How many anonymous posts are NOT approved?

Obviously I am not inquiring after a specific number, maybe just an approximation. And what are the parametres on which acceptance of a post is based?

I am asking because a few days ago there was a thread ("January 25 1938") where I saw an A.P. on the main page, but not within the thread. And it never appeared. So it was rejected?

And right now I noticed another AP, in a different thread ("Victor Goddard"), which also seems to have been posted many hours ago (I am not sure, the time zone doesn't correspond to mine) and has yet to appear in the thread.

Or is it just me seeing "mirage" posters?

Any post that isn't within the T&C isn't made "live". Also, posts that give out too much personal information, such as email addys, is usually passed over.

Having said that, in my experience, any post that contributes to the topic, and is more than a one liner, is posted. I would guess that about 80% find their way to the threads.

However, if the staff is busy, it sometimes takes a while. If the Anons want a faster response, they could always just join.

reply to post by NGC2736

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Thanks for the reply!
I appreciate it.

But does it usually take more than a day for them to appear?
I am assuming many thousands read this website, so maybe they just want to make a quick comment. Why not?
(And maybe, if they want to register, they have the same hassle as I had when I first registered. It took DAYS for the confirmation email to arrive! I also know for a fact that this happened to other people too. Not that I am criticising, just telling it as it was. )

Also, wouldn't it be better - at least I think so - to enable (or enforce) the option of giving their name (whether "true" or not is irrelevant, I suppose), like those comments on blogs? It would make them look less "sinister".
They CAN sign it, I suppose (that's what I did the one and only time I posted "anonymously"), but it's not the same.

And I know those comments that I've been looking for would probably be a "disappointment" considering the expectation. But that's how it works with topics that one finds interesting, for whatever reason: you just want to hear what people are saying about it. It's like a cocktail party conversation: it may be trite, but if you like the company you still hate it being interrupted.

Again, thanks for the reply.

reply to post by AdAstra

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We are usually faster than that. Say most are vetted in 5-30 minutes. But that can be variable depending on how many mods are on, whats going on on the board, etc. As members (which includes the staff) you are the priority over annon posts. Annon posters are always free to join

Some people simply do not watn to give a name and prefer that manner of posting. Some are obvious trolls and spammers, others are legit and feel they need the security of this method

I used to be a paid thread moderator and it does take time and money to read each post for it to be activated on the system. I was actually out of a job, due to the fact, that it's costly and timely to do so.

I applaud the fact that they take the time to do this to the anonymous posts and only allow the ones within T&C to stay. It may take some time, but it isn't like the rest of us "pay" for our membership to the site.

To keep this site running as smooth as it does, plus to moderate the posts the way it is, is great.....Mods whoever has that job, I applaud you in your great work so far..

A_L.

P.S. I have seen this site grow so much in such a short amount of time, and you haven't switched to a "pay site" it's such a wonder and amazement to me.

Yeah, it takes awhile.
Anonymous posts seems to be quite popular.

I haven't noticed at times who did the posting.
As I went down the list of recent posts, I decided to join in.

I jumped right in putting in my spin on things.

Then some helpful ATS member says the thread was a year old.

Well I'm stating hear right now to end this controversy.. some one posted
in front of me and was not put up before my post.

So there.


[edit on 9/29/2008 by TeslaandLyne]

Thank you, all.
Who would have thought that a conversation about an apparent non-subject could be this interesting? :-)
Well, it is to me anyway.
(See what I meant by cocktail party conversation? )

reply to post by AdAstra

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Here's a trick: when you see an A.P. on the main page but not within the thread itself, you go to the last visible post in the thread and click REPLY. The text of the A.P. will appear (although it doesn't work all the time).

Here's the snatched text of the A.P. (as yet invisible) from the "Victor Goddard Ghost Photo":


Anonymous ATS

Icon depicting mood of postposted on 29-9-2008 at 04:50

很奇怪，国外的”鬼“吗？？
呵，不过是幻影而已


And this is verbatim.

(This part of the "cocktail party conversation" seems to be in a non-IndoEuropean language... :-) Seriously, can anyone read it?)

As to the other one (the "Fire in the Skies" thread), I couldn't snatch it - precisely because of your nagging about it!

I still wonder what it was...

I noticed when replying to a thread with an anonymous post not currently included in the discussion, that I could see that post underneath where I type my reply. Do not know if this is a bug or what?

Too many anon posts are approved in my opinion. But that's just my humble opinion. I personally dislike Anon posts because of the fact that we don't know who we are replying to or if the person will even read the thread again. I just don't like the idea of replying to someone that may never be seen again.

