it wasn't anything special, just something that didn't sit well with the folks we were dealing with.

Originally posted by Anti-Tyrant
ObamaMomma, why don't you just butt out?

Your condescending attitude towards others is not appreciated.

I see, you must be the first ammendment police, sorry I didn't see your badge, it is all brown and stuck to your nose.

do you always try to deny free speach or only when you don't agree with it?

The only negative thing that has been obvious and has stood out to me since the big boom of ATS growth has been the notable disappearance of what I would call a lot of "old school" posters.

That is, people who used to post daily on here who had a lot of wisdom to pass along are suspiciously absent from the boards these days. Not to name anyone specifically, just posters who were well respected and added a great deal to these forums, people who actually had inside sources and were experts in their chosen genre. Posters who's work first attracted me to this site back in 2005 and made ATS a learning experience and a wealth of useful knowledge.

I remember back when the quality of material was so high grade that you would almost hesitate to post as a novice for fear of appearing dense compared to these other brilliant minded folks.

These days....not so much.

I don't know if it is the huge influx of noobs or the overall current negativity and political squabbling that dominates the boards, but something seems to have made a lot of these top notch contributors back away. So in this sense I see what the OP is saying by quantity over quality.

The personal commentary shall cease now. How ironic for such to occur under this topic.

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I wanted to add that there is an implicit responsibility in being a member here. If one encounters an inflammatory post, or an ignorant one there is more than one option to consider as response.

1) The obvious course of action is to denounce the post for its sub standard quality. This is far and away the most used response and is the most inadequate, as the only accomplishment is a perpetuation of a "he said, she said" type mentality.

2) Denounce the substandard post, but in an analytical fashion, using objectivity and supporting facts to highlight the inaccurracies of said post. A good option. This furthers the base for discussion and encourages others to post in kind.

3) Perhaps a personal u2u to the member (Staff need not be the only ones who can extend a friendly hand), especially if the member is new. Many may be surprised at power contained in the simple gesture of friendship. By making the interactions personal, a member who is here for kicks or for incessant spamming may just decide the quality of our membership is a good reason to up the quality of their own participation.

4) Just ignore it. Retreat from the rising cesspool that said thread be creating and find a worthier topic/thread more suited to the use of your time.

Seriously, a lot of energy is expelled at defining the fact that their are problems on this board. What I haven't particularily noticed are solutions. It seems we get a thread like this on the declinig quality and they are at times an implicit, if not intentional, harping on the membership and the site.

To what end?

I say post quality. Read Quality. Those who know what quality is, will recognize it. Let the people here to play and speculate do just that. If we notice someone along the way that has potential, give a direction or a simple hello.

The best way to increase/retain the quality that we do have here is by being the quality and focusing on it.

Honey and vinegar...that's all it is.

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Originally posted by BlackOps719
I remember back when the quality of material was so high grade that you would almost hesitate to post as a novice for fear of appearing dense compared to these other brilliant minded folks.

Byrd kicked my butt on my first thread...

I might not have tried as hard as I did afterwards if I hadn't been so embarrassed!!

My logic is if you wouldn't say it in a pub then don't write it up here.

And stretching this alcoholic beverage outlet analogy to its breaking point, if a guy's sitting at the bar wielding a megaphone & telling all the other patrons, day in day out, just how bad Obama is ... no other subject, just Obama ... & not listening to the other patrons, ignoring all their replies and just going on and on and on about Obama like a cracked record ... the landlord would throw him out eventually, free speech or not.

That's what I dislike about ATS at the moment. Those with closed minds & their own agenda. It should die off come November, hopefully.

Originally posted by Rasobasi420
I've noticed that ATS has recently had a huge influx of new membership. Most of which post once or twice, then fade away. This huge influx seems to be primarily individuals who feel the need to point out that the US military should nuke all Muslim countries, or that black people are inherently inferior while pointing out out cultural flaws. They say that people with brown skin should be rounded up on the off chance that they're here illegally or that homosexuals and Africans deserve to die from AIDS.

I understand and respect your view that you may be disgruntled with posts from fellow members or anonymous posters.. but "generalizing" the whole ATS as being bigoted and biased is a bit "unfair" to the majority of members in each field of interests/topics.

Since this is an open "free" forum on the net one would expect a "diverse" group of individuals to come and post at their leisure what may be interesting to them. What they may say may rub others the wrong way, hence why there are "rules" for those who "contribute".

What I find misleading is how you throW out your findings that all "ATS" is, how should I say, hitting the rocks with slander and inappropriate "views".

Perhaps you could clarify the "areas" within ATS that is troubling you? As I hope you're not referring to "all" of ATS as that would mean you're critizing every topic available to ATS.



[edit on 24-6-2008 by Willbert]

Originally posted by Niall197
My logic is if you wouldn't say it in a pub then don't write it up here.

Well then, clear sailing for me here, isn't it?

Ive been reading this Forum since 2003, and every few months someone who is bored and/or frustrated will come up with "ATS is selling out" or some other BS.

Instead of contributing their own threads or remaining silent, they bash the place, ignorant of the fact that it is their own threads that make this place what it is or is not.

Get a clue, get a life.