The Eagle Works Wants You

Have you ever wondered what you can do to make a real difference as a FReeper (besides donating to keep FR running)? This is your chance to do just that.

A couple of months ago I had an idea for a special interest FRN chapter forum. A place where FReepers with special technical, writing and artistic talents could collaborate on high concept projects to enable FReeper chapters to be more effective in their FReeping. I call it the "Eagle Works" (a tip of the hat to Lockheed's Kelly Johnson's legendary "Skunk Works".)

A FReeper Cam broadcast kit is one such project that Bob J and I have been discussing. A FReep handbook might be another one. The Eagle Works in not meant to take the place of the usual ad hoc FReeper collaborations happening all of the time on FR. Rather it would provide a private collaborative workshop for efforts where we don't want to tip our hand to lurking disrupters before we are ready to roll out the tools to the FRN chapters. Each project has a team leader responsible for keeping the team motivated and on-schedule. They also are responsible for recruiting their team's members.

One key project already in motion is identifying a list of FReepers with demonstrated useful talents willing to lend a hand when called upon. That list would be made available to all project team leaders, JimRob and FRN board members, but will not be made generally available to protect FReepers' privacy. As a starting point we are using Alamo-Girl's FReeper Profiles list and the latest update thread. Please FReepmail me or post to this thread, to offer up your services as listed in the FReeper Profile list. (Contact Alamo-Girl to correct her FReeper Profile list.)

FReepers will be able to volunteer their (or nominate another FReeper) project idea for inclusion in the Eagle Works by submitting a project proposal (see form below) by FReepmail to me (Anymouse) or Bob J. In order for the proposed project to become an official Eagle Works project, the FRN board members or veteran Eagle Works team leaders would have to approve a project's entry into the Eagle Works." The FReeper that submits the project proposal, will become the project team leader, responsible for further development of the project schedule, recruiting team members and assigning tasks to the team. I will assist in identifying FReeper talent, but the project team leader is responsible for negotiating with the FReeper to join their project team.

Projects not accepted into the Eagle Works can still go forward to be worked in regular FR threads, but we don't want to clutter up the Eagle Works with underdeveloped ideas with no clear focus.

Generally team leaders (or team members themselves, if possible) are responsible for financing their own project, with a notable exception. One Project will be to establish a list of conservative donors willing to be presented with vetted FReeper project proposals that require substantial funding beyond what the team can arrange. This list would only be available to FRN board members. Inclusion on the list would only obligate these FReepers to consider those projects deemed worthy of funding.

The prime objective of the Eagle Works would be to hammer out effective tools for FReeping as quickly as possible. Thus the Eagle Works is a "freedom forge," were dedicated and gifted FReepers toil to empower their fellow FReepers with FReeping tools of superior quality and effectiveness.

With your help, we can make the "Eagle Works" just as awe inspiring as the legendary "Skunk Works."

Old Professer,

The FreeRepublic Network (FRN) is a separate, but obviously related organization of FReeper activist chapters (both localized and special interest independent of location.) Contact 'Bob J' for more info.

As for the moderators, 'JimRobinson' is just one hard working guy. He posted a thread a while back explaining how he deputized some anonymous FReepers to marshall FR to keep a little order. But FR in general relies on FReepers FReeping friendly and watching out for our common goal of protecting freedom.

As for a hyrarchy, you got the wrong place. FR is pretty chaotic by design. Where else would a nobody like me get to propose and run with such an outlandish concept as the Eagle Works?

FR (and America for that matter) succeeds because we care about the goal of securing freedom more than hyrarchies and who gets the credit.

So lead, follow or get the (deleted) out of the way. :) Let's Roll!

"Freeper Cam" reminded me of an idea I posted on halfbaked.com. It was called "Surveil the Surveillors" and posited a website listing the exact location of every surveillance camera that "members" could find. I imagined lots of "Baker Street irregulars" fanning out with inexpensive GPS receivers, and posting latitude, longitude, description, and other pertinent data.

I include convenience store cams, traffic cams, ATM cams, red-light cams, the works.

I suspect that an attempt would be made to shut down such a site; only a hunch.

--Boris

The moderators are people whom I trust and have recruited to help me moderate the forum. Some of them were first recruited to help me maintain the sidebars (breaking news, etc.). At that time, the sidebars were constantly being abused and I did not have the time to maintain them and people were always complaining about their content. It was either dump the feature or ask people to volunteer to maintain them.

So, the sidebar moderators were selected and put into place and straightened out the mess, and have kept a pretty good handle on the sidebars ever since. And that was their (the sidebard moderators) only function.

Then several months later, I decided to go to Texas and I knew I would be gone for two weeks or more. Now, there is no way I could be gone for that length of time without someone moderating the forum. During my past weekend trips to Washington D.C., the disruptors had a field day each time I was gone and they made a wreck of the forum. So, I recruited a few of the sidebar moderators to help moderate the forum.

This worked out so well while I was away, that we decided to keep the program. In fact, we recruited a few more moderators so we could have around the clock (more or less) moderator coverage.

These people are all volunteers. They are well known and respected long time members of this forum. They do have a posting life of their own using their personal screen names and I did not want them to have to give that up in order to help me moderate the forum, so I chose to let their screen names be confidential. They work long and hard and it is a very difficult and thankless task. In fact, about the only thing they ever receive in return for their efforts is grief.

Well, I appreciate them very much and am very grateful for their help. There is always room for improvement and we will strive to improve the program, but overall, I'd say they are doing a terriffic job.

The Free Republic Network is a separate entity from Free Republic. It is being organized by Bob J and a group of long time FReepers. I am not an owner, organizer, officer, director, or member, and I serve in no capacity at FRN. I am not involved with FRN nor is Free Republic, LLC.

The Free Republic Network has no authority over Free Republic, LLC nor does Free Republic, LLC have any authority over Free Republic Network. There is no hierarchy. We are peers.

The same goes with the local chapters. They are all locally owned and operated. I am not involved in any capacity with any of them (other than as a member of my local chapter), nor is Free Republic, LLC. All I've done is allowed them to use the Free Republic name and use our forum to promote their growth and post announcements and reports regarding their protests and or other activities.

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