RKBA Democrat:
Yes, Mr. Robinson and his moderators may zot who they like for FreeRepublic.com is a business and private property. That being said, I tried to make it clear in my article that most Freepers do not approve of guest worker and do not approve of Mr. Robinson or his moderators taking people off the site without cause or explanation especially when the majority here agrees with those posters. This is information that Freepers would like to know because it's rare that you see someone actually zotted.
William
You don't speak for the majority of Freepers.
Now, we're over 400 posts into this, and I don't think there have been more than 1 or 2 telling Jim Rob that he SHOULDN'T be banning people. Quite the opposite. Most of the comments are all supporting/commending Jim for keeping it civil here.
Your jealousy is showing...
No telling what it was yesterday (though the fact it appears mostly inhabited by DUs must be considered), but today it has certainley been ruled irrellevant thanks to your amatuerish hit piece.
I hope you enjoyed your 15 minutes.
Mr. Gheen:
I didn't expect to get a note from you, but thanks for providing.
In your post to me you noted that "I tried to make it clear in my article that most Freepers do not approve of guest worker and do not approve of Mr. Robinson or his moderators taking people off the site without cause or explanation especially when the majority here agrees with those posters. This is information that Freepers would like to know because it's rare that you see someone actually zotted."
I disagree with your points. I think that most FReepers realize that a larger number of posters are taken off than those we see removed on the more public "ZOT!" threads. FR is a huge site and as such, attracts large numbers of posters. The barriers to entry are virtually nonexistent; you sign up and you can start posting immediately.
What makes FR attractive from the point of view of ease of entry also makes FR a tempting target for those who simply want to act in a disruptive manner, or those who wish to use FR as a venue to publicize extremist views that border on the seditious.
I seriously doubt that the moderators have the time, resources, or inclination to launch an in-depth inquiry into the motivations of each poster. There are simply far too many posters. Are errors made in zotting otherwise responsible posters? I'd be surprised if errors weren't made. That's simply the risk you take when you sign up. Signing up is free, and you can post here as much as you want and never contribute a dime to the support of the site. To a certain extent you get what you pay for.
The only alternatives I see for Jim Rob and crew is to either assess a charge for each account or to set up a waiting list and/or vetting process like they do at Lucianne. I dislike both alternatives.
If you make posting contingent on the payment of a fee, it begs the question of what do you do when someone who has paid acts in a disruptive manner? Do you provide refunds? Do you make the fee so high that no one dares say anything that might be considered offensive? In my view it would just be substituting one set of problems for another.
The other alternative of an invitation-only FR is even worse. A quick review of the posts at Lucianne will show you why this is a bad idea. The syrupy sweet way that the posters deal with the mods and Ms. Goldberg is enough to make you want to gag. Dissent? Forget about it. And do you honestly think that an open and notorious Democrat such as myself would get an invitation in the first place?
With all it's warts, FR is still a great place to exchange ideas. Rhetorical chairs get thrown, feelings get hurt, and people who may not have been deserving of banishment get the zot. Those are just the risks you take when you choose to sign up.