The Harassing Bully Forum

I received this message yesterday (part of it) by a member who was referring to a thread I told them about.

Another good thread ruined by trolls.
Why do they get on these kinds of threads, only to harass people? Are they so desperate to bully somebody and get away with it that they seek out ways to do it online?
Why don't they start their own thread and just talk about how smart they are, or trade their best insults, barbs and put-downs? I'm sure they'd enjoy being able to talk to somebody as smart as they think they are themselves.

His rant made me stop and think. This person is relatively new here. So, for them to come out of the blue and message me about others' behavior made me realize just how bad this problem has become lately.

It seems a person is rarely able to put up a thread, or read a thread on ATS any more without these "insulting, know-it-all bullies" taking over the discussion, and insulting the opinion of others. It's sickening! And it seems to get worse on ATS all the time.

I have a friend who told me of another site similar to this one that I may go to and say good-bye to this place!
I'm sick of all these people who think they are smarter than everyone else in the world!
Are they trying to impress someone? Or, are they trying to impress themselves?

People who have to bully others are very insecure about themselves. They have to try to make others look bad so they can feel good about themselves, and their beliefs. This is a proven fact in psychology.

Can ATS start a forum for these people to post in, so they'll stay off our threads? Maybe call it "The Harassing Bully Forum"?!

reply to post by sled735


your , and the other members opinionson what " bullying " is are subjective - as are mine - it would help enormously if you link to the thread you both refer to . thus all ATS can evaluate the claim

Personally I've always thought the Mods did a pretty excellent job of cracking down on rude or abusive behaviour.

There's certainly always going to be a problem on the sort of forum where you get some people who keep posting just the most absurd and ludicrous stuff and claiming earnestly that it's absolutely true. Because there's only so many times somebody can be polite before having to say look, you're just wrong.

(The chemtrails threads spring to mind. Where people post pictures of contrails. Or Sandyhook threads where people try and claim it didn't happen.)

But no, I disagree I'm afraid, I think the Mods do a terrific job at what must be a difficult and thankless task.

reply to post by ignorant_ape


Bullying is, IMO, when another member puts down the opinion of someone else in an insulting manner.
Take your pick of any thread on ATS. They're in all of them, it seems.

sled735
reply to post by ignorant_ape

 

Bullying is, IMO, when another member puts down the opinion of someone else in an insulting manner.
Take your pick of any thread on ATS. They're in all of them, it seems.

Unfortunately there is only so much the mods can do. They can't monitor every thread 24/7. If you see some comments that you feel are abusive or derailing a thread, you can always report them. It's also a good idea to try and keep in mind that everyone has off days and sometimes people can be snarky or say things they later regret. I've been guilty of it too. If you notice there is someone who is consistently out of hand or trolling your threads, talk to a mod.

In the meantime, I hope you will continue to contribute to ATS as I have enjoyed many of your posts and would be disappointed to see you go.

PS:

Giving trolls their own forum is definitely a BAD idea. There are other less savory places on the internet for that sort of thing

reply to post by Painterz


No complaints about the MODS here. I agree they do a good job.

My complaint is how some people communicate in such a rude fashion, and don't respect the differing opinions of others. They just keep on, and keep on. If they disagree, they can voice their opinion, then move on. Why do they have to keep coming back and repeating themselves over and over?! It derails the thread.

reply to post by sled735


the word bully is just another word for ahole. ahole's have always been and always will be, it is up to the rest of us to deal properly with aholes. bully is just a code word used by the media to sensationalize aholes. The real question is why is this code word being push so hard right now by the main stream media. Wake up people.

reply to post by DeadSeraph


Well, Thank you. I appreciate that.

sled735
reply to post by ignorant_ape

 

Bullying is, IMO, when another member puts down the opinion of someone else in an insulting manner.
Take your pick of any thread on ATS. They're in all of them, it seems.

Ill admit that unfortunately I am guilty of the above behavior, some topics just push buttons for me (religion, animal cruelty, guns are a few examples) and on the interwebz the anonymity gives me licence to behave in a less than civil manner than I would if we were discussing the topic in person.

I do normally calm down and apologise but that said if you are looking for a circle jerk of agreement then this probably isnt the site for you, my understanding of this site is its a platform to share info and opinions but most importantly to have your ideas challenged.

No one should have to put up with abuse but if the worst of it is being called an idiot I think you need to take a cement pill and harden up a bit.

Personally I think the site has become more civil over the 3 years Ive been here if anything

My complaint is how some people communicate in such a rude fashion, and don't respect the differing opinions of others. They just keep on, and keep on. If they disagree, they can voice their opinion, then move on. Why do they have to keep coming back and repeating themselves over and over?! It derails the thread.

Simply ignore them or if its really bad report them, to do anything else is to let the terrorists win

reply to post by IkNOwSTuff


Having my opinion challenged is find and dandy. That's what ATS is all about, in some cases. But having my opinion insulted, is not acceptable... by me.

