Stars and Flags

Is it just me or has anyone else notice as of late ,that people don't star and flag thread posts anymore ,now as much as a lot of you would say ,"i'm not bothered by stars and flags" well i know you don't mean that ,everyone likes to see there posts or threads get stars and flags ,it part of the appreciation of your work and effort and time ,now i'm not on about my threads in particular ,i'm talking about most of the threads created in the last mth or so ,its getting worse and worse.

I've seen some great threads ,well presented get like ,one flag and a few stars ,why the two line comments (mostly sarcastic) get 5 to 10 stars ,the problem with this is ,it promotes sarcastic trollers insearch of stars ,it also puts the thread into oblivion in a few hours of being posted ,and discourages people from bothering to create threads anymore ,as all you get is trollers and jokers ,and serious debate goes out the window.


Intelligent conversation is being lost to the trollers at ATS as of late.

reply to post by TheMaverick


I couldn't agree with you more. It's really frustration. As I said in another rant this afternoon, it looks to me like a group has infiltrated ATS with an agenda.

They seem to be young or re-ignited zealots who are collaberating come on the boards en mass. They create thread titles to attract people, who believe that there will be actual dialog. Instead they bullbait, attact and ridicule their opposition. They star and flag their freinds, like high fives, for ignorance, intolerance, personal insults and mockery.

Then, they say that they're doing it because the fear for our closed minded, immoral and ignorant lifestyles. WTF! If you "fight fire with fire" they either complain about you to the MODS or ask their threads to be closed because they don't like the feed back!

Good rant. S&F

It is a reflection of the new members we've gotten over the past few months. ATS has grown in popularity and has garnered a following of some really great thinkers. But with the wheat comes the chaff.

While I'm one of the ones that don't particularly get bent out of shape if I don't get stars or flags (mostly because I don't post that often), I, too, share your frustration that posts like "OMG thats the dummest thing ive seen!!" get 10 stars, yet well thought out posts get scragged and languish with nothing.

I try to go out of my way to read every thread that I click on, and even if I don't agree with the content as long as it's well thought out, well written, and shows critical thinking, I'll star and flag them.

S&F

/TOA

reply to post by TheMaverick


i just came from a thread where the poster made comment showing they lacked comprehending the OP event took place in the UK by way of remark. oversight, error or lack of comprehension. and the stars went more than half-way across the post.

so there is a slew of stars..people agreeing with the comment - which was worthy of none, as it was blatantly incorrect.

it shows me one has to take things with a huge grain of salt.

another thread i read through this evening, some woman aged 25 who hid the fact she was pregnant then did away with the twins almost as soon as they were born. there was 6 pages when i read through. one particular poster was nothing shy of appalling and was called out for her comments by many. it was disturbing. the one post i found to give an original and thought-provoking viewpoint received a rude comment back, how they were just shocked at that POV.

on the overall i think the stars and flags only carry the weight or credibility we give them.

as for good exchange of points of view on this site i say best of luck. i've really not found much of it in the months i've been here. like everyone else i've been ignored by posters who abandon the thread right off, OP's who prefer to be curt and dismissive, and i'm sorry to say i've dashed off some nastiness a few times in reply to statements i've found to be incredibly stupid. words tossed in upset or anger i later regret. stimulating back and forth exchange? very minimal.

one thing i've noticed that is consistent on a weekly basis is comments on how things aren't what they used to be. another is the time i've been here, there exists many threads based on tabloid type sources/links, as well as OP headlines written in overblown sensational tabloid style.

in reflection, maybe some sites suffer for their own popularity. just as a product new to the marketplace has it curves and peaks as it progresses through the selling and saturation cycle, different sites probably also go through phases, peaks and valleys for various reasons.

I agree. It seems if you dont post an elenin thread or your screen name ends in "hage" nobody really cares. Glad Im not the only one who noticed this almost contribed popularity contest

I haven't been here for long, but the speed in which topics come in is quite fast. I usually use the live-topic feed option to check-in and see if any new interesting topics have been created. The topics on there regularly change and vary in degrees of seriousness and effort in the actual writing of the topic. I think the more effort the topic has required, the more stars and flags it acquires and the more serious conversation follows.

On the other hand, some topics aren't very well written, they may be short, or even ironic in their own nature. So, you can guess what kind of replies they get.

Maybe it should be a question of more harsh moderating? Or then, a better explanation of what stars & flags are really all about?

I'm curious, as to what the general consensus is about this.

reply to post by TheMaverick


Replies are more valuable for me than stars and flags.

Getting more replies mean that the reader is involved with my passage.

Getting stars mean that I have written a passage that others like it.

Some times people should just be involved , they can take their time to get to a conclusion.

There needs to be a T button next to the S & F. Lets weed out the trolls!

Can I have a star?

Please?

reply to post by Death_Kron


You're welcome

I never cared about stars and flags but I know what you are saying.

It seems all the jokes and crude comments get starred or the most absurd threads get flagged and on the front. I have started going to each forum Iike and looking at new threads that way. It eliminates the crap that is flooding the recent posts page


I star and flag those with good content or answers that are thought out and well researched, same goes for the thread. I also flag if I want others to see it to get more info on it.

The whole taking flags back to me is childish and I can't believe they put that system in

reply to post by TheMaverick


Nope its not like it used to, but here's a tip:

1. Post a stupid youtube video which claims some extraordinary contoversial point of view

2. Write one line of text

Then Boom! You will get 100+ flags....that how poor this website has become lately. The mental age of the general ATS population has severely declined as of late

Mate

This is the way I see it.

