To the Trolls / Prophets / Liars / Attention Seekers

im not assuming. you just registered. you prob dont have an old account, that was you trying to seem like a oldie. your just a typical lazy apathetic brit, whos angry, and trying to get attention for being salty.

your atitude towards this site os based on your emotions, not content. people can talk about what they want. you dont have to read it or visit.

Originally posted by EnactedEgoTrip
What would happen if nobody spoke out against any bad things?

I often grapple with this myself. If I see someone being taken advantage of, or being attacked in the streets, I intervene. I always have. My good conscience cannot allow me to turn a blind eye and pretend it isn't happening.

You are correct when you say that we lower the bar each time we ignore or tolerate it. I am not a fan of tolerance. To me, toleration means to begrudgingly accept something you are fundamentally opposed to. When we stop striving to be better, when we force ourselves to accept less as a matter of routine, all that's left is moral/social decay.

IRM

I often marvel at the varied reactions to the material our members post.

I can say that I have not done a quantitative analysis of topics, but I haven't seen the rise in 'sensational' predictive or inflammatory posts... at least not one that alarms me in any way... I may have become 'jaded' about them, so this does not invalidate your observations.

I will say that there is a certain level of expectation that members harbor, and between members, it seems inconsistent.

Buzzwords and 'modern journalistic' attention-getting headline (a.k.a. "yellow journalism") abound for more than one reason.

There are many who seem to adhere to an approach that validates their contributions based on the number of flags and stars they receive, or the explosive nature of the exchanges between them and other posters. These members like to create threads which are intended to engender 'outrage' or 'sympathy' and some just to troll. They account for a number of the more salient examples of the threads you find so disturbing.

But it seems that many members have little tolerance for someone who is genuinely incorrect, mistaken, ignorant of important facts (through no fault of their own), or simply ... wrong. I would urge members not to fall into the paradigm of other forum sites where every comment, every suggestion, every prediction, is an opportunity to 'come out swinging.'

When you see something that irritates you so, please; take a deep breath, and ask if the poster understands what they are posting, ask them to account for their presumed passion in regards to facts you may have that should be relevant to the topic. Practice patience as a tool of communications. I am not saying you need to entertain the outrageous, or inflammatory, only that you not assume that the poster is 'full of it' or 'an attention whore.' Sometimes we all need to discuss topics to get them properly situated in our own heads.

I ask this because of one factor:

ATS is growing. We are not going to be blessed by participation from new members who never posted anywhere before. We are, quite tot he contrary, likely to get new members who's experiences in other forums are more along the lines of name calling, internet 'group' bullying, and caustic sarcasm and derision as a means to disagree. Obviously that is not the ATS way. These habits will die.... after exposure to a collective thoughtful exchange.

I once heard a newer member refer to ATS as "a conspiracy site on Prozac." After a good chuckle over the tabloidesque characterization, I thought to myself; "Yeah, that is how it might seem to someone who spent time on sites where people rail at each other, continuously insulting and belittling people for their beliefs and or ignorance on some topics."

Try not to judge people by how they post. Listen tot he message they are trying to send. Honor their questions with answers; not sarcastic quips and barbs of cynical comments. Sometimes (many times in my experience) you'll find that they are genuinely inclined to actually engage in real dialogue; and when such a dialogue is achieved - everyone wins. It has nothing to do with agreeing or disagreeing, it has to do with sharing what you know, sharing what you think, and sharing what you think you know.

In time, you may find a means to identify the threads which you should avoid. And for many of us, there are such threads.

Not to be self-promoting... but at your convenience you may want to take a gander at this rather boring and lengthy thread about the ATS experience....

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I'll tell you right off.. .a lot of folks didn't care for the exercise I undertook, trying to explore the topic of members, thread creation, and posting styles... but it may do a better job of explaining why I discourage getting too bent out of shape over posting trends - many of which come and go over time - only to repeat in cycles - especially as you spend more time cultivating your own membership in this community....

Be well.