Well, it needs to be a more open forum - w/ easier access. More FB like if you will.
I would ask Jim that if bloggers really do “pimp” this site, what does that cost him? My first response would be nothing.
It actually would be a net gain in that it creates more traffic. So why do people go out of their way to disparage anyone that posts something that isn’t a direct link to WaTimes or WSJ (which is a paywall for most) is beyond me.
The more the merrier. Running people off for any reason makes no sense to me. JMO of course.
You and I disagree on this.
In my opinion, a judiciously posted blog is an addition that people can have discourse on. And I am by no means anti-blog. As a matter of fact, I think there are certain blogs whose content and postings Free Republic should both allow and promote, such as blogs by well known individuals who have conservative values. I doubt anyone, even the Freeper you mentioned, would object to routine blog threads that directed people to Thomas Sowell’s blog or Donald Trump’s blog.
However, I watched an individual (I knew of one whose threads started were uniformly from a blog, presumptively his own, with not even more than an inflammatory headline and a fragment of content) who had more than 250 threads started (I stopped counting after that) all in the same fashion, and never once, not even once (that I ever saw) contributed to the thread with commentary.
Presumably, his or her commentary could be found at the blog, and that was apparently sufficient.
I have an issue with that. It is against the law and the spirit of this forum, which I financially contribute to significantly each month.
Free Republic is not a blog aggregator. It is a forum for people to express opinions and ideas (at best) or a lack of opinions and ideas (at worst) I doubt it would be hard to find blog aggregators out there, and I would welcome any blogger to post there.
I agree with you completely that running people off for ANY reason “makes no sense to me.”
But running people off for specific, well documented, and well understood (and largely agreed upon) reasons makes good sense to me.
By the way-any suggestions to improving the forum like the ability to edit a post (with visible documented indications on when, why, and by whom it was edited) thumbs up or thumbs down, etc. are all things that could and should be welcomed for consideration.
I would certainly consider them if this were MY business.
But for me, the bottom line is-IT IS NOT MY BUSINESS OR LIVELIHOOD.
Free Republic belongs to Jim Robinson. It is his idea and implementation. If he wants to implement these things (or things like them) I would still be supportive with my monthly donations.
If not, I always have the opportunity to not support financially.
For example, If Jim Robinson wanted to have a subline in bolded red at the top of each thread started the said “FREE REPUBLIC SUPPORTS GEORGE FLOYD.” well, I wouldn’t support the forum. (Not that Jim Robinson would ever do that, just using it as an example)
But I would have the choice to vote with my dollars and/or participation on this forum keeping in mind: This is a product that is created, maintained, and promoted by Jim Robinson. How he does that is, in the end up to him, and how I patronize or support this site, is up to me.
As conservatives, would we want it any other way?