ALL MEMBERS READ:Increased Scrutiny for Aliens & UFO Forum

reply to post by tothetenthpower


I appreciate that you all did this. Im a relatively new member here(although ive been visting the site for over 2 years) and one thing that i always find myself saying is; "This is ATS......aren't we supposed to deny ignorance and discuss things peacefully? without insult? Many of these people are arguing because they are frustrated that someone can beleive in that" and if you cant get over that, IMHO its possible that you are not as "open minded" as you mayhave thought you were. All in all i feel like many just need to take a breather and re-evaluate they way they view other peoples opinions, all the while doing it within reasonable and peaceful means.

Thanks again

I agree with the additional scruitiny but I must confess to never being personally affected by the problem.
nearly all the posts where I have contributed have been met with polite responses even in diasgreement and open-mindness.

Some of my favourite contribution on ATS has been in the Aliens and UFO Forum and for me it still is the best.
Sometimes you do get a little disappointed when you think there is a new topic only to find it's a legacy re-post of a youtube video, but very often in the search for the original post you uncover stories that, as a new member, I'd never heard of.

I simply don't have the time to read archives of ATS material so sometimes the occasional historic story should be opened for debate, especially if new evidence comes to light.

Originally posted by moonweed

Disclosure already happened. The White House said the other day that they didn't have any evidence that UFOs were alien craft, or evidence of any aliens at all, and so they obviously didn't have any contact with them.

There's the official White House statement, aka disclosure. That should settle the matter once and for all.

pffftttt....you call that disclosure???? c'mon...are you seriously taking that joke as disclosure???

i think this may be a good example of what theyre talking about in the OP. Why the pffft? why all the question marks to put emphasis on how much you disagree? Why can you not just adress the guys statement calmy and say something like; "I personally think that because it's the whitehouse making the statement, that it has much less validity, due to the "untrustworthy" nature of our government."?

granted we all have our own opinions and the one i used as an example may not be yours, but it was just an example

My 2 cents: I think sarcasm will be met with sarcasm. Same with rudeness and name calling. If you disagree with something, then simply state your case. No need to call someone a liar or idiot. Stating your opinion as the truth or a fact is also asking for trouble. Expecting everyone to believe what you believe just because it is what YOU BELIEVE is unrealistic. That doesn't make it the truth. If you start a thread asking for comments or what others believe, then you should expect to receive comments that go against your point of view. You can only hope that people are civilized and polite in their response. Don't sensationalize headlines you already know are wrong or misleading. And if I were a moderator I would delete every single 2 line post that ends with '2nd line' as the second line...

I may never start a thread here. My skin is to thin.

Originally posted by romanmel
reply to post by lnfidel

 

Debunk yes
Denigrate no

Right.

Nor should debunkers be denigrated -- such as the knee-jerk reaction of dismissing a skeptic as a "government shill" or "disinfo agent".

Or the snarky remark that often shows up near the beginning of many UFO sighting threads that goes something like:

"...I can't wait for the all the skeptics to get here and try to explain this as being only swamp gas".


Civility is a two-way street.

This is a wake-up call. I once posted a pic in which there was something that reminded me of the Nazi bell ufo. I just simply asked "What is this!?", without any insinuation of what I thought. ..and suddenly I am guilty of forgery because some member saw some white lines or something that made it "fake" to him.

Because of that, I became a little more rude as well. I know it's no excuse, however.

Therefore, I vow to return to my original state of posting well thought out and insightful comments again! (insert inspirational music)

Originally posted by Soylent Green Is People

Originally posted by romanmel
reply to post by lnfidel

 

Debunk yes
Denigrate no

Right.

Nor should debunkers be denigrated -- such as the knee-jerk reaction of dismissing a skeptic as a "government shill" or "disinfo agent".

Or the snarky remark that often shows up near the beginning of many UFO sighting threads that goes something like:

"...I can't wait for the all the skeptics to get here and try to explain this as being only swamp gas".


Civility is a two-way street.

edit on 11/19/2011 by Soylent Green Is People because: (no reason given)

Yes and we also have the other classic no doubt Phage will turn up and say its etc etc

Wow awesome now I can post my thoughts without scrutiny from others.