90% of anon posts are members its so obviouse. They talk to themselves on their own threads, half the time they dont get posted or it takes days to view them, it really can be difficult at times. Do you really think they are worth the trouble and time it takes MODS to approve them? 99% of the time I dont think it is.

As someone who gets to approve/reject Anon Posts, I think its worth the effort at the end of the day.

Sure - some Anon posts are so abusive or lacking in any real input that the knife goes *snick* immediately...but a number that I've approved have been so awesome and well thought out (IMO) that I've lamented the lack of ability to Applaud them. I hope the Anons out there of that calibre join one day.

I am not sure this is the case. I was reading one time not logged in and went to reply ANON (simply because I couln't be bothered logging in at the time) and I got a message that my IP had a registered user and could not reply as ANON. If anyone has a way around this please let me know...

Also, Hitting the reply button to see the ANON posts only works if there is only one page on the thread. Once it gets to the second page or beyond it doesnt work...

Yeah,but most likely someone else is thinking it,so it matters not if the person reads it or not.I am sure most do.I sometimes sneak an anonymous post on if i am studying and shouldn't be on ATS.I feel like if I don't sign in I can reply on only one story and get back to studying.By the way,is that liz vicious on your avatar whatukno?

[edit on 073030p://0717 by daeoeste]

Same situation as myself (except for the IP thing).
I suppose there are all kinds of reasons for people NOT to log in, or even to register. (See my first post in this thread.)
Many have settings that prevent automatic log-in, or they may be using a different (public?) computer, and they simply don't want to be bothered with the log-in procedure.
Maybe there are threads where people "talk to themselves", but in general I don't think that's the case. (Or of it is, it isn't "obvious".)
On the other hand, I suppose this sort of "anonymity" is very much like the proverbial cloak of darkness in which everything appears to be very similar.


P.S. Has anyone been able to decipher the anonymous message that has been copied and pasted in this thread? All I get is a bunch of interrogation marks. What's that - Japanese?

Chinese:
"I want to vanish overseas"
"thinking, it is but an illusion"

...well...at least thats what someone else said it was...



...then again, online translator sites say:
Very strange, overseas” ghost “??
But is the illusory image

[edit on 29-9-2008 by alien]

Are you serious?
That's some powerful esoteric stuff!
Those dictums sound good enough to eat (as in Chinese cookies )
If I were into signatures, I'd adopt one of them.
(Very strange, overseas” ghost “?? sounds PERFECT)

Thanks so much!

Wow, I am so sorry now that the other A.P. from the "1938" thread couldn't be copied in time, that is, before my, ehm, "nagging" post... :-) Maybe it WAS Hitler, after all, making a statement ("today ATS, tomorrow..." )






[edit on 29-9-2008 by AdAstra]

[edit on 29-9-2008 by AdAstra]

[edit on 29-9-2008 by AdAstra]

I remember that I used to anon post all the time before I joined. Sometimes my posts would show in about 30 minutes, others it was days before they appeared, it seemed to depend on how many pages long the thread was, and how active it was, older inactive posts with fewer pages took longer than more active many more paged threads.

Then when I realized that the Mods had to weed through the anon posts and Maintain decorum in the threads to, I figured one less anon poster might help, and I didn't have to wait for my post to get approved before I recieved a response from my posts in a thread.

[edit on 9/30/2008 by AlienCarnage]

reply to post by daeoeste

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I don't know, I think shes someone in marketing

I understand the reason for anon posts, so that non members have the ability to post as well, however I also just see a problem with it because the extra workload on the moderators who in my opinion have a massive workload on this site as it is.

Anonymous posts that are rejected, or skipped:

1. Quite a few are blank. Apparently the poster had a glitch;
2. Many have profanity or abbreviated profanity;
3. Many have email addresses or contact info or are promoting personal websites;
4. Some of them are demeaning or insulting to the Member to which they are replying;
5. Some are gibberish or nonsensical;
6. Quite a few are one-liners. Even so, if they contribute to the thread, just like any Member one-line post, they're approved;
7. Some are from members who say "I'm too lazy to log in", or something to that effect. Generally if it's determined it's a member already registered they are not approved;
8. Some are just puzzling or non-responsive or rambling so they're just skipped;
9. Some are threatening or strongly off-topic, or unmannerly, though maybe not toward any member;
10. A small fraction contain foreign language phrases. Obviously, those can't be approved if we can't determine if they're within T&C.

In the end as many as possible are approved/released, figuring it's better to approve them if benign and members are free to scroll by them.

I'm speaking only for myself and my own criteria. If I can make any sense out of them and they don't fall into the categories above, they're approved.


[edit on 30/9/2008 by Badge01]