[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

You guys should have told me you were all coming out! You know I never leave when I leave. There used to be a rumor that I really do live here. lol I pinged the others who aren't here and may choose not to come out which would be just fine by me. No one deserves to be the target of abuse like we have been for the past year+.

Mods, you really are the best of FR. You have been true friends to me and real soldiers for FR. Thank you for standing up for FR, for Jim, and for me.

Thank you Jim for keeping focused and moving straight ahead always and most of all for your friendship.

[JohnHuang2]

There used to be a rumor that I really do live here.

You do live here, don't you? Isn't that why Jim charges you rent? hehehe

[Chad Fairbanks]

OMG!!!! You are a mod????? Egads! I KNEW I should have sucked up when I had the chance! Doh! ;0)

[JohnHuang2]

Mods, you really are the best of FR. You have been true friends to me and real soldiers for FR. Thank you for standing up for FR, for Jim, and for me.

The feeling's mutual, my friend.

[Jim Robinson]

Howdy MAF!

Thank you God for giving us Texas!!

Reminds me of that old country song:

"If Heaven ain't a lot like Texas, then I don't wanna go."

Our mods are the greatest!!

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

No one deserves to be the target of abuse like we have been for the past year+.

Well, except for Pardek. ; ) (Just kidding Pardek!)

You are right, MAF. Maybe this will be the end of the threats, insults, and innuendo - and maybe the individual with the "mod obsession" will find something better and more constructive to do now.

One can hope.

[kattracks]

You're a Mod!?!? :o)

Goodnight, friend.

[Sabertooth]

No one deserves to be the target of abuse like we have been for the past year+.

I'm reminded of those Special Editions of Nightline, when mainstream press types grade their performances in a crisis, give themselves a martyred "A," and wax eloquent about how the public really doesn't understand how tough it is.

I'm not saying your tasks have never been worthy of praise, but yours is by definition a thankless job. No news is good news.

But you don't have that, do you? There is news (you're "targets of abuse," no?), and it ain't all good.

Heck, that's the point of this thread... damage control.

You've got a problem. There is a widespread perception of bias in the Moderation at FR. This get-it-out-in-the-open-before-Badjoe's-report thing might feel good, but it won't change things.

It's not just who you ban, it's who you don't ban. The inconsistencies are found between the two.

If there are posting guidelines that don't apply equally to all posters, then you are definitely banning people unfairly. If nefarious, malicious posters are allowed to remain on Free Republic, then the bannings of their targets are nefarious and malicious by default.

That's a real perception, a real problem, and that's something that this thread, thus far, has failed to address.

[Howlin]

Hey, friend, I'm kind of surprised you're a mod, but not as surprised to find out you're a big old Texas BushBot!!! :-)

[Vigilantcitizen]

PLease excuse my writing, I'm a carpenter with talented hands but limited writing skills. So excuse me if this is too long or hard to read.

Last night, after reading this thread, I FReepmailed Jim informing him that I was donating after refraining for awhile. (I also shamelessly bribed Jim with my small donation to fix the typo in my screename, Thanks again Jim :).

I told Jim that I stopped donating because I didn't agree with a rash of bannings which occured last year, and that I felt some moderators were a little heavy handed at times.

In fairness to you moderators, I'll try and explain in a little more detail.

When I discovered FR in 2001, I instantly became addicted, and liked it so much that I donated twice my first year. Then a rash of squabbles broke out between groups of posters, which wrought bannings , voluntary separations, and bad feelings. A group of these ex-FReepers ended up at LP and posted daily about their issues with FR ranging from unfair moderating to coordinated group "lynchings" to claims of fraud of Jim's part.

Some of the ex-freepers at LP seemed sincere in their claims and made reasoned arguments to back their complaints. There were some FReepers in good standing posting in support of those ex-FReepers. This group's main complaint was with the moderators and a certain group of posters.

At the time, I decided to withhold donating from FR untill I could make an informed decision regarding the issue. Understand that I never gave those who accused Jim of fraud a minutes thought. My disagreement was with the way posters whose opinions weren't popular but were within the rules of the forum were treated one way, while others were allowed more leeway by the moderators. Nothing happened to me personally, I feel that I've been treated fairly and have no complaints in that department.

When I made the decision to stop donating, I didn't complain to Jim asking him to change the way he runs his forum. Nor did I make my complaints public. I'm not the whining type, as evidenced by the fact that I've never pushed the abuse button on any poster I've gotten into battles with.(BTW...Have I had any posts removed? I'm not aware of any.)

In the time since I made that decision, IMHO the way the forum is handled has improved. I've come to realize that you moderators have a tough job given the volume of posts, and that you do this on a volunteer basis. Overall, I feel the way y'all balance allowing unpopular but otherwise valid posts with removing the posts and posters that deserve removing has greatly improved.

Y'all especially gained admiration and respect from me for the way the Lady Pilgrim missing son thread was handled. This happened not far from me, and if Richard had not been found that Thursday, Katie Scarlett, the black lab and I would have spent a weekend trudging through Talledega National Forest helping look for him.

So along with my small donation I sent off this morning and this explanation, I offer my sincere gratitude to all of you for doing the valuable but thankless job of being a moderator.

P.S.: The Admin Mod who is a Dale jr. fan is my favorite. :)