why are you punishing so many for just a few ill mannered constituants

DISRAELI
reply to post by Klassified

 

The great irony is that the Theology forum itself, as far as I can tell, was fairly peaceful at the time and had been for days.
Unless something dramatic was happening overnight.

No, the religious forums have been a honey pot for trolls, malcontents and the self righteous for far too long.

The religious forums on ATS will be regarded the same way the 911 forum was when we started to pay more attention to it.

I'm sure SkepticOverlord will have more details as to what will be the expectation moving forward, after the cooling off period.

~Tenth

Klassified
reply to post by sk0rpi0n

 

This one, and the one that sprang from it, probably didn't help matters any...
www.abovetopsecret.com...

A thread like that was long overdue.

While I'll leave matters of policy and planning to those above me who handle such concerns (gladly!), I have an opinion to throw out as someone also posting to both forums.

They aren't 'closed'. Anyone can go read anything in them, right up to late last night's activity.

They are temporarily off limits to new posting...with a fixed # of days and a set calender date (and what part of the day, no less), the temporary limit will be lifted. Nothing nefarious here..and it's been a dangerous place to voice the wrong opinions for awhile in there now.

The problem, in my view? The "Wrong opinion" has become so common to voice, it's actually deterred folks from voicing theirs. Afterall, every opinion on religion is, to someone, somewhere, the wrong one. Always will be. Hopefully when the gate rises again and the happy crowds can once again flood into those two forums to mingle and discuss things, the topic and not the member will be more the focus.

Just my two carrots...

windword
This IS news to me! But, I guess I can see the reasoning behind this temporary ban. I think it's because of the "Call to Action" from a certain poster. The two offending threads seemed like a handbook on "How To" attack, bully and mob posters with dissenting views. I do think, in retrospect, a cooling off period is wise choice. Elsewise, I foresee many posters being banned in the wake of those two threads.

I am genuinely amazed that you see that thread this way. Not that some need instructions on how to bully, mob and attack. In fact I have seen several well known poster just pile on to one dissenter for page after page after page. This person has NEVER complained to SO or MODs.

Maybe research as to who is always complaining will unveil some understanding.

tothetenthpower
No, the religious forums have been a honey pot for trolls, malcontents and the self righteous for far too long.

But less so, surely, since the truce SO asked for at Christmas?
That did seem to be working, as far as the Theology forum was concerned.

Wrabbit2000


The problem, in my view? The "Wrong opinion" has become so common to voice, it's actually deterred folks from voicing theirs. Afterall, every opinion on religion is, to someone, somewhere, the wrong one. Always will be. Hopefully when the gate rises again and the happy crowds can once again flood into those two forums to mingle and discuss things, the topic and not the member will be more the focus.

Just my two carrots...

Most of the fighting has to do with foundations of position, foundations of proof for positions. The rest of it is forgone conclusion.

DISRAELI

tothetenthpower
No, the religious forums have been a honey pot for trolls, malcontents and the self righteous for far too long.

But less so, surely, since the truce SO asked for at Christmas?
That did seem to be working, as far as the Theology forum was concerned.

Which is exactly why this step was taken. SO's truce post was somewhat ignored in the theology forums and this is the next step unfortunately.

Honestly it worked wonders on the 911 forum, I can only imagine the same for this as well.

~Tenth

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Can you please tell us what the other thread was? I'm assuming the one Klass posted was the first...but I never saw a "response" thread....

was it trashed, or may we look at it to see where we are all going wrong?

I'm really confused....I don't know how we can talk about these things objectively when so many take it personally. But I'd hate to see those forums disappear. They're really interesting, I think.

reply to post by Logarock

I am genuinely amazed that you see that thread this way. Not that some need instructions on how to bully, mob and attack. In fact I have seen several well known poster just pile on to one dissenter for page after page after page. This person has NEVER complained to SO or MODs.

