Posted on 10/26/2009 4:32:01 PM PDT by Admin Moderator
This is a public service announcement from your friendly neighborhood Admin Moderators (Sidebar gave us some attitude so we shoved him in the closet for a while. He never recovered from the Yacht incident) For a while, we have noticed some things happening that we need your help with. The Free Republic community is strong; we are almost a family, albeit very dysfunctional at times. Like any community, we have new members joining us daily. Unfortunately, the air of suspicion and the desire to keep things “the way they are” has fostered a feeling of distrust with new members. Almost every day, we see new members join, then, because of comments of suspicion, they often don’t return. For any community to thrive, it must grow. Because of this, we are asking for your help. Here are some important things you should know:
The Internet has changed greatly since Free Republic first started. When we formed, few people had their own websites, now, everyone has their own blog. With this, there is an attitude change where someone who doesn’t understand how our community works may be more interested in self-promotion than we have been used to in the past. We don’t want to change the overall feel of this site- it is about our shared values, not about self promotion, however, we don’t want to drive people away simply because they link to their own blog. There are blog “pimps” who want nothing more than to promote their own sites, but for most people, it is simply how they start out sharing their thoughts on a matter. Encourage these members to take part in existing discussions.
Many new members may not communicate well what they believe and it gives the appearance they are not 100% kosher in their Conservative beliefs. This may have nothing to do with their Conservative credentials but simply how they are communicating their beliefs or how the media/pop culture has told them what to think. Be an example and discuss what you think is wrong. A liberal troll’s true colors will reveal themselves while a new member who is honest, but may not communicate well, may learn from the conversation.
Remember, how you respond to a topic not only reflects your thoughts, but also is a reflection of the community and Conservative values. We need to be an example of positive conservative values when responding to members, especially new ones. As mods, we make a strong attempt to screen all new members. Every new sign-up goes through a period where their posts are reviewed. This helps us eliminate most trolls, porn and commercial spammers, and those who don’t fit in with our Conservative values. This isn’t a perfect system, but it does help us make sure that by the time a new member reaches the community, there is a greater chance this person is the type we want around. Some slip through, yes, and you can always help us by hitting the abuse button. (of course, we do let some world class morons through every once in a while as “Live Chow”- after all, the kitties have to have toys.)
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With all that said, we need to grow. We need to be far more welcoming to new members and guide them into how to use our community best. With this said, we are issuing a challenge to our long time Freeper family. We would like to start up a ‘welcome wagon’ type of ping list or group whose job it is to welcome new members, show them the ropes, and guide them through our community. This could be as simply as giving new members a kind welcome, guiding them to how to post topics or replies, or just making the experience pleasant.
As this is your community, we would like your thoughts, ideas, and most importantly, for some of you to step up and help us with this.
We are passing the ball to you. What do you think?
Some episodes from “Nash Bridges Season 3” and the beginning of Michael Palin’s “Full Circle,” a tour around the circumference of the Pacific Ocean.
I can see how your blog traffic would decline with no input for two weeks!
I'm not at all surprised on the blog; having watched the traffic very closely on my first blog I knew I'd have to post at least every three days to keep the traffic up. Two weeks' inactivity and over Christmas, well... But at least I'm over the hurdle and con continue the sequence of posts.
Keeping a low profile here and resting...
Michael Palin was one of the performers in “Monty Python’s Flying Circus.” He’s in his 60s now, and he writes and produces large-scale travel programs, such as “Pole to Pole,” “Sahara,” and “Himalaya.” Very informative and lots of fun. “Around the World in 80 Days” was his first big series, following the route of Jules Verne’s hero.
“Nash Bridges” is a police series from the mid-1990s, starring Don Johnson (Miami Vice) and Cheech Marin (Cheech and Chong) as San Francisco police detectives.
 What's this all about? Zotland the Craven |
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 Some guidelines for posting on this thread. Some highlights of this thread. |
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The December Chronicles (redux) Ping! FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off the ping list. This is a low volume ping list (every few days). Read: The November Chronicles (redux) |
OH NO!! I’m not packed! My cookies are still in dough form! The catz are protesting!
(Where in the world did I put my new bundt pan? Has anyone seen my mattress pad? Ohno...my plant is dying...)
Did I use the red roll-on last time? Where’s my HUGH backpack?
Hilfe! Hilfe!
Or something like that.
How are you? The sionnsareens are at the movies ("The Blind Wide" or some such). I would have gone but needed to stay home and rest.
Argh! Not “Wide” but “Side”. I wish I could touch-type.
O hai. It is that time, eh? I hate moving when the fridge is full of lefto vers.,
“The Blind Wide.” I knew what you meant. It’s got my favorite actress what’sername.
I looked at another house today, and learned after I got there that the woman had been offered more than the listed price, which upset the realtor no end. It would have been a good place for me, but I think the Lord has something else in store for me. So I will continue to look.
Otherwise, it was an ugly winter day. So I’ll feed the plant with the cookie catz on the roll-on mattress and let the backpack fend for itself.
“Lefto vers?” Democrap poetic efforts?
I don’t like lefty verses either. That’s (one small) reason why I’m in a church that uses the grand old “Hymnal 1940” and not the current Pisky songbook.
Anoreth, thank you for your service, by the way!God of our fathers, known of old--
Lord of our far-flung battle line
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine--
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe--
Such boasting as the Gentiles use
Or lesser breeds without the law--
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard--
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding, calls not Thee to guard--
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy mercy on Thy people, Lord!
I use a hymnbook that has some compostions by one of my..um..1st-and-a-half cousins?
He was an organist for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, “way back when.”
Life works that way, often enough. The house we live in is not the one we came out to see (and the "wee" problem that developed in the latter was something I could not have easily dealt with). It was too large for us then but a better fit now, though I am looking forward to some kind of downsizing with less external upkeep.
Your housing situation will be in our prayers, 'Face!
Thanks, “guys!”
I promised myself that when I moved out of this apartment, it would be into a home of my own. I don’t know how I knew that, but I DID know it.
And knowing it has given me the faith to continue to look. I will “know” when I’ve found the house I’m to spend the rest of my life in. (And I plan to live at least until my mortgage is paid!!)
I liked “The Blind Side”. You will too when you get a chance to see it.
Past most of the twitchies, but not all. *\:^(
Will is a porous sieve for holding stomach contents.
Tell me about it. *\:^|
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