The Crackpots Versus The Serious ATSers

Cassie, while liking your post I have a question or two. Are you refering to the thread "Good aliens"? That was a mistake, by me, and it was dealt with. Still feeling the sting of that "new mod" mistake.

Second, are you refering to people like myself that use humor in almost ALL of their posts? Why? I like to make people laugh. I think that even UFO enthusiast enjoy a chuckle at times too. No disrespect, it's a way to reach out and connect.

I totally agree about there never being a need for hostility. Conspiracies are what brought me here in the first place, and it's conspiracies that I expect to see the most of here on ATS. The only subject that I will always argue is any theory based on or influenced by any of Sitchin's books lol (however I never take the condescending or outright rude approach). As long as people play fair, I can't really see the harm in a little healthy debate
I have to agree that your best option for dealing with the rude types, is to liberally use your ignore button.

Well well let me see, could i possibly give myself the title of king crackpot. After all i believe i might possibly be part angel part demon, i did see the face of god in a river, i do believe in aliens and believe in all gods, some mythical beasts like bigfoot and nessy. Although sometimes i might come across hypocritical when i sometimes question out of curiosity. But let the naysayers get me down? Well sometimes but not to the point were i feel i cant have my opinion. Im a bit like some of the other crackpots on this thread i tend to only speak up when i have something that i feel is have worth to say.

Personally cassie there are a few people at ats who i personally feel are special and who do come across to me in there own crackpot nature to be honest, and your one of them. As long as this forum has topics on the paranormal, ufos ect there will always be crackpots making crackpot posts and good on them and im happy to see the level headers making me out to be a crackpot because the mix is a good thing the debate the arguments even a little flaming as long as it doesn�t get to silly, all good things.

As for that silly ignore button majic im surprised at you. It�s the one thing i deny exists. Never deny anyone not even the wankers for they might have a moment that surprises us all and you would have missed it. No no no.

If you have to fight theses people then fight them here on ats after all they have about as much proof of the existence of crackpot ideas as do us crackpots ourselves.

Don�t get down hearted Cassie

Good point, Kode...iggy the ignore button, I say...

You may never know what pearls of wisdom may lay strewn about your feet.
It is not the 'passionate' poster who bears the stamp of their belief?

The ones I wonder about are those that bring to us that fatalistic shrug, believing nothing.

Crackpots vs ATSer's

Well in all honesty, I feel that this sight has been accomplishing what it set out to do. If you really sit down and think about it, the crackpots are mainly thinking outside the box and are giving the topics and amazing spin. Yes, I do agree I love the knowledgeable posts and most of the threads peak my intrest but when someone thinks outside the box and adds an alternative way of thinking on a particular subject it makes it that much entertaining to even allow yourself to think that way.

