How can I filter out the giant catholic posts?

6-25-2012 | Self

[GlockThe Vote]

I thought I was the only one annoyed when on by phone annoyed at this.

[carriage_hill]

I had 8yrs of Latin and 1yr of Classical Greek in HS & College, so at least I could read ‘em before they got ZOTTED. LOL.

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

That many finger swipes will make you go blind or cause hair to grow on your palms.

[Rebelbase]

If you only want news, click the News/Activism forum in the right hand toolbar. It filters out all other forums.

[bonfire]

I know. Guess we should be thankful they aren’t posting each and every one in full. ;)

[samtheman]

I don’t really care all that much. It doesn’t seem to be that big of a problem and I read FR every day.

I am amazed at the mentality behind the mega-posts, however, even if it’s a poster I agree with.

And I do realize that in some cases the posts are for historical sake, so that all the links regarding Romney’s liberal history (just to take one example) are preserved in a single place.

But often such posts are repetitive and in the middle of a lively conversation and are so bizarre (does the poster really think we’re going to stop right now, in the middle of this discussion and follow each and every one of those links) as to be virtually off-topic.

Maybe there should be a place on FR to archive lists of links on specific topics, and then you can just link to the appropriate archive when you need to. Just a thought.

But again, I’m not complaining, I’m just expressing amazement at the implied idea that anyone is expected to read all that stuff.

[who knows what evil?]

I thought I was the only one annoyed when on by phone annoyed at this.

Ditto. Nice to see some 'fellow travelers'... :-)

[escapefromboston]

I am in line at Walmart buying my new sweatpants and I am trying browse freerepublic and it literally takes me HOURS to scroll past all these Catholic posts!!! its like running the Boston Marathon BUT WITH MY FINGERS!!! all this painful scrolling to just see a picture of the virgin Mary?? it made me sick, I almost threw up on my Taylor Swift concert shirt!!!

[SumProVita]

I haven’t seen any of these that you describe. When I sign in, I see the title and short excerpts of the posts. I have to click on the post to see the entire thing.

[daniel1212]

I do not get any pictures on the latest article page, while i do not see long pictures in a thread, but that comes with part of being able to dialog, and which can get into much depth.

I myself am interested in the religion threads, but i find the often promoting of Catholicism (though most of her members are liberal), far more than her “competition,” to be provoking. And which often results in the promoters complaining when challenged

[Misterioso]

I have nothing against Catholics . . .

Unless they are giants?

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Appears you have the minority opinion;)

Or appears you have the majority opinion :-)

[meowmeow]

I thought I was the only one annoyed when on by phone annoyed at this.

Ditto. Nice to see some 'fellow travelers'... :-)

Count me in that group. I've thought about posting a thread like this myself but figured I'd be flogged.

[ETL]

Maybe there should be an option for viewing FR threads in “plain text”, as opposed to HTML. Yahoo Mail has such an option.

[Notary Sojac]

I would also cc some of the most long-winded of the posters on the anti-Mormon threads.

Already tried that. No joy. Like talking to a cinder block.

[Notary Sojac]

I use Firefox with the PrefBar addin when reading FR on my PC or laptop, and Opera to browse on my iPod touch.

Both of them make it very easy to hide all graphics, so all you see is text.

Does not help unfortunately with a couple of the anti-Mormon fanatics who like to post 800-line screeds in ransom note typography.

[ETL]

I do realize that in some cases the posts are for historical sake, so that all the links regarding Romney’s liberal history (just to take one example) are preserved in a single place.

Yes, it can be very convenient having a lot of powerful info all in one place. Because often times these threads later turn up in searches when during research (FR internal or Web/Google). It's also a great way of countering any of the opposition who might be lurking here looking for something to 'laugh' at or use as an example of "right-wing paranoia"/"ignorance"/"stupidity", etc, etc. ie, we stuff the facts down their throats and let em choke on it.

[bonfire]

It’s the umpteen, propaganda threads that are a pain to scroll by. (IMO) I don’t mind a long REPLY if it’s backing up an opinion within a thread.

I enjoy reading the RF but wish these particular threads would be LINKED or given their own forum that could be filtered out by RF readers.

Did that make any sense? lol

[samtheman]

It’s kind of hard trying to have a discussion with somebody when you say something (some short statement) and they basically respond by sitting down and reading encyclopedia entries to you.

I sometimes wonder if they talk like that in real life.

[ZX12R]

Can someone please help me figure out how I can block/filter out the catholic posts that have the huge long picture files?

You mean the enormous ones that I'm sure no one reads? Let me know how, if you figure it out.

