Hello Carry,
I'm new to Free Republic and I didn't know that it was against the rules.
I didn't think anyone would mind because I only sent the message to people who had actively participated in this thread.
If it's a practice that's frowned upon, I'll certainly not do it in the future.
No offense was intended; it was only intended as a courtesy.
I thought as much and no offense had been taken.
This is a privately owned forum. Think of it as JimRob's livingroom, a place for spirited debate supported with facts. There's nothing wrong with the article. There's nothing wrong with pointing out a poster's affiliations (with his or her permission). One just has to watch for the opportunity to misconstrue intentions and should thus check out possible infringements on forum etiquette with its owner.
He will get back to you.