This is an OFF-TOPIC rant...

Why do we choose to ignore the T&C's in topics which we consider unimportant?

Let me put it this way:
When I go to the Music catagory, I don't have to scroll through pages of comments saying, "you guys are stupid, music is for retards".
When I visit the Computer Help thread, there aren't people chiming in saying, "Oh no, not this rubbish again, get a life you nerds".
When I visit the 2012Election threads, I don't see people saying it's time for all the Ron Paul threads to be hoaxed now, because he is not running for office and people were wrong.

But, on some threads (mostly speculative topics) this is allowed to run rampant?

I'm wondering why there is a thirst for off-topic posts, just because it is a highly speculative topic?

An off-topic post is easy to spot, and doesn't need to resort to claims of disinfo or anything... It's just off-topic because it doesn't apply to the subject being presented.... Easy! So why do we choose to follow the rules on only certain sections of the board?

Pretty soon I am expecting to go to a General Chit-Chat thread about bettering your life, and have people claim it is now a HOAX because they tried it, and their life isn't better - "Time to HOAXbin this garbage"

Although right now, I don't see this madness everywhere.... unless I:
Turn to the Aliens and UFO forum, or the 2012 forum and now it's a free for all?
I go the Grey Area/SkunkWorks and I have to scroll past 20 pages before I can join in the discussion?
For some reason, it's incredibly difficult to have a discussion about certain topics unless the general consensus allows it.

I'll be super annoying and repeat that:
It's INCREDIBLY difficult to have a discussion about certain topics unless the general consensus allows it.

This is my rant, and I'm just letting out some steam and reminding myself of this fact as well. Seeing as I too have been guilty of this from time to time.

Let's just say that there are people at the top of their game investigating all sorts of 'fringe' subject matter, yet their discussions are rarely ever allowed to prosper.
I may not be one of these experts, but I sure do love reading about the things I choose to click on, and i feel we should allow the subject to take it's course?

In no way is my rant directed at any particular members or the mods at all, nor am I hinting at any ulterior motives or anything of the sort.
It's just a general reminder to allow threads to flower, even if we may not be interested in the subject at hand.

reply to post by adrift


Agreed. I also think they should have a little box in the right hand corner "I have read this post" for every post in thread, before one can post into the thread. That way most people will have read the entire thread before commenting.

Originally posted by thesungod
That way most people will have read the entire thread before commenting.

Haha yeah, it's like joining a book club when you haven't read a book, or reviewing a movie when you haven't even watched it.
It blows my mind sometimes.

reply to post by adrift


I've stated this several times: I am not here to learn. If I wanted to learn about, say, human anatomy, I'd go to a biology site. If I want to learn about outer space, I go to nasa.org. Physics, maybe a site at M.I.T.

Point being, I'm here for the chat. If tidbits of knowledge come my way while I'm shooting the breeze, then I can choose to research it or not.

So, if I start a thread on the topic of how the very first living cell came into existence, and someone added something about evolution after the living cell (which would be off topic), well, I don't mind. All I care about is that it's interesting.

reply to post by adrift


I agree being called a shill/disinfo agent just because you post evidence that shatters thier thread
Some resort to assleep/sheep/dumb/ calling .

Kind of amusing at first to see that when the olympic threads went up any who dissagreed were
met with resistance shouting what are you dong on ATS get off this is a conspiracy site etc.

Or you better mark my words mr shill as your going to dip out you sheep if you dont listen to
me.Well when nothing happened and after constant name calling of sheep assleep etc
Nothing happened but then some came on in a furious state when it all went tits up

I admit i am no angel too but will mostly react to bullying of other members i see .

reply to post by jiggerj


That's a cool way to look at it, and I see where you are coming from.
(i must remind myself of what you stated when I get all angsty)

The problem is that I have learned so much here in the past, I sometimes like to just let all the raw info flow - no matter how much I agree with it or not.

