So, What Sort of Free Republic Should This Be?

[Lead Moderator]

"Pantless driver charged over kiddie porn"

Dr Who fans to mark anniversary (40 years!)

DRUDGE "THE 'LOVE' LETTERS TO 'RUBBA' THAT MAY DESTROY JACKSON"

Seeking Help for a Computer Problem (Vanity)

'Can YOU Be A Porn Star?'

Oklahoma U. Qualifies for College Football Title Game

Man tries to smuggle bologna in shape of car seat over border

Posner is a fraud........

Screenless TV's Picture Floats In Thin Air

Syphilis Cases Rising In Idaho - many of the victims are pregnant

Michael Jackson: Take me to South America! (Midair meltdown as he returned to CA)

Teenager narrowly escapes crocodile attack

Dixie Chicks Singer Still Speaking Mind

All of the above were originally posted to news. That means that for a person having their settings for 50 threads at a time, their latest posts page would have had all of these.

All have been moved to chat.

[Admin Moderator]

We are aware of this and are working on rectifying it. Thanks.

[walden]

Excellent move, I appreciate it. The trivial stuff will drive out the serious discussions faster than almost anything.

[Quix]

Hmmmmm, what a novel idea.

Will have to give that option first consideration!

For some reason, it never occurred to me.

Though, actually, I've tried to MOSTLY respond to posts instead of post things originally. I try to save that for things I think are really worth bothering with and which I don't think anyone else will do anything about.

I assume CHAT is an option in the posting lists. For some reason, I haven't even noticed!

I DO WONDER,

I SUSPECT that a lot gets posted in inappropriate threads and slots for readership. That is, people understandably want THEIR THING to get the most notice.

WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE AND A HELP TO MINIMIZE SUCH INAPPROPRIATENESS

TO HAVE A PLACE HOLDER ALERT SORT OF ONE TO 3 LINES NOTICE OF SUCH A POSTING IN CHAT LAST IN THE "LATEST POSTS" STREAM EVERY 30 POSTS FOR SAY 30 MINUTES OR SOME SUCH?

I think doing that might make people much more willing to be civilized and rational--and obedient about posting in CHAT.

Just an idea.

Bless you in your tireless efforts in behalf of FR and our Republic.

[Sloth]

Lead Moderator, eh??? What's the next level? Aluminum Moderator, then Bronze Moderator???

I think Lead Moderator can become Gold Moderator, but only through the use of alchemy.

[Admin Moderator]

Cool, I want to be Titanium Moderator.

[Registered]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1027278/posts (Dixie Chicks)

That looks like news to me. What's the problem with it?

[zarf]

OK, I agree regarding the World Cup, or a Rookie of year award, but don't touch those college FB threads!!

Do what you gotta do but don't de-huminize the board.

[sweetliberty]

"The lighter stuff, such as the live sports threads are terriffic"

Oh please; if there is anything that should automatically be moved to chat it is sports threads, except for maybe the Olympics.

[Lead Moderator]

Might not be a bad idea to swing this thread in that direction- what should be in the main forum and what should be in chat?

We have our ideas, although they are not firm. They depend on what has been going on lately. For example, I'll let a major sporting event go, if there hasn't been a ton of that in the main forum lately. So context matters-- for now. Should it? Should there be doctrinaire adherence to some rules? What should the rules be, if so? What should the guidelines be, if not?

[sissyjane]

I'm a spam ham I am, I am....

[Corin Stormhands]

At this point chat may as well be renamed Hobbit world... 8 * )

Werks fer us.

[TaxRelief]

Syphilis Cases story does not belong in chat. It can stimulate a good conservative discussion.

[Cultural Jihad]

"Hey, look mister, we serve hard drinks in here for men who want to get drunk fast. And we don't need any characters around to give the joint atmosphere. Is that clear? Or do I have to slip you my left for a convincer?"

(There is no level beyond lead, except for 6 feet under.) ;)

[Little Bill]

Suggestion: Fewer Angst threads, add a topic and post to that.

[FreedomPoster]

That Aluminum Moderator guy is a real lightweight and can generally be ignored.

[Stop Legal Plunder]

But do [any of these threads] have anything to do with what our site is about?

As you point out, most of these threads don't have anything to do with what FR is about (although I must admit I have read some of them).

One reason such threads are popular, IMO, is that you have to take a break from conservatism activism sometimes. If you only work and never rest, you're less productive than if, e.g., you take one day off each week. So conservative activism on FR is indirectly benefited even by much of the off-topic posts.

However, off-topic threads are very distracting when posted in News/Activism. Legitimate threads are already weighed down too much as it is by excess cat fighting, not to mention conservative and/or Christian bashing by a tiny minority that seems to be employed full time at this task.

So let's permit some of the kinds of threads sampled above but figure out a way to redistribute them to one or more forums other than News/Activism so they no longer undermine the main purpose of FR.

[cornelis]

you forgot the picture:

[Admin Moderator]

I will not eat them here or there.....

[zook]

I'll tell you what bugs me a bit. It's when I see a thread titled "Soldier Killed in Iraq." When we *weren't* at war, this might have been news. But we are, and it no longer is. I'm not cold hearted, I feel for the families. But this simply isn't "news," either on top of the hour broadcasts or here on FR.

[Registered]

Thanks. Still seems newsworthy to me.