MIne sent me an email last week wanting to get more information so she could make a good judgement about the election. I'm trying to get her on Free Republic, but not encouraging her to post on the news forum. She would be eaten alive....if she wasn't zotted the first time she asked an "unacceptable" question out of legitimately wanting to know an answer.
I fear we do alienate some folks by being too quick to Zot apparent dissenters, who may not be dissenters at all, but just folks, particularly young people, who are politically naive, or who, like many of us, got interested because we became very concerned with the turn of events. Different people, different lines in the sand, and I suspect that the war on terror is a really big one for a lot of people. I think we should be more concerned with helping provide answers than in attacking people for asking questions. Sure, there are a lot of trolls, but do we throw out the potentially good FReepers in the interest of preventing any from getting through? I wish we'd give the newbies a little more room, except for the known troll abusers (no remarks about troll abuse from you, Darks), who they can trace quite easily by IP in most cases.
I agree with you about FR and newbies. I find the Viking Kitties particularly distasteful. No wonder we have so many lurkers who are afraid to post.
I do cut newbies some slack.
But a fewof themlately have been the "Booosh ees heetlur" types from mooo-ondotORC and such.
And we've had a few bitter retreads come back, WMD denier JohnGalt suspected of been one of such.
And a repeat troll from Europe who used taotao and then tafkald came back recently.
He so far has been quiet after the initial "Hey, I recognise you!" realisations.
But the large majority really are 'clueless newbies'.
I feel sorry for the mods, and us, since the 'elder posters' have to try and instruct the clueless newbies on forum posting etiquette.
Ran across one last night that wasn't interested in posting rules and such though..
A unique situation, he posted a vanity whining about vanities apologising for vanities.
Good thoughts @ 811...folks should not get zapped when honestly seeking answers to all the questions that are arising these days.