Laquey Elementary School running fundraiser for Joplin tornado victims

Pulaski County Daily News ^ | 5/23/2011 | Darrell Todd Maurina

[darrellmaurina]

LAQUEY, Mo. (May 23, 2011) — Just one day after a tornado struck Joplin and destroyed thousands of homes, the 287 students of Laquey Elementary School began a fundraising project that they hope will help a fellow southwest Missouri community. The Laquey R-V School District is located to the west and southwest of Fort Leonard Wood, and the New Years Eve tornado which struck Fort Leonard Wood tore through the far southern end of the Laquey district on its way to the post. While nobody was hurt and the affected parts of the Laquey district were mostly unpopulated forested land, Elementary Principal Michael Mayle said he was glad students wanted to do something to help. “It was Pam Nelson; a kindergarten teacher. She came in this morning and asked if we could do something. Within 30 minutes, a fifth grade student, Mikayla Snyder, came in with the same idea so we kind of coordinated both efforts,” Mayle said. “We normally have a really good turnout of support for all kinds of different fundraisers. Not too long ago in February we did a ‘pennies for patients’ for leukemia and we set a $500 goal, and within a week we almost had $1,000.”

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

We asked you to post your whole article here and you are complaining that folks don’t want you here? Please explain your logic.

[shibumi]

Your words -

"However, we have to deal with economic realities of a capitalist economy, and if we are going to document readership to advertisers, we need to back up readership claims with real statistics. I don't think it's too much to ask that people who are interested in the first few paragraphs of an article click a link to read the full article so we can report the number of readers to our advertisers."

That was you, earlier in this thread. This is you, now -

"I have zero desire to create a controversy on Free Republic, and my primary concern is local readers, not traffic from Free Republic. It’s a minor source of readers, and if it became a major source of readers, I would have a problem. I run a local business, and I need to be able to honestly tell my local advertisers that most of my readers are from the local area around Fort Leonard Wood."

So - which is it Sparky? Are you inflating you figures for your advertisers, or are you desirous of ~not~ attracting excess hits from FR so as to give your advertisers a "local" picture of your traffic?

Oh, by the way, about your not commenting on other threads - Congratulations! You managed to pick a comment out of that forest of "1 of X" posting history of yours. Anybody looking at you history can see the truth of the matter.

[darrellmaurina]

Shibumi, thank you for the links to the comments by the ownership of Free Republic; I’m copying this post to Jim Robinson. I care about private property and will not do anything contrary to the requests of the owners of Free Republic, so rather than guessing what he thinks I’m sending him a copy.

Since he’s probably never heard of me before, I’ve been a registered member of Free Republic since 2006 and have been reading FR longer than that.

I’m a conservative. I’ve spent two and a half decades in the news media, and am very much aware of the problems of liberal bias. I also own the primary civilian news operation outside Fort Leonard Wood, the home of the Army’s Engineer, Chemical, and Military Police schools, and both I and my business partners care a great deal about the military and getting its story told.

In the nearly three years I’ve been crossposting military-related articles to Free Republic, I’ve never seen the sort of comments I’ve seen today. I’m trying to listen to the arguments as if they were made as a polite request, but the accusations I’ve gotten today of “pimping” most emphatically do not go down well with me. If you want to know my motive in posting these Joplin tornado articles, it’s simple — getting attention for what the Missouri National Guard and local communities are doing to help Joplin. Ascribing any other motive is simply not true, and I hope what I am writing is an appropriately calm response to a false accuation of bad motives.

To repeat what I’ve said earlier in this thread, Pulaski County Daily News advertisers are local, not national. We do not benefit from large amounts of web traffic outside the area, and our statistics do not show that Free Republic is a major source of web traffic. If it became a major source of web traffic, both I and my business partners would have a problem, because we need to tell our advertisers that when they buy an ad it will mostly be seen by local readers or those who have some sort of connection with Fort Leonard Wood.

[Eaker]

It’s a minor source of readers, and if it became a major source of readers, I would have a problem.

Then quit pimping your site by excerpting on FR and it won't be a problem for any of us.

Damn, could it be more simple?

PS: Trust me. A majority of the people in the world don't give a damn about Pulaski County so a path will not be beaten to your door because of your actions unless you set the entire thing on fire.

[Eaker]

Did you actually look at the links?

I have no complaint if a good conservative blogger posts his own material to FR, not as an excerpt to drive hits and discussion back to his blog, but rather to impart useful information to OUR readers and to promote and join in on the discussion and conservative activism HERE on FR.

If so why didn't you understand this?

[darrellmaurina]

Shibumi, our posts are crossing in cyberspace.

I really do not want an argument with you. I do not dispute that I rarely post comments on other people’s articles. That’s true. It’s also true of most other news sites I visit. I don’t generally post comments on other people’s articles unless I think I have something to say that nobody else is saying.

That could change — I can assure you that if Freepers really want to have me start posting on topics related to news media bias, on the military, and on religious issues (I attend an Associate Reformed Presbyterian congregation in which most of the members are either homeschoolers or send their children to local Christian schools, and virtually all the members are not just evangelicals but fiery right-wing Calvinists), I might have quite a bit to say.

