Freeping a poll

I had a request to discuss this particular practice in the comments (including the thread I'll be examining, even!), and it does tickle some interesting pop-culture observations, so lets take a look.

Like the zot, Freeping a poll is a Free-Republic specific ritual made out of a not uncommon forum activity - in this case, rushing an online poll and voting for the Freeper-approved side in droves. But I'll say that unlike the zot, it seems to have been on wane even when I started out reading Free Republic in about 2002, and has only declined since then as the novelty wore off and the irrelevance became evident.
Luckily for those who still indulge in the ritual, participation in online polls generally seems to have tracked Freepers' declining interest, and so they still get the result they want out of it.

I'd say in a given poll-Freeping maybe a quarter of the posts are on the poll, the rest discussing the subject matter. The website of the poll gets hits, Freepers feel like they have done a little something (and reafirm that most Americans are Freepers at heart), and everybody wins!
It's silly triumphalism, and it is fading as more and more Freepers realize how marginalized they really are and go to darker, less silly places.

On that kinda sad note, lets check out one of the remaining rays of sunshine - a CNBC poll on Panera asking it's patrons to please not have guns evident. The final result: "this decision changes my opinion of Panera for the worse: 86%

paulcissa is gonna boycott!

My money is better spent elsewhere. FUPB!

stanne thinks Panera sucks. Every time he goes.

Do they think law abiding customers are going to have a shootout?

Do they think this will keep criminals from coming in with guns?

Do they think it’s better to wait for the police to show up in the case of a criminal using his gun?

Every time I go in to Panera, I think, ‘the customer service in here is just not smart. THey talk to each other while customers wait. Their food is inferior. IT takes a long time for service. It’s not especially clean. ‘

there’s just something slow about this place.

I also like the classification of people as "law abiding" vs. "criminal." ExSoldier has this flawless plan to fool 'em!

One of the best ways to combat this is to take a large group of folks to a Panera for a "meal" and at the last moment (be sure to do this in the presence of a manager) either react to a sign or have somebody suddenly remember and raise the issue to the group and say: "Hey, aren't these the guys stomping on our rights? Let's not give them our business, let's go someplace else!" Then leave and watch the $$$$ signs drain from management faces. Maybe go as a gun club. I'm tempted to take a bunch of NRA Instructors from my area and spend an evening just cruising from Panera to Panera all over the County.

I don't think this about gun owners generally, but oh jeez, thefactor's penis...

Dear Panera,

I don't carry because of what might happen in your wussy little establishment. It's about what might happen when I'm traveling to and from your wussy little establishemtn.

Sincerely,

Not a Wuss.

49 posts in, dynachrome gets serious.

FREEP THIS POLL ***PING!*** FRmail me if you want to be added or removed from the Fearless Poll-Freeping Freepers Ping list. (multiple votes using multiple internetz devices are allowed!) And be sure to ping me to any polls that need Freepin', if I miss them. (looks like a medium volume list) (gordongekko909, founder of the pinglist, stays on the list until his ghost signs up for the list)

NEMDF updates us:

Poll is running 71% “for the worse”.

Feel the excitement via 1/1,000,000th%!

72% for the worse

Bon of Babble joins in:

Glad I wasn’t too late to the party...glad of the results too.

Cheerio has my favorite comment:

Not sure 1%

Total Votes: 25996

Not sure? Why check any box, moron

What fools those morons be, wasting time in online polls!