I spend a fair amount of my time scanning and reading between the lines of our apparent reality. I have generated a few threads relating to that reality and have garnered few stars and flags. Stars and flags are not what I'm looking for, however, if you feel the need feel free to check them out and go star the bejesus out of them.

There are a few sites and 1 in particular that log "times viewed". That to me is far more important than all the stars in the observable universe. Not too much ego here I'm afraid.

Anyway, fingers drunk ................, enjoy the whatever malarkey and I'll be back on deck sharp Monday.

Cheers

reply to post by OzWeatherman

....that's how poor this website has become lately. [color=CEFFBD]The mental age of the general ATS population has severely declined as of late

[color=CEFFBD]There are a few specific points, that could be used as good examples for proving this. The amount of stars & flags, that this thread has received, is also a very good example of the aforementioned decline.


I am sure that many would agree with this↓ comment.

Originally posted by mblahnikluver

I star and flag those with good content or answers that are thought out and well researched, same goes for the thread. I also flag if I want others to see it to get more info on it.

On the other hand, I am also sure that some who agree with that comment, also flagged and starred this thread.

I am not trying to put you down, Maverick. This is a Rant, which you are entitled to. Personally, I love to rant, but that does not mean that any good researched content has been provided within this thread.

I have seen it with my own posts. I will not deny the fact that sometimes, I am a smartass. Also, I am capable of being rude. Occasionally, I may even enjoy it just a lil bit.
maybe, just maybe

My own posts, that end up with the most stars, have had a few distinct similarities. Before I continue, I want to make it clear that fishing for 'stars,' is never my intention. Intended or not, I am still curious, and often do go back a couple days later, just to look and see. Well researched posts, that may even be capable of teaching a thing or two, just as I had learnt during the researching, usually only get a couple stars.

The posts that gain the most, are always:
[color=FFF4BA]

Short
[color=FFF4BA]

Witty
[color=FFF4BA]

Pointless

also, they are posts that I would not have given 1 star.

 

Shortly after SO announced the new feature of 'Un-Flagging,' I posted this:

Originally posted by BrokenCircles

I don't like it. I like the idea of it, but I dislike the ugly red oval that is now there. I can foresee myself not flagging many threads, for no other reason than I do not want to look at that annoying, distracting, red 'button.'

That has proven to be 100% accurate.
Do I think that is right? No. Not really.
Regardless, I still don't like red.
It stands out too much, and clashes with the rest of the site.

This isn't necessarily always true though. I believe it is relatively balanced between the two extremes.

I admit some of my hardest work and deepest thought gets totally ignored for the most part, but other times my hard work is appreciated by others greatly.

It all depends and the situations go both ways.

I advise against seeing the world in absolutes, and instead we should look towards various shades of probability.

Learn how things work, and utilize this knowledge to your advantage. Seek to expand your knowledge everyday, look for the truth even if you initially disagreed with it. Don't be afraid of being wrong, I am wrong a few times every day here at ATS, but when someone points this out to me in a very well constructed and structured manner, I will be quick to detract my original point of view and edit it accordingly. Be open to change, but make sure you find the right solutions before you commit to them.

Believe in yourself, and avoid allowing the flow of our discussions to bring you down. This is important because we must stay motivated and consistently push forward to accomplish greater deeds.

I do not search for stars and flags, I search for the truth. When I get stars and flags, I do feel reassured but many times it can feel hollow when 20 pages later you find out that the original assumptions are invalid. This is ok. Just take a deep breath and push onward. If you have good in your heart than you will be recognized for this, at least from me.

Lift your heads up. The good folks in the world are indeed winning this information war, albeit slowly. Slow and stead always yields the best results.

I admit I have failed at this many times, perhaps daily. But I will not let my failures bring me down, instead I will choose to embrace them and allow them to rise me up. This is the key.

And it is what I believe ATS is all about. Learning and sharing.

Stars and flags are not absolute, in fact I would have to say it's entirely random often times. But if you learn something and raise your own consciousness to a higher level, you have total success. This is not a popularity contest, it is a battle for truth. Stay strong and push forward.

Judging the entire website off the actions of a few or even half of the population is a major mistake in my opinion.

I judge the value of ATS on this simple question "Have I learned anything?", and with this condition I find myself always gaining something from this forum of discussion.

Judge ATS by what you can gain from it, and what you can offer to others. Not by the fads or popularity of various things.

Also, make sure that you do not take a few poor posters and interpret it to mean the whole website is poor in quality, this is a critical misunderstanding.

If you have helped one person learn something, than this website's ultimate purpose was achieved. This can be a difficult conclusion to arrive at, but if you are persistent and fair you will succeed.

reply to post by muzzleflash


great post.

very useful for me.

I admit I have failed at this many times, perhaps daily. But I will not let my failures bring me down,

I think that we have lots of opportunities in our life. I don't lose . I just learn that I have been wrong. So I take it like wining.

And when I get one opportunity out of my hand , I see that there are other opportunities.

I judge the value of ATS on this simple question "Have I learned anything?"

I believe in using math in daily life. We usually use it . Ordering our comment will make it easier for others to understand. And easy for our selves to remember.

i wrote a thread which had no stars , no flags and no replies. the first one like that i ahve ever seen. damn that shift button, the spelling mistakes and .... no replies. the first time i have seen that happen . www.abovetopsecret.com...

everyone has a way of talking and commucating just because they aren't like you doesn't mean anything.

i always felt that if i got star or flagged great

if not thats ok too.

for me it was never about getting recognition for what i post its about saying my piece about any given topic

and then move on if people are looking to be rewarded for what they post

then i say there are some of us out here who arent bothered by it.