The New ATS Policy on Drug-Related Topics.

We've had some recent and disappointing issues among the members who were selected to serve on the DISC committee to solve the issue of supporting drug-related topics here on ATS. While disappointing to see, we can chalk it up to exuberance to find a solution that involved a hasty, uneven, and clumsy level of communication and "disclosure."

However, there was a productive discussion that occurred rather quickly, and I credit the concern for ATS as whole by these members for creating a fertile mix of ideas that resulted in a workable solution that may offer the compromise we all seek.

Without getting into a long and drawn-out post on the matter, because we've certainly seen plenty of those in the past four days, here is the rather simple and elegant solution, that you can credit your DISC members with piecing together:


New ATS Drug Topics Policy

(1) New Forum: Narcotics Conspiracies & Legalization -- a new forum established for all drug-related topics spanning the spectrum from historical conspiracies involving drugs, to contemporary news about legalization efforts.
-A- This includes drug-related topics that might normally be posted to the news forum(s).
-B- This is the only forum on ATS or BTS where drug-related topics are allowed.

(2) Forum Access: All will be able to read the forum, it's open to search engines, and popular or highly-flagged threads are included on the site home page.
-A- Members must have at least 200 posts to create threads or post replies.
-B- Stricter enforcement of decorum and minimal posts will be in place.

(3) Topical Expectations: Stewardship is in the hands of members. There will be ample notice and reminders that no post discussing personal use, in any way of any type of mind-altering substance that falls within the category of narcotics ad hallucinogens, will be tolerated.
-A- Given the history of these topics, we anticipate all will know these rules.
-B- Ample header/footer notices will exist on forum threads as reminders.
-C- Posts advocating personal use will result in permanent removal of the forum.

(4) Instant Account Ban: Outside the new forum, any post advocating the personal use of these substances will result in immediate account ban without warning. (This actually has been an attribute of our Terms & Conditions for some time, now it will be highlighted and strictly enforced.)
-A- We'll revise our sign-up process to ensure new members are aware of this.
-B- Faux confusion about "illicit substances" will not be an excuse.



With regard to #3, we are indeed serious that if the new forum contains posts that stray from the conspiracy, cover-up, scandal, and legalization mandate, you will permanently loose the forum and capability to discuss these topics. This does not signal our intent to "set our members up to fail," instead it's a very-strong reminder of how we feel: the topics in the forum are serious, and deserve your serious effort to ensure the voice of ATS is heard on drug-related conspiracies. (Certainly, our staff will apply a hefty dose of judgement call for exceptionally minimal "do-pot" types of posts, or intended sabotage from disgruntled members.)


These rules will not apply to older threads. All older drug-related threads will remain either locked-down or removed from public view. The new forum is an opportunity to start fresh with the newly formulated mix of ideas from the DISC members you voted to work on this. We (ATS owners and staff) sincerely hope this is a workable solution, and the best of ATS will be exemplified by this new forum.


As this requires some coding changes, you can expect the new forum to be functioning within a few days. At that time, a reminder will be sent out and the above rules will be in place. Until then, the strict moratorium on all drug-related topics remains in effect. I and our staff apologize for any confusion this issue may have caused over the previous few days. If anything, I believe this solution proves (once again) our commitment to our members and our desire to operate what some day may be considered the "Gold Standard" of discussion boards.

Well, i am glad something was worked out.

I would like to thank staff, for allowing a compromise to happen.

I would like to thank the DISC members for trying there best to come up with a solution.

I would like to thank ATS members for this also, if it wasn't for the big response in that Thread, i think we wouldn't have had a compromise for a long time.

Even the mods deserve a thanks, especially the former DISC members, who provided insight and opinions, even when trying to get the DISC committee of the ground

With all of that being said, to the people who are still disgruntled, At least we have a compromise here, the BAN on drugs is lifted, we should be thankful.

I do have a question for SKEPTIC OVERLORD though.

What will happen to the Committee, will it be disbanded?

Or will they be discussing more than just the BAN on Drugs?

[edit on 3-3-2009 by darcon]

Not a forum I'll post much, but nice to see expanding discussion lines

reply to post by SkepticOverlord

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As a critic of the former policy, I thank ATS and all who contributed for this compromise. Good call.

well done guys, it sounds like quite an equitable compromise you hammered out. thanks for all the hard work.

Excellent. I think that pretty much gives everyone an adequate solution.

