Need Intelligent Freeper Input: Guidelines For Our Prominent Freepers

Source: All of us | 02/11/2005 | By Laz

[Lazamataz]

Recently, two Freepers who have some measure of prominance outside the forum have been damaged by liberals and/or Democrats. Jeff Gannon has resigned as a White House reporter, and the individual who goes by the name NCPAC has left his position in Maryland.

J. Gannon wasn't necessarily damaged by anything he posted here, but NCPAC was damaged by the work of a Democrat mole or a Washington Post reporter who revealed his freepmails.

It should be possible to post on this forum with anonymity and to be able to really discuss what's on your mind without worrying about Democrats trying to ruin your professional life, so, in order to help prominent Republicans who may wish to be an active member of Free Republic, I'm formulating some suggestions that I would like to have new users see.

This is what I have so far, as far as guidelines to help our prominent freepers avoid damage in the future:

If You Are A High-Profile Individual In “Real Life”….

If your daily job is such that you are a high-profile individual – as example, an official in a Republican campaign, or a state official in a Republican administration, or a rightward-leaning reporter – please read this article and take these suggestions.

1. Please don’t reveal your identity. Please don’t drop hints as to who you are. Please don’t succumb to the temptation to show off a little and thusly compromise your anonymity.
   
   
2. Know that there are Democrat operatives (and now, it appears, Legacy Media reporters) who pretend to be loyal conservatives. They will attempt to get you to reveal damaging information about your candidate, your administration, or your media enterprise.
   
   
3. This is for ALL Freepers: Never reveal any personal contact information. Please don’t post (or share in Freepmail) any email accounts, private phone numbers, addresses, or places of employment – unless you really know and trust the person to whom you are revealing these things.
   
   
4. Know that Freepmail can be, and sometimes is, exposed publicly. Please, never say anything in Freepmail that you would not want posted on the public forum. Please, people, add whatever you think might be helpful, and I will post the result as a new article.

[lainde]

bttt

[snugs]

**If they post from any type of office environment there are IT people who can see what sites they are visiting and what they are posting.

And those who can see may not be of the same political persuasion.**

Also it may be against company rules and if found out you may face disciplinary charges or even the sack.

[grania]

.what's on the net can develop a life of its own!

My concern is that they can be altered or forged. I'm not prominent (so that part of this discussion doesn't apply), but I've found that my life is actually much simpler now that all of my opinions are expressed on line, and no one mis-interprets them for me.

Actually, with people in positions of prominence being punished for what they post, it shouldn't happen...if their posts are factual, stated without venom, and not over-the-top.

[snugs]

**With all the increased troll activity around here they've been really on top of things.

They do have the power of the zot, but they are only human after all.**

Several times I have gone onto a thread that is say about 50 posts old and current and post say 10 may have already been removed by the moderator and the poster already zotted. I think they are very quick in jumping on it, it is up to us as well to quickly hit report abuse if we think it has occurred whether it is from political point of view, bad language or someone being too personal.

[snugs]

**So, whats my name??? :)
Really ya think thats a problem?**

I don't think it is a problem but just be careful especially if you mention any event you have been officiating at then your true identity could be discovered and maybe embarrassing for you at work.

[snugs]

**I'm not a prominent individual. But the fact that I *am* a Democrat, and openly so, is now going to be viewed with even more suspicion than it already is.**

As you said you are openly a Democrate so IMHO I do not view you with suspicion you are stating who you and what you believe - free speech nothing wrong with it. The problem as I perceive it is when people pretend to be what they are not or are asking personal questions for whatever reason political or otherwise. Personal safety is important as well.

[snugs]

**But perhaps there might be an invitation-only forum for people who are trusted freepers where networking can be done privately?**

How does one know who are trusted freepers apart from what other freepers say about them and of course goods indication is length of time they have been on the forum.

[snugs]

**At any rate, another rule should be not to let anyone stampede us into doing something we wouldn't normally do.**

Very true Miss Marple - also we must not become paranoid use our commonsense afterall God did give this to us.

[fight_truth_decay]

ADD to the front page of FR: Indexing...Privacy Guidelines?

[snugs]

**While I will agree that none of us are truly 'anonymous' I'm certainly not going to get all paranoid about it. That's exactly the reaction the Left WANTS from us. Intimidation to the point where we essentially shut up.**

Absolutely if we shut up they win.

[nicmarlo]

I was suprised that someone from the fever swamp didn't try to hit us with a deniel of service attack.

I think that has happened quite a while ago. Numerous times FR was down...then JR/John switched over to a new server or something to accommodate increased bandwidth but also I think to keep that from happening....but I may not be correct....I'm sure other FReepers know for certain.

[snugs]

**But, like any human endeavor, the internet has both it's very positive and very negative aspects. We all need to remember that human predators are always among us.**

We need to apply commonsense to the Internet as we do with other aspects of our life. If you would not write your name and address on your luggage before checking it in at the airport then don't publically put your address on web same difference.

[RKBA Democrat]

Cretins who try to lure people in to damage their reputations or lives are particularly vile in my view.

That said, there are people on FR who see the word "Democrat" and think "devil incarnate." This will just be more grist for the mill. I'm used to it, but I have to confess that it gets old after awhile.

[windchime]

Thanks for bringing attention to this important topic, Lazamataz!

[purpleland]

It would be naive to believe there are no Hillary-Spies lurking and posing in the FR. The establishment Media can bitch and bitch about Net Blogs, but be sure, it's power-lusting Hillary Clinton and her supporters who will attempt to repress opposing speech and thought during the next four years.

[snugs]

**"If I was trying to troll, would I say something like this?"

Challenge them. Ask questions.**

Good advice

[theFIRMbss]

>I like anonymity and now that I'm thinking about it, half the folks in MT probably could figure out who I am

Does Montanta have a lot of rule the world, evil monster types? There's no danger if your secret identity is known to good guys . . .

[purpleland]

**At any rate, another rule should be not to let anyone stampede us into doing something we wouldn't normally do.**

There is alot of focus on the Free Republic, and I'd hate to think FR would recoil by going underground - a defeat to its vital purposes. The Free Republic should always be forward and free.

"Very true Miss Marple - also we must not become paranoid use our commonsense afterall God did give this to us."

I'm too old to be paranoic about being exposed or persecuted by the Leftist opposition. However, after signing the Eason Petition, should I induce a bit of paranoia?

[TheSpottedOwl]

Thanks for pinging me, BC. I've gotten sloppy over the last couple of years. Time to carefully review what personal info goes out to the forum.

Thanks for posting this thread, Laz.

[F.J. Mitchell]

LOL! Palms, not palm trees.