Periodic (say, annual) review of banned links?

ATS bans links to several websites.

Any attempt to post links to those websites is automatically replaced with text stating "no link".

I couldn't care less about most of those websites, but sometimes the bans interfere with resources I'd like to highlight.

I wonder if the list of banned websites gets reviewed every now and again (say once a year) to see if the ban really needs to continue in place?

There is one particular banned website that has posted several interesting ufological items in the last few years (including an archive of APRO journals and a few other treats), especially in posts by veteran ufologist Antonio Huneeus. I'd like to link to that website in a forthcoming long thread. If discussion on ATS is to be as informed and well-referenced as most of us would (I think) like to see, it would be helpful if we could include links to articles and resources on that website.

(For any moderators that are considering this request, that particular website is the Open Minds TV website, but the point of my post is more general).

As a new member I would like to know if there is a list of banned websites just so I don't violate the T&C. The only one I know of is SOTT.net which quite frankly in my opinion is just too bizarre even for me.

reply to post by Kukri


I don't think you would be violating any T C unless you were doing it on purpose and repeatedly.

originally posted by: IsaacKoi
..
There is one particular banned website that has posted several interesting ufological items in the last few years (including an archive of APRO journals and a few other treats), especially in posts by veteran ufologist Antonio Huneeus. I'd like to link to that website in a forthcoming long thread. If discussion on ATS is to be as informed and well-referenced as most of us would (I think) like to see, it would be helpful if we could include links to articles and resources on that website.

(For any moderators that are considering this request, that particular website is the Open Minds TV website, but the point of my post is more general).

Coincidentally about a year after I suggested a periodic (say, annual) review of the list of banned websites, I thought I'd post again to mention that I am rather keen to see ATS review its ban of links to the Open Minds TV website.

I am writing an item about a couple of new UFO resources that I think will be of interest to members of ATS. One of those resources is on that website and it's a bit of a pain not being able to give a link in the relevant thread if I post my item on ATS.

Pretty please. With sugar on top.

a reply to: IsaacKoi

I agree about the Open Minds example cited. Besides the APRO bulletins, there's also much other historical material of interest that would be of use when discussing older cases.

originally posted by: CardDown
I agree about the Open Minds example cited. Besides the APRO bulletins, there's also much other historical material of interest that would be of use when discussing older cases.

Thanks for the support CardDown.

Hopefully some of the Admins here will review the position.

If I don't hear anything, I may consider posting more cute animal photos in this thread.

You might see if the information you wish to link to is available on other sites, or you could establish a blog that you can post those links in....

originally posted by: DJW001
You might see if the information you wish to link to is available on other sites,

In the current case, I know it isn't.

Besides, if a website makes material available then I think that, as a matter of giving credit where it is due, I should link to the source website. There are enough people in ufology that don't seem to give proper credit without my joining that crowd.

or you could establish a blog that you can post those links in....

Possibly, but I don't want to make ATS members visit a website/blog created by me in order to get to another website. I may have to adopt that course.

a reply to: IsaacKoi

How are we supposed to know what links are banned i only know of one source , is there a thread about who we can link and who we cannot here on ATS that might be helpful for new members coming in

originally posted by: douglas5
How are we supposed to know what links are banned

i only know of one source , is there a thread about who we can link and who we cannot here on ATS that might be helpful for new members coming in

One of the Moderators may be able to help on that query. I don't recall seeing a list and, frankly, most of the websites that I've seen banned are obvious rubbish/hoax websites so the absence of links to those websites is no great loss. But I don't see the OpenMinds.tv website falling within the same category - hence my request for a review of the position.

I don't see any reason, apart from websites which have been proven to pass malware, to ban any links to other sites. Forums which do this, even to ban the very mention of another sites name, lose any respect I may have had. It simply shows how insecure and childish they are, if the sites were any good, they would not need to resort to such nefarious methods of unsuccessfully bashing the competition. It is one of the reasons I found ATS - simply because it was "banned" on some other forum, made me want to know why, and now I know - the best CT Forum I have found so far.

a reply to: odaeio

I don't see any reason, apart from websites which have been proven to pass malware, to ban any links to other sites.

