Something needs to be done about the conspiracy theories forum

nullzero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950756#Comment_117950756

I wasn't crying about it. I'm just stating that it's almost impossible to reply to everyone at once. It happens consistently. Someone can step back and allow the discussion to flow a little more freely.

nullzero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950767#Comment_117950767

I can address this issue all I like and you just continue with this position.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950763#Comment_117950763

A busy thread with many readers and all hitting reply at the same time. Cross posting with others without seeing replies. It's not a pile on, it's a function of how message boards work, very often replies are written and posted before anyone sees a similar one.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950819#Comment_117950819

As for this? How do you propose the person to step back is chosen? Should one side appoint a spokesperson? Or calmly hit f5 a certain number of times before they chip in?

King Mob

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950864#Comment_117950864

It has to be highlighted how many times "the problem" has shifted at this stage.

So far it's been "Demands for proof", "Too many questions" to "people keep insulting conspiracy theorists"bto "people are too abrasive" and now it's "there's too much piling on."

While the problem we've been pointing out has remained consistent: "Conspiracy theorists avoid questions about their theories."

Timberrrrrrrr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950890#Comment_117950890

So go post there, "free speech" is not a right on a privately owned forum and this has been done to death for many years now as I'm well sure you already know.

Parachutes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950790#Comment_117950790

Then what’s the harm in imposing the template? It’s a win-win. Presumably, this will stop all the posters who just want an echo chamber and conversely, those that do answer the questions won’t have to deal with the same handful of posters obfuscating and deliberately trying to de rail a thread in order to stop “dangerous misinformation”

nullzero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950864#Comment_117950864

Personally, if I saw that I was posting the same things as other people I'd just step back myself. It's an issue of personal responsibility.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950932#Comment_117950932

There's no harm, very few on the "Skeptic" side have raised an issue with it. Apart from King Mob and that was addressed via a few posts about structure and outlining that prose style posta with the appropriate info included were just as valid as the template format.

There are no "Skeptics" opposed to it and the response from that side has in fairness being quite open and accepting of it IMO.

King Mob

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950932#Comment_117950932

No one is deliberately trying to derail any thread to stop any information.

King Mob

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950948#Comment_117950948

And again to reiterate the issues I raised where issues I felt would be offputting or unfair on conspiracy theorists proposing the theories.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950947#Comment_117950947

Look at the post time of your post there, and my post to Parachutes. Both 6.28pm. I didn't see your post whilst writing mine. It didn't appear on my feed until I'd posted my reply and the feed refreshed. No idea there was a post.

Your self control regarding posting whilst others are? Is admirable. But as I mentioned in an earlier reply, multiple posters replying and typing at the same time. How do you know that anyone is at all whilst you are replying? Why would you refrain from posting at all? Is your question not as good as some other poster's?

It again comes across as you feel you are dealing with a coordinated group, who should speak in turn? When it's not, it's a cohort of individuals.

That you get a lot of quick/concurrent replies, isn't a pile on.

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950932#Comment_117950932

Because the people who would need to be posting in the template style have not acknowledged that the suggestion exist or given any opinion on it. If they are not going to post following the template then it's kind of pointless. You'd end up with either the forum being abandoned, as some of them claim is their wish, or the requirement to follow the template ignored by them and then mods have to decide if they kill off those posts for not following the template, or let it slide so that there is some posting and render the template null and void.

The conspiracy theorists need to be making their case for change if they want any.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950979#Comment_117950979

its very hard for them to do because at least 4 have gotten themselves thread banned for being uncivil

Dohnjoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950932#Comment_117950932

I've mentioned many times I think it's a good idea

As for your line "the same handful of posters obfuscating them deliberately trying to de rail a thread in order to stop "dangerous misinformation" Bizarre opinion, not aware of that happening at all, please show examples of that. Why would anyone need to derail a thread? if something is disinformation or baseless it usually crumbles under basic questions and scrutiny.

nullzero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950977#Comment_117950977

I appreciate what you're saying but earlier I was dealing with a number of posters who were purposefully quoting parts of my posts and taking what I was saying out of context in an attempt to make me look unreasonable.

