[icanhasbailout]

Is that the culture around here? Paranoid and proud of a sign-up date as if it represents an actual life accomplishment? Be mean to new people? Shut your eyes and ears to anything that doesn’t come from a pre-vetted source?

You do realize that those are traits of dying cultures right?

[NoGrayZone]

"Is that the culture around here?"

Yes. Due to the many noob trolls, anyone noobie is treated the same.

If you are here for true intentions, you will last. If not, you won't.

Any established FReeper (although, there are some who have been here for years who come "out of the closet" and are immediately terminated) will see a disagreement from a noobs post as a threat.

That's just the way it is. Most noobs come here to cause trouble, which is why we are wary of them. If you are truly here because you believe this is the place for you, then you will take your lumps....as we ALL have.

If you are here to cause trouble, you WILL be singled out and Zotted by the Viking Kitties.

"Paranoid"....we are not paranoid. We get many a troll who sign up here just to cause trouble. We are our own gatekeepers.

No one is stopping you from leaving FR. FR is what it is. Accept it or leave. Only 2 options.

[tomkat]

I was the 'new kid' at seven different schools growing up.
Didn't make me Samson, but you learn to stand your ground or lose it.
And while being callously 'mean' is usually a sign of one flavor or another of loser,
whining about it or venturing outdoors with too-thin skin will only make things worse.
It's human nature.
Full stop.

EVERY 'culture' in existence is reticent toward noobs in their midst.
One gains respect and trust by earning it, and that has little to do with signup dates.
We've had some true @holes w/90s signups that have (rightfully) gotten the zot.
So join the team, show you're for real, and you'll never have to worry about that.

Suck it up, climb back in the saddle, give as good as you get, and welcome to FR - best conservative site on the interwebs.

/.02

[MestaMachine]

FWIW, I took your advice and looked up your moniker. Welcome to ya.