posted on Dec, 20 2011 @ 02:08 PM
Seems to me your questions are rhetorical. You already have your opinions of each question. Now you appear to be arguing with people who give ansers
you don't like. You appear to be taking issue with quite a number of ATS policies and also appear to be accusing it of being government-run, not
something you approve of, of course. So let me answer a couple of your questions, real or implied:
1. What is/should be the job of a moderator?
To do what ATS ownership wants them to do. That's it. It has nothing to do with what you or anyone else thinks they ought to do. None of us controls
the show. Moderators are independent unpaid operators and, as I have often said, moderation at times can be somewhat erratic. I'm sure we've all
seen some moderation that we don't agree with. I'm always a bit amazed to see a post with a dozen stars get modded as off topic. Obviously the
membership approved of what was said. That kind of "override" has me puzzled and makes me curious as to what was said. Some mods come across as
being officious, but they may simply believe they are being succinct. But, on the whole, I think the moderation system works well.
So, you see that there is more than one thread on a topic, therefore mods "aren't doing their job!" Meh? All things being equal, that's probably
the least of anyone's worries. People don't do that intentionally. They are not trying to be evil. Given someone posting an obscenity laced rant
against another member versus a duplicate thread, I personally would prefer mods go after the former. They may be rather thinly dispersed and the fact
is, we don't know how many they catch before we even see them. Give them a break. Does a duplicate thread harm you? Probably not. You can live with
it if you try.
2. I thought ATS was against censorship of any kind.
Then you weren't paying attention. ATS, as a private site, can set the rules it wants. Your "first amendment rights" don't apply here. The first
amendment is between the government and citizens in public places. That's all.
3. Why won't they allow drug discussions?
Mostly because they are, by and large, illegal. ATS wants to be "family friendly" so lots of stuff is out of bounds, such as obscenity and
pornography--and druge. The real point, however, is that they don't need to have a reason that is acceptable to you. They don't have to have a
reason at all. They can "just say No" and that's the end of it. It's a well known restriction that has been explained many, many times. Time to
move on from this subject. Get over it.
4. But they allow you to post directions to make a pipe gun!
So? The thing you're not getting is that you are not the judge here, except insofar as you choose to be here or not. Pointing out what you think is
an "inconsistency" in ATS reasoning is irrelevant. They don't think like you do. And since they are the ones paying for the site, they get to
choose the rules. Proclaiming that ATS is "unfair" is simply a child's way of saying, "I don't agree." The answer to that is, "So?" Any parent
recognizes the "unfair" ploy. It's just a kid's way of manipulation to get what he wants.
5. Is ATS a government-run disinformation site?
No. Of course some people think so anyway. I suppose they are entitled to their delusions. After all, as a conspiracy site everything is nefarious. If
you are REALLY worried about this, the last thing you should do is post here. THEY know who you are and now you're in the database. It's just a
matter of time before they come for you.
6. There are disinfomation agents on this site!
Unlikely. ATS members spread disinformation very well all by themselves. You don't really need "disinformation agents" because the clear majority
of stuff posted on ATS is already disinformation. It's not INTENTIONAL disinformation, but the fact is most of the conspiracies discussed here are
not conspiracies at all. They simply reflect the overactive imaginations of people who see conspiracies everywhere. These people live for conspiracies
and would be very disappointed if there weren't any. Life wouldn't be nearly as fun. It's a bit of a game, you see, like immersing yourself in
WoW.
The bottom line is this: You don't pay for this site. You use it for free. Although you are free to make suggestions, you have no say in how the site
is run or what the rules are. You have only one option: Stay or leave. Nobody cares one way or another. If you stay you may get some feedback on your
thoughts, such as here. If you contribute in a positive way, you will likely get more positive feedback. If those sorts of kudos float your boat you
may be inclined to post some more. If you leave, very likely you will not be missed.
It's a cruel world.