If a Thread is Deemed to be a "HOAX!" Should the S&F's (points) be deducted from the OP?

To me this seems like a plausible notion. All S&F's from a post that has been proven to be a HOAX! and moved to the HOAX! forum. Shouldn't all the S&F's, more so the points earned from said S&F's be deducted from the OP's ATS Points? Seems fair, The S&F was initially given on the precedence that the Thread was valid. Anyone else agree? I know this request may seem petty, but I personally don't give S&F's out just because they're there. I have a core of standards when it comes to what I will and will not S&F.

Just a notion to ponder.

reply to post by UberL33t


If a person has started a thread and in all honesty believed what he originally posted was true and was done so in all honesty but is then debunked then I don't think he should lose anything.

If someone has deliberately set out to mislead the ATS community then much as I loathe bannings but that is what the OP should suffer.

I think they are two different scenario's.

reply to post by UberL33t


UberL33t.....

I already raised this in the ATS Issues thread, where it has been discussed.

If it's a deliberate hoax, the op will be banned, so removing the hoaxing op's flags is a moot point.

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

reply to post by Freeborn

If someone has deliberately set out to mislead the ATS community then much as I loathe bannings but that is what the OP should suffer.

This is more where I was going with this mind you. As for the other scenario you mentioned. I have seen in the past where this was in fact the case and most times the OP will be the first to admit to so and request that the thread be moved to the HOAX! forum.

In this case, I concur, the title of this thread need not apply, but the aforementioned type of thread should apply to this. A ban could perhaps come if there are repeated offenses.

To be honest, I think ATS'ers LOVE to debunk, so banning the OP of the HOAX! thread (unless it's an extreme case) is too harsh. I say yank their points and let the debunkers do their thing.

No. Not all threads moved to HOAX! are purposely hoaxed by the OP.

If anyone purposely hoaxes, they get banned.

Sometimes it takes lots of work of the members to find something is a hoax. Not the fault of the OP. They should not be punished for that - by having points/flags removed.



[edit on May 3rd 2010 by greeneyedleo]

reply to post by greeneyedleo

Sometimes it takes lots of work of the members to find something is a hoax.

One of the grandeurs of ATS IMO

Edit to add: All points that were made are duly noted, thank you for the responses

[edit on 5/3/2010 by UberL33t]

reply to post by UberL33t


here is an example of i thread i started.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

In the end it was deemed a hoax, but as you can see, it didn't start out that way. Was a fun thread too

reply to post by UberL33t


UberL33t.....

Doing the "detective worki" on the hoaxes can be a lot of fun

I guess the ultimate example of that is the massive drone hoax thread.....it's truly epic!

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

Originally posted by baddmove
reply to post by UberL33t

 

here is an example of i thread i started.
www.abovetopsecret.com...
In the end it was deemed a hoax, but as you can see, it didn't start out that way. Was a fun thread too

Baddmove.....

I agree.....I enjoyed your thread

Here's one of my own thread's wherein we determined a famous old UFO picture was a hoax:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Here's another thread where we exposed one of the many Muassan hoaxes:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

And there's always this excellent ATS Team effort (summary report on P55):

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

[edit on 3-5-2010 by Maybe...maybe not]

I don't think S&F's are necessarily awarded for giving objectively truthful information.

Also, to punish someone for their inability to discern truthful information seems a little pointless…

If it's a deliberate hoax, the op will be banned, so removing the hoaxing op's flags is a moot point.

Ever notice how 9/10 UFO photos uploaded by members are always taken "by a friend" people just do it that way so they can keep their S&Fs. But i think just getting too many hoaxes up will get you B&
www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...
perfect example.
(of the friend thing)

[edit on 4-5-2010 by zaiger]

Come on guys!
A hoax is a hoax! Many "hoaxes" may not be deliberate, but are the result of very poor fact checking and SOME are deliberate propaganda.
The OP can allways cry "I thought it was true", and weasel out of it.
I think, no flags and stars, doesn't matter what the circumstance, a hoax is a hoax.

I'll cite from the Terms and Conditions which I hope everyone has at least a passing familiarity

1). Posting: You will not post any material that is knowingly false, misleading, or inaccurate. You will not solicit personal information from any member. You will not use information gathered form this website to harass, abuse or harm other people.

1l.) [HOAX]: In the event you post more than three items that are later determined to be of an obviously hoax, fraudulent, or faked nature, your account may be terminated without warning.

8) Right of Community Management This is a privately owned discussion board community. The Owners and senior moderator staff reserve the right to take action against any member who is deemed to be devoted purely to disruption, whose actions represent behavior contrary to community building, or whose content is contrary to the core ideals of AboveTopSecret.com. This action may include complete banning of your username and IP address. The owners of The Above Network, LLC reserve the right to eliminate or edit any content deemed inappropriate for the discussion boards, news network or any affiliated sites. The owners of The Above Network, LLC reserve the right to establish limits on topics that may be discussed if, in their opinion, the discussion of those topics attract an audience that is counterproductive to maintaining the ideals set forth in these Terms & Conditions.

Naturally, not every situation can be forced into a cookie cutter scenario. There is room for leniency when there is no perceived intent to post knowingly false information. We do have the occasional person who professes no ill intent, but for whatever reason, seems to continually cause problems.

Flags are (or should be) used to call attention to a thread. There is value in having attention drawn to a thread for vetting purposes. If it's a good discussion, it's a worthwhile endeavor. Someone found to be deliberately hoaxing, or bringing knowingly false material forward, will be banned. That pretty much takes care of the star and flag count.

1l.) [HOAX]: In the event you post more than three items that are later determined to be of an obviously hoax, fraudulent, or faked nature, your account may be terminated without warning.

Key word here is may. Without naming names, there is one poster on here that posts every political chain-letter that comes through his/her inbox. (6 since December) It's fairly obvious that they are hoaxes, as a simple Google search always confirms the false nature of his/her thread topics; yet, this poster is still around.

OP, it bothers me too...but all we can do is report hoaxes and hope for the best.

[edit on 4-5-2010 by Aggie Man]

no need. they are banned.

you do that then you get banned. no if's no buts.