Why is it that really crappy off the wall threads get a billion flags, but the well thought out ones

I've noticed here lately that the more bogus or ignorant a thread is, the more flags it gets. Meanwhile, those threads that the author put sincere time, energy and thought into remain unflagged and unreplied to... Someone makes a doomday prediction about a date next week because of the pattern of wrinkles on his baby's butt, flagapulooza, but someone else spends hours researching and writing a thread and the cobwebs begin forming the second it's posted...

There has to be some psychological reason behind this... What is it?

*Of course, I full well expect this thread to die, as it lacks that 'tabloid' touch....

reply to post by JaxonRoberts


That avatar fits you perfectly. I really felt a touch of Spock in that post.
Your absolutely 100% correct in your assessment of what's wrong with threads lately.

Edit to add..

I've noticed here lately that the more bogus or ignorant a thread is, the more flags it gets. Meanwhile, those threads that the author put sincere time, energy and thought into remain unflagged and unreplied to...

I honestly believe their is an attempt at destroying ATS's credibility happening with this nonsense.


Edit to add again. Not the old Spock but the new one >

reply to post by JaxonRoberts


many times here, i noticed, threads get flagged bagillion times just because it`s overly winded. thesaurus over substance.

I was actually talking with someone about this recently. I am not sure... It just seems that there is no rhyme or reason for what the members of ATS will flag at any given time...

People love drama and seem to flourish in the threads that suggest major drama is in the near future, no matter how ludicrous, the implied drama may be.

Then you have the well thought out, well researched and well written threads... Perhaps there is just not much one can add to those in a lot of cases? Maybe people feel like all that can be said, was already said in the OP?

But that can't always be the case, I have had a few threads like that, that were VERY successful. So.... Who knows.

Does this really need to be answered?

I think a lot of people come onto ATS expecting it's population to be composed of critical-thinking 'free peoples'. Though, the more reasonable assumption would be the opposite. I've read some amazing threads, however. Though for every amazing thread there are 5 about a picture of a potato chip looking like an alien species from Fire in the Sky. Being argued about in a serious fashion.

reply to post by JaxonRoberts


ATS is becoming much more mainstream these days.

You are seeing the rise of normality as it seems to be called these days.

Enjoy the madhouse!!!



Let me be the first to sarcastially state to you that...



We are all going to die tomorrow.



PS: I hear you!

I really think this site is just getting its share of societies worries with the problems we all face. Reality becomes a blur when you find out that you placed your best cards in the middle of a tornado if that makes sense.

reply to post by JaxonRoberts

Why

Because ATS is becoming a mainstream site, with an ever-increasing proportion of users who are "average Joe's." The content that appeals to these people is similarly "average."

This process has been ongoing for years.

I worked my ass off thinking about and composing my post which posits viable insights in to ufo's project blue beam and chemtrails, unfortunately the conclusions it comes to aren't to everyones taste, but they are based on reason... Yet it drew little attention. Instead of writing animal poop on my thread I I wrote a decent thought provoking set of hypothersis' which I would have liked people to discuss, to agree or disagree. I aint had much. : ( Maybe its just a bad thread though, it is my first. oh well...

To be honest where I stand:

Its up to the members of ATS what they star and flag. Its a democracy in that way, popularity contests are how the whole world works and ATS is a part of it, thread posters really need to suck it up, hope the message gets through to those that care, and if doesn't post again and hope your new topic gets some interest, such is the life of an online journalist, which is what ATS lets us be. Thanks ATS for this fun privilage. : )

It could be that the crazy theory threads give more room for discussion, people try to show their own points of view and debunkers get more fun. I mean, if someone comes here and write something the majority of the readers agree with, some people reply with "you're absolutely right", "I agree", and such. After a few replies like this, people just read it, agree and see there's plenty of positive replies, therefore thinking it might be useless to be "just one more in the crowd", and just leave. It's like "Nothing to argue, nothing to debunk, ok, nice thread. Let's get back to that thread where the guy recorded his dog barking, reversed the sound and found out his pet is actually giving a warning about the coming invasion of emo greys from zeptilionaidean star system."

I think there is a psychology behind it and would be interested if any of our professionals on ats could contribute, that would be great.

