Option to prevent disagreers from replying to certain threads.

Wouldn't it be neat to have an OPTION for the OP to prevent people who disagrees with the thread topic from replying?

Threads such as the ones about Nibiru, chem trails, 2012 etc. are often attacked by disagreers. Their replies contribute nothing what so ever to the thread. They can be one liners that attack the OP with insults or jokes. Or huge long passages quoted from somewhere else. These are all useless spam that take up space on the thread. Popular threads can go up to 20 pages and HALF of them are just spam from disagreers.

If there was a option that tells disagreers to stay away, hence no more bitterness and bickering with each other in the thread.

Imagine talking with a friend about unicorns. Then some guy runs up between you two and starts flapping their arms and jumping up and down screaming about how unicorns do no exist. Pretty annoying isn't it?

Bad idea. ATS promotes free speech and the denial of ignorance. Stopping people from replying completely goes against that.

Originally posted by balon0
Wouldn't it be neat to have an OPTION for the OP to prevent people who disagrees with the thread topic from replying?

So you think people should be allowed to make up any nonsense about silly things like "Nibiru" and post pictures of simple contrails and claim that they are pictures of "chemtrails" without having their nonsense and lies pointed out?

So you want to censor people who do not agree with you!

reply to post by balon0


I disagree



Although they can be quite annoying, they have the right to feel as they do (or get paid to feel as they do)

reply to post by balon0


yours is a really good idea, the noisy negativist trolls can make their own d**n threads ***bashing*** whoever whatever they want. there is your freedom of speech.



Mod Note: All Caps – Please Review This Link.

Part of freedom of speach is open and honest dialogue .. NOT just one side forcing its views upon all...
To do otherwise is exactly what leads to censorship, repression and oppression..
*shakes head exits post wondering whats with all those seeking to curb freedom of speach here lately..*

if a thread or topic has any truth to it, the truth will shine through regardless of those disagreeing or debunking.
if thread has no truth then it needs those very people (which is all of us, depending on the topic) to point it out.

reply to post by balon0


So would the computer scan brain signals for negative thoughts? How would the site know if someone was going to challenge your post or agree with you or not?

So, presumably, you want the option to deny replies from people that disagree with your premise?

So much for freedom of speech; so much for freedom of expression; so much for freedom.

if you want to discuss your prejudiced opinions with like-minded people, subscribe to a blog or such that favors your opinion... or create your own censored blog for that purpose....

And don't promote it on this forum without asking permission from the site owners.

Yeah they muck up a lot of threads that way, it is against the rules to post on liners, off topic posts, personal attacks, etc. However many of the trolls are good at just barely staying inside the rules while continuing to post non contributing posts to the thread to muddy the water with more subtle and veiled attacks and ridicule etc. The mods are supposed to take care of it but they can't be every where. You can send an alert on each of those types of posts however I have found they rarely get dealt with by the mods.

I would error on the side of free speech and just do the best we can, we don't want to discourage disagreement but we want meaningful discussion both pro and con...

Oops.
A lot of disagreement on this thread

Originally posted by balon0
Imagine talking with a friend about unicorns. Then some guy runs up between you two and starts flapping their arms and jumping up and down screaming about how unicorns do no exist. Pretty annoying isn't it?

Imagine two friends trying to have a private conversation. The problem is they are trying to have that private conversation in the middle of a public forum. How rude is it to walk to the center of a crowd and then get upset that they can take part in your conversation. It would seem that you are not looking for an internet forum but a phone call, private chat, or just a cozy hangout for a few close friends that all agree with you.

When you come to ATS, you are walking into a PUBLIC SPACE. To then whine that the public has access to what you do there is puzzling.

So the OP is proposing a full time job for hundreds of mods. Because that's what it would take. Or hey, maybe posters could have the option of deleting the posts of others! Good idea - not.
Apart from being undo-able, the suggestion is downright silly and offensive even.

i have to agree with OP.

there are some very reasonable and intelligent 'deny ignorance' folks, like Phage...

...and there's that whole bunch of trolls/disinfo agents/people with personal issues, that just have to bash every single topic they don't agree with, derailing valuable discussion, because they're not able to bring some interesting stuff on their own.

besides, it works both ways... perhaps it could be integrated with enemy list? you can ban someone from your threads, someone can ban you from his... isn't that fair? doesn't that guarantee freedom of speech, where everyone can discuss whatever they want, without being constantly bashed by those in constant denial regardless of evidence? but no, of course not, because those deniers have no valuable threads to ban you from, so the idea of protecting your right to discuss things in polite and intelligent ways has to be evil... yeah, right. way to go, ATS.

reply to post by balon0


Bet you wish you had that option right now huh?

So, yes it's a bad idea, and not because of the freedom of speech thing either, because there's no such thing on a moderated forum.

It's a bad idea because it would stifle conversations and create a boring back slapping environment.

Worst idea ever. Denying someones right to free speech is a crime. If you don`t like it, just learn to ignore it.

reply to post by Chadwickus


no. valuable posters wouldn't abuse that feature, and it would just help them to protect their threads from random trolls. those who would abuse it to create what you describe... well, would be soon left without any readers of their threads. it would possibly create a split, half of the threads would be even more valuable than now, while the other half would be very easily distinguishable as useless stuff. is that really that bad? i think not.

I would settle for the OP to have the ability to delete thier own thread at least.

reply to post by jedi_hamster


You say random trolls, but who defines who is a troll? The thread starter?

From what I gather from the OP of this thread, even those who disagree and brought facts to the table are considered trolls.

I don't see that being abused at all....

Given the amount of cerebral heavyweights here, any OP whose premise cannot stand up to robust scrutiny and challenge, is not worthy of the name and perhaps should not be posted at all.

Trolls are trolls; close their argument down, ignore them, expose and report them. Not every dissenter is a troll, not every troll is a dissenter.