BadJoe/JimRob Dispute Ended - Free Republic Train Wreck Derailed

Free Republic | August 26, 2002 | Jim Robinson

[Jim Robinson]

Most of you know that a battle has been raging over the last several weeks between me and BadJoe regarding some of our moderating policies. Looked pretty bad there for awhile. Joe was going to resign from Free Republic and there was even a dust up regarding the monthly donors and how the records would be turned over to a new credit card service.

I am happy to report that today that battle has officially ended and Free Republic may have avoided being fatally damaged in a disastrous train wreck. As it is, the only losses suffered were a few black eyes and a lost ear or two. Fractures and abrasions were suffered, but no major bones broken or organs punctured. Hurt feelings, bruised egos, dampened spirits, damaged bodies are now all on the mend. A satisfactory agreement has been reached between all warring parties as to how we will continue forward in our fight for Freedom.

Summary of today's agreement between BadJoe and JimRob:

1. Jim to reinstate the observer program with between 2-4 members of his choosing. Joe may suggest nominees.

2. Jim to put up a post to this effect, including his boilerplate guideline to the mods.

3. Jim will work with John on writing a subroutine or program that lists the banned comments, banned threads and names of banishees, that Joe will have access to.

4. Joe will process the Sept fundraiser cc's, and work with Jim and whomever is taking over the program to effect a smooth transition. Joe will continue to work on the fundraisers as a volunteer but will not run the program.

We will be working on a moderator policy manual (the boilerplate guidelines) and will post it as soon as completed. For now, I will say that we do not want racist material, anti-Semitism, religion bashing, tin-foil hat material, leftist propaganda (used to smear or bash conservatives), profanity, vulgarity, pornography, excessive flaming, insults or feuds, liberals, leftists, marxists, etc., are generally not welcome as are multiple screen names, disruptors, anti-FReepers or returning bannees.

Said material may be deleted as discovered or reported and posters may be warned, suspended or banned depending on severity.

But the standing moderator policy is to go as easy as possible on the posters. Many flame wars and insults and even some minor violations of other rules may sometimes be ignored. It depends entirely on the situation and the posters involved. Posters with unclean hands might as well avoid using the abuse button. We do not want to wade through hundreds of posts looking for who is at fault. We do not have time for it and do not want to act as nannies anyway. The general rule of thumb for a moderator is to always give the poster the benefit of the doubt. If there is any doubt, then we do not delete and do not ban. I'd rather bend the rules than stifle the debate. And now that we have a smokeybackroom forum, we'll suggest that people take their feuds and flame wars there and unless it gets too nasty the moderators will look the other way.

Believe it or not we do not like deleting or banning. We want to attract as many new people as we possibly can, but we also want to run a clean board. And we want to advance our conservative causes while not assisting the leftists propaganda artists in their dirty work.

I know this does not cover everything, but we'll be posting more as we can.

Also, we are in the process of contracting with one of the major nationwide credit card processing companies. Joe has been processing these for us for the last several years, but the job has gotten to be a huge task and a burden on him. Joe will assist us in making as smooth a transition as possible to the new service.

As always, I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart and we are all very appreciative of your support and understanding. I'm sorry for this recent turmoil and hope it is all behind us and we can get on with our FReeping!

God bless you all and God bless America!

Jim

[ArneFufkin]

That's an unsolicited personal attack. I'm not going to hit the abuse button, and if I get booted this forum will go forward without a hitch. But, my absence won't make you and your pals any less useless and unsuccessful in politics and life. Some people here use Free Republic like a cat uses a litter box, and the loudmouthed do-nothings and the perpetually persecuted aren't feared and avoided here because they are bold and controversial, they're marginalized and avoided because they support nothing, achieve nothing, and do that with an annoyingly unearned sanctimony.

[Mo1]

Meaningless update:

LOL .. you are too funny ..

BTW did ya ever get that fishing gear??

[Hunble]

I would suggest that when someone has accumulated more probations than membermarks, a donkey symbol should appear, signifying their true allegience.

Outstanding idea, and simple to implement.

[Hunble]

I would suggest that when someone has accumulated more probations than membermarks, a donkey symbol should appear, signifying their true allegience.

Outstanding idea, and simple to implement.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

There is nothing innocent about you...........

[ladyinred]

Joe, we are all pleased that this has been worked out!

[chadsworth]

the other side.

OUCH - and it did hurt - I even promised to be good and said "YES MAM".

[Sabertooth]

The second one proves we're on the cutting edge of science.

Bull.

It takes 30" of spammed Univac posts on a crevo thread to prove we're on the cutting of science.

[BluesDuke]

I am happy to report that today that battle has officially ended and Free Republic may have avoided being fatally damaged in a disastrous train wreck. As it is, the only losses suffered were a few black eyes and a lost ear or two. Fractures and abrasions were suffered, but no major bones broken or organs punctured.

But how did the train come out? (*just kidding...glad you were able to negotiate a deal...*)

They examined all my organs. Some of them are quite remarkable and others are not so good. A lot of museums are bidding on them. - Casey Stengel, following a full physical in 1960 after the legendary manager complained about chest pains.

[Joe Hadenuf]

You just don't let up, do you bait boy?

[Cultural Jihad]

Example tin-foil hat material: "Our government was in on a plot to hijack airliners full of people and crash them into the WTC, the Pentagon, and other government targets so that Bush could declare war on Afghanistan and other ME countries. It's all about oil and global power." That is in my opinion tin-foil hat material. Anyone who posts anything resembling this b/s will be nuked on sight.

BTTT

[chadsworth]

There is nothing innocent about you.

HEAR -HEAR - I SECOND THAT REMARK!!!

[Joe Hadenuf]

You bet Saber!

[Mo1]

LOL .. good one

[.38sw]

I took a look at Liberty Post today just to see what was going on over there. I had to laugh at some of the names of banned FReepers I saw, and the level of pettiness was just plain childish and silly. I'm glad that you will still be keeping the riff raff off the board

I admit it. I went over there this evening. Yikes!

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I think Cob should come with a warning label:

Looks sweet and innocent, but bites...........

[BluesDuke]

That's an unsolicited personal attack.

Have you ever heard of a solicited personal attack?


(*that's a joke, son...*)

[Billthedrill]

Good. This needed to be settled. My congratulations on having settled it well - it could have been otherwise and that would have been a classic lose-lose-lose situation, JimRob, BadJoe, and all of us respectively.

If I might gently suggest to other FReepers on this thread, this is a not entirely appropriate time for the continuance of personal vendetti in the face of mature reconciliation, or of insistence on a granularity and specificity in the rules that disallows the creative wiggle-room that makes FR what it is. Tomorrow maybe. Tonight just let it be, please.

[chadsworth]

I think Cob should come with a warning label: Looks sweet and innocent, but bites

He is pretty close to a clone of a rattlesnake, that has had his rattlers cut off!

[Looking4Truth]

Growing pains. To be expected and necessary in anything that is worth keeping alive.

This is a good time to re-focus on what this site is all about and get the FReepers working towards the common goals stated on the main page.