Is FR really a hate site? Of course not -- most definitely not. If you want to see a real hate site, go check out "stormfront.org" or the like.
But your response pretty much misses the point. The topic of this thread is Fox 5 News labeling us as a "hate site." It's legitimate to wonder if we have helped them to do it.
It's primarily a matter of first impressions -- which is all that most newcomers to FR will be willing to obtain. If you're upset about Fox 5 News calling us a "hate site," perhaps it would be worth trying to see if there's anything in your, my, or anybody's behavior that would legitimately lead them to that conclusion.
Ultimately, the question boils down to this: what would an outsider think, after spending an hour or so looking at FR? Is it possible that he might understand why Fox 5 News calls FR a "hate site?"
Take an honest look, and you'll see plenty of examples of how he might actually see their point. FReepers can say some pretty wild and aggressive things, and oftentimes they'll do it in groups. That's a problem.
"Hate" has been so over-used as to have little real meaning any longer. Just like the race card is dog-eared from how many times it has been played, calling someone a hater nowadays, more often than not, is used to try and stifle legitimate criticism of the actions of a group.
Against illegal immigration? You hate Mexicans. Think moderate Muslims need to speak out more against Islamic terrorism? You hate Islam. Decry black-on-black violence? Why, you're a racist. Think Rudy is too liberal? You're a Rudy hater. Think Mitt is too liberal? You're a Mormon hater.
There are some posts on FR that trend to the bad side. But almost all of those get yanked. What remains is generally valid criticism of groups that have no desire to be criticized.
I was an outsider once, and after spending an hour on the site I said, "Hey! I like this site!"
And after looking around for a few days, I recognized a few jerks. Some are still here.
The topic of this thread is Fox 5 News labeling us as a "hate site." It's legitimate to wonder if we have helped them to do it.
C'mon, lots of people are really wondering now...
Are you Lindsey Graham?
Hand-wringing, navel-gazing and feeling guilty about a few (mostly ZOTted) comments from trolls and jerks is time wasted. We have other, more important things to do than persevorate over people who have already been banned and comments that are removed.
This is an open forum. We are, for the most part, adults; and adults use strong lanugage sometimes. Anybody can register an account here, including trolls and jerks. It is up to us to hit abuse when somebody says something that violates the terms of use.
I asked you this before, but you neglected to answer...
How often have you hit the abuse button on the comments that you judge to be "deranged?"