An Interview with Scott Swett - Director of the Free Republic Network

Independent Bias Website ^ | June 30, 2004 | Rich Bowden

[technochick99]

Well, since I can't reply to Saber, I guess I will be content to talk to myself. I wonder what organizations are not to be argued with on FR, besides FR itself? I can certainly understand the mods and/or Jim disallowing potshots at FRE itself, but as has been pointed out on this thread and several others, FR and FRN are separate organizations.

While some of Saber's points on this thread are posts with which I disagree, they should be answered or ignored. And everything left to stand lest it looks like favoritism, OR that the shots came too close for comfort.

I've been following this, and saw no profanity, thread stalking or (serious) personal attacks on behalf of Saber. In fact, while I may have worded some of the replies differently, I think that Nick Danger was holding his own quite well! Now, it looks like someone from the Department of Whining and Complaining went sobbing to the mods. (That Dept reference courtesy of a previous jerk boss of mine...) And for no good reason!

Actions like this serve ONLY to strengthen what the AFers continually bleat about.

I have all the empathy in the world for Nick and Scott - having been involved at a high level in an activist organization, I know how it is to feel bombarded by 'friendly fire'. Why get it pulled when things were being addressed and answered??

[Bob J]

Because sabetooths mission wasn't truth, it was throwing around enough innuendo in the hopes something would be forgetten on the ground he could point to and claim was evidence of a cover up in an unethical attempt to smear what he believes to be peer adversaries.

"Actions like this serve ONLY to strengthen what the AFers continually bleat about."

Actions like this are a direct result of people reading their ridiculous conspiracy theories and lies and thinking they got a handle on people and events they know nothing about. For instance, just a few weeks ago they were "bleating on" about the reasons why you left (forced out?) SAS so quickly and how your replacement has what appear to be connections with unsavory organizations.

Myself, being a thinking rationale type and considering the source, rejected these ridiculous accusations out of hand and didn't give them a second thought. However, someone like 'tooth with an ax to grind or grudge to itch, might decide to use these psychotic rantings in an attempt to smear you, your friends and your intentions on this website. The problem is they can succeed because there are just enough tinfoil conspiracy types who hang around FR who would be too willing to believe them with no evidentiary support at all.

[Interesting Times]

I've asked Jim and the mods to restore Sabertooth's posts because, as you point out, deleting them gives the false impression that we have something to hide.

The problem we face is that a number of people of your acquaintance have convinced themselves that the FR Network is a repository of insensate evil, and that their duty is to so inform the world. Not actually knowing very much about the Network, they fill in the blanks by making things up.

The actual topics don't really matter -- when one objection is explained another is instantly raised. The only constants are animosity and attempts to denigrate by implication.

We're perfectly happy to explain what we're trying to do, but when somebody takes over an interview thread to complain for hundreds of words about past events, refuses to accept encyclopedia references as evidence, hints darkly at financial impropriety, and so on, I think it's reasonable for the moderators to step in to prevent the thread from being hijacked and trashed. It isn't special treatment, it's really just the same thing they would do for anybody else.

Now, if you will please excuse me, I have rather a lot to do.

[No!]

That's a very rationale decision...

[Nick Danger]

Now, it looks like someone from the Department of Whining and Complaining went sobbing to the mods.

I hate it when that happens. He disappears, and then it looks like I had something to do with it. Nope. I shoot back; I do not rain mods on people. I have a specially trained cadre of Microsoft shills in the OS Wars threads that I use just to keep me in practice for stuff like this,

I will say though, that there ought to be some bounds of politeness on the subject of prying into fellow Freepers' private lives. If I had answered his last post, what was coming next... a demand to see receipts?

There is some merit in BobJ's point that there are people around here whose modus operandi is to just keep coming with the innuendo and suggestion-of-impropriety hoo-hah to the point of ridiculousness. What the hell business is it of his what I do to bill hours? If we ever have a "What's your occupation" thread and I choose to participate, that's one thing. But badgering people to "tell us how you get your money and how you spend it" is probably not something we want to see a lot of around here.

And now I must go install a dual bulletin board into a web site that's supposed to open Real Soon Now that will hopefully land a mighty blow on our favorite ketchup salesman. Somebody watch my back.

[EveningStar]

I hate it when that happens. He disappears, and then it looks like I had something to do with it.

Nick, you didn't have anything to do with it, but somebody certainly did. Sabertooth said nothing that deserved a banning - no invective, no libel, no "trolling" - nothing. I agree that this type of frivilous banning does add fuel to the AFers' fire.

