[Lead Moderator]

Those were all posted within 22 threads of each other. Some are news. Some are widespread news, some are local news. Some are news of the bizarre. Some are interesting. Most aren't.

But do they have anything to do with what our site is about?

Perhaps an argument could be made for one or two of them, IF the discussion went a particular direction. Big if, from what we have seen.

If you have an article that is something you think is funny or interesting or bizarre, but it doesn't really have anything to do with conservatism and in particular conservatism in America, please post it in the chat forum. We don't move over everything that should be, but perhaps we should and perhaps we will. We would prefer people to do the right thing on their own.

To be perfectly blunt, if I were trying to think of the perfect way to disrupt a website from its objective, it wouldn't be to come in and post things that would get me banned. It wouldn't be to come in and talk off the wall. It would be to come in and just gently steer the site to irrelevance. I am NOT saying I think that many of you are doing this on purpose, but I am saying that lately that has been the end result.

Please, show a little bit of sense. Post the news of the weird and the tabloid stuff and such over in chat. If it truly is as popular as you think, people will follow and that forum will pick up. If you post this stuff over there and that forum doesn't pick up, you will know.

Either way, please give it a whirl, and don't gripe at us when we try to keep the main forum in focus.

Proceed with the moderator bashing on this thread as is customary for these threads.

All the best,

Lead Moderator.

[Admin Moderator]

"Proceed with the moderator bashing on this thread as is customary for these threads."

Those dang moderators.

[Old Sarge]

Wilco.

Out.

[onyx]

Finally. Thanks.

[maxwell]

Hey what is this Lead Moderator business, and what happened to Daryl? Hey Daryl, d'ya know this dude? I swear, I lay off FR for a couple weeks and the whole place goes to lala-land...

[Straight Vermonter]

I'm with you on this one. FR used to be a great place to debate constitutional ideals etc. Now it is difficult to find important news while weeding through the morass of Michael Jackson and other nonsense news.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Proceed with the moderator bashing on this thread as is customary for these threads.

It's no fun if you give us permission!!! ;-)

[umgud]

Given the theme of FR, shouldn't moderators be conservaters?
But......... I do agree with you. The consevative bent of this site is what attracted me in the first place.

[Little Bill]

When politics slow and things get quiet topics will dift, I think that the collective memory will testify that things were rather slow after the Bent One was put out to pasture.

Things will get back on track when the next outrage happens, remeber 9/11.

[sourcery]

When users don't use a system the way it was intended, is the fault with the users, or with the system?

[Senator Pardek]

DRUDGE FULL - HERPES STORY

[wimpycat]

Just out of curiosity, how does one post something directly to "chat"? There is no "chat" option.

Choose any number of topics

General Interest
	Activism/Chapters activism	Activism, protests, news and business of Free Republic Chapters.
	Business/Economy business	Business, industry, financial, markets, trade, banking, budget, debt, taxes and economy news.
	Constitution/Conservatism constitution	Discussion of conservatism and conservative principles and issues.
	Crime/Corruption crime	News and discussion of crime, corruption government abuse, power grabs, and scandal.
	Culture/Society culture	Discussion of health, education, welfare, drugs, abortion, environment, housing, unions, employment, social security, religion, arts, humanity, sports, and other cultural and societal issues.
	Foreign Affairs foreign	News and discussion of international politics, foreign affairs, diplomacy, national security, war, military, defense and armed forces issues.
	Government government	News and discussion of all branches of government, departments, agencies, law, policy, legislation, processes and judiciary.
	Miscellaneous misc	Anything which doesn't fit into another category.
	News/Current Events news	News and discussion of current events.
	Philosophy philosophy	Discussions of philosophy and ideology.
	Political Humor/Cartoons humor	Funny stuff
	Politics/Elections elections	Discussions of politics and elections.
	Unclassified unclassified	Articles awaiting re-classification.
	Your Opinion/Questions vanity	All non-sourced non-news threads are posted here.
Highlights
	Announcements announcements
	Breaking News breaking
	Editorial editorial
	Extended News extended
	Free Republic fr
	Front Page News frontpage
Hot Topics
	Anthrax Scare anthrax
	War on Terror wot

[July 4th]

These kinds of articles have always been here, at least as long as I have been. (Over three years now...whoa!) But you're right - they don't belong in news.

[deadhead]

"Proceed with the moderator bashing on this thread as is customary for these threads."

OK

[jern]

Ok. So what about the 1,000 Scott Peterson threads?

[Dog Gone]

Can you please quit calling "General Interest" chat??

The link doesn't say "Chat." Most people don't know how to find "Chat."

Change the link, or call it what it is.

[dubyagee]

Post the news of the weird and the tabloid stuff and such over in chat...

Maybe if you rename chat... "News of the weird and tabloid stuff"???? there would be more interest.

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

[paulklenk]

We need a broad "news of the weird" category which must be opted-into, hiding this garbage. You are correct (and I'm just as guilty as anyone, except Michael Jackson).

[oceanview]

while some of these may be silly, examination and commentary on the popular culture has a direct bearing on the political forces changing, or trying to change, our country. the Michael Jackson case, as tabloid as it may seem, is relevant to what is happening to our judicial system, and the moral climate of the country.

[Peach]

Good - I was afraid FR would go the way of Fox News. You know - all tabloid, all the time.

[RLK]

There has been a tendency for some trivial frivolity here. However, items such as
Syphilis Cases Rising In Idaho - many of the victims are pregnant make a serious statement about the condition and decline of our culture under liberalism. I'm old enough to remember the '50s when syphilis was almost wiped out. A physician would go years without seeing a case of it. The so-called clap was also a rarity. With the rise of counterculturalism 20% og women coming into college health services have papiloma virus, a uterine cancer precursor. It's something to think about. It's your site. Do what you want.