This is just my opinion, I'm not demanding anything. It's not my site.
This is just a suggestion.

I believe that topics involving a doomsday predictions, Possible Natural Disaster, should not be eligible for stars and flags. (Mainly the topics in The 2012 Forum, Fragile Earth etc.)

I think a simple subscribe button would be best, a email is sent that alerts when someone has replied to a poster.

It seems people posting Doom and Gloomy Topics, and replies for Stars and Flags. It's no secret that OP's, and replies that feature
"Comet Elenin is coming, to Destroy us all"
"Big Things Are Coming" (EarthQuake, Hurricane, Alien Invasions, etc)
Featuring what some guy found on youtube.

Are more popular then
Topics, replies that are backed by pure facts.

There is a huge separation in the amount of stars, in Most topics that feature doomsday replies, and factual replies.

You can look at any Topic in Fragile Earth, 2012. Etc..

Just replace flags and stars with a subscribe to thread button.
Doomsday should not be rewarding to anyone.
So get rid of Flags And Stars for these topics.

We are all here for proven facts rights? Not outrageous claims.
Fear Mongering should not be rewarded
All in my opinion.

so you're proposing ATS management should


1) decide for us which topics are apocalytic

ie, a topic that theorizes that the world's 'doomed' when fossils fuels run out?


and likewise

2) prevent ATS members from starring and flagging such topics because they wreak of fear mongering?


and are you kidding me, above top secret intel & theories are going to be proven fact? proven facts that are above top secret?? oh yea obviously they go hand in hand.



face it budd, alot of topics on ATS are about conspiracy theories & predictions. heck, 10yrs ago 9/11 visions would have been written off as fear-mongering per your proposition.

already its obvious mods move many unsubstantiated predictions as well as questionable fabrications to Skunkworks. isnt that good enuf? whats wrong with preserving ATSer freedom on what they star & flag?

and if ATS could decide what type of topics we can and cannot S/F, what would that mean in the bigger picture?

I think opinion threads should be banned

I think people are too concerned about stars and flags.

Honestly, I don't even give these two things any consideration. When reading a post, it's about the message to me, not about how many stars or flags it has.

Doomsday topics with a ton of stars and flags, if untrue, are still untrue at the end of the day even with all of those S+F's. In my opinion, bickering about ATS point systems and rating systems belies the site's purpose.

Originally posted by LeTan
I think people are too concerned about stars and flags.

Honestly, I don't even give these two things any consideration. When reading a post, it's about the message to me, not about how many stars or flags it has.

Doomsday topics with a ton of stars and flags, if untrue, are still untrue at the end of the day. In my opinion, bickering about ATS point systems and rating systems belies the site's purpose.

edit on 21-9-2011 by LeTan because: (no reason given)

I was gonna give you a star for your comment but I can't..........

them losing their credibility and reputation once their predictions turn out to be thrash neutralizes all of the s&f anyway, so why bother?

Originally posted by jamsession
them losing their credibility and reputation once their predictions turn out to be thrash neutralizes all of the s&f anyway, so why bother?

Actually it doesn't. People have memories like goldfish around here including the people who make the failed predictions. It's rarely long before you see them up to their same old antics again, fooling the exact same members for the nth time. Every day is ground hog day in the forums.

IRM

The old statistic of the view count was a better indicator of the interest in some of the topics and posts that are thought provoking and interesting, but not star provoking.

I was always keenly interested in how many people had read a post of mine.

Not sure what the big deal is about stars and flags. Are we allowed to turn them in for sweet ATS items? Honestly, when FEMA takes over they'll probably seek out those with the most stars and flags and send them to the reeducation camps.

It really doesn't matter anyway, we will all be destroyed by ELEnin shortly. DOOM!!!

Originally posted by Feltrick
Not sure what the big deal is about stars and flags. Are we allowed to turn them in for sweet ATS items? Honestly, when FEMA takes over they'll probably seek out those with the most stars and flags and send them to the reeducation camps.

It really doesn't matter anyway, we will all be destroyed by ELEnin shortly. DOOM!!!

Yep go a week without Stars and Flags..
If activity goes down. And if people starting making threads about "Why am I not getting stars and flags."
I'm sure that will happen.
Well then I was right. This is becoming Dooms Day Site.

I'm working on a little experiment about this site to prove my point. My results will be included by the end of next week or so.