I think that my personal best threads have been thread fails, and my most nincompoopery ones have got 400 flags lol. Mind you I do a lot of fun silly threads.

Perhaps the readers just want a "quick fix". Heavy research requiring heavy thought....doesn't fly, but why?
People like to have fears fueled.
People like to fuel fears.
People like the attention that they get (this is not a judgment) from their posts.

Most of all, I think the need to get attention or connect is primary.
Attention is trying to fill a void, why do we think FaceBorg has worked so well?
Everyone wants to be recognized, what they are really trying is to do is be understood, but self understanding often gets replaced by ego stroking.
Meah we are all just being human here.....

reply to post by JaxonRoberts


I've noticed it too! My speculation is as follows (in no particular order).

• Planned invasion of ATS to promote Fear-Mongering, Hate, Disunity, and Ignorance.

• Planned invasion of ATS to promote irrelevancies to cover up and suppress the real issues.

• Mass inflow of immature, ignorant, and uneducated people.

• ATS has become so "mainstream" as to follow entertainment over value, just like television.


Just my opinion. But the level of immaturity, ignorance, stupidity, fear, hate, and disunity is getting annoying, disheartening, and out of hand. Getting tired of threads and posts based on propaganda instead of truth.

I really believe it's a disinfo, distraction, and disunity effort and infiltration.

Some are easily impressed.....

Because alot of people would rather spend time trying to prove something wrong, than something right?

reply to post by JaxonRoberts


While I have not written enough original threads to make any statements about flags, I certainly have noticed that the posts I feel stupidest about writing the more stars they get. A lot of the times I write something and am afraid to look back at the replies... yet half the time I look back to see a bunch of stars at the top. On the other hand, when I write something I'm spectacularly proud of, I'm lucky to see a single star on it. Maybe its that lack of certainty that people like in a post? For the next few days I'll author my posts in the form of clueless guesses... or will I?

reply to post by JaxonRoberts


Flags, what are flags? That is the attitude to adopt I think. Do they truly matter in any real way?

Okay, I am looking at the responses and looking at the flag counts of each to determine whether I should even read their response....


Flags CAN mean something I think, but they don't have to. It is a shame that many good threads don't get much sunshine, but, like others (with a flag count) have pointed out, ATS is popular.

Apologies to those with no flag count that might have pointed out the same thing, I might have skipped over your comment....(sarcasm font)

I don't pay attention to flags on a thread. I had found that the ones with most flags though, tend to be the ones that least interest me. And then upon reading this thread, i found that most of the ones that i found not-interesting were the ridiculous threads with 600 flags about a reptilian from planet sieg-heil arguing with another being from planet achtung.

The doomsday mentality has infiltrated our society consistently through various agendas, just like marketing schemes and commercials. It is especially rampant on ATS because not only does it influence the unconscious mind, but we pay tribute to it with the conscious mind. Our constant worship of "Ignorance" coupled with our egos, which are supported with the motto of this website "Deny Ignorance" makes us feel justified in our ignorance. Thus, we (conspiracy theorists) are ASSAULTED with lack of perspective that come from within our own selves.

But what do I know... you make a good point though.

Originally posted by LordBucket
reply to post by JaxonRoberts

 

Why

Because ATS is becoming a mainstream site, with an ever-increasing proportion of users who are "average Joe's." The content that appeals to these people is similarly "average."

This process has been ongoing for years.

edit on 9-11-2010 by LordBucket because: (no reason given)

Ugh thats a terrible thought... 5 years from now when everyone is using ATS like facebook and those few of us who remained will mutter in silence "I remember the days..."..

Much like the internet really, I remember the days when it was less for hip cool cats and more for serious nerds. I remember one of my cousins saying he'd never get into it because it's just not his thing.

Sucker, well I suppose if you consider facebook and myspace the entirety of the internet, he's hooked.

Sad... ATS should break off into separate forums if they want to mainstream the site. One half kept for the purpose if was intended for, and the other half for the 'cool kids '.. Oh wait, BTS.

I give up..

reply to post by JaxonRoberts


I didn't flag your post because I find it neither bogus nor ignorant. I tried to think up some cool psychological reasoning behind your observation, but the only thing I could come up with is that, for the most part, people are dumb, numb, and/or blind most of the time. The nice thing is that people can change.