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

[Eagle9]

Oh what a relief it is .......

[Erasmus]

Captain, she can't take nae more!

She's gonna blow, I tell ya, she's gonna blow!

[Just another Joe]

IMO, all the oversight committee could do would be to bring JimRobs attention to bear on a problem.

[Overtaxed]

I don't think anyone will notice you wearing it over in the Hobbit Hole, OT! :)

Cool! Once I get the hang of making them, I can market tinfoil hats to hobbitses. You know...to block out Palantiri rays!

[usconservative]

If you don't feed the trolls, they will go away. Think before you post. Do you want your mother to read it? Do you want your spouse or boss to read it? Do you want your children to read it? Do you want the next person you interview for a job with to read it? Be proud of the messages you post.

You're preaching to the choir. I don't recall a single post that I've ever been ashamed of. I've read plenty of responses to those posts (and others posts too) that have made me ashamed to be associated with this forum.

This is Jim Robinson's site, but the quality of discussion is what we make of it.

Yes, it is Jim's site and I'm not going to sit here and tell him what to do with it. But I will say that having the policy he's stated (ie: moderators go as easy as possible) is only going to increase the SNR exponentially and increase -not decrease- the number of flamewars here. If that's the "quality of discussion" that's desired here, go ahead and proceed with that policy.

[Landru]

"This is good, yes."

Of course this is a most positive developement.

One thing, though?
I for one, never for an instant considered this to be a, "battle."
What happened between JPhillips & the Old Man was a family dispute.
I had faith they'd come to terms, with each other.
None of which, incidentally, was any of my damned business.

That several dozen agitators piled on & kept BadJoes's thread going for several thousand entries with THEIR petty interpersonal squabbles, personal likes & dislikes, and assorted personality [disorder] conflicts & all at the EXPENSE of Bad Joe AND the forum's founder????

I suppose those agitators found the chance too irresistable an opportunity to poison the waters (time & again) once they saw *who* it was speaking, & what was being said.

Nothing much more than a display by the forum's shameless opportunists & their runaway egos to feature the blatherings of their big mouths; &, from my POV, they were shameless in the extreme.

From the start this entire matter appeared to be simply a case of BadJoe reaching a point whereby he felt a need to state -- what *I* also just happened to think were -- a small handful of legitimate beefs & concerns.
That's it; no more & no less.

It needn't be said -- as far as I'm concerned -- that the Old Man needs HELP running this place, badly.
FR's grown to become a virtual monster that'll consume the most precious things there are like time & every cent one can throw at her.

The need for "moderators" to help with day to day site policing is a real & genuine necessity.
Those select "moderators" then, have a tough job & NEED our support, to that end; lest, we be overrun by people who're quite frankly, insane.

While just the same & having said that, first?
It's imperative all levels of management understands how inmportant it is we be able to trust the moderators will do the correct thing at the correct time, & act without prejudice.

Some would be correct to point out such a mission's a super-human expecation.
Be that as it may; therein, lies the challenge in direct proportion to the site's ability to survive & prosper.

...yes, this is good, sultan.

[Landru]

Gezzz, Kar; I meant to post #306 to you, too.
(In response to your "let's heal" posting?)

BTW?
So YOU once got bounced from here, eh??
HA!!!

Drop me an email (private) & explain the details surrounding the sorry event, will ya?

...now this I'd *love* to hear!! :o)

[Valin]

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.

IMO for the most part any banning and thread deleting have been deserved. Way to much in the way of thin skins around here.
Personally I'd like to see some sort of tutorial on flaming. So at least it could be done with some wit and style.

[Just another Joe]

Personally I'd like to see some sort of tutorial on flaming. So at least it could be done with some wit and style.

Seems like there were a couple of threads on flaming back in the spring of 2001 that were pretty good.
Of course, there's nothing like, "The Ultimate Flame" to really get things going.

[KLT]

Will do Landru...will let you know what happened...but it wasn't for a fight...I think it was a nasty picture if I recall, and boy was it nasty...LOL

[ChuckHam]

Yes, we have a few liberals aboard and I don't ban them. Some of them aren't even that polite. But we keep them around in case some of our regulars get tired of bashing Bush and the Republicans and or each other.

Thanks, Jim. I figured this was the case. I used to get all bent out of shape when Tuco or MurryMom posted one of their famous BS posts but after a while I realized they were still around here for comedy relief.

[Valin]

I just get a little tired of "Well you're a commie, Oh ya well you're a one-worlder tree-hugging atheist who beats your dog. I've come to call them the so's your mother argument. With some here it's not just that you are wrong, your also evil.

[KLT]

Sounds like a plan....We Freepers can get a bit excitable at times...but...that's one of the Freeper tendencies..called passion for what we believe...

God Bless and Free The Republic...

Karen AKA KLT

[Landru]

"...but it wasn't for a fight...I think it was a nasty picture if I recall, and boy was it nasty."

HA!!
*You*??? ~a nasty jpeg??
Say it ain't so, Kar. :o)

You sound like my wife in that you're my polar opposite.
Why?
'Cuz if I ever get the boot??

...it'd most certainly be for a *fight*. ;^)

[null and void]

Chadsey was the one with the "big butt" cracks!!

Words fail me...

[Nick Danger]

Where is he?

[null and void]

Thai Iced Tea

God bless you, man...

[dcwusmc]

There's an element here who are just feeloading ingrates and anti-everything, including other humans, government, parties, you and the needs to moderate debate on this forum. They're petulant little kids posing as "real patriots" and "true conservatives". Rights without responsibility, thats what think a patriot embodies. Keep tossing them Jim, they're just coming back under new handles. The forum somehow is moving along without the insights of Buckaroo, Harry Callahan and t-shirt. If I get tossed from here, it'll be because I deserved it.

133 posted on 8/26/02 8:41 PM Pacific by ArneFufkin

Let me guess... this rant is NOT an unsolicited personal attack on certain FReepers and former FReepers. Am I right? You are a self-righteous hypocrite and IIRC Jesus had a few things to say about your ilk. Wise words even if you are not Christian.

[VadeRetro]

I know you was drunk, but, kin ya jest tell me how the hail you got a whole dang train up on the secont floor ta begin with?

[wasp69]

Suh-weet! Glad to hear it, sir!