Please POST & INFORM not HIT AND RUN.

Before you get your knickers in a twist this is not so much a rant but rather a small complaint. (Ok, a little rant)

I am fully aware that I may be alone in this but I have been noticing a bit of a shift lately in the content of threads. Or rather, lack thereof.

A blurb from the OP, usually one or two lines and then a : "Follow the link" or "VID here" or "Pics at source." And that's all. So, the complaint?

I would truly appreciate more info, embedded VID if there is one and/or the pic if there is one. What's the problem with doing this? I would much rather have a good majority of the info here on ATS without having to follow something like: "So it begins...What say you ATS?" and the link to wherever.

As a poster I believe it is your responsibility to POST & INFORM. Not hit and run to see what happens. As a reader I would like to have a good chunk of info that I can peruse and then decide whether or not to go further down the rabbit hole by following the sources. Too many times there is not even enough info in the OP to even know what the hell it's about.

Please keep in mind that this does not mean copy and paste the entire source content but a paragraph or 2 can go a long way in getting to the meat of a topic and in turn giving YOUR reader the option of following up for the rest of the content by following your link source.

Here's some info for those that might not know how this is done:

Media Guide: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Vid guide: www.abovetopsecret.com...

Semi-Rant over.

Peace

I'm gonna be with you on this one. I posted two links in one of these threads yesterday to help the op. Took me about 1 minute to do 2 searches and compose the post.

originally posted by: lonegurkha
I'm gonna be with you on this one. I posted two links in one of these threads yesterday to help the op. Took me about 1 minute to do 2 searches and compose the post.

Absolutely takes very little time to do so.

I can understand a new poster doing this once or twice until they learn but not over and over again. And you as a reader should not have to post the links for the OP.

If I see it's their first few topics I will usually follow up with "More info please" but a serial hit and run I just ignore the entire post now. I hate doing it but that's the truth of it.

Peace

Unfortunately, it seems that lately more so than ever, many have the goal of "hit and run". They don't seem so interested in having a discussion as they are in throwing some crap out there to see if it sticks.

Too many times, I see an thread, have some questions for the OP and they never come back or post in the thread again.

I think it's a sign of "the twitter generation". Regardless how old a person is, they don't have the patience to write or read a comprehensive post and have an in-depth discussion. If it can't be stated in a twitter-byte, people don't seem to have the patience to write or read it...

a reply to: jude11
I could swear there's something in the T&C's about this very thing...

15k.) Video links/embeds: You will not embed or Post a link to a video without a reasonable description of its content and why it interests you, is germane to the topics discussed on the Websites or the topic of an existing thread should you post it in a reply to an existing thread.

There are also guidelines for creating threads somewhere, dealing specifically with what you're talking about, but I can't find it at the moment. Maybe a mod will be kind enough to post it.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
Unfortunately, it seems that lately more so than ever, many have the goal of "hit and run". They don't seem so interested in having a discussion as they are in throwing some crap out there to see if it sticks.

Too many times, I see an thread, have some questions for the OP and they never come back or post in the thread again.

I think it's a sign of "the twitter generation". Regardless how old a person is, they don't have the patience to write or read a comprehensive post and have an in-depth discussion. If it can't be stated in a twitter-byte, people don't seem to have the patience to write or read it...

I think we have a winner here!

Great observation and most likely closer to the truth than one might think. I for one am not a twit...unless you ask my wife

I also think it might be a case of people who love to write and those that hate it. I get a high when I start writing and sometimes go overboard. I just put up a cook book (gluten free pierogies) on a certain site and it took me to another realm with the creation, layout and writing. So much so that I'm writing another.


Peace

a reply to: jude11

The whole atmosphere has changed.

Post up an interesting topic with appropriate comments, Questions, links and videos and invariably the opposition arrives to shred the source, derail the premise and turn it into a partisan pissing match no matter what the OP is about.

ATS has turned into a competition sport....with teams of idealogs, their supporters and fanboys.

I don't expect approval but a civil discussion and exchange of ideas would be nice instead of the BS that now seems to permeate the boards.

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: jude11

The whole atmosphere has changed.

Post up an interesting topic with appropriate comments, links and videos and invariably the opposition arrives to shred the source, derail the premise and turn it into a partisan pissing match no matter what the OP is about.

ATS has turned into a competition sport....

True. But that's the nature of a site like this.

You can only post, source and back up. The rest is up for grabs.

As long as you are firm on your stance the shredders don't matter in the long run. I have been shredded a lot on ATS so I know. But...I keep posting!

Sooner or later the shredders get repetitive and you just learn to brush off the dandruff.

