I have mixed feelings about that. I don’t scour the blogosphere for reading material, so when someone posts and links from their blog on FR, it at least provides opportunity to take it or leave what otherwise I may never see or read. Some of the blog links are quite good, but I do wish the practitioners would post the whole rather than an excerpt.
There are many times I’ve posted articles/excerpts from other sources a made little if any comment myself. Granted, it is not the same as posting from my own blog. I tend not to be self-promoting, but it takes discipline.
Given a world where everyone wants their ideas to be held in high esteem, it is no wonder a plethora of notions gain expression in a multitude of formats. Nothing in the way of words and ideas, however, eclipses the public reading and orthodox preaching of Holy Scripture in the midst of a Christian congregation.
Some FReepers are struggling financially and they still support FR. Along comes a blogger that isn't even a part of FR and he uses them for his own gain. There's a difference between Christian charity and using others.
FR aggregates news for activist purposes. That is FR's basic calling and not for others self-promotion.