Friday Spotlight is especially good - it's on Mamzelle. I also have posts on Bundy and that Minessota shooting in the hopper that I'll post over the weekend. But the Spotlight is gonna be late.
In the meantime, a bit of sentimentality.
I've been doing this for quite a while, and reading Free Republic in fascinated bemusement/horror for years before that. I remember my first Muslim thread, and how it was kinda scary.
And over the years, this blog has slowly grown to about 300-600 daily views.
Probably the most gratifying part of this weird compulsive exercise I've been doing is the comments section that has grown. It's a diverse and motley crew that ranges from former Freepers to enthusiastic liberals, and even includes some trolls to keep the pot stirred. It's led to some really thoughtful and sometimes even heartfelt conversations that look like they clarify things for the writers and maybe (dare I hope on the Internet?) even some readers. None of these people would have met except through this blog, and I want to thank the commenters and readers for being so cool, and not sweating the small stuff, be it typo or pointed comment.
Now, onward to more hyperdramatic old people!
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I've never been a fan of blogs, but this one stuck to me somehow. Thanks for putting it out there for those of us who want to write and joke and critique but are frankly too lazy to do the heavy lifting.
ReplyDeleteSame. I get a giggle from the stuff you find, and some of the conversations are fascinating and fun to both read and participate in - sort of like arguing down the pub about all sorts of random stuff.
ReplyDeleteYeah, one of my regrets is that I don't get to participate more in those. Maybe come summer.
ReplyDeleteThey are awesome to read, though!
I think that maybe part of it is most regular commenters have a bit of respect for each other. They actually respond, rather than shouting over the others.
DeleteHope you can dive in more - they get fast and highly opinionated, but they are fun!
Thank you Ozy. I've been entertained by FR for awhile now - mostly the ones that make you go, "the hell?", but I don't want to visit FR. Plus the discussion makes it better
ReplyDeleteI haven't been able to comment/find quotes as much since I moved & started a new job where I can't sit and skim through all the insanity on FR all day, but I constantly check up on this site. Always will.
ReplyDeleteI really like the commentary. Sometimes I'll make some sarcastic comments about a Freeper post, but it's not as good as yours. If this was nothing but Freeper posts, I'd get bored quickly.
ReplyDeleteThe Freepers are just a constant fascination with me since Freep Impact started posting stuff at Fark. I think they are even more fascinating since we all Freeper types that are related to us.
ReplyDeleteFrom 5 years ago.
ReplyDeleteConservative Blog Commenters Target Malia Obama With Racial Slurs
http://www.mediaite.com/online/conservative-blog-commenters-target-malia-obama-with-racial-slurs/
Ah, the good old days at Free Republic. Back then you could send them money knowing it was making the world a better place.
There was a time when you had to do some skimming for a bit to find the crazy racist crap on FR ...
ReplyDeleteNow it is all crazy, all racist, on every thread every day.
The job now is to separate out the really crazy, really racist crap from the run-of-the-mill crazy and run-of-the-mill racist crap on FR.
Regardless, I'm enjoying myself immensely, Ozy!
Thanks again!
A good percentage of the wacko comments are by liberal trolls.. People on DU brag about it all the time just as conservatives brag about being trolls on DU
Delete@anon1: That may or may not be true, but those comments are always approved of by the regulars and JimRob. He knows how to zot people and would if he didn't like the crazy.
DeleteIf they are liberal trolls, they must be quite good at it because most of them have 10+ year old sign up dates.
DeleteThe zotting club of FR just loves to find a newby and get them banned ...
and they're usually banned for calling out old time freepers on their crazy racism, not for being crazy and racist themselves.
There are very very few new freepers anymore.
"If they are liberal trolls, they must be quite good at it because most of them have 10+ year old sign up dates"
Delete---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moles on the "Conservative cave" brag about 10 year sold sign up dates and having 5 figure postinghistories.
@anon1: So is JimRob one of those liberal trolls?
