The only hate you can create is your own.

No one can "make" anyone else hate anyone.

But people who are not aware of what is going on, will easily be baited into throwing a huge fit and freaking out.

With education we can overcome this. When people realize THEY are in charge of THEIR emotions, they will not allow others to lead them off the cliff.

Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler


Long and short of it, ATS is ceasing to be a conspiracy board and becoming a divide and conquer political and religious and lifestyle discussion board, where people pursuing conspiracy angles and higher truths are now being ridiculed and attempts are being made to ‘shout’ them down.


The posting environment is becoming an unfriendly one to say the least.


[edit on 16/8/10 by ProtoplasmicTraveler]

I couldn't agree more with this. So many posts I see in the conspiracy forums are not conspiracy related at all and are just being used to propagate an agenda.

maybe its not such a bad thing mr moderator
anger helps bring change,if we are willing to do something about that that angers us.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord

Originally posted by Retseh
Your main problem is weak enforcement, I have seen overt racism dealt with via nothing more than a "warning".

Enforcement is a balancing act few members have the opportunity to experience.

Additionally, while abhorrent, racism and its related intolerance are unfortunate but valid examples of free expression. I would much rather encourage our members to call it out for what it is, and expose the ignorance of a racist world-view, than eliminate from our site those who think that way.

If we remove one group from posting on ATS, which will be the next group voted for elimination?

Racism = Hatred

Hatred = Anger

I'm not sure how you are confused why there is so much anger on the boards when you admit that you allow it to exist.

The more there is, the more anger it will stir up...hate breeds hate. More racists will feel free and even comfortable spewing their racist rants as they see this as a place where it is accepted. And those of us that think racism is disgusting will become more and more angry for this behavior being so prevelant on the boards.

Like it or not...ATS has more racism on it's "recent posts" page than there is openly talked about in the real world. It's becoming a racists dream because, by your own admission, they are being protected in spewing their hate speech.

But you better not talk about using a substance that the government has deemed illegal...that gets you banned.

I posted a thread a while back on the very same subject, the sudden surge of negativity going on on ATS.

I am guilty of losing my temper on occasion when I see a thread, for example, stating that America is the greatest nation on earth, and how the world would be in tatters if it wasn't for America. I have lots of American friends, and I love and respect them, but as in any country on the planet, you get the idiots who talk rubbish, like they are the cream of the crop, and that just fuels the anger and hostility from other, normally relaxed, members.

There are a FEW people who say some pretty nasty things about my country, which really gets my back up. I can only apologise for not showing better restraint, but it's happening far too often.

But on the other side of the coin, the amount of people that put America down, it must wind up the more sensible, respected member of ATS who are from America.

One person says something to rile one member up, they lose the plot and before you know it there is an all out war going on in a thread, it has to stop.

People need to realise that an entire nation cannot be held responsible for the actions of its government, a company or a few individuals.

But it's like someone has already stated, schools out for the summer, give it a couple of months and it should die down.


[edit on 16/8/10 by woogleuk]

Originally posted by SLAYER69
Just enforcement of the T & C more rigorously as a whole.

And then ATS is a "Nazi censoring site that has no respect for freedom of speech". Damn hard balance to maintain.

Originally posted by intrepid

Originally posted by SLAYER69
Just enforcement of the T & C more rigorously as a whole.

And then ATS is a "Nazi censoring site that has no respect for freedom of speech". Damn hard balance to maintain.

What are you trying to say?

We had all agreed to the T & C when we joined.
So how can it be viewed in a negative light when those are enforced?

It's all based around fear, the basic human response toward the unknown.

Fear causes a man to become aggressive and unreasonable. People are experiencing a feeling of helplessness, and instinctually people are becoming more fearful of what is to come.

Fear causes racism, bigotry, it supports and promotes religious zealotry, it causes rational human beings to behave in an irrational way.


Right now people are fearful, and as such this is what you get. The herd is spooked.

I'm working on my parenting skills and I've found they come in handy on ATS as well. When someone is having a tantrum, my reaction is something like:

"You're so silly!"

Originally posted by muzzleflash
The only hate you can create is your own.

No one can "make" anyone else hate anyone.

But people who are not aware of what is going on, will easily be baited into throwing a huge fit and freaking out.

With education we can overcome this. When people realize THEY are in charge of THEIR emotions, they will not allow others to lead them off the cliff.

This is very valid and most of what is happening right now is members who can't make their arguments, then trying to use various forms of emotional domination, and to find emotional hot buttons to press, to validate their opinions and views.

When you won't agree with them because of a lack of facts to support their position, there is a lot more disparraging going on that steps over the line of charachter assissination and attempts to humiliate other members in a wide variety of insulting and off topic ways.

There seems to be a real drive to isolate members through their fears, and making part of their fears those members who won't agree with them.

It's not just new members, some of the older members are falling into this isolation fear trap too.

It's funny people keep talking about another false flag but in the last several days the emotions of 9-11 have been rekindled to almost the point of when it first happened.

They might not need a false flag at this point, as people are whipping one another into an emotional frenzy, on the same selling point as when 9-11 first occured.

Worse still it's entrenching the attitudes on too many people's parts that there really was a full and complete and honest investigation into 9-1-1.

So I think this is going to set the 9-1-1 truth movement back a bit too.

It is probably less likely now than ever that a competent investigation will ever be done.