Peace

As a Short time poster but long time lurker I've noticed a shift in the threads that are posted, too. A lot of the new threads I see today consist of - gratuitous headline - link to mainstream news story - OP comment, "this is crazy!". In years past I loved reading the more conspiracy related threads and threads that were really well researched, wether I agreed with them or not.

a reply to: jude11

Couldn't agree with you more Jude. I think it's an a-symptomatic sign of our quicken pace in today' text-n-run world.

We are getting too complacent in abbreviated short messages...especially. the young whereas this is all they know: hit n run.

For them it's normal.

a reply to: jude11

Or maybe it is not that these "drive-by" OP's don't like to write, IMHO they don't know how to write or research.

I came to ATS a year ago when a longtime member told me about the site. I was amazed by the topics and quality of writing. I was also impressed at the amount of research and time those I call "the Alumni of ATS" put into their OP's.

I decided I would not create a thread of my own until I could devote that kind of time and effort to the task (I am researching and writing a Paranormal Thread but it is still a work in progress).

Long story short, I only read about 10% of the new threads, and the OP's I follow are usually the same "Alumni" I mentioned above.

I have learned who the intellectually immature jerks are on ATS (and immaturity has nothing to do with age). It is tempting to engage with them, but in the long run it isn't worth the effort.

There are some very nasty people that come here from the Social Media playgrounds of Twitterville, Faceslap or wherever it is they dwell during the daylight hours like Vampires...I just avoid them and read the threads in the Archives.

Archives ROCK!

Thanks for letting me have a mini-Rant in your Rant. You make sooo much sense.

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: jude11

Post up an interesting topic with appropriate comments, Questions, links and videos and invariably the opposition arrives to shred the source, derail the premise and turn it into a partisan pissing match no matter what the OP is about.

Is the nature of the internet these days. Some people actually see posting on forums as a form of a political activism. They've kind of missed the point I guess. Sometimes though you can miss a good discussion because you read someone wrong. I'm friends with few right wing Christian types on ATS and that's happened because I assume positive / sincere things from the conversation.

Admittedly most of the time I'm wrong but its not worth being cynical if it means losing those one or two cool people that teach me something.

a reply to: jude11

Oh, another Jesse Ventura thread....

Had to laugh at that.

Thanks

Peace

a reply to: jude11
I agree completely Jude, my gosh it is getting to be a habit lol.

I too get annoyed by threads like that, or topics with just an embedded youtube and zero narrative/details.
ATS does seem to get more like facebook/twitter these days in that regard, it is a shame that standards appear to be softening. When I post a topic you may well disagree with everything I say but you can guarantee I made an effort to provide accurate/honest/factual information, and I will continue 'tending' the thread as long as anyone is still interested in it.
I call it lazy and rude but it's up to ATS to decide if it wants to be a discussion forum or a fakebook timeline. I know what I prefer.

originally posted by: nerbot
a reply to: jude11

Oh, another Jesse Ventura thread....

ahahahaha

At least they lock Ventura in own forum so I can't click on by accident. When I click one a Jesse thread I know what I'm getting myself into. (Nothing mostly, since just rambles on for a bit and rarely posts)

On a side note: I think ATS has tried to address some of this with the research forum, debate threads, wikis, and piles of other things over the years. Fact of the matter is there is a few hundred word sweet spot to get people's attention and they mostly like reading things they agree with. It's not really that ATS has changed so much as we have so much content to get through online most people don't have the time to sit and properly discuss it.

Think about it this way, how many conversations do you see in a 20 - 50 page thread? It's normally two or three people talking with a few jump ins here and there. Feels like commenting on a news site sometimes.

I can't dig it up right now, but they've been having some ideas about citizen journalism etc as a direction for the site. Might be worth reading SO's posts about it.

It must be the attention span thing.

originally posted by: grainofsand
a reply to: jude11
I agree completely Jude, my gosh it is getting to be a habit lol.

I too get annoyed by threads like that, or topics with just an embedded youtube and zero narrative/details.
ATS does seem to get more like facebook/twitter these days in that regard, it is a shame that standards appear to be softening. When I post a topic you may well disagree with everything I say but you can guarantee I made an effort to provide accurate/honest/factual information, and I will continue 'tending' the thread as long as anyone is still interested in it.
I call it lazy and rude but it's up to ATS to decide if it wants to be a discussion forum or a fakebook timeline. I know what I prefer.

Same here.

Many might disagree but at least I provide content to disagree with.

Peace

originally posted by: xuenchen
It must be the attention span thing.

nah...couldn't be th...ooh, looka da squirrel!

waitaminute....

Peace

A consistent meme on ATS seems to be "Its your responsibility to do the research!"

Frankly, it's entertaining how many people (OP/responders alike) seem to truly follow this dogma.

If it's something you're interested in, feel free to surf Google a bit, but don't demand someone introduce you to an idea & expect them to provide you the encylopedia on the subject either.