ENOUGH! Manners in the Aliens/UFO Forum and those who habitually deride, insult, and just LOVE being

reply to post by Aoxoa


This isn't about whether or not you believe or disbelieve. I'm skeptical to the point of disbelief in most of these cases. However, I can bring that skepticism across without resorting to commentary upon the sanity, or gullibility, of those who do believe what they're seeing are aliens from outer space.

That is the entire point of this exercise, not belief versus disbelief.

Click here for more information.

Springer-Thank you for this.

I rarely visit this forum anymore due to literally every thread being turned into a cess pool of the same tired folks spewing their condescending vitriole, over and over, ad nauseum. And I notice many seem to know how to 'skirt the edges' of the T & C ever so closely, using an almost intimidatory style of belittling via questioning posters intelligence or sanity, without fully breaking T & C protocol directly. But they tend to accomplish killing the discussion and dissuading others from freely sharing and discussing in many cases. I have recieved numerous U2U's from members in the past talking about this.

For a while I was scratching my head going, "Isn't this supposed to be the Aliens & UFO DISCUSSION forum? It seems like no discussion is even allowed by these folks without people being ridiculed and talked down to."

lol

Not sure why this even need saying, particularly on this thread...

What part of civility towards other members are some of you having such a hard time understanding?

Disagree, or agree, at your leisure. But you will do it politely. Personal attacks such as the ones above are not on.

Why is that so difficult to understand?

Just wanted to throw my two cents in as well...

You know what I do when I see something that I have a question about? I ask other members (FSME's or others who I know to be more knowledgeable than I) about it via U2U. So far, every time I've done this it was explained to me, or easily put into a better context etc...thus saving ATS bandwidth and me possible ridicule. I mean, yeah it's cool to have discussions in a forum atmosphere, but it's also pretty neat to have the ability to contact members directly and just have a one on one.

But in regards to the OP, I totally agree...it's ridiculous to see the amount of condescending remarks made by both believers and skeptics...not to mention the "drive by posts" that have been rampant. I don’t get it. If you don’t like a certain forum, don’t go there. If you do like a forum, but feel that is inundated with B.S., ignore the B.S. and sift through it to find the good stuff. That's the nature of the internet anyway IMO.

ATS is great in a lot of ways. I swear some people are looking the gift horse in the mouth.

I think it was Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite who said "You know what? If you don’t like it, you can leave."

Originally posted by IgnoreTheFacts
reply to post by Seventytwo

 

I'm sorry, my post actually added to the discussion at hand, despite it's twists and turns (as real world discussions will have).

And your discussion does what? it does EXACTLY what I illustrated in my posts. And the mods are doing what about your meaningless post?

I took it upon myself to personify you in connection with a previous post regarding your activity towards other members

The OP point of view is that members should not be abusive, I thought that the selected quotes were a good example of how not to behave.

I apologize if this upsets you.

You obviously have the right to be upset that someone used your text this way, It may be a revelation to you, who knows?

I'm sorry that i found it amusing, I wasn't trying to mock you in any way..

All the best

reply to post by DimensionalDetective


I agree with Springer, I would hope debunkers (I consider myself one) can say why they think the video is a hoax. I suggest that anyone posting have the ability to accept someone not agreeing with them.

As for me, I have NO problem with whatever anyone wants to say to me. I mean I have no idea who is saying something to me. If it's over the top, well it's just words. It doesn't affect me.

I have a concern of the number of people who do get over sensitive about being critisized. Are they too young to be on here? Are they looking for somehting other than a discussion? Are they looking to just "belong" somewhere and when someone questions them, they then feel bad about themselves?

Overall I have no problem with posters being critical of others, unfortunately I feel more posters are looking for attention than actually looking to report something to ATS.

Originally posted by IgnoreTheFacts

Springer, what you are in danger of doing is turning this place into a GLP clone

ROTFL asking folk to be polite and civil can in NO way make any site look like GLP, GLP may have more tolerance for the bizarre than you apparently like but it simply isn't a polite or civil site in any way.

Originally posted by FoxMulder91
reply to post by DoomsdayRex

 

Fair enough. People are going to have different opinions on what a rude comment is.

However, there are many ways of telling another user that you dont agree with what they are saying and there being no mix up of whether someone was being rude to another user.

There won't be any mix up? Look at how this thread is already being used, within this very thread.

Originally posted by Seventytwo
The OP point of view is that members should not be abusive, I thought that the selected quotes were a good example of how not to behave.

I read the post that this is relation to according to your hyperlink in your reply to your own thread. The mods and admins still can as far as I am aware.

I would suggest that liking someone to a dog could be construed as abusive and that is why your post was removed. If you used quotes I didn't not see any formatting that would indicated that was your intention.

It may be a cultural difference that can be misconstrued from its original meaning or it may be a genuine insult.

I believe this is why some people claim they're offended whilst others take it on the chin.

No disrespect to you or IgnoreTheFacts I just thought it should be made clear that I could see the potential for abusive language in that particular post.