Originally posted by Soylent Green Is People

Originally posted by romanmel
reply to post by lnfidel

 

Debunk yes
Denigrate no

Right.

Nor should debunkers be denigrated -- such as the knee-jerk reaction of dismissing a skeptic as a "government shill" or "disinfo agent".

Or the snarky remark that often shows up near the beginning of many UFO sighting threads that goes something like:

"...I can't wait for the all the skeptics to get here and try to explain this as being only swamp gas".


Civility is a two-way street.

edit on 11/19/2011 by Soylent Green Is People because: (no reason given)

Actually, I have certainly seen this sort of response on most of the UFO video threads that are posted here (most of which look like airplane landing lights or Chinese lanterns, or something equally mundane).

can this be carried over to every "Hurr hurr the world didnt end on X date via X means or whathaveyou etc.etc.etc"

they lack merit, perpose, and a reason or even motivation that could be misconstrued as.... constructive

reply to post by xvagrantx


Indeed, it's one reason I stay out of that forum when posting. I read and move on. I am a skeptic I guess you could say but I respect other people's view as well. If I think something is just odd or outlandish I keep it to myself or at least show some restraint towards others as I know I would not want to be treated poorly for a differing view.

I like to plead with the Mods, that I have an extreme problem on my computer when I go to the Aliens & UFO's thread listing section; with no other section listing the threads where I have the same problem.

It's the black icon bar located at the bottom of the Aliens and UFO's thread section. When I click into the thread section, the huge black icon does not stay at the bottom of the page; instead... it might take a few seconds, the black icon almost instantly comes up 1/3, 1/2 or 1/4 up the page thus completly blocking out at least 5 thread posts.

This has been happening to me for months, about 99% of the time.

Can you fix this problem or is it just a virus?

I would like an answer to this problem, because it is the most nerve- racking thing on ATS.

Thanks,

Erno86

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Just in case you have not seen this thread about a two-tiered thread idea: It would allow debunkers (of which I am on occasion) to post and post. If the OP elects to pass over them, they can with a click (or probably an unclick) of the mouse.

ATS Thread

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Can you add a refusal to accept posts that are little more than "2nd line".

Originally posted by Mclaneinc
I replied to the mod explaining this perfectly, showing 100% it wasn't a personal attack which is what the mod said and I got a reply saying his decision stood, I replied back and again just got the same sort of PM back.

I've enquired about a mod decision before and been completely ignored. In my opinion that is plain disrespectful. It doesn't apply to all mods who in the main do a good job. However, if some some members feel they are not respected are they really likely to post their best work here for free?

That's one reason the quality threads are becoming scarce.

Originally posted by Arken
I totally agreed, but it is too late.
Many important members have flown away from ATS in the last two years...

Internos
Mikesingh
Zorgon
easynow
mcrom901
karl12

Some of those members are still around but aren't starting the mega-threads any longer.

There are other important members (not all of them on that list) who have been banned or similar too. A lot of those members were posting the bulk of the really strong controversial threads and I doubt they will in future. Some will not be back posting great threads anyway even if/when posting bans have been lifted. The question is would you continue to donate quality content to a profit making website after that treatment?

I've heard all the same rules for everyone and the rest. They sound like reasonable arguments which I have some sympathy with. However, the key thread writers are the main reason the public bother to visit ATS rather than other forums. The ones writing controversial material are the ones who stimulate debate. Without them this is just one of many forums, with them it was the best.

For the moment ATS remains probably the number one conspiracy forum on the web. However, I predict that this will change unless the quality of threads goes back up and it seems unlikely to happen in the near future if many of the best members are driven out.

Good thread, that's one of the reasons why I never come to this sub forum anymore.
That an 99% it's just looney stuff

OR...

I am fascinated by the Betty & Barney Hill's story. The "Foo Fighter" stories from the end of WWII in Europe are also intriguing. There are a few others. A few.

But UFO websites and blogs continually present stories in a false light.

I did a casual search for a thread here on ATS about the famous words of Major White from an X-!5 flight, "There are things out there, there absolutely are!"

About 2000 articles could be found with those words talking about UFO's.

