Ok, this Anon character makes ATS less of what it was.

Don't care if there is a limit to the posts, this thing is really only a testing ground to see if one's theory is going to be made a joke or an agreed-on post.

First off, I am compelled to drift past the post no matter what forum it is in. This has never happened before. I am so sad to see: AnonymousATS at the end of recent threads because I know I just don't care to read it.

In reality, what makes this site so great is its organic quality.. Put something in, get something back. A response from a faceless person is like some random dude coming up and telling me my shoes are cool. I know my shoes are not cool, so I don't know what to think.

I like getting responses back from the likes of LateApexer, Internos, MikeSignh, Greeneyedleo, indierockalien, etc. I feel like I have at least a vague idea of where these people are coming from. Or perhaps, I have a make-believe ideal that I created via their posts and responses, in which I create a catalyst to imagine the person who is giving me such great rhetoric.

That's what ATS is for me. I don't care much for people who post anonymously, it shows they are not confident in what they say...

And by the way, if any of you care for my personal info in order to share thoughts on conspiracy, UFOs, music (please continue to send this stuff people, awesome), or anything else, please U2U me.

I think ATS is a place where all friends should be known and all foes known even better.

Thanks for reading,
Jace

I see what you mean - Isn't the anon thing supposed to help shy newbies get their feet wet? - I know nothing goes 'up' until it gets a nod from a mod.

No worries, it's really not a big issue.

For the first time in the years I've been a member here I put an account on "IGNORE".

Just block all posts by "Anonymous ATS" and you'll never see another post by someone not logged in as a member.

reply to post by Now_Then

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Yeah, and I wanted to delete my first thread after it was up out of a bit of contemplation, but as all writing professors I have had have told me:

Once it has been laid, it is yours. Wear it with pride.

No matter what you post.. There are 1,000,000 crazier ones to make you look better.

The site is not about anonymity as much it is about contemplation and facts. A person we don't know is much less reliable. I guess you could say, but WHO do you know here??

I do agree with the point the OP makes. Either you are a lurker and read or you join up and post.

These phantom anonymous posts are neither fish nor fowl; you don't know from one post to another on a thread if this is the same person posting or another half-lurker.

What is the purpose of this half-in/half-out status? I don't see any advantage to it--it's incredibly simple to open an account and start posting away.

It also deprives other members of putting these anonymous posts in context and seeing the poster's track record.

reply to post by anxietydisorder

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Great point, but it severely blocks the flow of the thread when you have 1/10 of the posts from anonymous, and members are replying to their posts, but you can't see them ..

Create an account. Not difficult. Believe me, you wouldn't be able to read the Crisonabike thread with the anon turned off.

It possibly a commercial tactic that works against the greatness of the site.

Oh great! another complaint about the Anonymous user.

I mean, come on guys we need to accept that this is not our board, we don't make decisions here. So you don't like the feature.

I think it's a great feature. it's for those people who deserve privacy. why can't we have that for them? what if we all posted anonamously? would that also stop you from posting on ATS?

if I was a Mod, i'd send you a U2U telling you to stop complaining, I havent been on this much this week, but i've seen numerous complaints about the new feature and I have absolutely no complaints.

I dont see what the problem is I just read them like any other members post? or not.

The anonymous user is BS because the purpose of the website is civil debate. you can't do it anonymously in real life, so why here? And this anonymous user thing just complicates things at ATS. Why fix something that isn't broken?

Edit...spelling error

[edit on 5/18/2008 by Mad_Hatter]

reply to post by Mad_Hatter

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Isnt almost everybody on here without a photo anonymous? I really cant see any difference just cause the guys dont have a profile.

You are debating a person. he's real like everyone else.

in real life you could also debate someone anonymously. I do it at the bar all the time. I talk to people i've never met before, they don't know my name and I don't know theirs. I don't show them my ID card.

why does it matter who's on the other end? I have absolutely no problem with the invisible man.

The difference is with nicks and avatars you can still identiy an INDIVIDUAL. I don't know who you are in real life jedimiller, but I do recognize your posts and see you as an individual.

You can't do that when a thread has half a dozen anonymous posts. And you are right, since choosing a nick makes them anonymous anyway, juts have them choose nick! Their privacy is not being violated!

Fortunately since site admin put restrictions on using the anonymous feature (they must have some very quick and efficient webmasters to have done it within a few hours) the anon-posts have become less frequent.

It's one thing if "new people that have never registered" do it once or twice, but for regular users with an account it is WEAK. For gods sake be a man and fly under your own colors or keep silent.

reply to post by Sonya610

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Hmmm..... I see what you all mean now so I'l bare it in mind.. excuse my ignorance.. obviously I dont spend as much time here as you guys you know what your talking about.

When I first started on this site, there was an anonymous section. I posted there for about 6 months before my husband joined, then me.
It's a sense of security for those who start out here!

Why can't I read some of the anonymous posts?
I don't have anyone on ignore.

[edit on 18-5-2008 by Clearskies]

true. sometimes I wish I could post anom...because most of the time I get blasted for having my profile info and my picture there. people target you because of the way you look or because they don't like your attitude.

reply to post by Clearskies

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The reason why you can't read some of the Anony posts is because they have yet to be allowed (by Site Staff) to appear. Until then you can read some of them before they get authorised by seeing if they appear in the Topic Review section just under the wysiwyg Reply window.

I've read some VERY informed posts from the ANONYMOUS ATSer..

You have to bear in mind that these are vetted'.. a bit like the delay on a live radio talk show to bleep out any 'bleepers' who just want to get on the radio and shout a sweary-naughty.

I've used it when I was out and about and didn't want my log-in recorded on a public pc..
THAT in itself is a very useful feature..(I did sign it though)

While it is nice to be involved in a discussion with 'recognised faces',we are still somewhat anonymous too remember.

No one REALLY knows me here.. or what I like doing with a raw salmon fillet at 4.00am when the lights are out..


MMMMMM...Salmon.. Arggghhhhhh!!!!

It is an interesting feature that probably needs more time to realize the impact. This far I have found all the posts to be interesting and well performed. So long as the mods keep screening it allow the feature to run for awhile then revisit.

A sense of security? Other than the psychological benefit of thinking your "anon" nick will keep your feelings from being hurt when others disagree, or knowing you can disown less than brilliant posts which you find to be embarrassing after the fact, there is no real "security benefit" from posting anonymously. The user ip is still logged. (Unless you are like the other users that did not want anyone checking the pc he used to see his nick, most of us are not concerned about the info being on our own pc).

As far as having an "anonymous" section, I would be fine with that. I think most everyone that complains about the anon login would be fine with it as well. We simply would not visit the "anon" board.