Posted on 08/27/2002 4:40:53 AM PDT by BADJOE
It is time we take a new tack and see if we can heal our wounds. I hear by the grapevine that from this past weekend's discussions that JimRob has two black eyes and a broken arm. I have my head bandaged. I am missing one ear, and I have body bruises from top to bottom.
It was damn near like the old days wasn't it?
I am happy to report that while Willa never considered divorce, homicide did cross her mind a couple of times. The fact that I am writing this is hard evidence that she did not act on those impulses.
As I see it, there is a very simple easy way for all of FR's problems to go away. I have a comment to all parties involved and I will specifically address each of them.
The Free Republic is much bigger than any one man or woman. And it is too important for any dispute, regardless of what it is about to pull it down.
First let me clear one thing up. The next Freepathon would have been my last one regardless. It is too big a job for even me. Freepathons are the only time Willa and I exchange cross words with each other. I love all you guys, but she rubs my back, kisses me on my bald head and on occasion even cooks me dinner. (Except during a Freepathon. I damn near starved to death during the last one.)
In order of importance from least to most .
Badjoe: You are one cantankerous feisty old son of a gun. Usually mild mannered, reasonable, and all the good things, BUT when you think something needs to change you would run over your own grandmother to make it happen.
Other forums like Liberty Post, etc.: Guys you can't build yourself up by tearing the other guy down. Tout your own virtues. It is the only way you will reach the heights FR has. And believe me, I'd like to see 100 successful FR's. If there were a hundred of us none of our problems would exist. Competition cleans up the weak spots.
The DC Chapter: Thank you guys for calling me on the phone yesterday. It was very nice and very moving to speak with each of you personally. Please tear all the old pages out of your book in regard to the Free Republic Network. Neither you nor they will survive if you don't quit nursing old wounds. I have noticed that even when the Network folks say or do good things you react in ways I think are inappropriate. We really are all in this together. Let's please work to survive together. Thank you.
To the Network Board.: You are my friends. The wounds are deep between you and the DC chapter. Please don't say anything about them. At the moment even if you gave them a million dollars each they would think you have an ulterior motive. So please say nothing either way. A year from now you might be able to to have some communication.
To the Moderators: Oh my! I sincerely hope this whole post could make your jobs superfluous, as the Freepers take to heart what I will say to them, so that moderation is rarely if ever needed. I am sure you'd appreciate and like the vacation too. Would not it be nice if you could just Freep and when you occasionally came across an infraction, warn first, went back to Freeping, and checked in later to see if warning was heeded and then if necessary take the minimally possible action. Please let's try to keep our troops intact.
To the monthly donors who have cancelled: I sincerely hope you will consider reinstating your help. I know withdrawing your support is a very effective way of registering your disapproval.
To the monthly donors who have stayed on board: God bless you. FR needs you and can't survive without you.
To JimRob: You are just as damn cantankerous as I am. I sincerely hope you will post the new directions involved in our Saturday night August tenth agreement without the references to me. Apologize to the Freepers for any real or perceived injustices and ask them to hold your feet to the fire on the new directions from that agreement
To the Freepers: You are the most important of all. Without you there is no FR. I would like to see you all prick your finger and write in blood that you will argue all you want to without calling another Freeper a dumb Mofo, etc. If you find yourself in the position of not being able to carry the day in your discussion, or if another Freeper gets close to anger, just go away for a little while and come back to fight later. If you do this moderating will become unnecessary. We all will be free from fear. In the interest of healing these wounds please lay off the mods I singled out. Lay the blame on Jim and I for our failure to effectively communicate with each other. Jim and I have broad shoulders and are willing to carry the load.
I am going to post this first to the moderators through the abuse button to give them time to digest what I have written. This is to be a positive thread. I am requesting that they give an automatic one hour timeout to every Freeper, including JimRob for any inappropriate comment. You are capable criticizing with being abrasive.
I hope all the above folks I have directed my comments specifically to, post a general agreement to try to do what I have suggested. If you say you will, I will participate in the next fundraiser by just running the numbers and getting the necessary funds in. JR gets a copy of what I get without the credit card numbers. He can forward that info to a trusted Freeper volunteer to write thank you's, and to another trusted Freeper volunteer to post recognition of the donation on the fundraising thread or maybe one will do both. This will get FR past its current crisis, reduce the harsh words at Willa's and my house, and make everyone's job easier.
So, that's your view of FR and freepers in general. What's your interest in seeing the turmoil continue?
We're on the same side in a fight against the forces of evil. And those forces include Iraq, Osama, Hillary, Daschle, Gore and company (there's more, we know).
We need to realize that's where our fight is. Not with each other.
Think about how effective we were during the Florida re-count fight. Think about how we were on top of the news and some of our people were right on the front line.
That's out battlefield folks.
Never give up! Never surrender!
And how about reinstating those who broke no rules except stating an opinion on a criminal law case that disagreed with the moderator and/or the moderator's friends?I think that part of the problem lately has been not correcting the record when false allegations are made.
"To: ~Kim4VRWC's~That "quote" of Admin Moderator by FresnoDA was completely fabricated. He won't be reinstated. Sorry, AMThank's for tipping us off to these disruptive types. Let them have their stupid little Refugee site...ha. Whatever! We don't need their soiled money.
192 posted on 5/17/02 10:48 AM Central by Admin Moderator
We don't need their soiled money.
Oh really? Well don't worry, you won't.
FresnoDA/frr
LOL!!! You're going to be here for a looooong time! Hugs!
uhhh....."grace" is when you don't put conditions on forgiveness. I'm not sure what word you wanted to use but that wasn't the right one.
Someday you're gonna have to tell me what you did, girl...
Judging by the amount of contrition here it musta been a real blood letting. Lotsa gnashing teeth, insults & hurt feelings.
Why do I miss all the good stuff?
Don't let the love-in obscure the fact that you've now set a terrible precedent from a managerial point of view. There are probably a dozen people around you who now know you can be held hostage in a public ruckus and will eventually grant concessions for the sake of peace.
Of course, peace is better than an all-out shooting war. Whoever negotiated the deal did a good thing given the low level things had fallen to. But the larger effect of how it was conducted will be bad, and that is just plain poor management.
To a thousand small complaints you answer "the board is mine, I'll manage it however I want." And that is just fine. So you appoint moderators and you tell them how to act. Good. But then it comes out that when somebody is important they will be placated by "observing" the moderators. (That sure must make the moderators feel you are behind them.)
Then, the argument breaks out into the open. At first, you are unmoving -- then, you are announcing a "compromise" in the most public and cheery way, as if it all was just an amusing disagreement over where to eat dinner.
One minute you're a benovelent despot (which is fine); the next, you're tossing concessions to those with power, or you are conceding to keep the donations up (it isn't clear exactly why you conceded; there is no indication you actually were persuaded by argument that some of the moderation is bad.)
Those who hate the moderators may feel they "won" this; they didn't. Those who like them may think they "won"; they didn't. The watchers who just want everyone to get along so we all can "freep" together may think it ended well; it didn't. The Bush-lovers may think "good, we still have moderators to kick out the loons"; no, you have castrated moderators. The libertarians may think "good, the worst moderators are going to be out"; no, soon you will have the moderators liked by whoever collars JR next week.
JR, you give the impression you are susceptible to manipulation. It is the INCONSISTENCY that is the mark of bad parenting, and bad management.
Me too. But then again it took me weeks to figure out the "All your base are belong to us" discussions.
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