And just let me be clear about the T&C

2) Behavior: You will not behave in an abusive, hateful, intolerant, bigoted and/or racist manner, and will not harass, threaten, nor attack anyone.

Are you saying that you are selectively enforceing the T&C? Because it appears that racism is explicitly covered.

So why is it so infrequently enforced? And why does your previous post suggest that you are knowingly not enforcing it because you would rather let them express their freedom of speech???

[edit on 16-8-2010 by OutKast Searcher]

Let's not forget some recent facts:
-US government is going to war with Iran, they need to foster public opinion and are doing it by fostering hate towards Muslims in general
-The three letters agencies admitted having interests in blogging platforms/social networks
-ATS is now a high profile platform to exchange information focusing on common sense and truth, two things that goes against their efforts to foster public support.
I believe disinformation activities are increasing.

And yes, school resuming on September will help. Not that I don't welcome young newcomers, but some tend to impose their views and see it as a game, instead of an education process.

I think a measure could be taken if a member get into the negative "ATS points". Let's limit their rate of posting to something like 1 post every 30 minutes. It would force them to really think about what they want to express and mature until they regain their points by gaining stars, contributing content and getting applauded.

Edited for spelling.

[edit on 16-8-2010 by gagol]

Originally posted by BlackOps719


It's all based around fear, the basic human response toward the unknown.

Fear causes a man to become aggressive and unreasonable. People are experiencing a feeling of helplessness, and instinctually people are becoming more fearful of what is to come.

Fear causes racism, bigotry, it supports and promotes religious zealotry, it causes rational human beings to behave in an irrational way.


Right now people are fearful, and as such this is what you get. The herd is spooked.

I could not agree more!

Taking a broader perspective, it seems like we're just having a high-tide moment of 'Chicken-little Syndrome.' Recession, wars, high taxes, unemployment and immigration etc. The 'anger' has been brewing since around March when the first flood of 'hate threads' seemed to begin. A lot of people feel like the sky is falling in.

I think it's the real world showing on the boards and people are just venting. Justifiably venting, but reflecting the times we are living in. Times are hard and opinions get polarised.

THe angry posts and members can colour our perceptions and draw attention to negativity. It gets easy to be distracted by these posts and overlook the fact that the majority of posts and members are still pretty cool and not surfing the waves of BS animosity.

The angry minority make a lot of noise, but I don't think the general signal of respect hasn't changed overall.

The problem we have here is the same garbage that has polluted our mainstream News outlets has found its way on ATS.

The same games of deceptions, spin, and certain members playing on the emotions of others continue right here by many members on ATS, this is their playground.

I agree there is a serious problem in here.

For example, I set a thread up last week to debate Jones’ Thermite paper and challenged anyone to show any real science or credible sources to prove Professor Steven Jones’ paper to be a fraud. The thread is now on pg 12 and no one has shown any science or credible sources discrediting Jones’ work. Unfortunately, what has sparked a lot of anger in that thread is posters making false claims, and continually saying Jones’ science is a fraud and that Professor Jones is not qualified to do any peer reviewed paper and so on, with absolutely no proof. We see the same debunkers making outlandish comments against the truth movement and a constant game of insults.

There is a group of posters in the 911 threads who are playing tag team attacking “Truthers” and they mostly never contribute anything good to the forum topic, in fact, railroading these 911 threads seems to be their goal.

It’s okay to be a skeptic but when you have scientific evidence handed to you from credible sources and refuse to consider it things start to heat up. Their first line of defense is to insult and ridicule the source. Next, come the lies and misinformation. It is my understanding that we are not supposed to post information that is false or insulting.

[edit on 16-8-2010 by impressme]

Originally posted by OutKast Searcher
Are you saying that you are selectively enforceing the T&C? Because it appears that racism is explicitly covered.

Expressing racist beliefs, and acting on those beliefs when posting on ATS are two different things.

The T&C makes it exceptionally clear that one's behavior is actionable, not their opinions.

It's a fine line often difficult to gauge, but one that's important to maintain.

I can fix all of ATS’s problems.

Put me in change, I will run this site as a diehard dictator, remove all posts I deem to remotely incite hate, I will ban any member automatically who challenges me or who is persistent in post hate threads or digresses form the established T&C’s in anyway (which i may change). I will happily suppress your freedom of speech, if I think you are a danger to your self’s or others I will report you to the relevant authorities and block your IP form the ATS servers. Such a strong zero tolerance stance will put the fear of death into anyone so that they don’t post hate. Fear is the means I will use to control the population of ATS. If you want me to do this you must let me select my own Mods, pay me and give me total control over AST. I also want a company car and plane, as in addition to the above punishments anybody who I ban I will also track down and then slap that person with a wet fish, ATS must pay me all expenses (I will supply my own wet fish).

You know it’s the only way

PS, just thought this thread could use a post like this, this is a joke however i would happily slap each and every one of you in the face with a wet fish.

I do not really experience hate or anger on ATS. I can see it from others, but I think I'm less bothered by it or maybe I'm not that sensitive or something.

What I consider annoying is that religion pops up a lot in place not assigned to it.The same religions are also the ones spreading fear or hate towards one another.I try and be polite 24-7. I don't think I failed at it, yet...

Maybe... when a hate or fear thread gets started ,then teach those who are not willing to talk and debate about a lesson by post banning them or something.