Well, that’s where I’ll have to disagree with you, my FRiend.
I don’t see any value in making a distinction based on WHO posted the thread. If the article is within normal posting guidelines, then the marketplace of ideas will prevail and, in my view, freepers are well able to decide for themselves whether or not to read the article at the link.
Again, you know I am all for stopping abusive posters and spam. But I just don’t agree with you that not posting an entire article means someone is using FR as a marketing tool.
Quite the opposite! I think clogging up the site with big loads of articles that people haven’t even decided yet they want to read is the waste!
And I still don’t see where people are getting the idea that someone is forced to click on the link. If the excerpt is garbage or just not interesting to the freeper, they don’t go there. If they go there and read the article, they come back to FR to discuss it. I just don’t see the problem or how that differs from any other posting.
I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this.
Let me attempt an analogy.
My mother gave me a Kindle for Christmas. She did so because
she thought I would enjoy it. It required that I create an account
with Amazon and purchase e-books from them. Nice gift. Thanks, mom.
Now suppose Amazon had given me the Kindle. They would be doing so
IN ORDER that I create an account and purchase e-books from them.
Thus the distinction.