I joined in 1999. I posted an introduction thread, got SLAPPED THE HELL DOWN for it, and shut up for about 2 months until I finally had something to say. I learned something invaluable:
Posted on 12/14/2013 10:33:19 AM PST by The Bat Ladys Husband
First of all, let me say that I have been a lurker on FR since 2000. My wife (The Bat Lady) has been registered and a poster since the same time. I generally use FR as a news source and in years past as an info source for FR organized protests/demonstrations. I don’t generally comment on articles because I mostly agree and don’t need to preach to the choir. However one article fired me up and I finally register in August 2013.
That being said, I recently commented on an article regarding Steve Stockman running against John Cornyn. Knowing a lot about Texas politics I said Stockman was not a viable candidate. OMG! You would have thought I said I pissed on Reagan’s grave. I was called a troll, a Cornyn plant, a GOP-e (if my friends had heard that they would be laughing their asses off.) With all the name-calling I had to look to see if I was on FR or DU. Conservatives pride themselves on the quality of their debate versus liberal knee-jerk name-calling. I guess some here on FR can’t raise themselves above that level.
Sticks and Stones! But more disturbing to me is the rise what I like to call the FR-e. Those are the posters that think that because they have been on FR for a long time that they are some kind of royalty and that newcomer’ comments and insights have no validity if they do not parrot their particular perception. I was called a noob “prattling"
(prat·tle talk idly or childishly: to talk in a silly, idle, or childish way silly, idle, or childish talk)
Just because someone has recently discovered FR or recently joined after lurking they prattle? Oops, my bad, I guess they don’t prattle if they agree with the pompous long-term freeper. Maybe we could cut back on the fundraisers if we encouraged new members rather than drive them off or turned them off with vitriolic discourse and vicious name-calling
(vit·ri·ol·ic adjective - filled with the intention or desire to do evil.)
If you haven’t looked at the Home page (click Free republic at the top left of the browse page) I invite you to look again: Jim Robinson states: “Believing that the best defense is a strong offense, we (myself and those whom I'm trying to attract to FR) support...”
Jim is trying to attract people to FR. How does denigrating a new reader attract them to FR? Being a victim of a verbal knock-out game by a supercilious FR-e certainly does not encourage a "newbie" to participate or even hang around
(su·per·cil·i·ous adjective 1. behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.)
Certainly all long time members don’t fit this category but those who do know who you are (or maybe you don’t) and so do we.
Noob...
Yes You are right. But I didn’t either know or call him a “noob” (infering that his comment lacked callousness because he was a noob and neither did I insinuate that his comment had some ulterior motive as a troll. I did give my reasons for disagreeing with his position: “Enough people with your attitude and our parks and scenic wonders will be gone. A great example is Petrified Forest NP. The amount of petrified wood stolen from the park one piece at a time has significantly degraded the impressiveness of the park in my lifetime . But they are only rocks.”
I now publicly apologize for the name that I called him I do not apologize for vehemently disagreeing with his attitude.
Being called a noob has been eating away at you for months? You need a hobby.
You can look at his reply. Just click his name and go to “in forum” on his home page. His post comes up quickly.
He basically says that Stockman is not electable. He says he prefers Stockman over Cornyn, just that Stockman is not electable so Cornyn will beat Stockman.
I think he is just wishing for a stronger candidate to beat Stockman.
For that, he got slammed because a lot of people seemed to miscontrue his post “Stockman is not electable” to mean “I don’t like Stockman.”
It is typical on these forums. Tons of misunderstanding, ego, needless arguing, leaping to conclusions, and knee-jerk responses. If not for that, there would only be 4-5 posts in every thread. :D
Ping FL
I joined in 1999. I posted an introduction thread, got SLAPPED THE HELL DOWN for it, and shut up for about 2 months until I finally had something to say. I learned something invaluable:
STFU
I got in a little spat recently with a newbie troll who claimed to have been an FR member since 1995, but his sign-on date was only a few months ago.
He claimed he could prove it, but went quiet when I challenged him to do so.
But if he could, it would be interesting, as that would mean he had signed up before JimRob did.
Why did you just call me a child-pornographer??!? I am so much better than you, that you should know better than to make baseless accusations! You must be a Tourettes sufferer, and that makes me so superior to you. I don't know why you hate Reagan.
That said, if Stockman is not a good candidate that is disappointing to hear, but you will need to elaborate in ways that can be validated. Newbies do sign up here to naysay opposition or to play up the supposedly conservative bonafides of not very conservative incumbents, take Mitch McConnell for instance (please).
So, there is some rational basis for suspicion, wouldn't you agree as a 13 year lurker?
I can’t believe I just read your childish prattle.
If you can’t take the heat stay out of the FR kitchen.
You are so right.
His hobby should be S(ing)TFU.
And even yet much can be avoided if concerns are framed in a positive voice. Taking the issue here, and I have no dog in this fight personally: “I wish Stockman would improve, or I wish someone better would step up. I fear we are getting too comfortable with the status quo so let’s try to do something about it.”
LOL!
That's NOTHING. I've been a FR member since 1982!
The Bat Ladys Husband
Since Aug 30, 2013
Hey NOOB, I found a thread for you...
There’s a difference between cooking and gratuitously sloshing hot grease all over the place.
They were really the bad old days.
Who really misses Sinkspurr and company.
>> Did you vote for “Dirty” Dewhurst over Ted Cruz because Cruz wasn’t a viable candidate? <<
.
BINGO!
Input from a noob, okay?
I can’t complain about poor treatment from anyone here. Yeah, maybe I got a little hazing from a couple of folks, but that’s FR tradition, isn’t it? And it’s entirely possible I might have been a tad bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when I jumped in. I don’t take it personally. FR has a great history, and with that comes plenty of trolls.
I think I might be on my way to becoming a real Freeper, though. How do I know that, you ask? Well, I find myself looking very carefully at folks whose signup date is newer than mine. *grin*
My advice to newbies is don’t take it personally. Just hang in, and your posts will come to speak for themselves.
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