Posted on 06/11/2002 8:27:10 AM PDT by BADJOE
JimRob and many of us other oldtimers are concerned that the viciousness of the personal attacks are getting out of hand.
The continued hyperbole could ultimately destroy our site.
Let's adapt ridicule, poking fun at our adversaries as the method of choice to blow off steam.
I just handled a disruptor on the Freepathon thread this way by asking him if he was bucking for Jim's $1.23 per hour job ( Jim's draw divided by 24/7/365 = $1.23 per hour). And yes , I told him Jim gets that much while sleeping too. The Moderators ultimately banned this poster, but we all had a few good laughs in the process. Ridicule really is the fastest, most effective way to shoot down a jerk. You have to think about how to do it, but if you will, we all will have a lot more fun.
A year or so ago I recommened we post all attacks to an imaginary Freeper, "Nincompoop" We could even get this guy his own Home Page, where we could go to look for the best put down of the day, and get many, many chuckles from all the shots this poor turkey will take. : )
So what is the annual draw -- $10k or $70k. Could you clarify, please?
I also think if we directed our fired up emotions at old "Ninc" fewer Freepers would wind up being banned. I realy hate it when we lose even one Freeper. I do not knowe if we can make "Ninc" a habit, but if each Freeper engaged his brain before hitting the keyboard the disagreements would be based on the logical expression of ideas, rather than in frustration with the inability to articulte ones position, resorting to calling another Freeper a dumbkoph, dingbat, and worse.
My tags are open?? Oh my, I thought I zipped them up this morning. I hate when that happens... Oh, you meant something else. Never mind.
When did MurryMom change her screen name?! OOOOPS...just joshin', MM!!
FReegards...MUD
I like much of what you said, but I would argue -- as I have argued for months and months -- that moderators are not needed. At least not in the degree that they are employed. Are we a self-governing people or do we need a nanny state to make sure we are not being naughty? I have always viewed Free Republic as a virtual state, where we conservatives, right-wingers, liberty-lovers or what-have-you have the unique cyber opportunity to practice what we preach: to act as adults and clean up our own messes without big daddy government coming in and giving us all a time-out.
If we cannot self-govern on a self-professed "free republic" website, then we should all just throw in the towel and submit to the state. It really is as simple as that.
There are people who will post objectionable things. Anyone who has ever stepped outside their front door will notice that there is no shortage of objectionable people out there.
The question is what do we who believe in limited government and self-control do about it. Do we cry for the big bad government to protect us, or do we learn to deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have always argued here for this kind of structure, but as you can see my arguments have fallen on deaf ears.
I see a great disconnect between these two statements of yours. Would you mind explaining?
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