The initial overlap is understandable, what I take issue with is being misrepresented by a group of people all at once, that's when it begins to feel like you are being piled on.

nullzero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950742#Comment_117950742

This is complete shithousery.

You've come in here with an axe to grind today, nothing is good enough for you.

You have been quoting parts of my posts, taking my posts out of context and generally being uncivil. We've clashed on other forums in the past if not the CT forum and my opinion of you isn't great to begin with and it's only been reinforced today.

Dohnjoe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117951013#Comment_117951013

Okay, but what's the difference with a persecution complex then?

For example, I can start writing plenty of strong opinions on "conspiracy theorists" in this thread, putting the majority of the blame on them for the state of the forum and may find many start to reply to me here, write that they are all misrepresenting me, according to me. Therefore I'm being "piled on", according to me. Am I playing the victim card? What's the difference?

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117951013#Comment_117951013

Look, I certainly can appreciate how that feels. It looks as if everyone is piling on and posting at once, and they(myself included) are. On a fraught topic it can quickly become stressful as the centre of the flow of posts.

My point is though, that it's not coordinated. It's not a deliberate effort to stress. It's the flow of a conversation in a written medium that allows multiple people to have similar thoughts when they see a post and post their reply in near real time and almost synchronised.

It's a limitation of forums, not a deliberate victimisation. The notion of waiting to see if someone has posted a question similar to what I'm currently typing? Or self censoring if someone has, isn't workable. The replies are generally quite immediate and tbh, I'm not waiting or refreshing before posting.

Now that said, it certainly becomes frustrating when you've addressed a point but 3 posts later there is a post referring back to the post you've already answered.

In general terms, I'd say well certainly if a few posts on a topic have been made and another pops up that seems to have missed or ignored your answer. It may very well be due to the linear nature of forums, they were writing whilst you posted your answer, a few more posts were made, then they hit submit on their post without seeing 4/5/6 posts.

The conversation has moved on, but it looks like you are being called back to address a point already done. It's a limitation of this form of Comms IMO

Look, long story short? I'd certainly agree a bit more attention to posts on both sides wouldn't go astray but, once someone reads a post and hits reply?

Any post between that point and their hitting submit is invisible to them.

nullzero

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117951068#Comment_117951068

I can agree with you in large part.

There is one poster who has been going out of their way to be unpleasant to me today across the span of a few hours at this stage and that type of contribution is really just playing the man and not the ball and could be done without.

It is frustrating when can't answer everyone's questions, particularly when not doing so results in being accused of dodging or avoiding questions.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117951035#Comment_117951035

if you think I am being uncivil report my posts. very simple.

Timberrrrrrrr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117950932#Comment_117950932

The only ones who try to derail threads are the conspiracy theorists, they get caught out with lies and then Tey to shift the discussion to something else, either that or just abandon their own threads when their "proof" is debunked.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117945188#Comment_117945188

Why is putting a poster on Ignore an option on the site?

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117951635#Comment_117951635

No idea, seems like an odd function to me.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117951719#Comment_117951719

I think it's a good function myself. It means that posters won't be arguing with each other non-stop. The problem is posters continuing to reply when they are clearly on Ignore. That makes the Ignore function pretty pointless.

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117951817#Comment_117951817

So you just want to be able to spout nonsense and not bother with seeing anyone's questions back to you regarding it, essentially just sticking your fingers in your ears and going "la, la, la, la" to yourself.

Beasty

I have just read through the "contributions" to this thread during the course of today. I can count on the fingers of one hand (not including my thumb) the number of constructive posts made. Thread closed. Hopefully we'll be able to get some local mod insight behind the scenes and will then be in position to make proposals to take the forum forward, which may, or may not, include Charter changes