If FR were by subscription only, it would be the end of exchange of differing opinions and would turn into a small-ish echo chamber. People paying would not want to read opinions differrent from their own (some of don't want to now!). Eventually, all you end up with is 100 posters all saying "bump" and "you're right".
Sounds like fun. Not.
"If FR were by subscription only, it would be the end of exchange of differing opinions and would turn into a small-ish echo chamber."
Hmm, I gave a differing opinion and let's see what I got...
0000
ALIENS SUCKED MY BRAIN
BEAT IT
BIG CUP OF STFU
BUY A CLUE
CREEPY IDEA
DINGLEBERRY
DUMB IDEAS
FIND ANOTHER FORUM
GO AWAY
HATES FOREIGNERS
HIT THE BRICKS
IDIOT
IDIOTIC VANITY
NAZI LOVER
NEWBIE MORON
PARANOIAC
POSTER IS A CLOSET HOMO
POSTERISTEHGAY
QUEER BAITER
SILLY
SILLY BOY
STALKER BAITER
STOOPID POSTS
STRANGE
TAKE A HIKE
WEIRD
YOUR PANTIES R BUNCHED
And those are just from the keywords that were added. In the thread itself I was called:
Democrat
Troll
Idiot
Small minded bigot
Newb
Retarded
Paranoid
Goofy
Socialist
Nazi
Purposefully destructive
And probably more that I missed from just scanning it now.
Is that your idea of fun?
One thing that I would like to say at the end of it all is that I am amazed at how many people are signed up to FR who think like you do. That FR should be about different opinions. I can get that most any place such as Yahoo. What I come to FR is for like minded people who yes agree with each other but at the same time build on those agreed fundamental concepts of Conservative America.
I hope you will allow that you can still learn something from people you basically agree with. And you can better build on a political platform with like minded people than with the opposite party. That is just the essence of politics. Politics is like minded people gathering together and this is a political site.
If what you are most interested in is fun, then go visit Disney Land.