Age requirements.

I wonder if ATS should have a minimum age requirement for members?

I ask this because of a thread I was on recently.I had a couple of exchanges
with another member,then discovered he was only 17 years old. I try to
make it a rule,not to argue with children.I will listen to a child,but I won't
argue with one.

Age is but a number...

Some of our younger members can be the most intelligent of people,
Some more so than the Adults

They bring a fresh look at things, As for not arguing with children.. They are here and they no how things work and expect to be treated like any other member,

Also trying to induce a age limit would not really be something we could make work, they would just fib about there age,

IMO anyhow,

[edit on 1-9-2009 by DJDOHBOY]

Reply to post by mamabeth

no we do not. Opinions of our younger members are just as relevant as our seniors IMHO.

having been a mod for some time, posting style is a poor indicatior of relative maturity or age.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

It has been my experience that the chronological age of a member isn't necessarily the best indicator of the quality of their participation. I know of teenagers here who can completely blow me out of the water with their knowledge of certain subjects.

I know of members over 50 who make me want to jam a shrimp fork in my neck when I read their posts.

I think you need to take the quality of the contribution at face value. I wouldn't discount anyone because of their age.

[Edit to add]

^^^^^^^^^Right Said Fred^^^^^^^^And DJ





[edit on 9/1/2009 by yeahright]

I can understand the frustration with this, however kids 16 and up can offer some good debates, not all mind you, some are quite immature in their responses.

As you can see I am conflicted on this. I would hate to oust the more mature youths just to rout out the immature ones, and at the same time the immature ones can disrupt many of the threads, but this can go for some adults as well as youths.

[edit on 9/1/2009 by AlienCarnage]

IMHO having young people here cn only add to the scope and depth of a subject.

As adults we stopped thinking like them long ago and a fresh, unjaded opinion is welcome.

Do not judge by age. I am happy you would listen to one, just dont be ignorant arguing. And no, this site should not have a age requirement. i would leave. We get alot of great info from our younger viewers due to the things they pay attention to and not us. to say they cant come, is rejecting information.

It wasn't so long ago in our history that women's opinions weren't worth anything. Any arbitrary discrimination should be avoided. My three children have taught me as much as the rest of the world's contributions. Education is a multifaceted, multilevel experience. Wouldn't it be a shame to eliminate such an opportunity for any reason?

Agreed,age is only a number.Im in my 20's...not saying exactly what stage!.I have known people younger than me on here that are far smarter and wiser than i am and vice versa.I can usually tell within a few years what ages someone is if i follow their posts.In any case i don't see whats wrong with having a conversation with a 17 year old as long as you agree with him/her.

[edit on 1-9-2009 by Solomons]

This is a good thread.

I do see alot of immaturity in some posts' here. Although I can't judge the age from what they post. Its how they type.

No spaces, txt shorthand, no periods. No grammatical fixes.

Just my humble opinion. (I too am in my late 20's)

This is the most I've seen mods post in a while...

I wouldn't want an age limit, i've learnt as much from members half my age as i have from members twice my age.

The older ones remind me to grow up at times, and the younger ones remind me to stop sounding old.

My kids have enjoyed many a topic here on ATS, under supervision of course. I like the fact that they will not be subjected to attrocious behaviour and language whilst reading a thread.

Yes there are some more graphic topics that i keep them clear of due to their age, but like i said, if they do look on ATS now and again, it's under strict supervision and most probably initiated by myself anyway.

Thanks for making this possible for me to do.

CX.

The requirements needed to create an ATS account are absurdly minimal -- favoring the stance of providing anyone a means to have their say. There are no current or future plans to alter our minimalist new account requirements.

Originally posted by AlienCarnage
I can understand the frustration with this, however kids 16 and up can offer some good debates, not all mind you, some are quite immature in their responses.

As you can see I am conflicted on this. I would hate to oust the more mature youths just to rout out the immature ones, and at the same time the immature ones can disrupt many of the threads, but this can go for some adults as well as youths.

[edit on 9/1/2009 by AlienCarnage]

I agree with you,I think what I'm really concerned about is how their
parents will respond.I have heard,there have been lawsuits,over what
others have written to children over the internet.I am just trying to
protect myself by being careful while on line.
Plus,when I find out the other member is a kid,I go into mama mode,
and sometimes,grandmama mode.Then,I want to either reach out and
turn them over my knee or bake cookies.

reply to post by mamabeth


lol Going into mama mode is nothing to be ashamed of...hell,even i would think highly of it.In the end,forget all of the if's and but's.Listen to the person and his/her views.Compare his/her truth with your own and leave it at that.In the end we are all searching for our own truth's.Best not work yourself up about such thoughts that are not highly significant in the grand scheme of things

As a 17 year old... I of course say no I don't want age restrictions

I'll admit my age means I may not have lived through certain events, or may have been to young to have the knowledge on them older people have. And that my posts are not always as mature as I'd wish them to be, not that I notice until later of course .

But generally I manage to post on ATS just fine, and I do like the different opinions that come from different age groups aswell, certainly see alot of things I wouldn't have thought of on this site.

I can see the reason for wanting the restrictions, but the cons may outweigh the pros.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


I guess you can't monitor everything that is posted here. There are some terrible replies, then some great ones.

Even with all the mods, supermods, and staff, alot of replies slip through.


As to Stevendye,
At least you are mature for your age about the situation. Good job.

Originally posted by CX
I wouldn't want an age limit, i've learnt as much from members half my age as i have from members twice my age.

The older ones remind me to grow up at times, and the younger ones remind me to stop sounding old.

My kids have enjoyed many a topic here on ATS, under supervision of course. I like the fact that they will not be subjected to attrocious behaviour and language whilst reading a thread.

Yes there are some more graphic topics that i keep them clear of due to their age, but like i said, if they do look on ATS now and again, it's under strict supervision and most probably initiated by myself anyway.

Thanks for making this possible for me to do.

CX.

This was a great post. The difference is,YOU supervise what your
children watch and read on the internet,great parent!

I have learned a lot,in my short time,on ATS.I still have a lot more
to learn.

Originally posted by StevenDye
As a 17 year old... I of course say no I don't want age restrictions

I'll admit my age means I may not have lived through certain events, or may have been to young to have the knowledge on them older people have. And that my posts are not always as mature as I'd wish them to be, not that I notice until later of course

.

But generally I manage to post on ATS just fine, and I do like the different opinions that come from different age groups aswell, certainly see alot of things I wouldn't have thought of on this site.

I can see the reason for wanting the restrictions, but the cons may outweigh the pros.

You do a great job posting on ATS.I know you will do well in the future.
A person can learn a lot on this website and contribute a lot as well.

reply to post by mamabeth


Stipulation in our society, is further division, We Need Unity Now, regardless of age, the young have their work cut out for them due to previous generational neglect. Judge not and keep an open mind one never knows from where knowledge will come. Most young have a less inhibited connection to all that is due to less degradation from societal influences.

reply to post by mamabeth


Age is irrelevant! I am 18 and probably know a whole lot more about this world than most!

I say no!