Alright then.

Now I've seen alot of new members lately on the website, it is summer after all. And after reading carefully and following alot of them through the various threads and posts, I've seen something that is a bit odd. Two things actually, and I'd like to perhaps, help guide you in the correct direction, versus the one you have taken currently.

Dont Feed The Trolls

Alright, so ATS is a big place, with 10K plus members. That being said we get tons of what I would consider "troll" threads. People who post to get a rise of somebody, or who are posting a baseless opinion.

They're only goal is to get more points and more flags by making people angry, and then posting around their concerns in order to get more posts out of those involved. Don't feed these people.

If you walk into a thread which has not been researched and the OP is simply spoutin nonsense or claiming some ridiculous notion without any sort of documentations, simply let it slide, or politely ask for some.

If you don't get a response, hounding the OP will not help your cause, they will simply continue to run around you in circles screaming obsenities and making your life here very difficult.

Now, trolls are easily spotted, and the members do a pretty good job of shunning/ignoring them once it becomes apparent, so they never last long. But there's always one.

So let's remember kids,

Dont Feed The Trolls

Dont Invite Flamers To A Pool Party

Now this is a new occurence I've noticed that serves nothing but to derail conversations and make the life of the staff difficult. There are alot of members who, when posting their genuine, valid and otherwise solid replies, post something like this at the end:

Let the flaming begin or I welcome the flamers to this post, but this is how I feel

There is obviously no need for these things to be in your posts. Don't invite people who like to get a rise out of you, to say things that will anger and or make you act in a way that is against the rules. It may be a very passionate subject, but you will be the one to pay if you step out of line, while they quietly laugh behind their keyboards when that little red flag appears in your name.

By all means, if people dont' agree with you they will state it, no need to invite them in for a jousting match over the boards. I guarantee you that 100% of the time, when you include such rhetoric in your posts, you will get somebody who just for the fun, will argue your point until you are red in the face.

So in closing, just be mindfull of these things and it will make your experience here at ATS much better.

~Keeper

[edit on 6/28/2009 by tothetenthpower]

[edit on 6/28/2009 by tothetenthpower]

You tell em.

I have seen alot of these too. Espiaclly the "Flamers" lol lately. This one person introduced himself, and at the end, said something like that. I was like, WOW.

-Shadow

I noticed a rise in both trolls and flamers after returning to ATS after a much needed break (from wearing my tinfoil hat, messed up my hair!), so I u2u'd a friend of mine who's a Mod here. She told me that it's common in the summertime, as the kids are out of school. You give good solid advice, not just to the new members, but to those of us who've been around awhile.

Thanks for the replies folks, and yes I think that all members should perhaps glance over this, were all human and even I have indulged in feeding trolls and instigating "flamer-esque" conversations.

The point is that we all make mistakes and it's good sometimes to have a chat about our failures and educate the new members about how they can learn from such experiences and make their environment and experiences here much richer.

~Keeper

Thanks tothetenthpower! I am a new member but been a lurker to ATS since 2007. I read a post about skinwalkers and was hooked ever since.

I have something to add-

Newcomers, please don't feel pressured to post threads to increase your flag status. It won't help anyone. Consider the flags a bonus for hard work and research, even though you -can- get them from posting material that has been posted before or isn't well put together. True good threads take effort ^_^

TTT- you should write a manual for the website and give it out to new members. You're very good at threads like this.

Is it safe to say that all idiots are trolls, but not all trolls are idiots?

Originally posted by total newbie

No way. Don't take things so personal. Speak the speech, I pray thee. I am in my fifth incarnation on this site. (banned 4x)

Banned for what, pray tell? ... and yet you sport a moniker of "total newbie".

Apparently "under the radar" is a phrase or concept someone hasn't come to terms with or gained a firm grasp of ... yet.

trace_the_truth
ALL idiots are Not trolls, nor are All trolls idiots.

Actually idiot and troll groups consist of a rather select membership and heirarchy.

... the downside being the apparent open enrollment and acceptance programs ... subsidized, even.

Sad but true...

Wow, I'm surprised by the lack of respect found in this thread, some by our even more established members.

My point is not to mod, my point is to help give new members, a good grasp of what this forum is like and how to act accordingly to the rules.

It is in the ATS Freshman's Forum is it not?

For those who have replied nicely, thanks I appreciate the comments.

For new members reading this, there are examples even in this thread on how not to act, please take note of them .

~Keeper