Replies

Dear The PythonicCow, and I say 'dear' because I believe you are. Conservatives are to be treasured in this dangerous world.

I asked the moderators to erase the full text of the article that you posted, and made it clear that I did not consider that it was posted by you for any but the best of reasons.

It's true, I've been thinking a lot about the posting of full articles. It is not something I preach to others about when others do post full articles. I'm not a nazi about it. But it's important to me that when I post an excerpt, in respect to the conservative publications who are the sources of the articles, I'd appreciate the same respect fom others to leave just the excerpt. One click gets one into the source.

The danger in having an opinion different from others' is that one can be seen as critical of others just by virtue of having a different opinion. I'm not critical, just a maverick, I guess. I love FR, and the wonderful conservatives here. It's no fun making people mad at me. And it's no fun when my opinions end up making others feel slighted, when that was never the intention.

I apologize to you, ThePythonicCow, if you were offended when the full article you posted here was pulled. I asked that that be done out of respect for a conservative publication.

I don't actually know what the board's official position is. I heard that the moderators might pull a full-article posting if requested.

I was born into a dedicated Democratic family, registered as a Republican when I came of age, and the family (very nicely) prevented me from voting til I moved away. The point is, maybe I was born with a contrary gene or something. I don't understand, regardless of what the custom is, why the resistence to posting excerpts if doing so helps our fellow conservatives?

Thanks for clearing things up, in your latest
post here and in your private freep mail to me.

I'd encourage you to be more direct about your
preference that the full article not be posted,
as part of your initial post. When not doing in
Rome as the Romans do, especially something like
this on which good people can reasonably differ,
best to be up front about it. That reduces the
chances of confusion, misunderstanding and wasted
effort later on.

Keep up the good posts. Thanks.

I asked the moderators to erase the full text of the article that you posted, and made it clear that I did not consider that it was posted by you for any but the best of reasons.

Unfortunately, not everyone associated with the article or the magazine in which it appeared is so considerate. As you may know, I was the author of post #2, which also contained the full text of the article. Someone had my post removed and, from the publisher of the Oregon Magazine, I received an extremely rude, accusatory email, in which he insisted I am a thief, among other things.

I responded in telling him that I posted the article -- including all of the imbedded links to his publication -- with only good intentions but, he couldn't care less about my intentions. I was, in his opinion, a thief, an ignorant dork, and a jerk, just for having posted the article and violating his copyright.

Compared to the lambasting I received from the judge, jury, and executioner at the O.M., ThePythonicCow got the red-carpet treatment.

I'd appreciate the same respect fom others to leave just the excerpt. One click gets one into the source.

I'm more than happy to do that, as long as the source doesn't move or disappear altogether. Granted, that is less of a problem with some publications than with others. But, how are we to know, unless the good folks at those publications tell us? Maybe I'm in a small minority here but, I always click through to the original source, just to verify its origins and see if there are any pics with the article. Regardless, none of this matters to the OM publisher. I am not an accomplished journalist; therefore, I am an ignorant dork and a thief.

Do you have some connection to or relationship with the Oregon Magazine? As you might guess, it will forever occupy a special place in my heart. ;-)