Thread embellishment?

I have just finished reading a thread that had me wondering about
a few things.Have members gotten so wrapped up into getting stars,
flags,applauses and recognition,that they seem to embellish their
threads?
Are we really denying ignorance,or are we denying what is truth?
I had gotten wrapped up in a thread,toward the end it was becoming
clear there was something wrong with it.
Members need to stay more focused on posting truthful threads and
topics.We need to stop wondering when we will get "cosmic",or "deep
thinker" status added to our profiles.If this is ranting,I do apologise.

I think I know the thread you are referring to -- the one where the OP came right out and said it was all just to get stars.

I don't think about flags and stars very much. Only time I do is when I flag someone else's thread for it's topic, viewpoint, insight, or research, etc.
I give stars for much the same reasons.

Anyway who pays attention to those titles that come with more flags? Nobody can even tell what "level" you are at unless, like some do, it is posted in the avatar or signature...

[edit on 22/7/2010 by Chamberf=6]

reply to post by Chamberf=6


I take people at face value and will believe them until
proven otherwise.
I don't always post on threads.Sometimes, I am just
passing through and I will star and flag some.
I want to get to bronze status,but I want to get there
honestly.I want to get stars and flags for my posts,but
I want others to give them to me honestly.

I don't see the point of Stars and Flags anymore.

The recent post board is clogged with rubbish threads from people who are S&F addicts.
These people seem to write 5-10 threads a day!!!!
All of them are disposable threads, just rubbish, i can't remember the last time i came across a "keeper" thread.
The sad truth is that ATS has been invaded by the mainstream mediocrity who crave some kind of Kudos.
ATS is in danger of becoming just another rat race.
The old ATS core of UFO and advanced Aircraft and Space/Physics is becoming a tiny blue colored speck gathering dust at the back of the ATS shelf.
Thank god for the Archives, the redeeming feature.

I wish they'd go back to the old point system. It was more honest. The star and flag system has never worked well on any board I've been a member. A more honest system would be a like or dislike that would display the names of the people who liked or disliked it.

The best we can do is just not post in the thread. Each time you post, it kicks it back to the top of the most recent list. Instead of letting the OP know how stupid you think the thread is, just don't post and let it die a natural death.

Originally posted by mamabeth
reply to post by Chamberf=6

 

I take people at face value and will believe them until
proven otherwise.

Honestly, on the internet (and in real life) you really shouldn't.

Scams are everywhere, and if you try and help a Nigerian get his dead daddies secret gold you are going to be out of your own.

I think you should take the opposite approach in forums and if someone does claim something extraordinary or outlandish, politely ask them prove that they are telling the truth before you believe or emotionally invest in the statements.

In general people lie online because it is very easy to do so and people tend to be quite gullible.

How many times have people been fooled by those smoking hot-n-sexy online "user pics" only to find out the user is really a 90 year old shut-in with agoraphobia?

I've notice that many ATS members read an OP and drop tons of stars and flags onto an utter joke because they get caught up in the excitement of the story and critical thinking goes out the window. Sometimes that still surprises me.

Inevitably a lot of junk gets pushed up to the front page that isn't really worth a readers time because of over-zealous members.

- Lee

To me, embellishments and misrepresentation are other words to describe hoaxing. ATS's stance on known hoaxers is to ban them, I don't understand why they allow this "gray area".

Hello Mamabeth


Earlier today I also got caught up in a thread that turned out to have many fictitious details in it too. It did stun me as the details of it began to unravel.
This was a member who made it all the way to the gold status too.
I love ATS and what it strives for and is. I just have to stop believing everything I read on here, even when the status is at a high level I guess.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.



[edit on 22-7-2010 by sweetliberty]

[edit on 22-7-2010 by sweetliberty]

reply to post by Aggie Man


Hello Aggie Man (again )

Being somewhat new here I wondered about the stars and flags system and in a few cases there does seem to be a race to the top a quanity vs quality race.

In other cases, I see some really great threads that are full of incredible information and obvious valuable research but the thread doesn't get starred and flagged much.

There is a thread on here that I was reading a few days ago that I can't seem to find today, it was packed with such great information. I found myself taking lots of notes on the particular subject and researching things for myself. The work put into that thread and the easy to read and understand OP should have racked up quite a few flags but it didn't.

I have a lot to learn!

Best regards
Liberty





[edit on 22-7-2010 by sweetliberty]

reply to post by sweetliberty


I'm not sure where you are going with this. Could I get a little clarification please?

reply to post by sweetliberty


Either I completely misunderstood the OP, or you are taking this in a whole different direction.
I don't think the OP was anything about contacting members or their families off-line...

I thought it was about pure and simple flag/star whores.

[edit on 22/7/2010 by Chamberf=6]

reply to post by Chamberf=6


My apologies to all. I read the OP and took it as she was referring to a particular thread that went in all different directions.

Also when someone pointed it out to me saying it was basically the same type of thread I attempted to create .... well I allowed my imagination to get away with me.

I can go back to the other posts and edit them to be on topic.

