Sick and tired of member derailing threads

I've been noticing that on some of my threads, people will purposely say something insulting to derail the thread, and frankly, I'm sick and tired. If I say that it is just my opinion, they will all of a sudden attack me, especially if my opinion involves me questioning what the government is saying, I mean, c'mon, this is a conspiracy site!

It saddens me that more and more people are attacking members whose opinions do not side with them. How about you stop listening to everything the media says, and do some thinking for yourself.

Rant over.

Originally posted by extraterrestrialentity
I've been noticing that on some of my threads, people will purposely say something insulting to derail the thread, and frankly, I'm sick and tired. If I say that it is just my opinion, they will all of a sudden attack me, especially if my opinion involves me questioning what the government is saying, I mean, c'mon, this is a conspiracy site!

It saddens me that more and more people are attacking members whose opinions do not side with them. How about you stop listening to everything the media says, and do some thinking for yourself.

Rant over.

When your opinions are not backed by evidence then you should accept you are wrong and start educating yourself. I see it all the time on here, ludicrous claims backed by nothing other than the persons poor opinion and the word "shill" or "troll".....too many kids on here now for any real debate.

reply to post by AmberLeaf


Even when I say it's just an opinion, they attack me for some reason. Perhaps they just don't like the fact that other people think differently.

Unfortunetly even on this website you have people who will defend their masters because they know nothing different. Don't be offended by it, just look at them like slothes. They are slow but will eventually get there

I looked through your post history to see what level of derailing was taking place, and let me just be the first to say that if that little bit of off topic posting and light flaming gets to you, then you might want to start getting used to it. That is nothing compared to some of the derailing that I have seen here on ATS. I have watched threads that were very well thought out with all kinds of sources and insightful input derailed into oblivion.

It will take some time, but you will get thicker skin, and then you will learn how to combat it with logic.

reply to post by SpaDe_


The problem is that, when you use logic, they will look at every little word you said wrong, and will attempt to make you angry and derail the thread, which really gets me angry. But hopefully I'll learn to stop it quickly.

Originally posted by extraterrestrialentity
reply to post by AmberLeaf

 

Even when I say it's just an opinion, they attack me for some reason. Perhaps they just don't like the fact that other people think differently.

edit on 22-4-2013 by extraterrestrialentity because: (no reason given)

If your opinion goes against known facts, that will happen im afraid.
Im not saying that's the case, but generally thats where opinions dont matter.

reply to post by AmberLeaf


I never make threads stating that what I'm saying is fact. If I don't know if something is a fact, I'll always say it's my opinion, but yet, I'll still get attacked.

you are too thin skinned.
oh no someone on the internet is mad at me!


just stick to your guns, stay calm and keep going...

Originally posted by extraterrestrialentity
reply to post by SpaDe_

 

The problem is that, when you use logic, they will look at every little word you said wrong, and will attempt to make you angry and derail the thread, which really gets me angry. But hopefully I'll learn to stop it quickly.

I find the easiest way to deter that is to use hard facts and quote sources. It's hard to refute black and white fact. I understand that is hard to do when putting together a theory, but even then use as much valid evidence as you can, and walk everyone through the theory step by step like you are talking to children. The more well thought out it is, the more people will be willing to consider it, and even then you are going to have hardline people that will just not accept anything that isn't hard fact.

reply to post by extraterrestrialentity


Rant over.


Did it ever begin..? You start a thread, that probably belongs in short stories if anything, about your bad experiences on this site..?


Check it out chief - get over Boston, move on, and remember that the anonymity of the internet is a universal right...so, like you, others may abuse it as well.

reply to post by facelift


Yeah, I thought it was too short as well, but hey, a rant is a rant is a rant.

reply to post by extraterrestrialentity


Back a few years ago it wasn't like this...If you posted something and people would make a case against it. It being the information...
Now it's all about attacking the source not the info.. I have seen some great threads turn into schoolyard name calling with every post..

There are several here now, that every thread they visit..post something about the OP's crazy ideas etc...every thread.

If I post something you don't agree with prove me wrong..simple as that...don't talk about the size of my junk or my IQ etc..

I miss the old days of ATS ..

Hang in there OP

reply to post by okiecowboy


Thanks man. I thought I was the only one here.

reply to post by AmberLeaf

Best answer: Credit: Member-AmberLeaf.

"When your opinions are not backed by evidence.... then you should accept you are wrong and start educating yourself. I see it all the time on here, ludicrous claims backed by nothing other than the persons poor opinion and the word "shill" or "troll".....too many kids on here now for any real debate." AmberLeaf
Thanx AL

What a lot of people seem to fail to realize is that while the majority of us here on ATS are not able to delete someone's post, close a thread, or give warnings, we CAN get those who are able to do that, to do just those things.