But the very article from which that quote comes clearly provides the context that he was looking at tiny particles just outside his window and which he suspected were fuel residue-- but only three articles mentioned that.

The UFO web sites use sensational bits and pieces and INTENTIONALLY leave out the obvious explanation by ignoring context. It is dishonest and a well-meaning ATS member believes he or she has found something really neat, and posts about it here. And so does another, and another, and another-- and it gets "debunked" each time.

So maybe the cause of diminishing posts about UFO's might be due to the "debunkers" providing the rest of the story-- the honest and provable rest of the story which takes the sensational and turns them into the mundane-- not out of meanness, but out of knowledge and a desire to "deny ignorance."

Maybe, just maybe, the addition of the "Search" feature is also having effect-- repeats of already discussed topics are seen and so not posted as a new thread.

Sure, everyone can claim victimhood, and instead of saying, "I started an ill-conceived thread that did not have a leg to stand on, and I got creamed" we can say, "I tried to start a thread I was interested in and got creamed-- so I am afraid to post again."

This is a good thing.

reply to post by Frira


With your logic we should all just search and read, then post nothing, because other than breaking news EVERYTHING has been discussed before.

Would be kind of empty around here don't you think?

Originally posted by zorgon
reply to post by Frira


With your logic we should all just search and read, then post nothing, because other than breaking news EVERYTHING has been discussed before.

Would be kind of empty around here don't you think?

No, with my logic-- everyone would be a lot smarter!


I made no "should" statement, at all. It was a complex point I was trying to make, and I think I failed.

Here we go, and I'll do better...

* ATS is looking at dropped numbers in posts in the UFO section.

* ATS MEMBERS are complaining about dropped quality of new UFO threads.

THEREFORE (albeit, a non sequitur) The joint theory has been put forward that the cause is because the "debunkers" are so mean that people are afraid to post.

Come on now. Where can you post on this site without getting flack from someone who disagrees, and in a mean way?

I submitted two possible alternative theories.

1) A reason that both the quantity and quality of UFO posts have dropped is due to the search feature. Persons are looking before they post-- and finding that what they were about to post was already discussed for forty pages.

I mean, what if I posted a new thread, "Amazing Alien Abduction Story! Must read!" and then link to an article or video on Betty & Barney Hill? I'll get one post telling me its been done to death. I'll get another post chastising me for not using the search feature, and a third message from a mod closing the thread.

2) Another reason both quantity and quality of new UFO threads have dropped may be that the standard fair of the less sophisticated UFO blog sites has been exposed often enough that here on ATS that fewer and fewer are posting the old stuff.

I mean like William Karel's Dark Side of the Moon-- being edited to remove the more obvious comedy and re-posted without the telling film credits. ("McDonald's Wrappers everywhere!" and "You might say he had become an 'acidic-Jew.'" were my favorite lines in the full version-- you have to be a big Kubrick fan to get many of the other jokes). I think more and more people are becoming aware that the edited versions are edited to intentionally mislead people.

That kind of thing suggests that ATS is making a difference is separating the wheat from the chaff in terms of what is being discussed.

THEREFORE... ATS members are down to waiting for the next big and intriguing story. Meanwhile, we are all left with, "I have this strange thing that showed up on my photo last night" and that deceitful woman taking videos of airplanes going in and out of the airport at night. We would like there to be more meaty evidence-- but right now, there is not.

But the Roswell Aluminum (maybe beer can, maybe alien beer can, maybe alien space ship fragment) is a good example of a current meaty discussion, and a lot more exciting than an image of a lampshade reflecting in the window from which a ten page discussion of "plasma propulsion" ensues.


******** ********
But, No, I am not suggesting reading the archives. I don't.

I would love to discuss Betty & Barney Hill, and Foo Fighters. But I am not interested in reading a five year old discussion with a hundred pages-- most of which is bickering of people no longer even contributing to ATS-- and also knowing that any comment I have, will be seen by persons with a "been there, done that, and moved on" attitude concerning the thread.

(Is anyone actually reading this?)

Lastly, the "Enter Phage/JimOberg in 5... 4... 3...." just cracks me up every time! That isn't mean!