It looks like one or two threads discussing moon landing denial have not only been locked, but actually deleted.
I just want to say that I object to that decision. If conspiracy theorists have specific objections to the “mainstream” view, why not discuss it?
Also, this type of discussion can help people to argue against conspiracy theorists. I noticed several errors by people trying to debunk the conspiracy theory. I do not appreciate my corrections being deleted.
See the Omnibus Trolls R Us thread to see what happened. (Tl;dr–OP decided to go out with a bang, not a whimper.)
I don’t see how that changes anything.
The people presenting these “objections to the ‘mainstream’ view” invariably do not have an honest point of view as evidenced by their complete unwillingness to consider actual evidence or logic, and in the case of the recent threads, a complete evasiveness as to his actual intent. As with creationists, Holocaust deniers, and other purveyors of patent bullshit, it is impossible to have an honest debate with them because they are fundamentally dishonest. Anyone with an honest question about how astronauts could have travelled to the surface of the Moon and back will ask it in a straightforward way and will consider the reaponse beyond just looking for another angle to support a conspiracy.
I’m just fine with every one of these useless posters banned as soon as they show themselves. “Free speech” is a fine principle that should be honored as long as the speaker or writer is expressing themselves with honest intent. It should not apply to disingenuous nitwits just seeking attention and argumentation for the sake of argument.
Stranger
Yeah. What he said. +42
I allowed those threads to run for some time, over the objections of several posters who reported them. I don’t believe in summarily banning such discussions, as some posters have suggested. I agree that there is some value in debunking conspiracy theorists, and there is a small but finite possibility that someone posting such threads might learn something themselves. (Admittedly I have never observed this to happen in the past 20 years or so.)
Once the poster began to post the same stuff over again after it had been refuted, I gave him instructions to respond factually to the objections other posters had made. At this point he admitted to trolling, and he was banned and the threads deleted. (Not by me, for the record.)
We have had many many such threads in the past. If you are interested in them, I suggest you do a search. Their course and the final result is highly predictable. We have not lost anything by deleting those particular threads. This guy was not even a halfway decent troll.
Peace out
Bitch Colibri
…but the *next *one that comes along, they’ll *totally *be here for sincere discussion.
Unfortunately, deleting such threads puts this board in the same unenvious class as other boards with lower standards, and looks like a proof that conspiracy theories are real and being suppressed by science, the establishment, or whatever.
I can see a justification for locking hopeless threads, with a clear, explanatory message, but I was not aware that any were removed from the public eye. I hope this is not typically the case, for the above reason.
It happens, sometimes. For instance, one time there was a member who was starting contentous threads over a period of months, and I happened to notice (and point out) that that person was starting the same series of threads at least 2-3 other sites. That poster was disappeared along with all of the threads. (There was some ATMB complaining about that at the time, too.) i can understand the reasoning, taking away the fruits of a blatant troll’s labor.
Sealioning. And all that Stranger said.
Later posts made it clear that the threads were all blatant trolling. Trolls, socks, and spammers all get punted into the cornfield, regardless of topic (For the record, I’m the one that banned him).
As I said, there have been many such threads, and we do not automatically delete or close them. Someone can probably provide some links. They are generally deleted only when it becomes evident that they have been started simply to troll, or by a sock.
Moon landing hoaxers don’t seem to be as common as they were years ago, and this was the first thread I recall on this in a while. I’m sure there are still some genuine hoaxers around, but I suspect anyone coming to a site like this these days is probably only trolling.
<3
I’m so far off from attaining Bitch Ruken status that I try not to even dream about it.
I did restore one thread of his in GD because there was substantial discussion and the banned poster only participated a small amount.
Ok, got confused looking for a radiation or moon hoax thread as this was about way out there conspiracy threads, in case anybody else gets confused the GD thread is about the Reparations issue.
I’ll say this for him, he wasn’t a one-trick troll.
I don’t often agree with your mod decisions but this one I do. I think there is a real slippery-slope danger when you start closing threads simply because you disagree with the content. Sure we could probably all agree that flat Earth or moon landing never happened or vaccines cause autism threads serve no useful purpose but what about “GMOs are bad for human consumption” or “dieting is simply calories in vs calories out so if you’re overweight have some self-control and take the f**king fork out of your mouth” or “Trump has done good things for the country” where non-mainstream views are ridiculed but still worth discussing? Then do mods close threads where people support unpopular views which on this board is anything right of middle? In other words, once you close threads simply because you don’t like the content where does it end?
Thank you for standing up to those that favor censorship and leaving the threads with unpopular views stay open as long as posters obey the rules.
I’ll just say this: now that I know this board deletes certain threads, I’m less willing to spend my time answering questions.
Sorry if your posts were deleted, but I would think you would have noticed this by now, since you’ve been here almost 20 years.
Everything looks like proof that conspiracies are real to a conspiracy theorist.
EVERYTHING.
If you agree and support them then you’re one of the good guys fighting for the truth. If you don’t, then you’re in on it or a sheep too dumb or willfully ignorant to accept the truth.
So it doesn’t matter. Do what’s better for the board, don’t worry what crackpots might think.