[eartrumpet]

I remember sitting through MiaT threads on dialup. Wow.

[samtheman]

good point

[samtheman]

Yes, that makes sense.

[the invisib1e hand]

Wha? I think Im on every Catholic ping list, view with an iPhone, and have no earthly clue about any such issue.

Maybe it works better for Catholics...

[deport]

If you are browsing from the "comments" page then change your setting at the top of the page to < Headers > rather than < Text > at the following: Brevity: « Headers » | Text ..... Headers or Text or your only two options. FR doesn't have features to allow for blocking a particular poster, etc.

[NRA1995]

Got something against giant Catholics? I know one or two and they’re nice people.

[Houghton M.]

Let me get this straight. You have nothing against Catholics, so sirree bob. You only object to giant graphic posts.

Well, then, why didn’t you write a screed against giant graphic posts? Why did you feel the need to insert that adjective?

The only giant graphic posts on FR ever under any circumstances are giant CATHOLIC posts??????

For someone who has nothing against Catholics, it’s a tad odd that you only notice giant graphic posts when their subject matter is Catholic.

[daniel1212]

I’ve often wondered which diocese approved this FR ministry, since the RCC does not look upon private ministry kindly at all.

You are thinking of what many RCs seem to see as the old days, when Rome could use the sword of men against challengers, and her members were much dissuaded from engaging in interpretation of their magisterium, and laymen were overall forbidden to debate such. But who were sometimes employed in reporting them*.

Now the lay RC apologists can and do engage in the messy street level work of defending the object of their devotion, the RCC, though that often shows how differently they can interpret their magisterium, and how much is insufficiently addressed by it. And how it can change its laws.

"We furthermore forbid any lay person to engage in dispute, either private or public, concerning the Catholic Faith. Whosoever shall act contrary to this decree, let him be bound in the fetters of excommunication. — Pope Alexander IV (1254-1261) in “Sextus Decretalium” (http://archive.org/details/OEXV7_2), and still in force at the time (1913) when the the Catholic Encyclopedia was written, which adds,

“This law, like all penal laws, must be very narrowly construed. The terms Catholic Faith and dispute have a technical signification. The former term refers to questions purely theological; the latter to disputations more or less formal, and engrossing the attention of the public. But when there is a question of dogmatic or moral theology, every intelligent layman will concede the propriety of leaving the exposition and defence of it to the clergy.” [who themselves needed due authorization]. — http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05034a.htm

Quinisext Ecumenical Council, Canon 64: That a layman must not publicly make a speech or teach, thus investing himself with the dignity of a teacher, but, instead, must submit to the ordinance handed down by the Lord, and to open his ear wide to them who have received the grace of teaching ability, and to be taught by them the divine facts thoroughly.

“the Church forbids the faithful to communicate with those unbelievers who have forsaken the faith they once received, either by corrupting the faith, as heretics, or by entirely renouncing the faith, as apostates, because the Church pronounces sentence of excommunication on both.” St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica

Do not converse with heretics even for the sake of defending the faith, for fear lest their words instil their poison in your mind. Bl. Isaias Boner of Krakow (Polish, Augustinian priest, theologian, professor of Scripture, d. 1471)

(These are now considered defunct http://turretinfan.blogspot.com/2009/12/lay-roman-catholic-and-eastern-orthodox.html)

Is it permitted for Christians to be present at, or to take part in, conventions, gatherings, meetings, or societies of non-Catholics which aim to associate together under a single agreement everyone who, in any way, lays claim to the name of Christian? In the negative! - (Pope Pius XI, Mortalium Animos)

No one shall pray in common with heretics and schismatics" - Council of Laodicea.

*The intolerance of the Church toward error, the natural position of one who is the custodian of truth, her only reasonable attitude makes her forbid her children to read or to listen to heretical controversy, or to endeavor to discover religious truths by examining both sides of the question." “The reason of this stand of his is that, for him, there can be no two sides to a question which for him is settled; for him, there is no seeking after the truth: he possesses it in its fulness, as far as God and religion are concerned. — (John H. Stapleton, Explanation of Catholic Morals, Chapter xxiii. the consistent believer (1904); Nihil Obstat. Remy Lafort, Censor Librorum. Imprimatur, John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York )

*Canon 1. We appoint, therefore, that the archbishops and bishops shall swear in one priest, and two or three laymen of good report, or more if they think fit, in every parish, both in and out of cities, who shall diligently, faithfully, and frequently seek out the heretics in those parishes, by searching all houses and subterranean chambers which lie under suspicion. And looking out for appendages or outbuildings, in the roofs themselves, or any other kind of hiding places, all which we direct to be destroyed.

