Email: The Future of Free Republic

Email | 06/25/02 | Jim Robinson

[Jim Robinson]

The following email is being circulated to our members by various disgruntled former FReepers:

Subject: The Future of Our Free Republic

Dear Fellow Free Republic Member,

Many of us at Free Republic are distressed by the extraordinary level of censorship that has been so obviously going on. It is very obvious that individual posts, entire threads, and the entire work of members who have been highly regarded are disappearing into a Memory Hole.

Scores of us have organized an e-mail network that is independent of the communication controls presently, and sadly, being used at our Free Republic. We have carefully documented the unmistakeable evidence that most of the posts, threads, and posters that are vaporized completely are overwhelmingly targeted for their political stance on the Right. These are not Leftwingers. These are not even Middle-of-the-Roaders. These are not disruptors. These are not foul-mouthed delinquents. These are fellow patriots on the Right who disagree with the controllers of FR on specific issues that are now hotly debated by the Right. We have documented that FR will parade before you, as if to hide all of the great posters whose work has been destroyed, a straw-man delinquent that has been banned. This is deceptive.

Treating these fellow patriots on the Right so shabbily is not right. As shabbily as those banned into the Memory Hole are being treated, the most shabbily treated of all are all of the good folks on Free Republic themselves. We came here for honest debate. Free Republic advertised itself as a Forum for honest debate. Without that honest debate...everything at Free Republic becomes shabby.

We can do much better. As a measure of how intense the simmering feelings have gotten among members on this unjustifiable use of deleting, censoring, and banning please link to the following thread. You will notice that one simple and sincere plea from one of our finest members has spontaneously touched off a prairie fire of approximately 500 posts in a mere 18 hours. If it isn't Memory Holed this thread may shoot into the thousands.

If you would like to receive anonymous updates of information concerning the hundreds of Freepers who have networked via e-mail to restore the wonderful honest debate to Free Republic, just drop an e-mail of just one or two words if you like for extreme brevity to:

StopCensoringUs@hotmail.com

And, here's that link back to the snowballing thread at FR:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/704701/posts

Thank you so much for giving your thought to this vital matter for our Internet home.

Sincerely, StopCensoringUs@hotmail.com

[dighton]

Damn. I'm not in the list of "Spooks & Gubm't apologists" and I refuse to be called "etc." What's a Freeper to do?

Currently, there is an eight-month waiting list for the "Spooks & Gubm't Apologists" department. Consider "Northern Aggressors," where you'll find several openings.

[Jefferson Adams]

They also suffer from a technical problem - one they share with DU - that ensures they could never become a serious threat to FR even if they did start getting any posters.

Liberty Forum has no intention of being a "serious threat" to FR in any way. Good grief - read JD's post to the LF membership above.

[BlueAngel]

Jim, thank the Good Lord you are who you are. A man of character and principle.

[Jim Robinson]

Look up at the top of this thread and you should see a list of stuff that I don't want posted here on FR. Those who keep posting that crap get banned. Gee, as many times as some of you boys have been banned, you'd think you could figure out what causes it. How many times you been banned now?

[cake_crumb]

"I didn't say why this thread had been posted, only that this sort of response contributes to a sense of feud. If there were such a "campaign", is this how you would go about calming it down?"

I've seen a couple of threads like this.

I would calm the thing down exactly as JimRob has: get it out in the open, let the chips (err...posters) fall where they may.

There is no sense in keeping quiet when somebody is sneaking around and doing nasty things. The nasty thing-doers tend get bolder when you stay quiet and let them think they're getting away with it. We have a right to know. Letting US know, and letting US decide, and giving US threads like this one to discuss the email in question and even air complaints which aren't even pertinent to the thread...it says a lot for FR's openness and honesty.

Besides the politics, FR's openness and honesty are why I became a FReeper.

BTW...I checked my hotmail, but...(**sniff...complex coming on here**) I didn't get one of those emails.

[habs4ever]

FRee at last! FRee at last!! Let my FRillons come!!

Step right up, the FReedom Ride 2002 Tour,all aboard the Magic Bus, leaves Selma soon, picking up pitchfokers and musketeers, and we are going to take back our country..

I have a dream, where one day FRillions of us will be FRee....

Geez, will this thread crack 5000 posts, and all the dissenters have their say????

[MeekOneGOP]

Jive is pretty cool, LOL!:

Many uh us at Free Republic is distressed by de 'estrao'dinary level uh censo'ship dat gots been so's obviously goin' on. 'S coo', bro. It be very obvious dat individual posts, entire dreads, and da damn entire wo'k uh members who gots been highly regarded is disappearin' into some Memo'y Hole.

