posted on Jan, 13 2009 @ 09:18 AM
Well, this is certainly an interesting topic...
I think we must first step back and take a look at what exactly ATS is.
What we are discussing is a forum; a message board; a collection of ideas from users around the world.
That would present an interesting dilemma for such "watchdog" groups, wouldn't it, because here on ATS we have members who come from all walks of
life and have all sorts of opinions.
Do some people consider the opinions of others to be offensive? Sure. That's the nature of discussion. People will disagree. In fact, often times
we meet a topic that becomes very intense and we have numerous members on either "side" of the equation who might express a lot of anger towards
each other. It happens.
Here on ATS we are governed by a very clearly stated set of rules that every member agrees to abide by when they sign up initially. That set of
rules, known here as the T&C are the guidelines for how we operate. For our members and our staff they are the rules.
For many years, and through countless hours of work from our staff, we have done a fine job moderating this site and making sure the T&C are followed
by all members.
With that being said, I will state here and now in no uncertain terms, ATS does not respond to threats of any sort, and will not alter its policies or
rules because of the fear of being reported to any group, no matter who that group might be.
We have our own rules against hate speech. When a member violates those rules, that member is dealt with. We will not entertain input from anyone
regarding the actions our staff take to combat hate speech here, whether it is from other members, or from "watchdog" groups.
So let me make this abundantly clear, this is a community site. If you disagree with what a member of the community says, debate him or her. If you
feel they have expressed themselves in a hateful manner, report him or her. It will be dealt with in a manner that the ownership and executive staff
of ATS deem proper. Not some outside body.
Hate speech is something we take very seriously here and we deal with it according to our rules which have been put in place to protect our members.
The spectre of "watchdog" groups not liking what some of our members have to say is of no interest to ATS.
For clarification purposes, please keep in mind that a forum, such as ATS, is a collection of opinions and statements from THOUSANDS of people.
Classifying a forum as a "hate site" would clearly be a mistake as the forum and its official representatives do not participate in any hate speech.
So... if someone wishes to report a statement to an outside group rather than to the people who can address it (namely our staff) you're acting in a
backwards manner that helps no one.
I hope this will be the end of this odd "trend" because frankly it's rather tiresome. We've enforced our T&C for many years and don't require
any assistance.