I think you stopped reading when you wanted to. The rest explains how FR is different. We don’t tie to each other here, merely respond. It’s not a *network* of users.
We post content to each other, but we don’t *follow* each other here or *like* each other’s posts.
If you want to define FR as social media, then I can’t stop you. It’s different though. It’s closer to a chat room from the old internet days than it is SM, at least IMHO.
I agree it’s not as sophisticated as some of the other social media sites, but the idea is the same. To share information, thoughts, opinions with others in the forum in order to influence, inform, amuse as well as motivate others to become activists for conservative causes.
Though it doesn’t specifically have a like or dislike button, the number of replies to a post is a kind of rudimentary like/dislike button.
Also there are ping lists which serve somewhat the same purpose as “following”.
Again these lack the sophistication of the tools available on some other social media sites, but the intent is the same.
Just MHO.