Posted on 10/03/2024 7:10:15 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp
I think many of us come here for some fellowship with like minded conservative allies and it makes us happy to see that we are not alone.
But, over the years I have noticed something that seems amiss to me, which is the lack of responses to people who have expressed their opinion.
Many is the time that I see a comment to which no one has replied; a situation in which no one responds to a Freeper who has expressed an opinion.
I think most, if not all of us, would likely enjoy an acknowledgement that people have read our comment and agree with it, or even that people have read it and disagree with it! (So that we can have an argument, which is something we contrarians tend to enjoy! :) )
I urge people to respond to comments from other Freepers, especially if that comment is directed at you. I encourage Freepers to acknowledge the people who have posted a message to you, because we all want to believe our opinions matter and are worthy of consideration.
At the very least give them a "+1" (which means "UpVote") to indicate you've read their comment and agree with it. A more thoughtful reply is even better!
Let people know you care what they think and are not indifferent to their existence.
Not only should this boost the amount of traffic on Free Republic, it should encourage a happier more pleasant experience for all participants. It may even lead to more people wanting to join Free Republic!
TLDR
More seriously:
“I think most, if not all of us, would likely enjoy an acknowledgement that people have read our comment and agree with it,”
“At the very least give them a “+1” (which means “UpVote”) to indicate you’ve read their comment and agree with it.”
Sometimes I would like a response as confirmation that I am as witty and thoughtful as I think I am.
But what if everyone started giving a “+1” (or a “-1”) as you suggest? The thread would be full of almost empty posts. Are you going to acknowledge the responses to your original post in this way?
You would think that after all these years FR would add a ‘like’ button
No code changes in over a decade.
FR was doing what Facebook is doing, years before they existed. JimRob should be the billionaire.
I lurked a lot before jumping in. I also find it interesting as to what other people find interesting.
some folks don’t “get me or my comments”. Its a curse I guess.
I’ve been told that there are two types of people in the world, people that understand sarcasm, and idiots.
As far as posting comments in a Thread, It depends on the topic of the Thread.
That’s one of the great things about FR. There are so many varied Threads.
A Buffet of Topics.
+1
I think wanting affirmation is inherent in people, and it is the same for people here. I think acknowledging people will help Free Republic grow. We should want even the weak people who seek affirmation from people online.
Save for the ones I know personally, I couldn't give a single f what any FR thinks about anything.
What was it that Reagan said? A man that is 80% your ally is not your enemy?
We may not all agree, but being kind to everybody shouldn't steer us wrong, even if we aren't enthralled with what they think.
Increased camaraderie may pay rewards that we might not have anticipated.
To the point
We expected no less from you 🙀
I don't mind. I always try to do that too.
And i'll point out that *I did* on the last topic we discussed.
:)
I have a coffee mug that says “I am cancelling my subscription to your issues”,
Can I post that? 🤔😁
People shouldn’t have to be labeled. Except idiots. Idiots must be labeled.
I'm sometimes a misanthrope for this. I get embarrasesed at needs of our ego. My theory is that it should be satisfied in different spheres, beginning with family members. But the further out from there . . bread on the water.
👍🏼
2. Yes we are a 'family' which sometimes disagrees, but should be respectively done.
3. I like when people do not agree with me and offer their reasons. This help for me to learn a different view point or actual facts which help me see the complete situation.
4. There is a wealth of experiences and a view points which needs to be offered and considered. I find this very helpful to read all this input.
So thanks everyone for the feedback....
Being kinder in replies and disagreeing respectfully will help a lot.
I know good FReepers who are no longer actively posting because of the hostility, mockery, and derision directed at them for posting something they think it important and others are interested in.
But a few trolls come out of the woodwork and destroy those threads with that kind of behavior.
I forget where I saw that, but that is what i've always understood the "+1" to mean. A lot of websites allow you to "UpVote" comments you like, and I've always thought it would be a nice feature for Free Republic to have, but I expect it would take a lot of rewriting of the code to do it, and it probably just isn't worth it to go to that much trouble.
So +1 is the best we can do right now.
Still, we can all use some positive affirmation at times.
Especially with so much of the world crashing around us right now.
Many times the crux of an issue is hidden within that bit of their comment rather than in the whole of it.
+1
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