The rules are clear, concise and understandable, and it allows for these subjects to be discussed in an honest and forthright way.

The pessimist in me gives this new forum 4 days before the drug addicts ruin it.

Well so ATS could not get away from the "offending topic" after all.

Congratulations on trying to make everybody happy, I hope that this "new forum" will live to its expectations.

As long as "drug related topics falls under the big pharma conspiracy I will be there", as "other" related topics unless "historical" do not fancy my taste.

I am sure that this new forum will be well taken by those with serious desire to maintain intelligent discussion of Drug related topics.

I just have a question - who is on the DISC committee?
(or are we not supposed to know?)
Thanks.

Very sensible

There are some important subjects that will have a home now, the rules are simple and clear. Everyone now knows where they stand (not that we didn't know before... well most of us )

reply to post by SkepticOverlord

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looks good ... nice work!

One question though, where will this thread be located in ATS or BTS?

[edit on 3-3-2009 by baseball101]

Excellent news guys.

I thank SO and the staff for this.
And also every member on that thread who argued and fought for this to be the case.

As i said, I probably won't even use it, but that wasn't the point... it was the principal.
I'm so glad a compromise was reached and hopefully this will quell some of the rampant arguments taking place site wide right now.

WTG guys


Thanks,

Blup

Congratulations to everyone for coming to a solution that serves the board members, while respecting the T&C. And a BIG THANK YOU! to SO and the DISC, who I'm sure worked very hard to make this happen.

I also have that pessimist inside, whatukno. I hope we are proven wrong in a big way.

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Good compromise.

I think this is the right idea because this is a natonal, even global discussion which needs to be happening right now about the media shield re: drugs. Also I think the mod-crew at ATS is of very high caliber and also a good mix in regards to booze-versus-weed dialectic. Should be an interesting forum. It makes me glad to know that ATS is upgrading itself to deal with something humans need which is more honesty about drugs, where they come from and how they fund our world.

Nothing is more important than exposing those who are using black markets to conceal their sources of funding. Even if there are persons reading this who feel that the intelligence power should be able to handle black ops and drug running so long as it provides us a safer world, the truth is that the grandmas and the grandpas in the drug-torn neighborhoods are who suffer the most, and these are the people who nobody cares about above street-level anyway. By discussing the funding of the intelligence powers, we can bring these uber-agencies into line with truth about human needs rather than allowing them to screw humans for their OWN informational control needs.

I also think that this new forum will encourage even more truth to flow through the servers of ATS, and that can never be a bad thing. Truth always sidelines a lie.

[edit on 3-3-2009 by smallpeeps]

Far out Man! I can dig it!

It's nice to see there will be a place for people who enjoy those sorts of topics can do so, with rules!

Just what I thought. No discussion between the member base and the DISC committee before arriving at a "solution". I place "solution" in quotes, because it fails to address the concerns of all involved.

We were promised that the committee would spend time discussing the issue with the member base, to ensure that all relevant issues were addressed. My point, as well as several others, in the original monster thread was that 5 people simply can't identify all the relevant points that needed to be compromised on.

In my opinion, all that has been accomplished is that the administration have conceded that the unequivocal banning of the topic entirely was a stupid move. The rules haven't changed, the threads will all simply be moved to their own forum.

Thanks DISC committee, you've certainly found your place in "government". You were tasked with representing the "people", and you did it just like congress. Go off and make decisions without the consent of your constituents. Good job, and thanks for keeping us in the loop.

Wow. Overall, I like what I see... Except for the "We'll close the forum in its entirety if one person breaks the personal use rule."

I understand this is an attempt to allow us to know how serious this is. But I just can't help thinking someone, with axe to grid or malicious intent will soon make such a post and that will be that.

Rather ban the perp and delete the post.

Now if this is an issue of many doing this... THEN I could see closing the forum.

I'm just sayin'.

it is a thought, i did notice one or two people with axes to be ground over the DISC issue, i hope it doesn't come to that.
it's a shame the effort is left so open to such tactics.

[edit on 3/3/09 by pieman]

Click here for more information.

reply to post by Amaterasu

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Hey there, thanks for pointing that out, i did not see that.

I agree, that one i am against.

I can see if many people are doing it, but if the forum gets removed becasue of one post, i lose faith.

Regardless, we will find out if the forum can hold up.

[edit on 3-3-2009 by darcon]