Are you sure that posters, at least sometimes, aren't piling on to the topic or source of "proof", and not really attacking the individual person? I don't know what "person" you're referring to, but I myself, as a loud proponent on the "Pro-Choice" side of things, I've been personally pounded on, attacked and mobbed, so, I know that it does happen. But, in my experience the MODS do a good job of sorting out the trouble makers. Certainly, taking a controversial stand requires "thick skin."

It is to be expected, with emotionally charged issues, that tempers will flare. However, when there is a group mindset of righteous indignation and retaliation fueled by active threads that detail tactics of bullying, mobbing and other general bad behavior, it stirs the already troubled pot, making a mess on the ATS stove!

reply to post by wildtimes

When the first thread was closed to new replies, there was a second thread by the same author, not identical but similartheme. That one has gone.

reply to post by DISRAELI


Thank you. It was driving me nuts trying to figure out what happened!

Okay then.

Diabolical
reply to post by sk0rpi0n

 

Well he could of just said that, rather than going through his jibber jabber paragraphs. Read all his posts and none of them made a lick of sense.
Thank you.Get to the point man...

Your unkind response is duly noted; you have actually read all of my 2100+ jibberjabber posts? you deserve a medal for your exasperated 'patence' .

DISRAELI
reply to post by wildtimes

 

When the first thread was closed to new replies, there was a second thread by the same author, not identical but similartheme. That one has gone.

I thought there was a trapdoor exit strategy for these wily/unweldly threads to transfer: The HOAX catagory; RFT and CiR should qualify just as the other forums; subject matter is just as ambiguous, unproven, unsubstanciated but written about through the centuries just the same: as will always be; debated. Somewhere someone crossed a line. I ignore the negative (not condusive to the positive) so leave to my betters to decide what finite line was crossed). I suppose its all a question of faith/trust (as usual).

reply to post by vethumanbeing

It wasn't my decision, but I can see how the second thread might have been seen as the last straw.

wildtimes

I agree with vet. Why can't you just post-ban the people who are 'guilty'? There were some very good threads going, we can't even continue in those now.

This is very disappointing. Seems to me that the political and social issues forums are every bit as 'contentious' - with lots of attacks on the part of opposing 'views'; I don't even hardly go there anymore due to the mud-slinging and arguing and name-calling. It's far worse than the RFT and CiR forums. But, it's not my site. I'll just have to stick to paranormal and philosophy, I guess.

There is no family value system on RFT or CiR; the nature of both is set up to be contentious, (like having a pro-smoking vs-non smoking discussion). Many other things such as free will, testiments, come into play. Wear asbestos eyeglasses and gloves if venturing into either one; and be forwarned a sense of humor is a good weapon, (the fact they exist at all means trouble).

I dont think ive even known this to happen before, whole forums locked, its a shame theyre a couple of my favourite forums. Its a sad state of affairs when you and others are punished for something you havnt done. Awaiting the big unlocking.

DISRAELI
reply to post by vethumanbeing

 

It wasn't my decision, but I can see how the second thread might have been seen as the last straw.

Now I have to ask what was the diabolical second thread that ruined one minute of my 'yesterday then' now today experience (nothing is obvious enough for me; too non linear as an abstract personality). Im perfectly serious; and hope you are allowed to answer.

reply to post by thedoctorswife


It happened before, but for a longer period, in the 9/11 Conspiracies Forum. We had a number of "trolls" from a collection of "9/11 Truth" organizations causing so much organized disruption, the staff was finding it hard to spend time elsewhere. It wasn't fair the the rest of ATS's members.

In this case, many threads in those two forums (Origins could be considered a third, but not for now), the insults and taunting tossed around by theists and non-theists alike was turning ATS threads into some of the worst examples of YouTube comments and Reddit religion threads. So we took this preemptive action to turn the tide back to civil discussion before people loose their accounts here.

reply to post by vethumanbeing

I've already descibed the thread in the answer I gave to Wlidtimes.
i don't remember the exact title, so there's nothing i can add anyway.