For those who were with us back in November of 2004, you'll remember the massive amount of traffic and posts we had on election day. And very
recently, the "Galactic Federal of Light" topics on October 14th provided a bit of insight into the potential turmoil that is due to hit our board
in a couple short days.
In order to ensure that everything runs smoothly here at AboveTopSecret.com, which includes maintaining a logical sense of order in discussion threads
for the collaborative conversations of our members, as well as the reading enjoyment of our visitors, we're taking a few preemptive steps for
November 4th and 5th.
Beginning on the Morning of November 4th, Election Day
All threads related to the election, even topics inspired by mainstream news sources, must be within the
Decision 2008 Forum. If you're posting a news article, please use the same guidelines
used for the Alternative Breaking News Forum.
This rule will continue until midnight (EST) November 5th.
New Official Threads Opened On November 4th
We will launch a selection of new threads that should be utilized for comments and observations during the two days. They will be...
2008 Election Irregularities & Fraud: Use for reports of voting problems, fraudulent purges, and speculation of fraudulent votes.
McCain Election Results: Use for running commentary on reports of exit polls and official results as the polls close, as it relates to the
McCain/Palin ticket.
(The thread subject line will be revised by staff as needed to reflect the nature of the results.)
Obama Election Results: Use for running commentary on reports of exit polls and official results as the polls close, as it relates to the
Obama/Biden ticket.
(The thread subject line will be revised by staff as needed to reflect the nature of the results.)
Regional Election Results: Use for running commentary on reports of exit polls and official results as the polls close, as it relates to
important regional elections that may effect the balance of power in Washington.
Mud & Mayhem, 2008 Campaign Final Days: Use for commentary on the late-breaking news reports, quotes, and ads that cover the candidates typical
rise in focused rhetoric and "mud slinging" typical of the final hours of a campaign.
(This thread will be opened on November 2nd.)
RULES FOR NEW MEMBER THREADS
During the 48 hours of November 4th & 5th (as defined by EST), no new threads initiated by members will be allowed in the
Decision 2008 Forum unless it meets one of the follow guidelines:
1) Provides link & snippet to mainstream news source covering an important election development not previously covered in one of the election
threads.
2) Provides link & snippet to a political blog covering election irregularities from a first-person verified source
(no rumors... rumors of
irregularities should be discussed in one of the official threads.)
3) Provides link & commentary to a video showing election irregularities not previously covered in one of the election threads.
During periods of fast-breaking and vital news events, the ATS membership has proven time and again to be an unparalleled source of timely
information, opinion, and insightful speculation. This election has all the ingredients to be one hell-of-a day with a myriad of conflicting reports,
exaggerations, mud-slinging, and concern over election fraud. But also as we've seen from time to time, fast-breaking and complex stories can also
turn ATS into a confusing mess for a brief period.
Our goal is to do our best to anticipate what will be a historic day for the country, the Internet, and ATS with some clear guidelines and direction
to help everyone stay focused as best as possible.
Good luck... we may need it.