Just my thoughts

```

I just hope that the 'political correctness' virus

isn't spreading....let 'em rant, feed 'em cake & soda


Cassie et al, it's like water off a ducks back...eh?

^L^..hippy hollow-ween

Originally posted by Justmytype
Crackpots vs ATSer's

And that's where people go wrong. As a member of the 308th Tin-Foil Hat Irregulars, I feel it is my duty to point out that once this election crap blows over, there will be little real reason to differentiate between the two.

I have begun to notice that this alternative subjects board has become oddly mundane, overrun with posts about politics. I usually don't post, unless I have a damn good reason. largely, I've realized that when it comes to any of the yellow forum, you have a better chance to grow wings than influence any of those fanatics.

I hope the board returns to a much less politicized place soon. And all us in the 308th are pulling for you, cassie.

DE

Originally posted by kode
Well well let me see, could i possibly give myself the title of king crackpot. After all i believe i might possibly be part angel part demon, i did see the face of god in a river, i do believe in aliens and believe in all gods, some mythical beasts like bigfoot and nessy. Although sometimes i might come across hypocritical when i sometimes question out of curiosity. But let the naysayers get me down? Well sometimes but not to the point were i feel i cant have my opinion. Im a bit like some of the other crackpots on this thread i tend to only speak up when i have something that i feel is have worth to say.

Personally cassie there are a few people at ats who i personally feel are special and who do come across to me in there own crackpot nature to be honest, and your one of them. As long as this forum has topics on the paranormal, ufos ect there will always be crackpots making crackpot posts and good on them and im happy to see the level headers making me out to be a crackpot because the mix is a good thing the debate the arguments even a little flaming as long as it doesn�t get to silly, all good things.

As for that silly ignore button majic im surprised at you. It�s the one thing i deny exists. Never deny anyone not even the wankers for they might have a moment that surprises us all and you would have missed it. No no no.

If you have to fight theses people then fight them here on ats after all they have about as much proof of the existence of crackpot ideas as do us crackpots ourselves.

Don�t get down hearted Cassie

You gotta Love the Crackpots were else can you go to get a mental picture of someone who believes they are part Angel part Demon


Am l being serious or hiding my true fealings that l believe in the same and to scared to come out of the closet.
Thats for me to no and others to think about

There is defienatly a connection between members after a period of time reading and you can tell the differance.I prefer it if people get upset with the content of my replies and come back guns blazing and either defending themselves and there believes than hitting the ignore button.They don`t get my respect and useually prove that there just ignorant no alls who post on hear as an ego trip rather than discuss.

Cool reply Kode

[edit on 30-10-2004 by weirdo]

While I agree that everyone should have the right to voice their opinions no matter how ridiculous they may be, I do think that some of these posts should be called out b/c it's obvious these people aren't searching for the truth but living in some sci fi fantasy Farscape episode.

I consider myself pretty open-minded but when I see threads like

"I have magical powers"

"Kerry is the antichrist"

"Freemasons are (insert adjective here)"

I find it hard to take what these posters are saying seriously...

Face it, there are a lot of coo coo's out there and this board has the potential to attract a great number. Then there are those people who love gloom and doom, who feed off on "the sky is falling!" type posts.

We all seem to be searching for the truth, it's important to be open-minded without becoming too abstract at the same time.

Well, I suggested using the ignore button only on those who are rude and offensive (without bringing anything useful to the table). I'm not sure if I should be offended (or feel grouped with the "ignorant no alls" who use their ignore buttons lol). Oh well, whatever

Originally posted by veritas93
Well, I suggested using the ignore button only on those who are rude and offensive (without bringing anything useful to the table). I'm not sure if I should be offended (or feel grouped with the "ignorant no alls" who use their ignore buttons lol). Oh well, whatever

We have the modes to take care of the rude and offensive.Having said that Italiano sent me a u2u saying l was a mother who makes love and that I should be killed just for dissagreing (maybe a bit to strong to that nutter Kangaxx )Told and sent the u2u to a mod and put a comlaint in and nothing was done.But l have that u2u printed on my wall makes me laugh everyday.I`m glad some crackpots loose there cool so funny
Just ignore the ignore button and laugh away

Originally posted by Cassie Clay
My Dear ATSers,

The basic rationale of these posters is that "obviously your paranormal/conspiracy/UFO/religious/etc. beliefs are wrong & deluded by their very nature, & should not be entitled to waste the time of a serious news organization like ATS."

Are you talking about me?

I don't remember being rude to anyone. Of course, no one ever thinks THEY are the one with the problem. . . .

Sometimes, when I see a thread that concerns a topic I have particular knowledge about, I will post a response. If this "bursts someone's balloon," they are usually pretty unhappy with me for posting.

for instance. There was a thread recently about "ancient astronauts" and what if all the Egyptian gods were actually space aliens, as perceived by the ancients. Now, I have an anthropology degree, have actually BEEN to see some of the Egyptian monumnents in question, and have studied the possibility, while wearing my aluminum foil deflector beanie. Here on ATS, I spent some time explaining the origins of the historical Egyptian pantheon, and was definitely treated as if I had dropped a turd in the punchbowl at the autumn cotillion.

I wouldn't for an instant curtail your right to post whatever dark prophecy has just popped into your brain. I actually WANT to see the negatives from that alien autopsy your pet canary witnessed. But when I see a mistake or a questionable or misrepresented idea, don't I have a right, nay, a responsibility to respond?????

Now we all need to use our very best manners when doing so. But who here is surprised if I call you the kettle when you refer to me as a pot?

By the way, you cannot waste my time. Only I can do that.

Originally posted by dr_strangecraft
Here on ATS, I spent some time explaining the origins of the historical Egyptian pantheon, and was definitely treated as if I had dropped a turd in the punchbowl at the autumn cotillion.

