Attention Newcomers, Do NOT Entice Flamers, Do Not Feed The Trolls!

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:



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

reply to post by ShadowLife

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Their is alot of trash around the net. Before I came to ATS I was used to the trash. Feed on it tried to be good and not regurgitate it but on other conspiracy sites their are alot of things that pander to hoaxers, flamers, and generally anyone that wants some attention.

It took me some time to get used to the Higher standards of ATS. These days I swim in it. I look at the old sites I used to visit and think to myself Thank God for ATS.

Its higher bar made me raise my own standards and got me to realize I don't have to eat trash.

New Folks, Don't feed the trolls. Talk to anyone but avoid lowering your standards to name calling or personal insults and should you slip (we all do sometimes) Try to make amends you'll feel better for it. BUt in short dont feed Trolls.

And Don't invite flamers. Let them burn out on their own.

Titorite

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.

reply to post by tothetenthpower

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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)

I was given a lifetime ban 2x from the old Prison Planet site and now post in infowarrioriors.com anytime I want.

Banned 1x from yahoo personals.

Lifetime ban from EMachineUpgraders.com.

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?

reply to post by tothetenthpower

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Someone sounds like a whiney whinerton. This is a very large discussion forum. You can't make a breakfast burrito without killing some buffalo. Relax, let be things that may. ATS is just "Another Worldly Device". It is no picnic for nancy-grabbers or glub-sitters, it is where minds come to roost.



www.youtube.com...

Words were never so true.

reply to post by trace_the_truth

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I applied for membership to be a troll, but was refused. Take care. Have a nice day.

reply to post by pluckynoonez

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He doesn't whine. He's very good at pointing out advice to new members who may be used to the etiquette of other forum-style websites. These reminders have helped many members and many are thankful for the effort he has put into making sure there are no "newbies" on this website.

So, you know, he's helping. Not whining.

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...

reply to post by tothetenthpower

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and please remember if you are not a mod please do not post as if u are one. the mods are busy but that is what the alert button is for.

reply to post by Annie Mossity

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Extreme T and C violations as I remember. Abusive conduct, name calling.

I was green to the site and said what I thought. Decorum and civility are important. But the site managers are pretty smart. I'm OK and they know it.

reply to post by Annie Mossity

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I don't get one cent for posting here. Your local congressman or senator, what have they gotten for selling your [snip]


See my better posts on the swine flu forum.




Mod edit- removed censor circumvention -
Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.


[edit on 29-6-2009 by elevatedone]

and I repeat

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

reply to post by tothetenthpower

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The nastiness you have experienced here is just proof that such a thread is desperately needed! Although we all lose our cool occasionally, some here are constant flamers and trolls. Others just don't like to be reminded by another member that there is a civilized way to conduct yourself, hence the 'you're not a mod' comments.

reply to post by tothetenthpower

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I honestly don't see anything wrong with what you posted. I mean really, this is in the Freshman's Forum, and all you did was reiterate the T&C for the newcomers, who probably don't read them anyway. (And if you did, good on you!) Seriously, there have been a lot of trolls today alone, it's cool that you attempt to address the issue before the mod's have to get involved.

Keep up the good work!