Unfortunately, I have to respond to you not as someone who probably agrees with me on most political issues but because you are accusing me of bad motives. While I appreciate that you’re not accusing me of outright lying, your last posts make some pretty serious criticisms. I think you deserve a response, and I think those who are reading what you write deserve to know how I respond to what you’re saying.

I don’t see that I’m saying anything inconsistent. I said the same thing in this thread that I have said for years not only to you but to many other people about standard news media practices. Yes, I do want to track how many people are reading the Pulaski County Daily News. If Free Republic were driving lots of traffic to the Pulaski County Daily News I would need to re-evaluate whether posting here is a good idea. Right now it simply is not a big deal.

If this had started as a polite request for me to post full text articles, I’d be a lot more receptive. If Jim Robinson wants me to do that, it will start immediately. Same if that’s what a lot of other people here want. The problem now is that my motives are being attacked, and responding to that attack requires more than just starting to post full text of articles.

I am not unaware of how bad the reputation is of reporters in the conservative world. A lot of that is well-deserved, and I’ve seen firsthand from the inside how bad the liberal bias is with much of the news media. Therefore, I want to be especially careful when people with whom I agree politically express concerns, and even when they’re outright attacks.

I went back and checked my Free Republic email and as far as I can tell, until this series of posts on the Joplin tornados, one person asked me to do that in a period of three years — I would have said that posting the lead paragraphs is standard practice in the news media. Generally it’s what people want. To post full text articles is not only a very unusual request, most news aggregators would not permit it.

Based on the tone and tenor of what is being said here, I think I need to ask whether the issue is not just that I am posting excerpts. That concern could be addressed, but there have been some pretty serious attacks on my motives and my integrity.

That’s far more important to me than the relatively minor issue of whether excerpts or full text articles get posted.

[shibumi]

Two questions

"To post full text articles is not only a very unusual request, most news aggregators would not permit it."

Who gave you the impression that FreeRepublic was a "news aggregator?"(sic)

Second question -

Did you read the links I posted to you?

[darrellmaurina]

Eaker wrote: “Did you actually look at the links? QUOTING FR ADMIN: ‘I have no complaint if a good conservative blogger posts his own material to FR, not as an excerpt to drive hits and discussion back to his blog, but rather to impart useful information to OUR readers and to promote and join in on the discussion and conservative activism HERE on FR.’ If so why didn’t you understand this?”

Yes, I read the link — the entire post. I also know that the large majority of news articles here are excerpts, not full text. There are also some additional issues that are raised by that link by the administrators. That’s why, rather than guessing what Free Republic administrators want, I “pinged” the owner.

As the Admins wrote in the post: “As always, it is best to just ask. We can’t answer every note that comes in just because we can get overwhelmed, but we do try. We hope that answers some questions for this week.”

I think I just did that.

As I said a moment ago to another critic, if people on Free Republic want me to comment more on other people’s posts, that can easily be done. Likewise, I could start copying full text articles, and I can see some benefits to doing that.

However, the issue here is more important than full-text versus excerpts. My motives are being criticized. I’ve got a thick skin and I’m going to respond calmly rather than in kind, but that sort of criticism does require a response.

[Eaker]

Based on the tone and tenor of what is being said here, I think I need to ask whether the issue is not just that I am posting excerpts.

Are you stupid?

Look at all of your supporters asking the real FReepers to click on your MySpace page.

I gave you the benefit of the doubt but you failed.

[darrellmaurina]

Yes, I did read the links. There are a number of other issues they raise beyond what you’ve pointed out so far, and I will be very interested in what the site administrators say. I hope it’s obvious that I will do what the owners want, and you may have noted that I have posted no more articles on Free Republic since this issue began.

Responding to your other question, “Who gave you the impression that FreeRepublic was a “news aggregator?”(sic)”

A “news aggregator” is a site which contains links to large numbers of news sources and puts them all in one place. Some aggregators such as Google News track all sorts of news; other aggregators are manually run and focus on narrower topics.

Free Republic does many different things but collecting lots of news articles which are of interest to conservatives is one of the things it does.

I happen to think that’s something really good.

[darrellmaurina]

Eaker wrote: “Are you stupid? Look at all of your supporters asking the real FReepers to click on your MySpace page. I gave you the benefit of the doubt but you failed.”

Eaker, I truly have no idea what you are talking about. I do not have a MySpace page.

[Eaker]

As I said a moment ago to another critic, if people on Free Republic want me to comment more on other people’s posts, that can easily be done.

Nobody gives crap about your opinion or "want" you to comment. We just don't want you to call yourself a FReeper when you are just a blog pimp.

Damn boy are you really THIS dumb? Pulaski County apparently still has its idiot.

[Eaker]

You really are that stupid.

I will type this slowly ...

Your blog is the same as a MySpace page because your entire goal is to get people to look at it.

Nothing else.

[shibumi]

Let’s cut the crap.

All we’re asking is that you post your work in full, right here.

You obviously can include a link to your blog/newspaper/MySpace/FaceBook/deviantart page or wherever the work originated. In the posting procedure, you put that in “source.” It’s really simple.

