New Change for Conspiracy Theory section: only space and astronomy

[Fraser]

Phil and I have talked it over, and we feel that the Conspiracy Theory section of the forum is starting to get out of hand. If you take a look through the CT section, easily half of the stories on the homepage are about 9/11, and have nothing to do with space and astronomy.

So, effective immediately, we're instituting the same policy that we have for the Against the Mainstream Section...

... only post topics relating to space and astronomy.

We'll start closing up topics on Friday, and from this point on, any threads which aren't specifically about space-related conspiracy theories will be closed immediately.

Thanks!

[Serenitude]

*Claps loudly, hoots, and hollers * Well done!

[Occam]

Just a thought... why not close all the existing 911 threads, to discourage further posting on the subject?

[Tog_]

Originally Posted by Occam

Just a thought... why not close all the existing 911 threads, to discourage further posting on the subject?

Originally Posted by Fraser

We'll start closing up topics on Friday, and from this point on, any threads which aren't specifically about space-related conspiracy theories will be closed immediately.
Thanks!

It's on the list.

[gwiz]

It might be worth pointing out to anyone who objects to this policy that they are free to join the fairly civilised 911 conspiracy discussions on the Education Forum or Apollohoax.

[Grand_Lunar]

Do science related conspiracies remain?

Well, if not, this move does reduce the workload of the mods and makes it easier on the rest of us (not to mention the server, I bet!).

[Nereid]

Originally Posted by Grand_Lunar

Do science related conspiracies remain?

[snip]

That's a good question.

Speaking personally, I'd like to see the end of "Einstein stole {insert your favourite here}'s ideas!", and "Tesla's brilliant ideas have never been adopted because {insert your favourite conspiracy here}!", and similar, conspiracy theories (if that's what they are) too. Just my personal preference.

[Saluki]

Just a thought: The non-space conspiracies do seem to have quite a bit of interest here. Is the issue that you want to make it easier for people interested in space-related conspiracies to find relevant threads, or is it the difficulty of moderating non-space conspiracies?

If the former, why not set up an "Off-topic Conspiracies" forum?

[davidlpf]

well no more metaphysics that you can not prove or disprove, or 9/11 threads that can go into politics.
happy days are here again.

[Sticks]

This means of course people will say that TPTB have got at BAUT to prevent the truth being revealed

[Moose]

Originally Posted by Sticks

This means of course people will say that TPTB have got at BAUT to prevent the truth being revealed

It's not like they haven't already been saying that. (With some justification, I might add. I love payday. )

[captain swoop]

about time. After all the site is BAUT, not a general Conspiracy site

[antoniseb]

It is worth noting that a very large fraction of our complaints come from posts in the Conspiracy Theory area, which is (for the most) part covering things I have little interest in or little desire to moderate. I am delighted that we can stop this down to astronomy and spaceflight only.

I know we'll lose a few very active members because their interests lie in non-astronomy discussion, and I'll be sorry to see them go, but it will be nice to moderate a forum that interests me again.

[Doodler]

Gack...nevermind...brain not function well sleep without... sorry.

[peteshimmon]

I am a little bit sad about this though I do
not have any time for the majority of stuff
posted in the CT forum. But I have had my
shout on a few things here and was grateful
for many informed responces. Items arise in
the media/news that have a technical content
and the crowd here are the best I think for
getting sensible replies. If we now post in
babbling, the moderators may jump and say
"conspiracy" and thats that! Still I know
how hard they have been working lately to
keep things going.

[ToSeek]

Originally Posted by Saluki

Just a thought: The non-space conspiracies do seem to have quite a bit of interest here. Is the issue that you want to make it easier for people interested in space-related conspiracies to find relevant threads, or is it the difficulty of moderating non-space conspiracies?

If the former, why not set up an "Off-topic Conspiracies" forum?

It's the latter. Many of the moderators (see antoniseb above) are tired of dealing with issues involving threads that have nothing to do with the purpose of this forum.

[Frog march]

Originally Posted by ToSeek

It's the latter. Many of the moderators (see antoniseb above) are tired of dealing with issues involving threads that have nothing to do with the purpose of this forum.

you could nominate mods just to moderate the CT section.

[Nereid]

My thoroughly unscientific recollection of the relevant Report Posts (etc) is that complaints about moderator actions in the CT area are far more numerous than complaints (about mod actions) from all other sections combined ... and it wasn't threads on astronomy- and space-related conspiracies that generated the complaints ...

[peter eldergill]

Folks can always go to apollohoax.net for their discussions if they wish

I think the moderators do a great job in the conspiracy forum. We often see the "persecution" card being played against the mods, but the posters who use this are often complaining about everything ...(unlike me, I never complain.. )

I will miss some hoax theories but not all. (I still think that archaelogists are actually just good sculptors.. Hey look! A sculpted head!)

Pete

[antoniseb]

Originally Posted by peter eldergill

We often see the "persecution" card being played against the mods, but the posters who use this are often complaining about everything.

There is no objective way to identify members whose complaints we may simply dismiss on these grounds, however.

[Van Rijn]

Well, the CT section will be quieter. I won't miss the 9/11 CTs - those have become a harangue, with the same wrong arguments presented over and over, much like the MH visible stars in the lunar day argument. But there were some other non-space CTs that led to interesting discussion, or brought up things I wasn't aware of - for instance Pearl Harbor CT discussion would tend to bring up historical details I hadn't known.

Ah, well, I can understand the reason for it, with the heavy moderator load.

[Maksutov]

Brava/o!

Good to see some of the ideas and concepts in the Rules Discussion thread come to fruition.

Excellent decision.

[dirty_g]

Personally I would ban non scientific postings as opposed to everything non astronomy assosiated.

[davidlpf]

I am getting such wonderful emails telling me this thread and that thread are closing down.

[gGriffeth]

I am new to this forum, but am an active member in many other forums, and if I want to talk about 9/11 conspiracies I'll do it elsewhere, like its supposed to be!

[Sticks]

Originally Posted by davidlpf

I am getting such wonderful emails telling me this thread and that thread are closing down.

Wow you still get e-mails about replies to threads??????

Did Dig

[Frog march]

is there something you want to tell us about replies to threads, Sticks?

[Sticks]

Originally Posted by Frog march

is there something you want to tell us about replies to threads, Sticks?

I no longer get those cute emails telling me that someone has replied to a thread that I have subscrbed to, even though I have ticked the right boxes to enable that facility.

But then this should be continued in the thread I started a while back in the about BAUT section

[Swift]

I wasn't quite sure where to post this, but this as good a thread as any.

I've noticed in the last few weeks, since the rule changes for CT and ATM, that a lot more serious discussions are taking place in BABBling. For example, there are currently pretty "lively" discussions about global warming and about the nature of science (Spock's thread).

I am not accusing anyone of trying to deliberately get around the rules that are now in ATM or CT. But it seems to me that for all practical purposes, that is what is happening, we have just moved the problem elsewhere. Just something I think the mods and the admins might want to think about.

[Fraser]

That's an interesting problem, I'm not sure what the solution should be. Do we let off-topic discussions go on in BABBling which would break the rules in other sections? Or do we recategorize topics back into ATM or CT, and then they fall under the rules. I'd prefer the latter, personally.