Sco'es uh us gots o'ganized an e-mail netwo'k dat be independent uh de communicashun controls presently, and sadly, bein' used at our Free Republic. Co' got d' beat! We gots carefully documented da damn unmissnatchable evidence dat most uh de posts, dreads, and posters dat is vapo'ized completely is overwhelmin'ly targeted fo' deir political stance on de Right. Man! Dese is not Leftwin'ers. Dese is not even Middle-of-de-Roaders. Dese is not disrupto's. Dese is not foul-mouded delinquents. Dese is dude patriots on de Right who disagree wid de controllers uh FR on specific issues dat is now hotly debated by de Right. Man! We gots documented dat FR gots'ta parade befo'e ya', as if t'hide all uh de great posters whose wo'k gots been destroyed, some straw-man delinquent dat gots been banned. Dis be deceptive.

Treatin' dese dude patriots on de Right so's shabbily be not right. Man! As shabbily as dose banned into de Memo'y Hole is bein' treated, de most shabbily treated uh all is all uh de baaaad folks on Free Republic demselves. We came here fo' honest debate. Free Republic advertised itself as some Fo'um fo' honest debate. Widout dat honest debate...everydin' at Free Republic becomes shabby. Slap mah fro!

[Admin Moderator]

"Everything? Or everything you ask him to review?"

The only way for him to know which things were asked to be reviewed is to go through each of them and see if there was a question or a request in it. It is pretty clear to me he reviews just about everything.

"Your message is ambiguous."

Hopefully this followup will clear up the ambiguity you express.

"Your (collective) hand is certainly heavier than his ever was."

Some are working very hard at giving that impression. Thanks, AM

[Roscoe]

It's only fair to point out the the "Free speach" alternative at Liberty Forum is, of couse, by invitation only.

It figures.

[AppyPappy]

Many forums have a "no forum" rule which means you cannot use the forum to badmouth other forums. This keeps the forum from becoming a forum about another forum. Jim does this with DU.

[OWK]

The fact that there is such a campaign is without doubt. By pointing out that it is being instigated, and pointing out who is doing the instigation? You bet. I think Jim did the right thing here.

Had the Email (which Jim wrongly associated with LF) actually originated on LF, or been associated with LF, you might have a point.

But of course, it didn't, and it wasn't.

[AppyPappy]

Who wrote the email?

[tax hater]

Jim,

As someone who has been ridiculed and whose posts been removed, I would like to ask you this question:

You said you ban those "who condemn religion itself."

I am a proclaimed Atheist conservative. Why are you so closed to honest discussion? Why are you afraid to discuss honestly and openly this very controversial subject?

Waiting for your answer

[Jim Robinson]

Hey, I think you're missing the whole point of this little exercise. If you can't tolerate the way we manage this forum you are completely free to move along to a forum more to your liking. I even gave you a link. It's obvious you'd fit in perfectly with the other great ones. You're free. Shoo! Go forth and multiply.

[Poohbah]

www.freerepublicdisruptorshills.com thanks you for your interest. Unfortunately, we do not have any positions available in the Spooks and Government Shills Division. Your resume has also been sent to the Amen Corner Hatchet Crew, the Defenders of Northen Aggression, and the Fiat Money Defenders Group. The heads of these departments have positions available and expressed enthusiasm over your qualifications. You will be contacted shortly.

Please note that the Income Tax Truth Suppression Squad does not advertise for applications, as their work is seasonal, running from January 1st to April 15th.

Again, thank you for your interest in our organization.

[Neets]

Dearie...I think you have it all wrong...kinda mixed up there....it's the folks that have been banned that keep COMING BACK HERE..inciting..then running back to their whinner web sites (FRillions of them of course) and crying about how The Mean Old FRinch JimRob (or reverse that he is often referred to, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN) is unjustifyably banning them because they can't spew the vitirol and garbage that they are so greatly known for...

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

[Physicist]

Have you ever considered the possibilities that:

1) Everyone does not suscribe to your definition of "crap".

Yes, I have, but it's irrelevant. The actual decision rests with the moderator, and not with me.

2) Some people can see something that meets their personal definition of crap and do the adult thing and simply ignore it. When I am out walking and see a pile of dog crap on the sidewalk I do not call for help, I step over it.

That's a good approach, up to the point where there's so much crap around, there's noplace left to step. So what then? Do you call the guy with the shovel, or do you let it build up on your shoes, saying, "I'm sure this smells like roses to somebody"? Or will you say, "this place stinks" and go elsewhere, as many did before Jim hired the shovel crew?

[cake_crumb]

You know, I hate to have to point out what should be obvious, BUT...on ths particular thread, which is ostensibly about embittered former members feel that FR practices censorship, I see posts accusing JimRob OF censorship, and a few anti-nuke 'em all posts, and a few nuke 'em all posts....

Not one "Comment removed by moderator". I might have to go back over all the replies again and see if that has changed, but as far as I know, not ONE dissenting view has been removed.

So much for summary censorship.