Posted on 10/04/2004 2:33:37 AM PDT by borntobeagle
Welcome, I saw the exchange you are posting about and as a
long time poster, I feel the way you do.
That's part of the weeding-out process that goes on full-time here at FR. Those with points which can withstand scrutiny and yes, even derision, make it, and those without, don't.
That's how this got to be a useful forum in the first place... don't knock it until you've tried it.
If you believe in what you have to say, then stick with it no matter what anyone else has to say in response. You need a thick skin to participate in any forum on the 'net; this one more than most.
No one should be told to take a hike. Having said that, folks should try to follow the rules when posting. That goes for newbies and oldtimers.
Vanity posts are clogging this site up terribly. If someone wants to write a 10 paragraph essay and post it as a vanity fine. If you have a topic or information that it totally new again fine. The 3 sentence vanities that fit much better as a response in another thread are against Jim's rules and they don't belong.
You don't go to a the home of a new acquaintance and welcome yourself to the fridge and remote and put you feet on the coffee table!
LOL! Last couple of weeks FR was swarmed with (simpleton) vanities. Now I know when you graduate from newbie to veteran FReeper. You start really dreading the duplication posts and simple vanities!!
I'm with you.
I'm sick of all the newbie one-line vanities. They really clutter up the place. Most of them can be easily identified by the title, but not all, and most of those, I stay away from. Occasionally, I make a remark.
These are nothing more than responses that belong on related threads. Why a newbie feels they simply must be on as a separate thread is beyond me. I put it down to juvenile attention-getting behavior--"Look at me, my thoughts are so important they deserve a thread of their own, look, I'm on FR with my own article!"
Sheesh. I wish there were a rule that newbies had to wait before they were allowed to post vanities. I too lurked for a year or so before getting a screen name. Lurking is a lot different from posting, and posting a vanity is a lot different from posting on a thread.
Each time, before I made a vanity post (and I have posted fewer than 5 vanities over the past 4 years) I wrote to the mods and asked for their approval, though that's not required. That's because I take FR seriously.
There have been lots of excellent vanities, but they are NOT usually from newbies, in my opinion.
Hikes are important to good health. Go take one!
I do appreciate seeing that some of you are acknowledging courteousy is the best practice.
Yes, I too noticed the massive increase in one paragraph posts. And yes, it is irritating. But to ask someone to take a hike instead of referring them to the rules of posting on the threads is pompous and belittles new posters.
As for thick skin, I am a thin-skinned woman, it's my blessing to be this way (NOW has never brainwashed me). But a Spine of Steel can be of tremendous value.
Newbies will either weed themselves out when they realize their posts are not being responded to or they stick around just enough to notice that there are correct and polite ways to post.
Newbies told to take a hike will, however, go running to other sites exclaiming what a bunch of snobs are at Free Republic, and with the momentum this site has got going for itself, word of mouth needs to be kind words.
Agreed. Prayer request threads are one of the priceless treasures of FR.
One of the closest terms associated with "newbie" is "ZOT" and that is usually connected with a first posted article on the date of membership, which is HIGHLY suspect.
A lot of times, a newbie posting (what should be a response on a related thread as) a vanity gets exactly that response. That's okay with me. We're proud of FR, and it's solid, we DON'T accept advertising, we fund it ourselves--we pay our own way. Newbies posting one-line vanities are sometimes -- not always -- useless freeloaders. WE pay for the bandwidth to host them, and we aren't hurting for hits. WE pay for the expansion, the hardware and software. JR runs it, he started it, it's his place. He makes the rules. He's asked that people not start threads that are better posted as replies on existing threads, but some don't read. Juvenile attention-getting behavior, in my opinion.
The practice of calling a poster a "newbie" is about as edifying as calling a poster a troll.
The only worthy question is whether the post is worthy.
Any departure from this principle postpones the day when we will be taken seriously. When will the MSM really respect us? When we respect each other.
"I come here to find various opinions on issues, and put in my 2 cents if I feel like it. Since I'm not an expert on everything, I find the posts here extremely informative."
My full agreement on this Shellback. A great number of idiotic new threads, but also a lot of learning can take place. And "weeding out" doesn't necessarily help people to understand what is better for our country.
After being beaten up by Libs on every Internet Provider forum offering politics threads, some "newbies" can't help themselves, they feel compelled to post. They've finally found a place to call home.
If the Old-Timers could simply refer them to the Rules, they will understand soon enough, and can still feel welcomed.
"That's part of the weeding-out process that goes on full-time here at FR. Those with points which can withstand scrutiny and yes, even derision, make it, and those without, don't."
Implacable Aphrodite, now you see
the depths to which your tireless cruelty
has driven Phaedra--here is my bosom;
every thrust and arrow has struck home!
Oh Goddess, if you hunger for renown,
rise now, and shoot a worthier victim down!
Obligatory disclaimer:
I'm not addicted. I can quit FR anytime I want to. I just don't want to. ;-D
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