Delete@anon1 - Some of them are, no doubt. I have seen people boasting about it on DU and Reddit. Others - well .... they are slightly too perfect, if you get my drift. Definitely Poe-ing.
DeleteYet there is a fair amount of home grown insanity too.
Isn't it called "Poe's Law" when a troll's overwrought kookiness on a website cannot be readily discerned due to the legitimate poster's kookiness on the same website?
DeleteRegardless, if a "troll" has lasted 10+ years and has amassed a five-figure posting history, can that "troll" actually be considered a troll anymore?
I would imagine that "troll" is now considered a "loyal freeper" amongst Jimcompoop and the harpy elite.
However, I do get a chuckle imagining Free Republic actually being conceived from the beginning as a huge scam to entrap conservatives into a self-destructing cycle of increasingly bizarre paranoia ... and giving all their money away to the man who's entrapped them.
Well - Jim Rob was originally a Democrat ....
DeleteMy point being ...
DeleteOn a site as strictly moderated as FR, with a crew of harpies dedicated to sniffing out "trolls", where zots happen (and are celebrated) several times a week ...
if a "troll" has lasted 10+ years with five-figure posting history, said "troll" is obviously in the good graces of Jimcompoop and his forum elites.
Therefore, the "troll" is now the "heart and soul" of what FR is all about.
It always was, really. Holier than thou, more conservative than thou, more intolerant than thou. At least the loud ones. More of a competition than a discussion.
DeleteThe drive for money and power was the foundation of that house of mirrors. Nothing changes.
Delete"However, I do get a chuckle imagining Free Republic actually being conceived from the beginning as a huge scam to entrap conservatives into a self-destructing cycle of increasingly bizarre paranoia ... and giving all their money away to the man who's entrapped them."
The money bit - I get. I'd like mine back, but that ain't going to happen. Can you expand on the power bit though?
DeleteLike any cult, FR is driven by the leader's ego.
DeleteJimcompoop, with his ever changing political viewpoints, his cadre of snitches and enforcers, his propensity to zot someone anytime he wakes up constipated ... FR is one big ego trip for him.
Ahhhh! Power in that respect. I agree.
DeleteThank you!
Ah the old "it must have been a liberal plant trying to make us look bad" excuse. A favorite of far right nutters everywhere (as they proceed to agree with the offending comment wholeheartedly).
ReplyDeleteCan I suggest Humblegunner for a spotlight? He has serious entitlement issues. Practically all of his posts are about "blog pimping." He can't seem to let people with better (crazier?) ideas post online and promote it on FR without having his say. His posts are always entertaining!
ReplyDeleteSomething is up with HG!! He seems to enjoy showing how he has JR wrapped around his fingers.
ReplyDeleteThe whole problem with a humblegunner spotlight, is that his whole spotlight would be summed up with your original post.
DeleteHumblegunner : entitlement issues, blog nazi, JR spittle-licker.
Spotlight over.
I do recall one very caustic comment about HG - JimRob puts up with him because he might need a place to hide out if the big one hits California. :P
DeleteThis thread from April 26 is a goldmine.
ReplyDelete"You Go to a Republican Event, and It's All White People."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3149089/posts
There are too many quotes to even mention.
"We will lose in nov because the us voter is subhuman filth. They chose the Kenyan TWICE’’ !!!!!’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????!??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3149089/posts?page=15#15
I am sensing intense frustration with the use of that many exclamation points.
"Of course they don’t listen...animals can get welfare or they can get more by working. We choose work, animals choose welfare."
Deletehttp://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3149089/posts?page=24#24
It's a mystery to me why black voters may be turned off by their outreach. There's gotta be a reason.
Check some of Lady Jag's contributions to the freepathon threads ...
Deleteeven JimRob is exploiting racism to shake out a few more dollars from the rubes.
"There is too much emnity toward whites in this country. Why do blacks celebrate themselves so much while harboring such anger."
Why do Freepers celebrate themselves so much while harboring such anger?
DeleteJimRob's criteria for Zotting of Freepers eerily similar to
ReplyDeleteKim jong's Zotting criteria.