Canon 6. Directs that the house in which any heretic shall be found shall be destroyed. (Source: Heresy and Authority in Medieval Europe, Edited with an introduction by Edward Peters, Scolar Press, London, copyright 1980 by Edward Peters, ISBN 0-85967-621-8, pp. 194-195, citing S. R. Maitland, Facts and Documents [illustrative of the history, doctrine and rites, of the ancient Albigenses & Waldenses], London, Rivington, 1832, pp. 192-194.) http://www.hol.com/~mikesch/banned.htm; http://www.justforcatholics.org/a79.htm

[KIDFOH]

Anyone ever heard of a ‘text only’ browser? Seems to me that would solve the problem by only displaying text, and not images.

[Safetgiver]

I agree. The whole browsing section is filled up. Why not just personal mail that stuff? I even PM’d one of the more egregious posters about it, but he didn’t take the hint. Hit abuse enough, I guess maybe something will be looked at.

[petitfour]

Maybe you should cut and paste one of the 50swipe-images onto this thread so those who filter the Latest Post page can experience the vertigo-like queasiness that accompanies the swiping. Please try not to double post though. Lol

[Safetgiver]

My suggestion would be to freepmail the posters themselves and ask them nicely please not to do that...It don’t work (MarK O’Malley).

[Mycroft Holmes]

I remember sitting through MiaT threads on dialup. Wow.

Boy Howdy! on a stick! Sometimes I think about writing a filter for Chrome, say any table longer than x with a sufficiency of monochromatic backgrounds that are not white.

And then I realize that I have better things to do and just bug News/Breaking for a while instead of Everything. Problems solved.

The Fool is always greater than
The Proof.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Yeah, some of those Catholics are really, really big!

[Georgia Girl 2]

I think everyone has gotten the picture by now Dude. At this point I’m looking for a filter for you. You have now become obnoxious.

[meyer]

There actually needs to be a viewing option that allows maybe the first 50 words of a post to be shown in the list without showing the entire post. I have nothing against long posts, but it’s considerably more difficult to scroll through the list to get to a topic of interest when many paragraphs of text and pictures are included. Especially when viewing on a smart phone where visual real estate is very limited.

[jjotto]

Catholic spam and Romney sycophants flooding FR; FReepathons are going to get longer and longer...

[GJones2]

> Maybe there should be a place on FR to archive lists of links on specific topics, and then you can just link to the appropriate archive when you need to. Just a thought.

I have a tendency to write excessively long posts myself (though usually original, and not as long as the ones that have annoyed some persons here). We can’t link directly to old posts, but when I research something carefully and write a post about it, I record the link to the thread page on which it appears. Then later, in related threads, I say something like “For more information about...see post number...in this thread [link to the old thread page].”

[starlifter]

You are only ‘forced’ to look at it if you open the post.

Don't like ‘em? Don't open ‘em.

And stop whining.

[bmwcyle]

Don’t click on the post.

[MaryFromMichigan]

Actually, you can link to a particular post.
Instead of linking to to the page, use the URL for the post.
For example, the URL for your last post is http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2899075/posts?page=89#89

[GJones2]

Thanks! Now that you mention it, I notice that the address for ‘last’ has a # and post number in it. Usually I pay attention to that kind of thing, and I should have been able to figure that out. Thanks again.

[MaryFromMichigan]

Glad to help!
:)

[samtheman]

We can’t link directly to old posts

What do you mean? Posts in FR? After a certain time the links no longer point to the correct location, due to archiving?

[metmom]

Let me get this straight. You have nothing against Catholics, so sirree bob. You only object to giant graphic posts.

Well, then, why didn’t you write a screed against giant graphic posts? Why did you feel the need to insert that adjective?

The only giant graphic posts on FR ever under any circumstances are giant CATHOLIC posts??????

For someone who has nothing against Catholics, it’s a tad odd that you only notice giant graphic posts when their subject matter is Catholic.

Because they're essentially the only ones who post huge long graphic posts that can be classified as spam.

Stop being so easily offended. Sheesh.

[Auntie Mame]

Ping me, too. Same problem here.

[Auntie Mame]

Oops! Sorry, meant to ask Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh to ping me when he finds out how to filter those long posts out.

[Boogieman]

“800-line screeds in ransom note typography”

Made me lol.

There’s also the occasional poster who thinks that random font face, color, and size changes, a la 1999 geocities websites, give their posts “personality”.

[metmom]

From the *church which never changes*, eh?