eternal debate of the merits of one religion (or lack thereof) over another is not appropriate for the core environment of ATS. Because many of our regular members would choose to engage in such theological exchanges, we've expanded the role of our BTS forum dedicated to religion. All we've done is reinforce what ATS is for, and expanded a section of BTS in response to apparent member demand.

Additionally, from time to time we see members and critics confuse our expectations of civility with "political correctness." It's entirely possible to be politically correct and highly uncivil, and likewise be politically incorrect with a high degree of civility. The core ATS topics are the essence of an anti-politically correct attitude that is an important mindset in those who would question what is and what should be.

Yes you have a large board, and it is very popular. But the reasons for it are lent into many points of debate and controversy. When the capacity to debate anything is diminished, even in some cases with the gloves off, then some point of truth is also diminished. Are we missing something here in your positions and policy?

The reasons for our popularity we believe are elusively simple: our expectations of civility enable the focus to be directed on the issues, and not critique of each other.

The capacity to debate anything exists on ATS: the restrictions in the public forums are currently very limited and nearly all limitations have been lifted for the "Really Above Top Secret" private forum for members.

I hope the point is becoming clear.

I'm not certain. I think you're mistaking our intentions of manners as topical blandness.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord

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Thank you for your viewpoints. On the charisma idea, I do not wish to point our anything directly wrong on your part and the management's part, but only the possibility that in any future when the staff realizes something within your policy needs a remedy and when it may have strayed from a well reviewed course, that charisma in this context is a good thing.

I remember a story of a well learned professor who became part of a psychology experiment in a public sense of his classes. The students cheered when the professor went to the right side of the room, and booed when he went to the left side of the room. What happened is that the professor actually walked out the door on the right side of the room! The cheers were even stronger.

Well if the parable has any merit, I am simply thoughtful of a more complete dimension of how people posting may produce a certain influence through planned writings within this psychology. The professor whose specialty was psychology, was not aware of how he was being "duped," so to speak, until the students let him know.

So please let me point out that policy in many cases anywhere we find it, can require a delicate balance even when the best of us think it to be effective. On free speech, I remember Mark Twain saying "Yes in America we have free speech, and entitles us to make a perfect fool of ourselves." Yes I can be wrong, anyone can be wrong, however the debates occurring hone our craft to search for the truth.

So thanks again for your reply, and your thoughtful messages.

[edit on 13-6-2008 by SkipShipman]

reply to post by whatukno

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Sadly, this is some of the newer ads. I hate those ones that block the whole screen it is really hard to find that small little X to close it out.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord

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The normal bar at the top either takes a while to display the actual ad, or it has Deny Ignorance in relief. Actually I havent seen another one of these ads after I posted the screen capture in this thread.

I haven't had it do the same all afternoon long. Even though I refreshed the page many many times. like when you take your car into the shop for a funny noise and it stops making the noise once you get there

reply to post by whatukno

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I got two of those kinds of ads. One yesterday and one just now.

I tried to get the source thing but then it went away.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord

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Ok I was able to grab another screen capture of this, From what I gather this is some sort of flash type ad. I cannot for some reason get the code you want but I was able to determine why the ad at the top was blank when I got ahold of the first screen capture...

as this shows, the ad is corectly placed within the bottom banner space as provided by ATS. All is normal. Except...



When your mouse scrolls over the flash enabled ad it pops out and becomes this blocking view untill you x out the add back into its proper location.

This is why the ad space was blank in my first shot. It was because the ad was poped out.

I am not able to get a code link for you at this time because I don't know how to get that code off of a flash link.

Hello. May we please get some clarification as to what constitutes as a forum gang? I scoured THIS thread looking for a thread about it and ran a search but still came up with nothing. The only rule I can find about it is 2D in the T&C's but most people are already aware of that and it is still very vague.

How is it determined that members are collaborating in an effort to 'disrupt the flow of conversation' versus members participating in collaborative research or members who simply agree with each other or hold the same views on a thread? It seems to be a thin line and defining it a little better will help. Thanks.