Although you are right, the different personalities/views sometimes make the whole experience worthwhile

reply to post by thesungod


Just because people check a box saying they read something doesn't mean they actually read and/or understand the posts. They'll still just breeze right over all the info and post their near-identical, off-topic post anyway.

You can pretty much know an entire thread by reading the first few pages anyway. It doesn't change much after that. Just rinse and repeat.

I hope my post wasn't off-topic. I didn't read the ENTIRE thread before posting, just most of it. Does that count for anything?

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


True but maybe this will help. Let's say we do get a "box checker" who then rinses and repeats, we could T&C that they get score taken away with an alert to the staff? Maybe other penalties?

Originally posted by jiggerj
reply to post by adrift

 

I've stated this several times: I am not here to learn. If I wanted to learn about, say, human anatomy, I'd go to a biology site. If I want to learn about outer space, I go to nasa.org. Physics, maybe a site at M.I.T.

Point being, I'm here for the chat. If tidbits of knowledge come my way while I'm shooting the breeze, then I can choose to research it or not.

So, if I start a thread on the topic of how the very first living cell came into existence, and someone added something about evolution after the living cell (which would be off topic), well, I don't mind. All I care about is that it's interesting.

Agreed...

I will read anything interesting.

If you choose to make a thread on ATS.

You need to be a little thick skinned. Also, to just ignore the drive-bys.

Originally posted by NarcolepticBuddha

 

I hope my post wasn't off-topic. I didn't read the ENTIRE thread before posting, just most of it. Does that count for anything?

It's only really the "This topic is stupid....Let me tell you why" crowd that gets my goat in a tangle.
It sometimes destroys the flow completely. Reminds me of the Casino employees who come to bug you when the whole table is on a winning streak

Originally posted by thesungod
reply to post by adrift

 

Agreed. I also think they should have a little box in the right hand corner "I have read this post" for every post in thread, before one can post into the thread. That way most people will have read the entire thread before commenting.

Yeah, I totally agree with what you said above....

The worst thing is that people come up with loads of comments or ideas regarding certain threads even though the subject matter has been gone over and over before earlier in the thread....

This always drives me insane, that is the reason for forums, you have to keep up to date with how a certain thread is going to keep in tune as to what is going on...

If people just chimed in haphazardly within normal daily conversation and it was obvious that the person concerned wasn't paying attention to the ongoing conversation, then they wouldn't have many people to talk to in the real world would they?

Originally posted by davethebear

 

If people just chimed in haphazardly within normal daily conversation and it was obvious that the person concerned wasn't paying attention to the ongoing conversation, then they wouldn't have many people to talk to in the real world would they?

Bravo sir...very well said

Originally posted by adrift

It's only really the "This topic is stupid....Let me tell you why" crowd that gets my goat in a tangle.
It sometimes destroys the flow completely. Reminds me of the Casino employees who come to bug you when the whole table is on a winning streak

I like the casino bit, I don't generally have a problem myself as long as the thread bearer is not
Forceing us to believe in pink elephants or flat earths and is not rude from the outset with anyone
that dissagrees with the flat earth theory with facts etc then i say the wheel of fourtune find its way.

What tangles my angle is thread bearers telling people who dissagree that they are a shill yes a paid
one. woe me or you for not accepting the flat earth claims or doom from some clock tick- tock.

There are some fasinating thoeries on here but sadly when people throw there toys out there pram
when posters refuse to buy into the earth being flat for instance then the op must accept it opinions
as such without the disinfo calling as it just puts others off from posting up threads.

I say doom and gloom threads are welcome as long as the op respects the views of others instead
of smug name calling which i might add have been biting like a fish recently instead of alerting the mods
to this appauling concept of shill calling and bullying women which i don't agree with.

My problem is i do bite there i admitted it at least i can say sorry for any threads that go under.
I do not see the olympic thread bearers apologizing for their bad.

Sorry to all you guys i mean that..

reply to post by denver22


I hear you, I agree the rudeness is not justified when people disagree with a topic at hand. How boring the world would be if everyone held the same beliefs and views.