Contact the mods. That is what they were there for. If you have a thread that you've started get derailed, then use the alert button for the thread and ask for a mod to come over and post a friendly reminder about staying on topic.

I've done that many, many times for threads that are not even mine, and the mods DO respond.

If someone is running around in a thread calling or accusing others of being a "Shill" or "Troll" or "Disinfo Agent", etc, then again. ALERT the mods. Making posts like that are a direct violation of the TCs here on ATS.

Again, I do this all the time even if it's not my thread, and even if I'm not posting in a thread. When I see someone doing that, I alert the mods to it.

Don't think that the mods are reading every thread and every post that is made. The logistics to do that is not there, and is why we have the Alert button in the first place.

Sometimes it takes a while for them to get around to it, but they do respond. If it's a extreme TC violation (IE someone posted a picture they are not suppose to, used language that they are not suppose too, etc), you can alert it, AND you can scroll down to the bottom of the main forum page. There you will see what mods are online (their names are in bold).
Send one of the a U2U with a link to the thread or post.

Keep in mind that you can do this for other threads that you might read and see, even if you're not posting in it. You can help out by alerting the mods here to something that is going on that they may not be seeing because they are busy monitoring another thread.

Sometimes you may not see anything happen (however I must stress that EVERY time I've made an alert and asked a mod to post a friendly reminder to stay on topic and stop the attacks, they have responded EVERY time), and it could be that they don't agree that there is a problem with someone's post or thread.

However, if you (and others on here) don't use the Alert function at all, then no, nothing at all will be done in a lot of cases, because again, the mods can't be everywhere at once.

So if you feel that ATS is becoming a "bad" place, or you think there is too much trolling/flaming/baiting/insulting, etc going on, get proactive and start alerting those posts or threads.

reply to post by AmberLeaf

When your opinions are not backed by evidence then you should accept you are wrong and start educating yourself. I see it all the time on here, ludicrous claims backed by nothing other than the persons poor opinion and the word "shill" or "troll".....too many kids on here now for any real debate.

Agreed I could say that in my opinion Santa is real, and that is fair enough for me to have that opinion but unless I have evidence of Santa’s existence my opinion means nothing. So if I start a thread saying “hmmmm I think Santa is real” and have no evidence to back that up I should expect people to say “you opinion is wrong because no one has seen Santa and because his existence is a well-known child’s myth therefore he is not real”. For me to then continue to argue that Santa is real is just clearly stupid unless I can prove otherwise.

Way to many people come on ATS saying “in my opinion…” or “I would speculate that…” and so on which is fine but you need evidence to back up what you’re saying in debate and this is a forum for debating issues.

It is also a website for denying ignorance to you can’t do that without facts to back up your beliefs.

Well now, you need to learn how to rant properlly... Is this de-railing your thread?

I'm sick and tired of Member's crying over someone coming in and laying down Ace's over there pair of Jokers.

I'm tired of the Skeptic's crying that "HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS, THERE"S NO PROOF" Get over it. Some people believe in the Spirit of Santa Claus and not the actual fictitious figure. Which Chris Kringle did exist in Europe FYI horrible case to state in this thread Othersideofthecoin~

I'm tired of hearing Weak Sauce Rants!

I want to read the FIRE BEHIND YOUR WORDS~

Not some soft spoke kitten, that sounds more like a whiny child who got there feelings hurt.

I'm tired of Hearing this.

GROW SOME SKIN AND ACT LIKE A ADULT! THIS IS ATS not some filtered derelict website that muffles the truth.

Should members spoon feed you due to your lack of being able take what you dish out?

Bring on the pain, and welcome to the THUNDERDOME~!

Peace and love~

sulaw

reply to post by eriktheawful


Absolutely great reply, very useful and informative information!
I get so absolutely frustrated sometimes reading threads, as they do get derailed into and un-intelligent drivel fest!
I HATE having to read through pages of back and forth between two people that has nothing to do with the actual thread at all. It's ridiculous how two people, OTHER than the OP, can get into such juvenile and downright offensive and PERSONAL attacks on each other right in the middle of a thread.
I had no idea that you could alert a Mod, or even send a link to a thread via U2U to one that might be immediately available.
I've often wondered after reading an attack from someone agains another member WHY nothing was done about it, I mean I recently read a reply that hurt MY feelings for the person who it was directed towards!!!!

Thanks again for the positive input

reply to post by extraterrestrialentity

What's that thing Joey No Thumbs used to say, "If they hand you a lemon, make lemonade". When someone comes up on you here, just use their post to give more data about your point. You can answer their questions honestly, and explain your position a bit more, and if they persist you just have more proof that we all live in our own universe. The internet is a jungle only if you haven't traveled in a real jungle, and then the internet is a pastoral pond on a spring day.