Move "improper" Sandy Hook threads to RATS, AND:

We know what "improper" means. We also know google spiders cache info outside RATS.

My suggestion is to "temporarily" move all the "sensitive" SH threads to RATS, AND drop the post requirement from 500 to 200.

It keeps the spiders off the content, and it lets "rational" (over 200 posts) members to participate.

A lot of the SH google searches are linking back to ATS, and while the traffic is good, ATS, as always, explores every aspect of a tragedy.

During this sensitive investigation, I think it would be appropriate to move most SH content to RATS. With the reduced post requirement, we should be able to continue the discussions, and reduce the online exposure to some rather heated conversations.

It's just a suggestion.

Staff? Members? Thoughts?

Honestly, after reading some of the crap being posted I'm embarrassed to be a member.

We come off as a bunch of lunatics.

reply to post by PrplHrt


Sorry you feel that way.

A tragedy brings out every emotion possible, from the best to worst, and as a forum we have been through many. I'll not apologize for "off the hip" comments made by other members, nor want to censor others from what they want to say.

Sometimes the line between tactful and simple expression clouds what we really want to say. It's hard for me to deal with Sandy Hook, I have a kid in college and a 10 year old. I always ponder the what-ifs. I put a lot of diapers on their butts when they were helpless infants, and now, they are exploring the world I once did, experiencing for themselves what life is about.

I wonder what harm may come to them while they are away from my care.

Every aspect needs addressed, and with any scenario, there are going to be unpalatable responses. I've had to check myself several times when reading a thread, ready to flame.

Temporary measures are sometimes appropriate. That's all I'm suggesting.

reply to post by Druid42


Good plan.

On a side note, 200 posts doesn't equal rational, hell lately you can have thousands of posts and rational thought in some instances is non existent.

reply to post by Druid42

I'm talking about the "maybe there was more than one shooter government conspiracy everybody is an actor let's crucify a complete stranger because he's got a criminal record" crowd.

I had to stop reading the SH threads because of sensationalist tripe.

It's one thing to discuss the tragedy and solutions to future issues. It's another to feed off the corpses like depraved animals.

reply to post by Chadwickus


The 200 post was just a suggestion. I have no idea, that would be left to staff and management. I do know that around 500 posts a member is more serious about what they post, and under 200 you can have anyone (trolls included) post anything. Their wisdom would decide.

Thanks for the support.

reply to post by Chadwickus


Ten million stars if I could give them

reply to post by PrplHrt


See, that could be where most differ. I can't stop reading, looking for that perfect explanation as to why such a tragedy occurred. Maybe I look in vain, maybe there is no explanation, but the search leads me to "deny ignorance", and extrapolate the factual stories from the emotional responses.

I can't turn aside just because some people have an unsavory opinion. I seek answers, simply enough, yet realize with every mystery, there ARE answers.

It's the slow, painful, and sometimes heartbreaking journey to get there that we must endure.

reply to post by Druid42

I guess I'm not that addicted to crazy.

Originally posted by PrplHrt
reply to post by Druid42

 

I'm talking about the "maybe there was more than one shooter government conspiracy everybody is an actor let's crucify a complete stranger because he's got a criminal record" crowd.

I had to stop reading the SH threads because of sensationalist tripe.

It's one thing to discuss the tragedy and solutions to future issues. It's another to feed off the corpses like depraved animals.

Well I think "feeding off the corpes' is what the Mockingbird press has been doing best lately, the 'prepper attacks' along with the whole 'devil worship' tripe was over the top, pushing a clear agenda. By comparison, I think the questions raised by and large from ATS members are quite intelligent and timely, and I really get the sense many are afraid to actually take a hard look at what confronts them.

Just because someone says something stupid doesn't mean you have to rise to the bait.

Don't feed the press.

Wouldn't the spiders have cached any improper information already?

Unless the Google spiders are breeding baby Google spiders..

Perhaps it would be better to not post anymore information in the context presented. It is a very emotional subject and handling the whole Sandy Hook thing on these forums, and in real life is difficllt. The emotions run heavy and people become quite vocal in their exchanges with other members.

I can only speak for myself here, but the Sandy Hook threads do not really interest me at the moment.

Perhaps a member of the Staff will come in and clear things up.

The RATS forum does interest me but I am not even close to 200 posts, much less 500

IMO it should be about quality ~ not quantity that gets you into RATS, but who am I to say that really?

I'll get there one day.

Originally posted by PrplHrt
Honestly, after reading some of the crap being posted I'm embarrassed to be a member.

We come off as a bunch of lunatics.

It was Sandy Hook that did it for you, not the religious fanatics and reptilian believers?

This anti-Sandy Hook discussion is the REAL tragedy currently unfolding on ATS. Our site owner is partially responsible with that ludicrous UTU message he sent out recently. For shame.

Please, an ounce of perspective - children die every day. Since that tragedy, THOUSANDS, maybe tens of thousands, of children have been slaughtered in various tragedies all over the world.

This is pure insanity - we deal with conspiracies, we deny ignorance. We do NOT condone fear-mongering and censorship. Give it a rest, and try to remember where you all left your sense of perspective. Kids died. It sucks. But so what? Happens all the time. If I sound insensitive, it's probably because you are too sensitive to see clearly.

I have no idea about ATS and the way they've got things set up. But I have my own website with both public and "members only" areas. Over the past few months I've had a slew of issues because the Google spiders seem to be able to follow any content that I move around from the public to private side of the board.

IE I'll offer a free file for a few days to reward visitors, then, when I move it back to the members only area? It will still show up on Google. This ends up causing major issues because I then get swamped with complaints about links requiring passwords or 404 hits.

This is a relatively new development.

Oh, and I've caught the Google spiders in my members only area as well. I've complained to Google about this but they haven't replied to me.

I've hid every Sandy Hook thread I've come across!! I don't care to read anything more about it.

reply to post by jasonl1983

I don't read that trash.

Son of WWIII -

I'm not usually "with management", but I agreed with them on this issue.

The discussions on SH have been an embarrassment to this site. There are a lot of people around here who need psych evals.

What the hell, is this a call for censorship on ATS? Like there isn't enough already....... Can't even discus drugs here already. Who gets to define "improper"?

This place was a place I enjoyed, because it was not like all the other millions of forums out there, focusing on mainstream crap. I enjoyed ATS because it was different, because of the outside the box thinking. I enjoyed ATS because it was a place that I could put down some ideas that would probably be ignored, ridiculed, and or just plain deleted at one of those other millions of vanilla forums.

More and more this place keeps morphing into the mainstream parroting, politically correct, vanilla ignorancefest that I was coming here to avoid.

I obviously don't speak for staff but want the issue that almost all the threads had divulging of personal information. License plates, Facebook, emails, addresses... Not to mention the slander.

Some of it was debate. Almost all of it I disagreed with. But the issues were, I think, the points above.

reply to post by Druid42


Maybe i haven't seen enough of the SH discussion, as I am mostly unaware of what is being considered "improper". But I DO think that it might be possible that it is purely emotional.

Someone says something that elicits an emotional response. From there it grows into something that I am getting spam U2U's about.

I would much, much prefer that people make attempts to grow thicker skin, let discussions happen, and let facts and truth shine as beacons for all to see. Anything else is steering the conversation, and could be further construed as a conspiracy on a site such as this.

I recall how violent the backlash was over the "truther" movement and 9/11. While, like i said, I have little context as to the scope of what "improper" is referring to, on the surface this is seeming to be a similar thing. Completely needelssly, might I add.