Posted on 04/20/2005 9:22:15 AM PDT by GOPcapitalist
I'll keep this short and simple. After six years of membership on FR I've decided to resign from the forum today. I'll keep checking my freepmail for a few days and wind down my posts here, so if any of you wish to contact me please do so there and I will provide you with a means to do so. I hope to continue future posting activities elsewhere - perhaps a blog - but only time will tell.
It's truly been a blast and left me with many fond memories, but all good things had to come to an end. My favorites comprise a long list, the most noted being the exposition of Rathergate, leading freeps of Algore in the 2000 recounts, protesting Hildebeast's book tour, and giving her impeached husband a freeper's welcome to Texas on several of his visits. Thank you to all who made these events fun and entertaining. Unfortunately the past few months have made it clear to me that FR and I are drifting apart on key issues of conservatism. I'll spare the details, pausing only to state that it isn't just the usuals like illegal immigration, but also things like religion, the culture of political correctness, an overall decline in reasoned civil conversation that used to flourish here, and the purposes and uses of the site in general. More concerning, for the past few months I have been unable to even obtain rational discourse and commentary on many routine threads and issues without being personally maligned and attacked - many times out of the blue and on topics unrelated to the given thread - by a small, petty-minded, and vitriolic group of posters who conduct themselves in a manner unbefitting of what this forum used to be when I joined in 1999, and do so with apparent impunity.
I also find that I simply don't have the time to post as much as I once did, and regrettably so.
I'll leave it at that, as my fond memories outweigh the unpleasant ones. A time arises when parting courses on friendly terms is best before something less desirable arises. Therefore I have volunteered my resignation. To everyone who has made my FR experience enjoyable, I thank you and wish you only the best.
As to the Schiavo case, it's my humble opinion that we've seen just as many high temps during various waves of BATF discussions, Elian, WOD threads, recent RC/Pope threads, etc. I don't expect we've seen the last of it either. And remember, even many of our old timers are just plain old curmudgeons - abrupt and rude because they feel they've earned the right. But having said that, I do think that many of the new posters of the last year or so are immature and unthinking - even some liberal plants who desire to goad conservatives into going over the edge. I have adjusted my responses (and even bothering to respond) with respect to these.
Bottom line for me is that I started in a fire here on FR, and refuse to run from such things. The only thing that will cause me to leave FR will be when it becomes boring. Even then, I'll leave out the back door we call the "profile" page....very quietly. Only then will you not have AGYG to kick around anymore!
You just can't quit like that!! You have to rant and rave, name names, cuss, and turn red. You are taking all the fun out of the Opus thing. (God bless in your future) aloha
My therapist advised me to get off these sites where people are abusing me. Too many people here were starting to do that. They can't respect your opinion without resorting to insults.
The Shiavo affair hit me to the core of my being.
I felt sorry for the seals on the harp seal thread and got creamed.
There were other things, some of which I fed into until I learned not to exercise my free speech because every time I attempted to defend myself, I just got more insults heaped on me.
That last straw was when they called Diana a slut and a poster played the mental health card on me. I do have mental health issues and don't belong here.
The worst I ever took was on an ebay newsgroup. I had a legitimate reason to ask a question, and it went downhill from there.
I have been on the internet since 1999, and it is my observation that people have become much more rude, cruel and insulting, making it pointless to engage in any kind of discussion whatsoever, even if you are in neutral mode. Somebody will find fault with it and flame and insult you. In the beginning, I was meeting a lot of nice folks, but apparently a lot of them have been driven to other things because unless you have very thick skin, you have no business chatting on the net now.
WHAT! Willie Green declared an opus and I missed it!
Who's left to be deeply saddened at good economic news?
"I'm pretty sure this was the type of thing he was a referring to."
If it is , he /she will never find a site sweet and gentle enough to suit him/her.
You may as well go back home to Mother, GOPcap.
Oh, I know the type and endured my share of "Nazi, Lover of Death, Death Cultist,..." taunts over the last couple of months. They weren't clever enough to use your old title justshutupandfakeit. I learned from our fights.
I am hoping the insanity lifts before the site is totally thrashed for good.
In their zest to prove status, a lot of long-time FReepers have been real a-holes to some new sign-ups who may very well have been able to add substance to this site.
So don't forget, it goes both ways.
Willie Green Opus??? You nearly put me into a panic.
Who is more fun to tweak than Willie on rail based mass transit??
(Not as much fun as tweaking Inspector Harry Callahan on the moon landings, but it will have to do)
Fortunately for us, unlike GOPCapitalist, Willie can take the slings and arrows of economic criticism. See post #81.
All the above said in FReeper brotherly love and I'm glad Willie is still here posting away.
bump
First of all, your polite manner and respectful tone almost disqualified you from the OHF (Opus Hall-of-Fame) without further consideration. This is more of a soliloquy than an opus. However, since the other judges didn't know what a solilquy was you passed the first test of consideration.
Secondly, the fact that you didn't bash a single named individual will undoubtedly adversely affect your grade.
You get a few points for saying that it was better in the "old days" but until you pull up your whining ratio I see little hope for this to be opus of the year.
"and do so with apparent impunity" is the closest I can find to bashing our host. This will DEFINITELY cost you on you GPA.
I can not find a single inappropriately capitalized letter.
I could go on but the deficiencies are too numerous to mention.
Please take this opus home with you and we will consider it again after you have time to work on it.
Just kidding. Take care.
That's been my experience as well (even of late).
Such posters (he didn't look at their signup dates) eventually convinced Sean Hannity to stop lurking at FR. He has said so on his radio show this year.
I took my own break because of several events although occassionally returned to read headlines/breaking news items.
Remember: Don't let the newbies get you down. Many just haven't learned their manners yet.
Thanks for the ping Meekie. Good luck GOP cap.
Dear Aliska; You can only be abused if you allow yourself to be abused, I am not a shrink or a therapist but FReepers are family, if you ever need help a FReep mail is all you need.
SEE!
Dang. ;)
It's a thing I am mulling over right now.
Don't wanna... but a lot of nasty stuff on FR lately..
thanks, trussell.
You're a good FRiend..
:-)
It's the lessons of both manners AND rules that many of them need to learn. (I thought I was gonna die of all the stupid vanities that were posted in the first 90 days of this year.) Ah well, I'm sure it will shake out. We can hope the worthless ones eat each other alive and opus out, leaving the better ones behind.
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You are right, Ruiner.
Willie came back under a new alias, whined like a baby and got his posting rights back. I think.
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