It’s a plus if you become a part of this sometimes contentious, slightly acerbic community by posting once in a while and letting the rest of us get to know you, but a guy with a self-proclaimed “thick skin” shouldn’t have a problem with that.

You do that, and not only will no one hassle you, but if they should dare, we’ll all spring to your defense.

Well... some of us will.

Or not.

Maybe if it’s a slow day.

[Bean Counter]

Aw......now darrell, we all hate to see you go away with your butt hurting so badly, so let me give you a hand, OK?

Print this form out, and then take some time to fill it out completely. Use both sides if you need to, and please be a specific as you can be.

When you are done, re-scan the form and PM it to a very good friend of mine here at free republic, who goes by the screen name "Admin Moderator". Let him/her know exactly what is troubling you, and be sure to name names. I know that Admin Moderator will be eager to hear all of your complaints and criticisms, so be specific.

If you make a good enough case, maybe Admin Moderator will reprimand those big meanie pants who have put you through so much personal stress on this thread. If you make a really, really good case, Admin Moderator might banish those big old meanies.

Good luck, and ultimately, adieu...

[TheOldLady]

Indeed. This one is slippery too.

[darrellmaurina]

DTM wrote: “As I said a moment ago to another critic, if people on Free Republic want me to comment more on other people’s posts, that can easily be done.”

Eaker wrote: “Nobody gives crap about your opinion or ‘want’ you to comment. We just don’t want you to call yourself a FReeper when you are just a blog pimp. Damn boy are you really THIS dumb? Pulaski County apparently still has its idiot.”

Okay, Eaker, it’s important that I respond to you politely and not using your tone.

First I get accused of not commenting enough on other people’s posts on Free Republic. I explained that while I read a lot, I only rarely comment on news articles on toher people’s news sites unless I think I have something to say that isn’t being said by others.

Then it was pointed out that the Admin links say that “I have no complaint if a good conservative blogger posts his own material to FR, not as an excerpt to drive hits and discussion back to his blog, but rather to impart useful information to OUR readers and to promote and join in on the discussion and conservative activism HERE on FR.”

That’s legitimate. Rules are rules and owners make the rules. Furthermore, I have never been interested in driving hits from Free Republic to the Pulaski County Daily News, nor has that been a major source of traffic. I have no problem with having discussions happen here. Why would I object to that?

However, now I’m being told that I am “stupid” and an “idiot” for quoting back to you what the Administrators themselves wrote.

Eaker, I truly don’t know what prompted this uproar this week. I’m not doing anything here that I haven’t been doing for three years. I am paying a great deal of attention to the Admin posts, and reading through literally hundreds of responses to them to understand what the owners of Free Republic want, but I’m not sure accusations of being stupid or idiotic help you make your case.

Another quote from the Admin link that I was given: “Are the Pimp Busters mods or have any official power? No. They are members like any other.”

Perhaps that quote will carry some weight. I’m listening to you, but accusing me of being stupid when all I’m doing quoting official Free Republic position statements and trying to follow them — including the “As always, it is best to just ask” comment — is not helping either of us.

Can we turn down the volume a little bit? I think you’d find I can be quite reasonable and am neither stupid nor an idiot.

[Eaker]

Can we turn down the volume a little bit? I think you’d find I can be quite reasonable and am neither stupid nor an idiot.

Don't excerpt.

Got it now?

[darrellmaurina]

Beancounter wrote: “If you make a good enough case, maybe Admin Moderator will reprimand those big meanie pants who have put you through so much personal stress on this thread. If you make a really, really good case, Admin Moderator might banish those big old meanies. Good luck, and ultimately, adieu...”

I’ve seen another version of this “butthurt” post and I think it’s funny.

You don’t know me and I don’t know you, and I realize it’s entirely possible I’m talking to a Free Republic moderator here, either you or one of the others posting. If you did know me, you’d know why I would never scream “personal stress” or accuse somebody of being “meanie pants.” I live and work in a fairly small community and I have to deal constantly with people asking me to keep so-and-sos name out of the media despite their criminal convictions or drunk driving or whatever. I tell them all, “no dice.” Laws are laws, rules are rules, and if you break them, and you’re a public figure or public official, you’re going to have the publicity that you deserve. I’m the one who people scream is being “mean,” not the one doing the screaming about others being mean.

If Free Republic policy is that people need to post articles in full, I will comply. I’ve said that repeatedly. I’ve been reading the Admin posts and it looks like that’s probably what I need to do. If I’d been asked nicely, that would be the end of the issue.

I hope it’s not terribly difficult to understand why, if I’ve been doing something for nearly three years with only one prior objection I can find until now, I need to make sure I understand the rules before doing something different.

In the meantime, can we all calm down a bit here?

[Eaker]

If I’d been asked nicely, that would be the end of the issue.

Please quit being a Blog Pimp. There, done.

I hope it’s not terribly difficult to understand why, if I’ve been doing something for nearly three years with only one prior objection I can find until now.

Fisherman to fish, "I caught you because it just wasn't your day." You are caught and we hates us some pimps.