Posted on 02/01/2002 9:16:23 PM PST by Admin Moderator
Way too many vanity threads lately. And way too much trash being posted. Please try to stay on topic (politics). Also, please do a search on a significant word from the title of your article before posting. This will reduce the number of duplicates. And, along these same lines, please use the original titles on your article posts. Do NOT edit the titles. Do NOT use "My Title" titles. This will also help to reduce the number of duplicates.
And, whatever else you do, please DO NOT post from DEMOCRATS UNDERGROUND (or any other such trashy un-American socialist hangout). Free Republic was intended to be a socialist free zone. We've gone to a heck of a lot of trouble to make it that way. Why in the world would you think we would be interested in having their trash posted here?
And QUIT trashing each other. You know who you are. Knock it off! Way too many flamewars and feuds going on. And, while I'm thinking about it, QUIT trashing our conservative candidates. If you want to criticize someone's position on some policy, have at it. But do not trash or smear the man. That would include Browne, Buchanan, Bush, Keyes, et al, or whomever else may be your favorite trashee (examples listed in alphabetical sequence). The idea is to get more conservatives elected, not to trash the ones you don't like. If you want to trash someone, make it a Democrat.
Thank you.
And QUIT dredging up old communist propaganda to smear our conservatives. Sheesh! Whatever else you may think about our guys, they did not hijack airliners full of people and crash them into buildings. No, my friends, not even the dreaded CIA. Anyone who would believe (or even suspect) that crap is no FReeper. I've been pulling this crap whenever I see it and several people have been banned for continuing to post it. I do not want it on Free Republic. Any current FR poster who believes this leftist propaganda, please logoff immediately, send me your resignation via email, and I will delete your account.
Thanks,
Jim
I hear the sound of a nail being hit squarely on its head. If conservative beliefs are so fragile that they cannot withstand the onslaught of opposing views, then I could see why it would be undesireable to post opinions from "the other side." I like to think that this is not the case.
My observation (based, admittedly, on a very limited sample size) is that the threads and posters who are flushed down the thought hole are not mostly leftist, but rather representative of the "old right" who are criticising the current administration for not being conservative enough.
The prevalent dogma here is that the Emperor's clothes are exceedingly fine.
Notice also that mention is made of the "flame warriors." Even when the party line is pretty much observed, there is a significant number of people who substitute abuse for argument. Honestly, I would love to see these types in a real face-to-face debate with the opposition from either right or left.
(Old, and current, Monarchist)
"One man's trash is another's treasure."
At least 95% of Vanities are a complete waste of bits (and I think I'm being generous). By far the most common types of Vanities are (1) from people who in reading an existing thread firmly believe theirs is the sine qua non of opinions on the subject, and can't bear to think of their superior thoughts on that subject being buried among the debris of the common FReepers, and so post a Vanity instead of a response; (2) written by people who absolutely LOVE to hear themselves type, and have no doubt that everyone else does, too. Usually this type is an insipid essay on a subject that has been done to death, or something that is counter to the prevailing opinion--usually full of cliches and stock-phrases that have themselves been done to death--followed by three or four responses pinging the 25 or 30 people in the author's "posse."
And (3) is the plea for "off-topic" help (and I have myself posted a few of these): "Help, I can't figure out how to install Windows," "Does anyone have a recommendation for my next automobile purchase?) and the like.
And (4)last, the oozing sludge at the very bottom of the barrel: Those who post emails they have received, which are almost always either rumor or humor (in the eye of the beholder at least) that has at the very least appeared in the mail boxes of over 90% of FReepers anyway (or will soon appear in those of the last 8%), and most often has been posted innumerable times already.
As I said, the acceptable vanity is a very rare creature indeed. If we limited vanity posting only to those with wit, wisdom and a message that might actually have some substance to it, the traffic on FR would be cut dramatically, and we'd all enjoy it a lot more.
As Jim Robinson stated, we get the liberal Democrat line everywhere; in the papers, magazines, TV and radio plus other internet sites. Why do we need to read it again on FR? Is there a conservative member of FR who deoesn't know the liberal line by heart, having heard and read it thousands of times? C'mon!
I don't visit FR to read the latest lies and smears against conservatives, the Republican party and President Bush. I, along with everyone else in America, get that all day on TV and newspapers. Had my fill, thanks.
Debate is fine and the Libertarian philosophy is very, very well represented on FR - more than anywhere else on the planet I suspect - but posting Democrat rants and tabloid nonsense as well as vanity posts that say the same thing again and again are rightly frowned upon and I agree that some policing has to be done on FR or it will lose it's real focus, which - as I understand it - is the promotion of conservative politics, not defending conservative politics against vapid and long-ago disproven communist, socialist and liberal Democratic attacks with no basis in fact.
If the above post was an example of your illustrious thoughts, I'm AFRAID you're not going to CHANGE anybody's mind about ANYTHING.
Those are the ones I was thinking of, including some that didn't end up being true.
Then I found some hilarious "Ignore This Post" threads, and I was hooked on posting. Now it's "Flame away, anyone."
I couldn't have done that without the funny postings. I think it's the same when newbies come into different threads that have been here a long time: They feel comfortable enough to post and get their feet wet.
The Lord disciplines those he loves....
How on earth can you not "criticize" a conservative candidate on their election strategy policy in hopes they would improve it...
By remaining quiet while an idiotic strategy self-destructs a candidate or cause? Hardly. That's what PC is- shut up lest you offend anyone- THAT'S plain idiocy for Conservatives to take up... utter silliness.
Hardly something FR should even remotely engage in.
Let me say it clearly:
You can get the rest of the dam articles elsewhere for Pete's sake.. duh.....
And who's the goofball that actually doesn't like the (my title) headings? That is EXACTLY what peaks interest in otherwise unnotable, but perhaps worthy articles or information...
As for the commies posting? Yeah, it seems like there are more of the loony libs showing up- get rid of them, but don't ask conservatives to remain mum about conservative candidates or officials that are blowing it and could use some constructive criticism...
The last thing conservatives need is to go into the la la land of Politically Correct baloney--- "oh deary me, don't criticize a candidate's political tactics or strategy because someone might get offended.."
Call a spade a spade and deal with reality... That's what conservatives do best--- REALITY.
If someone wants pie in the sky, gooshy love fest conservatism- go somewhere other than FR...
That's what I think.
You're weakening. Use the force, Luke.
PS: I like cheese.
Then, came the anonymous Moderators. It has become almost impossible to know what is "good" or "bad." This problem is compounded by a total lack of meaningful feedback when threads get pulled. Rarely does the feedback consist of more than simply reposting the same message from Jim that sits atop this thread.
If this continues, then FR will become a humorless desert that hardly anybody, other than the Moderators, will want to post to. Who wants to open doors when you never know which one has a stick of dynamite attached to the other side?
Get rid of vanity posts? I surely hope not.
That is absolutely NOT true. They have a set of guidelines they go by, and they cannot just arbitrarily pull threads. It's NOT personal.
They have enough to do around here; why don't you cut them some slack?
And if you don't like the way Jim Robinson has instructed the moderators to perform their duties, I suggest you go and start your own web site.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.