-m0r

Originally posted by m0r1arty

Originally posted by Seventytwo
The OP point of view is that members should not be abusive, I thought that the selected quotes were a good example of how not to behave.

I read the post that this is relation to according to your hyperlink in your reply to your own thread. The mods and admins still can as far as I am aware.

I would suggest that liking someone to a dog could be construed as abusive and that is why your post was removed. If you used quotes I didn't not see any formatting that would indicated that was your intention.

It may be a cultural difference that can be misconstrued from its original meaning or it may be a genuine insult.

I believe this is why some people claim they're offended whilst others take it on the chin.

No disrespect to you or IgnoreTheFacts I just thought it should be made clear that I could see the potential for abusive language in that particular post.

-m0r

It wasn't my intention to insult someone
Especially in a thread that's about not insulting members

I know I'm an idiot sometimes but that would take the cake

However my actions were ill thought out and I apologize.

reply to post by amc621

I have a concern of the number of people who do get over sensitive about being critisized. Are they too young to be on here? Are they looking for somehting other than a discussion? Are they looking to just "belong" somewhere and when someone questions them, they then feel bad about themselves? Overall I have no problem with posters being critical of others, unfortunately I feel more posters are looking for attention than actually looking to report something to ATS.

Gosh, is this ever spot on.

reply to post by Seventytwo


I never inferred it was your intention to insult someone. I stated it could be a cultural difference.

If you feel like apologising I'd recommend a U2U to the person who could have felt insulted to that affect.

Again I'm not against you or anyone here. We each have a different way of stating our cases and sometimes certain people may take offense at that without us trying to offend them.

I think looking at the cultural differences and accepting them is a much better way to allow us all to believe what we believe and communicate in a fashion which shows the wonderful complex layers of each of our identities.

Thanks for the reply!

-m0r

reply to post by rusethorcain


Thanks for saying that. I sometimes feel like I should get off ATS. The reaction some people have when questioned makes me feel like ATS has become a place where posters can write ANYTHING and there is a competition to see who can be the most outrageous.

If the goal of ATS is to have people just come on and post whatever they want, and never be questioned, then this site is not for me.

This is not because I don't want to believe or don't believe in UFOs, Cryptids, ect, it's just I have no patience for people just screaming out "look at me! pay attention to me!"

I don't understand the hysteria this has caused.

What was requested was very straightforward and simple, don't attack someone for posting something that can be easily debunked. People have to remember that when you regularly post on a site like this, or have an active interest in the UFO phenomenom you develop an eye for what's unusual, what's a hoax and what's easily explainable. The average person however does not have this skill and can get excited by something quite mundane. It's human nature and perfectly understandable. These people don't deserve to be insulted or attacked for posting something that excited them. If it's easily explainable, then explain it. But don't be rude.

No-one is censoring opinions, or silencing skepticism. Be skeptical, it's vital. But don't abandon basic manners in favour of hostility in your desire to show someone how wrong they are. I hope that concept isn't too complex?

Originally posted by amc621
I sometimes feel like I should get off ATS. The reaction some people have when questioned makes me feel like ATS has become a place where posters can write ANYTHING and there is a competition to see who can be the most outrageous.

If the goal of ATS is to have people just come on and post whatever they want, and never be questioned, then this site is not for me.

This is not because I don't want to believe or don't believe in UFOs, Cryptids, ect, it's just I have no patience for people just screaming out "look at me! pay attention to me!"

Are you not capable of questioning or refuting a poster without being uncivil, your apparent command of the English language implies that you would indeed be capable of such refutation, but simply choose not to exercise the ability, fine if that's your attitude leave but do so knowing all that was required for you to stay was a little bit of normal civility and politeness, not too much of a task for most.

reply to post by Thepreye


Maybe I was not clear. I am very capable and have questioned politely many different post. Mostly I get back a angry answer, sometimes even twisting my words around. It's these repsonses that make me question the poster.

Lets face it MANY (98%) of the things said here are just outrageous. That doesn't mean they can't be true, but they are in the unbelievable ball park. So if your going to say something, be prepared to be questioned and back it up.

Is that too much to ask for?

reply to post by amc621



Obviously it's not too much to ask for but the questioning, appraisal and doubt MUST be couched in polite language no supercilious, derogatory or condescending attitudes no posturing to the mob and NO bullying. that really isn't too much to ask.

Unless you're in and out of prison or barely functioning on the margins of society it's how you live your real world life and how you should live on ATS.

People I know, my neighbors, people at the gym, people at work, all aspects of my life hardly ANYONE discusses the things we do here on ATS. When I do say stuff like big black delta, the illuminati, the corporate elite, UFO, GHOSTS, SPIRITS, and when I question the MSM they call me crazy. When I am looking up at the sky my neighbor calls me psycho man, asks what i'm looking at. Some of us get it enough in our every day walk of life we don't need it here... A good debate i'm down for, debating skills devolop with time, and some people are still devoloping their skill in UFO debating.