Mars Rock Anomaly Threads. Who S&Fs these things?

Not really a Rant but this forum will do.

So here we go another day another thread claiming to show life on Mars.
These threads always seem to run the same course.
IE:

"Proof of life on mars"
- accompanied by a picture of a rock. (and sometimes nothing at all)

The rest of the thread goes something like this

-Its a rock

-Rock!

-I dont see it

-Looks like a rock to me

-ROCK!

-WHy did you post this?

-rock?

-ITS a RoK!


etc etc for several pages.

Now I ask... Why are people starring and flagging?

Starring and Flagging is supposed to mean that the thread has credibility within the forum...

(?)

So ... What's the deal people? Why are many of you starring the heck out of these HOAX threads?

MAybe more importantly.. Why do the mods put up with these threads? They make the forum (imo) look dumb.

I could understand, maybe with the more interesting artifact pictures, but this starring of useless hoax threads is becoming rampant here.

Its an ATS anomaly,
thoughts?

Get over it.

reply to post by Just Chris


Wow that was awesome

Now I wonder who would star and flag this thread?

reply to post by TFCJay


Well at least the Mars Rock Star and Flaggers are coming out of the wood work.

Go ahead, Star and flag all you want. I was just curious as to WHY they s/f rock threads.

Is it because they "want to believe"?

reply to post by canucks555


It's a secret! It's a conspiracy! To be honest I have no clue. Members or maybe spam bots are flagging the threads they like and try to make it seem more credible than it really is.

Originally posted by TFCJay
Now I wonder who would star and flag this thread?

No kidding! LOL

I enjoy those threads. No one ever really expects to find "life", but maybe evidence of fossil life. If we don't do it, search those panoramic photos of the surface of Mars, who will?

Besides, I found a lot of interesting stuff wandering around on Mars!


Tiny Luke Skywalker!


A post card!


Watch out for that snake!


Where math was done!


Something growing like a vine?


A fallen column with saw marks?


Don't forget about Parrotopia!

reply to post by Phoenix267


Well to be honest, the negative replies that these threads get leads me to wondering if there are Spam Bots involved.
I'm serious.

A thread that has 90% negative response, has the flag count of a thread that has 90% positive response. (?)

Something is up...

ROCK FLAGGERS SHOW YOURSELVES AND REPENT!

Example as on Facebook.

I was so drunk yesterday




Me and i and you and 6789 others like this.

reply to post by canucks555


To be honest I wouldn't be surprised. I cannot complain because I'm in no way enforcing the law here. In another way you do have members who will agree about conspiracies. Like the latest conspiracies in the Boston Bombings. There is more than one explanation in why different threads are more popular then the others.

reply to post by Phoenix267


Well its not only the false content of the threads.
It's that massive negative response, followed by the huge S/Fs given.

Not many people here S/F a thread that they disagree with.

So if a thread garners a 96% negative reaction, one has to wonder..

Who S/F these threads and why?

reply to post by canucks555


I wonder too. The best we can do is ignore who gets the most flags and stars for silly reasons. Does anyone take Facebook likes serious? Just do your best to make good replies and threads.

reply to post by canucks555


The flag syste is broken, and its because of people who flag the most pathetic threads, the "oooo look what YouTube has to say" or "a pretty picture" or "what if....?" and any "Obama is a Muslim" threads.

Its really annoying, because there are loads of really good threads that just get dumped at the bottom of the recent posts page.

I think what is needed is a "staffs pick" type of forum where threads that have had alot of work put into them get put.

I think the flag sytem would have worked a few years ago when there were not quite so many members or when people used thier brain. I still think we should keep it becuase its a good system but i think that we need something more, something that stops good threads just passing by.

Who S&F''d the thread you are talking about i have no idea, some of the stuff that people think is "good info" on ATS amazes me at times.

good rant in my view

I confess. It's me, and a few other members who shall remain nameless. We each have a few dozen sock puppet accounts so we can flag bad threads and push the good threads off the recently flagged list. I'm sorry.

Honestly. Who knows, who cares. I pay more attention to content than S&F's anyway. I've seen some great posts and threads go totally unnoticed, and horrible threads and posts get mondo recognition. It's all in the eye of the beholder. Or member in this case.

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin


Hey Thanks


It's not really an "I Agree" or "I do not agree" type of thing, like say, gun control.

Many of us want to believe...but..

They're rocks.

reply to post by Klassified

I've seen some great posts and threads go totally unnoticed, and horrible threads and posts get mondo recognition

And that is exactly why i am starting to think a "staff's pick" forum is needed, I dont know if it has been suggested before or not but i do think that something like that is needed. I have to say when i first joined up thats what i thought Really Above Top Secret was.

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin

I do like that idea. A forum for staff picks.

Maybe we can get SO to consider the idea.

ETA: On second thought. Staff already gets accused of playing favorites, and everything else you can think to accuse them of. I'm sure this would be no different.

I'm guilty of starring and flagging some of them lol

Just because it is probably a rock it's a rock that no human has ever seen before.. so any cool pics people find of the surface of mars is worth posting in my opinion

I look at the Mars pics all the time and if I ever find something cool I will post it

Just because you dont think its worth starring and flagging doesn't mean I dont

Originally posted by goou111
I'm guilty of starring and flagging some of them lol

Just because it is probably a rock it's a rock that no human has ever seen before.. so any cool pics people find of the surface of mars is worth posting in my opinion

I look at the Mars pics all the time and if I ever find something cool I will post it

Just because you dont think its worth starring and flagging doesn't mean I dont

dude its still just a rock....

its not worthy of all those stars,flags and 20 pages off posts

because...

its just a rock...

its not anything amazing, its not something thats going to change how we under stand the world

its a rock.

yes its a martian rock but guess what.

its a rock,

and we have them on earth too

again ITS A ROCK

reply to post by goou111


That's fine, I understand that.

But if the OP states it's More than a Rock IE: something alive or manufactured intelligently...

Doesn't that urk you just a bit?

OP is trying to convince you of a lie.

Hey if the thread title is "Cool looking Rock on MArs resembles a hand" then fine...

But "Proof of life, martians, structures!"

..doesn't that bug you just a bit? Why S/F a lie?