The relatively new decision to allow spam and calling freepers treasonous liberals because they like a Republican (Rudy) who management doesn’t like has set a new tone for the forum, all of it low.
We’ll see how long it takes for the quarterly fundraising.
Of course, this is the forum that largely wanted Alan Keyes to be the presidential nominee in 2000 :-)
With all due respect there's nothing new about that at all. I don't know what you call spam but there was a time when all manner of graphics were allowed. That ended around 2001 or 2002 with a software change in FR's programming.
The phenomena of cliques of FReepers shouting down and name calling others into submission or silence also began sometime in 2002, as I recall, when it became anathema to criticize the President. That has morphed numerous times into other verboten subjects.
Those who have the support of management have the upper hand. Those who don't stand on shaky ground. That is the way it has always been and since this is Jim Robinson's private website that is the way it should be. At least it is in the mind's of those who respect property rights.