About the shill/disinfo angle: Damn straight.. it's equivalent to playing the race card. Kills a discussion immediately.

We all have different perspectives, and we all are human. Nobody wants to see their fellow ATSer following a direction of fabrication unchallenged, because it might ultimately will lead them to a place of fear and further scepticism.

On the other hand, sometimes the challenging remarks come from someone who may not have, say spent the last 2 years researching the topic. That's when the real problem arises, because now people start defending their time and energy instead of helping to bringing people up to speed... and then everything goes haywire

Ultimately we all make mistakes or approach a subject incorrectly at times, but I find that it's quite exciting trying to unravel the mysteries around us - whether it be how to throw an Atl-Atl, or decipher a hidden code of reality.

In the end, why Deny Ignorance when we could "Promote Knowledge".
The rest is all just trimmings on the floor

Originally posted by adrift
reply to post by denver22

 

I hear you, I agree the rudeness is not justified when people disagree with a topic at hand. How boring the world would be if everyone held the same beliefs and views.

Take the illuminati clock thread for instance the op was dictating because it is his thread,his words were in the opening post don't like post unless you add to what i believe wtf.

Then it was the classic read it and weep winding up, get out your mastercards like we were all
eliteist sheep etc.

Then it was the shill/disinfo agent calling to me and some women who posted evidence regarding
this nibiru etc.To which the guy/girl turn't nasty and called us shills paid by the government.

Some woman pm me worried as she had just joined asking what the hell is a shill/disinfo agent
Got a bit freightened so i had to deal with it and explain to her.

My problem is i try to take it into my own hands when i should tell the mods and push the alert button.
I admit i got angry back.

As i was apalled to see so many take the side of the op for calling of shill/agents etc.
I just totally got the blame while the op who caused it all never got any.

reply to post by denver22


I caught some of that toward the end. I don't know what all happened, but I know what you mean about the OP and mods stepping in. The thread was closed when I went back to check on it so I just moved on, but I felt you got pretty abused in there.

Maybe the OP was taking it out on you because the Illuminati clock stopped and nothing happened.

Next time just press the button and tell the Mods and let them sort it out rather than trying to argue with an obvious buffoon. I learned my lesson when trying to argue with right wing/left wing mental minnows. It does absolutely no good because they can only see their own point of view.

At least most of them are moderated, with the comments replaced by those signs that explain why. I did read one thread that was based on the idea of Australia being located in a different place in an alternate timeline, and I might have had a lot more fun absorbing myself in it, if it weren't for the multitude of users who didn't read the original post all the way through and proceeded to write long comments stemming from their identical misconception. More than half of the thread was filled with it.
The overall tone was pretty rude... and I remember wondering if the moderators were snickering to themselves and agreeing with them behind the scenes, because nothing in the thread was moderated in the least. A shame.

reply to post by denver22


The Olympic tragedy was averted for being exposed for what it was.
That was not a conspiracy.
The internet could and should be as a real time early warning device.
If there is one way to advance a 'people', evolve so to say, it may only be achieved through an open consortium of debate, fact finding, discussion. For far too long, the truth, if even ventured, has been either edited or censored for No good reason. The truth, whereever it may be found or dis-covered should never be out of bounds less one serves the agenda of another who often dwells in the shadows for 'some' reason though most likely not a good one.

It was like the thread along the lines of:
Supposing spiritual healing existed, would it be acceptable to heal people without their consent?

The OP wrote: "Please let's not discuss if spiritual healing exists!"


The highly interesting philosophical thread went offtopic by the 3rd answer....


ATS used to have a really good community, where netiquette was practiced and where posting before you read was unheard of. But the more members you get and the more mainstream you go, the more impolite idiots who can't (be bothered to) read you get... ...

Sam

reply to post by Bluemoonsine


Could you please explain to us how this answer was in anyway ontopic or had anything to do with the thread?


I'll put it another way: You just proved one of the points the OP was making.
Congratulations and thank you.

Now if you would just answer this point with something abusive then you would have proved the OP to 100%.

Go on, make my day.

Sam