Don't feel too bad. Your'e right about this point in general. I've taken a number of anthropolgy courses and the conspiracies that deal with ancient civilizations always tend to ignore huge chunks of archeological data that suggest a far more terrestrial origin. This is why I usually argue any theory based on books by Sitchin. He makes wild assumptions that aliens were responsible for the creation of civilization and there are HUGE amounts of evidence that suggest the exact opposite. I'm not saying that they may not have played a role in our history at some point, but the examples that Sitchin sites are... reaching to say the least. I too love a good conspiracy or paranormal story, but it's hard to let people get by with slaughtering the facts.

kode and DeusEx exemplify the kind of people I come to share ideas with at ATS, and point out what may be a false dichotomy or at least a difficult choice of terminology at the root of this thread.

I can certainly claim the title of "crackpot" with pride. For proof of that, just read some of my posts in Paranormal Studies. Our differences are the only things that make us unique.

A "crackpot", according to Merriam's, is nothing more than "one given to eccentric or lunatic notions". By that dictionary standard, I would hope that most ATSers do, in fact, proudly deserve the title.

Yes, I talk of reaching for the "ignore" button, but so far, nobody's on my list, and it would take some effort to get there. I just want to feel some sense of control over "eye pollution", and make no apologies for that.

Rather than "crackpots", the targets of my ire are more properly called trolls. These twisted creatures can be identified by their behaviors, which include:

1. Hit-and-run posts, off-topic posts, off-topic threads, pointless one-liners,

2. Posts that consist of abuse, profanity, bigotry and/or insults against others,

3. Posts without any reasonable foundation that are clearly intended to do nothing more than provoke conflict,

4. Posts that contain demonstrable lies,

5. Refusal to acknowledge or respond to differing opinions or substantiated facts,

6. Irrelevant cut-and-paste posts and general spammage,

7. Posts that criticize rational discussion,

8. Posts that consistently originate from hatred, anger and unjustifiable denunciations of others.

You get the idea. At some point, a member has established a deliberate lack of interest in meaningful discussion.

Yes, even the worst troll can post something worth reading once in a while. But in such a case, I am content to learn of such a miracle by reading the responses of members with a track record of credibility. The possibility that a diamond might be concealed in pile of dung does not justify habitually eating dung.

My point is that the choice of who to listen to and what to read lies with you, not someone else.

Just as you have no moral obligation to read every piece of junk mail you find in your mailbox and every piece of litter you find on the sidewalk, sit through and watch every commercial on TV or pop-up ad on the Internet, or patiently listen to every telemarketing spiel you hear when you answer the phone, you have no moral obligation to consider the opinions of those who have demonstrated a desire to promote ignorance.

Again, just my opinion, which you are free to ignore.

P.S. kode, just a quick off-topic opinion about being "part demon, part angel", since I haven't really addressed that in your thread yet. My opinion is that we could all legitimately claim that title, because we are all spirits whose paths lead through Darkness and Light. Describing yourself in this manner -- in my opinion anyway -- is your own way of recognizing this. Don't worry, I'm quite sure that all of our paths lead eventually to Light, whether we believe it or not.

P.P.S. If you should choose to use the "ignore" feature, I recommend doing so without announcing it. Just let it go quietly. Trolls get bored when people simply stop allowing them to yank their chains, and usually move on to the next forum in hopes of finding fresh victims for their brand of evil.


[edit on 10/30/2004 by Majic]

Your never going to believe this but, Jesus just materialized in front of me and told me that the Egyptians where aliens just at that moment a ufo passed over my house with a loud speaker screaming "you are not alone" and abducting people as they went. Bigfoot came crashing through my door mumbling something about nessy and Satan popped out of nowhere and kicked me in the butt. I think im growing a third eye in the middle of my forehead.

Then when i thought it couldn�t get any worse i looked out the window and saw this comet coming towards earth with a flag tailing behind it telling me i am brainwashed by the government. George w bush is really a woman and the royals are vampires and their corgis are really chucacarbras. Then this reptilian crawled through my window and hissed at me "now you remember, CRACKPOT". This all happened simultaneously in the space of a minute.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

Can anyone tell me how to get rid of a Bigfoot?

Hey hey no no not on the carpet.......... ohhhhhh.

kode, with all due respect, that post is seriously off-topic. And for that, you must DIEEEEeeeee! [reaches for the dreaded "ignore" button]

As you know all too well, posts like that belong in only one place, and that is within the one forum on ATS where everyone will believe anything: Politics & Scandals.

Shame on you! I hope you've learned something.

Signed,

Officer Majic
Assistant Deputy Thread Cop, 5th Class

"Respect mah authoritah!"


[edit on 10/30/2004 by Majic]

After reading all of the insights, thoughts and positions in this thread, of course bearing in mind exactly what Intrepid stated about the use of humor, and the above posts reference to the Political forum I have one question.



Where's Ed?




Sorry, my bad, just finished debunking a photo in another thread.

Originally posted by kode
Can anyone tell me how to get rid of a Bigfoot?

Try taking his picture... that always seems to make them vanish.

ok, im sorry for my fictional outburst, it was just an attempt at humour. What with all the recent threads lately regarding the demise of ats i was just trying to make light.

I did once ask about the ignore button and was told that it was very seldom used as most members didn�t want to miss out if another member had been flaming them.

Btw weirdo, i hear you.

Hey,
Just read all these posts now & thanks for all the support!
Posting about all this political stuff today has been fun, but personally I look forward to things settling down so I can get back into the more esoteric threads again.
And to the posters who were wondering about whether I was talking about anyone in particular or not--not singling anybody out, it was more of a general vibe I had gotten.
--Cassie Clay, a tin-foil beanie on my head and a magic wand plucked from the tree of Yggdrasil in my hand.