Posted on 10/04/2004 2:33:37 AM PDT by borntobeagle
I am appalled.
I want you "old-Timers" take a good hard look at how each and every one of you are welcoming the "newbies" to this very Site called FREEREPUBLIC.
Isn't the very idea of enlightening the public to the ideas of conservatism of any relevance to you? I witnessed a fellow Freeper downright insult a "newbie" on this board by telling the poster to "take a hike".
Is this how you want to represent the Republican/Conservative ideas that we adamantly believe are better for our Nation? Simply stated, it is both offensive and insulting to anyone who may wish to learn more, use what they learn, and become involved.
Yes, I too, am considered a "newbie". I have lurked here since 2000, but recently added my screenname to make a few comments and get added to ping lists of importance to me. But don't be decieved by thinking I am ignorant or any less valid than any old-timer. I proudly served in the Gulf War 1 under George HW Bush. I work diligently campaigning for Bush's re-election. I consistenly walk the turf to register new Republicans to vote, and remain active with HSLDA's Generation Joshua to raise a future generation of Americans with conservative values. And I avidly fight any legislation that affect my rights to homeschool my children.
A newbie by adding a screen name here, yes. A newbie to the world of conservatism, maybe not, you just cannot determine that by the date a person registers to Freerepublic. But invalidating our efforts and intents by telling us to "take a hike" because we are new should be scorned by all.
Many of you have locked yourselves into a "Freeper Club" mentality, which could prove to becoming rotten fruit in turning away those who want to become part of the process, instead of part of the problem.
I highly suggest that as more of us "newbies" come, you can feel honored in knowing your message is getting out. And now that you are getting them here, please show the consideration of welcoming, training, and acknowledging their questions and concers. Any good Conservative should feel blessed to have the opportunity to do so.
I actually partly agree with you, about how we comport ourselves, because I've seen some threads that gave me pause...but on the other hand, some of the posters going overboard were newbie trolls trying to make FR look bad.
I'm going back a year here, when I remember those threads...
I hope it is not a matter of conservative elitism, for I really don't belong here then. Elite is not how I'd like to be defined.
I do agree that the welcoming comittee may need a "looksee", and hope that they are not the best of the best on FR.
No one is flamed on FR because of a recent signup date. I've been a newbie twice, and neither time did I encounter any rudeness solely on account of being a "newbie".
Most noobs who receive the treatment, do so because they are liberal trolls, or mistakenly think (although I don't know how they can remain ignorant of FR policies if they've lurked more than once) that FR is interested in liberal/leftist viewpoints.
I have NEVER in my admitted many hours and thousands of comments made on FR seen people hassled, harrassed or otherwise nitpicked or assaulted solely for being noobs.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1234374/posts
this was the thread I took offense to.
I am happy that you have not seen or been party to any of this, it's good to know it doesn't happen to everyone.
Just checked the thread you linked to. I consider that rather mild hassling, and the vanity posted deserved criticism, as Jim Robinson regularly tells us to curb the vanities. In fact, in the last few weeks there's been threads about Too Many Vanities. So a vanity consisting of one or two sentences, and also by someone who hasn't been around long, is a target for criticism. The poster being critical may have been not real "nice" about it, but that's FR.
A little rough around the edges sometimes. On FR I have learned to debate with people without losing my cool. It's a useful skill.
"I consider that rather mild hassling..."
I think it is a horrible shame that this assinine, gang of thugs is tolerated as the FR Welcome/Hazing Committee.
I think the solution is to spell out the standards.
Require newbies to learn the standards and rules,
prove they know them, and agree to live with them
before they are allowed to post here.
Then, if they violate the rules they can be reported and banned.
Anarchistic gang enforcement is not even advocated
by libertarians like me in private spaces. Set the rules and enforce the rules. You don't need a gang of thugs for that here.
I'm really surprised that you consider the stupid, childish insult "go take a hike" to be worthy of such heated reaction.
Or worth bothering Jim Robinson about.
You want everyone (else) in the world to be perfect or you're going to complain to the authorities?
I have found that polite, intelligent, and warmhearted people vastly outnumber the opposites on FR.
Posters from 98, 99, 2000. and 2001 chastised the take a hike poster..So why start a thread on Old Timers versus newbies? I am at a loss if this thread was the catalyst for your Vanity...Color me puzzled.
He likes to call anyone he disagrees with hiim a bully.
Likewise anyone who doesn't care for whining vanities whining about vanities that aren't vanities because he doesn't call it a vanity.
He sure took a long time to come back from the hole he hid in after his trhead was pulled.
Nevermind Tobor.
He's a retread troll with some attitude about being outed the last time.
(I.e., he was banned before for something and has a vendetta.)
If he behaves himself this time, he'll stay.
If he keeps with his calling people directly "bullies" as he did in a thread he posted that was pulled, he's going to draw the ire of the mods.
You seem much wiser than he does.
You'll do fine.
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