Thank you for pointing that out to me, I truly do prefer to stay on topic

I totally agree here with the OP. I have been wanting to start a thread like this, but didn't quite know how to word it to get it going.

There seems to have been a lot of dumbing down on ATS lately. This has also been an influx of new members. Not surprising then that there are more threads that aren't much of anything but trolling or attempts to gain the all mighty stars and flags.

I'm having trouble remembering the older system, but I do think something needs to be done. I agree there are too many good threads that get pushed to the bottom of the pile by too many threads that start with something like " I can answer any question you have...."

There is way too much on ATS than probably should be on BTS.

reply to post by sweetliberty


What this thread is about are members who embellish
their threads in order to get stars and flags.

reply to post by webpirate


I have only been a member for a year,as of the 17th.
I made a lot of mistakes and often posted off the wall
replies when I first started.Newbies will learn.
I don't want this thread going down the path of complaining
about no "good" threads anymore.If we want good threads,
then write them.

reply to post by darkelf


The thread that I was writing about has been trashed
and the member is "gone".
We should all remember when we post a thread or a
reply to another thread.It should be the truth,or in our
opinion that it's truthful,until proven otherwise.
I think what "got" me the most,I believed the op's thread
until much later.
I got this off my chest now,if a mod wants to shut this down
that's ok!

My mistake,I found the thread and the member,must have
been a glitch on my computer.

[edit on 22-7-2010 by mamabeth]

Originally posted by mamabeth
reply to post by webpirate

 

I have only been a member for a year,as of the 17th.
I made a lot of mistakes and often posted off the wall
replies when I first started.Newbies will learn.
I don't want this thread going down the path of complaining
about no "good" threads anymore.If we want good threads,
then write them.

Yeah, this is off topic. And it is made ironic because you guys are discussing topic here.

But i had to make a comment on this. ATS is something special in a sea of crap. I know it isn't a prettty way to put it, but that is what most forums are: crap.

ATS has high standards and has raised the bar. It (and its users) understand that "newbs" here will take some time to get acquainted with where this high bar is set, and there is patience while you learn the ropes.

but you point out an important fact about ATS that many miss: to post here, you have to "raise your game". This is a place for civil discource, intelligent insights, and prodigious research. We may have a sudden influx of mediocrity....but it is up to us to maintain what ATS is by showing them exactly what you have learned in the last year.

Unfortunately, the person that sweetliberty referred to is a long time member that many respected. It caught me completely off guard.

Nice post. It is good to see that other realize that there is a learning curve for how we do things here.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan

Originally posted by mamabeth
reply to post by webpirate

 

I have only been a member for a year,as of the 17th.
I made a lot of mistakes and often posted off the wall
replies when I first started.Newbies will learn.
I don't want this thread going down the path of complaining
about no "good" threads anymore.If we want good threads,
then write them.

Yeah, this is off topic. And it is made ironic because you guys are discussing topic here.

But i had to make a comment on this. ATS is something special in a sea of crap. I know it isn't a prettty way to put it, but that is what most forums are: crap.

ATS has high standards and has raised the bar. It (and its users) understand that "newbs" here will take some time to get acquainted with where this high bar is set, and there is patience while you learn the ropes.

but you point out an important fact about ATS that many miss: to post here, you have to "raise your game". This is a place for civil discource, intelligent insights, and prodigious research. We may have a sudden influx of mediocrity....but it is up to us to maintain what ATS is by showing them exactly what you have learned in the last year.

Unfortunately, the person that sweetliberty referred to is a long time member that many respected. It caught me completely off guard.

Nice post. It is good to see that other realize that there is a learning curve for how we do things here.

Ironic!

I have been thiking about something, and this thread seems related...


...there is a lack of the talent we once had here. For me, it all started when Lear left. He was a lightning rod, and we saw what i thought was the best the forum had been. Of course, it may have been better before that...who knows.

But lately when i read through it, there is a sense that it is all being rehashed. I have seen it all. It is this realization that has driven me to realize that it isn't ATS...its me. I have seen all this stuff already. It was only cool back then because i had just joined. Regardless, i haven't seen anyone that has put forth the stuff that Mike Singh and Zorgon did. Of course some of it was outlandish. And some of it was genius. But it all made you think.

Regardless, the quality of ATS, i think, is ok. I just need to spread out a little more.

It is with this that i come to my next point: i have considered a blog. It is more of my own endeavor, done for my own personal reasons. But i obviously want some input from others, some discourse. I didn't have faith that this would happen, so i have never done it. But the star system here has given me some confidence. There are people here who seem to want to hear what i have to say.

So with this in mind, i would assume that there are others that are the same, right?

Who knows. I may just do it. It may get me the discussions I am looking to have. Then again, it may just sit idle as it languishes in obscurity.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


I want to get to the bronze status.I can get that when
I reach 2000 posts.I want my posts to mean something.
I don't want to write a bunch of one liners to get the count
that I need.
Too many members focus on getting stars...I feel some
members pad their threads in order to get attention and
stars and flags.The credibilty of some members seems to
be more questionable now.