[Bob J]

You can't win, you can't even break even.

[Nick Danger]

Sabertooth said nothing that deserved a banning - no invective, no libel, no "trolling" - nothing.

I can see how a moderator could have come to a different conclusion. "No personal attacks" is one of the basic rules around here. A lot of people take that to mean that you can't say, "You, sir, are a cad and a bounder," but there is more to the concept than that.

• Billable hours in what field?
• How much of that is defrayed by donations to the various FRN sites?
• Who makes up the shortfalls, if any?
• have you ever had any other business dealings with H.E., besides those associated with various FRN projects?

There are no cads or bounders in there, but taken as a whole, that is the standard Mike Wallace hatchet-job act from 60 Minutes. It's a fairly blatant attempt to paint me as a guy with some sneaky underhanded financial dealings which he is going to expose through some combination of deft probing and belligerence.

Does that constitute a personal attack? It sounds all polite, and he didn't swear at me or anything, but it's what you'd get from Ed Bradley interviewing Dick Cheney on the subject of Halliburton. He's insinuating financial impropriety, and doing so in a way that's all dolled up with a pretty bow, with no profanity or name-calling. I guess one of the mods decided that he would get to spend a night in the box.

[Quix]

YEA!

THANKS TONS FOR ALL CONCERNED!

[technochick99]

I hate it when that happens. He disappears, and then it looks like I had something to do with it.

Nick - That's why I replied to myself, not you. I never thought you pulled in chits to have his posts suspended.

Bob, you wrote: "Because sabetooths mission wasn't truth,"

I don't know what Saber's mission is. I first noticed the sparks fly on the Reagan memorial thread. Then I saw him suspended for something I thought was downright ridiculous and made a comment on a different thread. And then I made one here.

Maybe I'm just oversensitive, but as a loserdopian, or whatever they call libertarians on here now, I am very sensitive to who gets in trouble for what. And I hate double standards. And once I saw one so blatant, I decided to pay attention. That's the extent of my history with Saber.

IT - My main run-in with mojo, fyi, was when he started bombarding me with questions about how SAS was run. This was back several boards ago when I defended the FRN on some (now) unimportant point. So yes, I can COMPLETELY empathize. Other than having to go defend Laz on their board due an unwarranted and untrue smear that -left undefended- would have been a horrible blight on anyone, that's been my main connection with them. Yeah - and I chatted with Landshark about my business some time back, but not really since then. There. I hope with all of the above I have disassociated myself from all of the usual suspects. I would HATE to have my comments be viewed as 'covert' AFing. As they say, just because you're paranoid doesn't meant there aren't people out to get you. If what I say is criticism, please take it as constructive, not destructive.

There is some merit in BobJ's point that there are people around here whose modus operandi is to just keep coming with the innuendo and suggestion-of-impropriety hoo-hah to the point of ridiculousness

I don't disagree! But there have got to be better ways of handling it. There are too many people reading these threads and watching the exchanges, and how many reply? VERY few. So, regardless of the initial posts, are the replies from the FRNers making friends, scaring people, or making enemies? Just food for thought.

[Neets]

So, regardless of the initial posts, are the replies from the FRNers making friends, scaring people, or making enemies?

Some of the replies are just down right embarassing for FR.

[bcoffey]

"Some of the replies are just down right embarassing for FR."

I gotta agree with you there, hon.

[technochick99]

I gotta agree with you there, hon.

Neets is mojo?!? Who'da thunk? HAHAHAHAHA (sorry, I couldn't resist it!!)

[Neets]

Sure I am!!!

Didn't you get the memo???

[bcoffey]

OK, I'm lost as usual! :)

[Neets]

It's because you aren't on the distribution list for the secret memo distribution of who's whos' who.

[Jim Robinson]

Wasn't one of the mods. I sent him to the box myself. I had warned and suspended him just a few days ago about his antifreeping activities on FR and promised him that he would get suspended again if he continues and each new suspension would be longer than the last. If he contines antifreeping when he gets back, he'll be suspended again.

Free Republic Network has my total support and blessing. Attacks on FRN are attacks on FR. Those who wish to attack and or smear FR or FRN or our members can do it elsewhere. It's not welcome on this forum.

[Bob J]

Cool.

[MEG33]

"Try to find ways to take the edge off the tension between yourself and individual posters...Choose your friends well as you may be used by others to fight their battles for them"....Advice given to me by a friendly poster many months ago..

[No!]

Lol