Dear Sled-
I ask you to reconsider leaving. I, for one, enjoy your threads.
As for the bullying, yes I have noticed it more and more. It is aggravating to say the least. Perhaps those persons are seeking attention to some degree or are aware that there is a truth being shared that they want us to shy away from. Either way, personally I choose to scroll over them. If they disagree to such an extent, my question is, why even reply? There are comments made that I disagree with but I don't always comment. I usually keep my mouth shut.

Again, please reconsider. Your threads have inspired me to more closely examine my experiences and to realize that I too, am not alone.

reply to post by 4LPH483T50UP


Really? I'm touched. Thanks.

Maybe I just need to take a break for awhile. Maybe a couple of years.

reply to post by sled735


I have been the victim of being bullied for starting a fun predictions for 2014 thread. For a whole page I was trying to figure out how to get the bully to stop. In the end the mods stepped in. Twice, now it's quiet there.

Some people have a little voice in the real world, and try to make themselves 'big' by bullying others online. To me that shows a poor character, insecurity, and lack of caring.

ATS is a great website, and well-known, grownups here should be able to express their opinions/ideas in a polite manner whilst respecting the opinions of others at the same time.

I do wish they would get at least a star count reduction everytime they have to get a warning for bullying, then they might stop, when they have -2341 stars LOL

PS: Please don't leave Sled, you are one of my favorite posters. I love your threads.

sled735

I have a friend who told me of another site similar to this one that I may go to and say good-bye to this place!

Please tell me where it is.........thank you.

reply to post by ExoPatriotico


It's against the rules to advertise other sites like this one on ATS. Sorry. Maybe I can send you a U2U?

sled735
reply to post by ExoPatriotico

 

It's against the rules to advertise other sites like this one on ATS. Sorry. Maybe I can send you a U2U?

Please do send me a PM.......Thx

I understand where you are coming from Sled...
In my opinion though, most members come here to discuss things we feel we can't discuss to people offline for whatever reason. It appears more so though, that the very same negative , holier than thou attitudes we detest in real life have invaded the online world in a big way. Even more because there is the anonymity factor and some just seem to run with that. Please don't leave because of it...help us try to make it better. Bullies win if you let them.

reply to post by sled735

Where ever you go, you're going to find those who rub you the wrong way. It's a fact of life. We can't avoid that. I've always tried to keep my conversation here the same as if I were talking to someone face to face. But I have failed in that endeavor several times. Sometimes we forget there are real people on the other end. I often think staff should have big bold letters in red, reminding us of that, and we shouldn't say anything here we wouldn't say if we were discussing the topic in a group, face to face.

Remember! The member you are replying to is a real person. That person has feelings, and deserves respectful discourse. Address the topic. Not the poster. Social etiquette is required at ATS.

Well. Something like that. lol.

A moderate amount of challenging is necessary to harden a person and make them aware that there is much more to learn. Downright bullying is not good though. A person who is not challenged will not grow in the world. Instead of getting angry, a person has to learn to arm themselves with knowledge to combat the trolling. This can stimulate desire to learn more and result in a person being able to see in all directions and gain confidence.

Now bullying and rediculing just to be mean is a different thing than challenging. I have an old professor with about four degrees that comes over for coffee all the time. I have learned to deal with people like him who want others to think that he is more intelligent than them. I have got my butt in gear and gained knowledge to combat his deceit. He is constantly saying things that are not correct and using big words to intimidate people who challenge him. He knows the big words but does not know all the applications for the words. He does not dig deeper into the subject, he is around seventy seven years old and feels his knowledge is correct.

So do I get mad....Hell no, I get the evidence and the knowledge to combat him intellectually. It has given me insight into how messed up the people in this country are, thinking knowledge of words is better than the ability to process information. I learned a lot from this guy. It is worth giving him coffee and cookies. He keeps believing he is right but I noticed I have changed him a little, now he challenges me to supply him with proof of what I say, proof to him is when someone with a degree says it is real. I study the real evidence and although my conclusions are not always right because of things I still cannot comprehend, there is a lot of right in them. I do not believe someone automatically because of their credentials now unless I research the evidence myself, comparing this evidence to what I know. Some would call this old teacher an intellectual bully, I look at him as someone that challenges me to learn more...so I can try to correct his screwed up insight.

We learn from everyone. We should listen to what people are saying. even the kids, with an open mind. We have been conditioned to believe a certain way, we need to consider that this is often good but it is also wrong sometimes. People bully others because they think the other person is challenging them. They get used to this and go overboard sometimes. The meek get upset and they should understand that these people bullying them are the ones that are wrong. Bullying and challenging are different, it is about time teachers understand this. Just because you were bullied as a kid and succeeded in life doesn't mean you have to allow it to get excessive in school. Challenging others is different from bullying.

I think you need a thick skin to post anything online, where several thousand people at any one time can read and react to it.

It's maybe why the majority of ATS members never post anything but just browse!(always fascinates me, it's not just ATS, other similar debating forums I've visited are the same)

I can't add anything different than what others have said, ie moderation seems to work fine, feel free to report any comments you're not happy with.