Let's just say there are some sites that have malware for the human brain.

originally posted by: DJW001
Let's just say there are some sites that have malware for the human brain.

True, but I don't think the OpenMinds.tv website falls into the same category as many of the banned websites. I don't know if your comment has that specific website in mind, or whether you have looked at the resources available on that website.

The OpenMinds.tv website has made available a number of UFO resources that are useful to anyone afflicted with an interest in the history of this subject (e.g. scans of a large number of APRO Bulletins, the Corso manuscript "Dawn of a New Age", and a better copy of the Rockefeller briefing document than the one that I was able to cite in a long thread on that topic a few years ago).

Anyway, anyone interested can look at that website and see if it is really in the same category as most of the websites banned on ATS.

Wow, I hope we don't lose IsaacKoi producing high-high-quality content at ATS because of something so seemingly silly.

The links that are banned will generate a special BB code when you try to enter them in.

Either #### or won't appear at all.

ATS doesn't often place websites on this list, and there is no 'official' list of ours either.

If you'd like to know the specific standing of any particular website and an argument for, or against blacklisting/white listing, than please file an alert.

~Tenth

originally posted by: The GUT
Wow, I hope we don't lose IsaacKoi producing high-high-quality content at ATS because of something so seemingly silly.

Thanks for the kind words The Gut. I hope that the couple of issues that I've raised (regarding links on Facebook and links to OpenMinds.TV) can be sorted out.

I've enjoyed my 8+ years on ATS, including interacting with you.

As I was saying on a Facebook discussion page a few days ago when someone posted negative comments about ATS, I have a soft spot for ATS. In particular, there are quite a few people there that here that have technical expertise and have helped me in a few projects. I also mentioned the presence of people here that are willing to do some digging and help others.

By the way, one of the large threads I've nearly completed overlaps significantly with issues regarding The Aviary. I'll send you a U2U soon.

The open minds site does have tracking and shop cart functionality which could be construed as marketing which is against the T&C.

through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the sites or service providers systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information. We use cookies to help us remember and process the items in your shopping cart, understand and save your preferences for future visits, and keep track of advertisements and compile aggregate data about site traffic

Recently even some Wiki links or images with redirects have been automatically disabled.
You can easily create workarounds but the censorship limits artistic expression.

Much of the UFO experience depends on redirection from limited visual information, having to spell things out in a text search link kills the flight and just linking the image from your ATS archive is too esoteric.

ATS is now even censoring breaking news articles that are sourced from main stream media sources and removing entire threads.
Historically we have always been able to moderate content by just moving the discussion.
We have all seen a young child playing in a revolving door, they become fascinated and will just go round and round without even noticing there is a more practical use.

Its not like the mods have the weight of the world on theri shoulders.
Remove the child not the door!

originally posted by: IsaacKoi
I hope that the couple of issues that I've raised (regarding links on Facebook and links to OpenMinds.TV) can be sorted out.

I'm pleased to report that, after a bit of experimentation, I've found a solution myself for the problem I had regarding links to Facebook - as I've now detailed in the thread I started about a month ago on that problem. That problem was becoming a real issue for me since I like posting threads on ATS but wanted to be able to share a link on Facebook with an attractive/relevant image.

As for the links to Open Minds, well, I've probably pushed this issue as far and hard as I can without irritating the Moderators and owners here (if I haven't crossed that line already) so I'll drop the issue for now. Having posted this thread in 2013 and bumped it again now in 2014, I reserve the right to bump it again in another year if this issue continues.

I still hope that something will be sorted out since I really do think that the OpenMinds team has shared some useful resources (e.g. a large collection of APRO Bulletins) that would be usefully cited in threads on ATS. I also think that hard work producing useful content should be recognised - whether it's done by ATS members, the team on OpenMinds.TV or whoever.