Posted on 05/11/2012 5:04:25 AM PDT by Lazamataz
How do you take over Free Republic? You can't. You shouldn't even try,
Recently, a friend came to me with what he perceived to be the failings of Free Republic. I wrote back: "....JR is really not interested in people advising him on how to run the forum. He's had success with his own direction.......Seriously man. Don't stress this so hard. It is what it is, and you have no power over other people/places/things. Hell, you don't even have power over YOURSELF. That's GOD'S power. Just suit up, show up, color in within the lines, and enjoy what you can in the forum. You know what's off limits. So do I. I live within the boundaries, without complaint and grateful for my blessings."
It is a good life lesson, using Free Republic as the catalyst. How many of us struggle mightily against the circumstances in our life, only to find that we have made utterly no difference? Maybe we have even made things worse, for our interference. We human beings have tiny little three-pound brains. What makes us believe we know best, how our reality should be? Often, what we believe is best for us, turns out to nearly kill us. Similarly, that which we believe is horrible for us, turns out to change us, positively, for the best. It is clear we do not know what it is that will make us prosper.
Many of us live in a perpetual state of anxiety or fear, or regret or remorse. These are wasted emotions. These emotions sap your energy and have no positive effect. Regret and remorse are utterly incapable of changing the past, and since we truly cannot know what is good or bad for us, how can we profit from fear or anxiety? It is best if we leave the particulars of our lives to the will of our God, however we understand Him.
This suggestion works well for atheists, too, since all of us have a God of our understanding. Perhaps, for the atheist, their God is an impersonal and uncaring universe. It still works. Let the results be decided by someone or something other than yourself. When we stop trying to control events around us, much better things come to pass than we had ever envisioned.
This is not to say we don't participate. We do. We show up every day, and we do the next right thing. This is not to say we don't make plans. We do. We are simply willing to get out of the way should the God of our understanding have something better in store for us. In my experience, when I get out of the way of God, the most amazing things happen to me. When I try to control some things, my fat sausage-fingers manage to make it much worse.
Back to the topic of this forum: We all have directions we believe the forum should go. Yet, if we did succeed in altering the forum's direction, we might end up destroying it outright.
So, how do you take over Free Republic? You can't. You shouldn't even try.
Very good post.
However, don't expect results from every effort you try to change FR--it's won;t happen.
The numbered satisfied customers thing is a bit disturbing to me. lol. /sarcasm
If anyone tells you how Free Republic should be run, simply point them here, to "How To Take Over Free Republic."
LOL!
73 Satisfied Customers, 1 Unsatisfied Customer!™
Thank you, kind sir!
I agree, and mentioned that we should not stop participating. Like you said, don't get invested in the results. Those aren't in your control.
Hear! here!
I’m late to the party - as usual. Is there an attempt to change FR? Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!
Keeping FreeRepublic free.
Right on, Laz.
Our arms are too short to box with God. His ways are not our ways, but they are perfect in all respects.
Still a satisfied customer.
—The numbered satisfied customers thing is a bit disturbing to me.—
Yeah. Does the thread have a “happy ending”. ;-)
24 x 7 x 365
(in the high school Mitt Romney bully sense, of course).
Can’t change something tat works so well.
Anyone can change Free Republic.
Go here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/manage-blocks
Or here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/my/settings
Change you can believe in.
LOL
Leave it to you.
LOL
Just suit up, show up, color in within the lines, and enjoy what you can in the forum.
BTTT
Am I the only satisfied customer in Montana? Keep it coming, by the way. Excellent post!
Nice advice, Laz. Past history indicates people will not ever quit telling JR how to “fix” it, change it .LOL..or to go back to “How it used to be”
ok, time to whip out the old calculator /s
Amen to that!
I don't think anything is wrong with FR. Lively debate is all part of the fun - and keeps us accountable to the facts of any particular subject.
We are miles and miles ahead of any other forum out there in terms of intelligence and humor. Not to mention - diversity of race, religion, age and opinion on how to get things done.
Personally, my biggest laughs have come from reading the posts on this forum. From Hatt Baby, AYBABTU, Tourist Guy, Looter Guy, etc. We have our own history and lexicon, fercryinoutloud!
No matter how lousy my day is going, I can always "escape to Freeper Island"! And I think we should all be grateful for it.
We choose to be happy.
There are other choices, but in the long run, I’d rather be happy.
Because the happiest people don’t have best of everything they are just make the best out of everything they have.
Trying to change FR would be like trying to change the Catholic Church.
May I suggest a topic for your next essay? How to disagree with a fellow Freeper without name calling and personal attacks.
I agree wholeheartedly!
I agree wholeheartedly!
I agree wholeheartedly!
Just wow - can kissing up get anymore pathetic?
And you can tell I agree wholeheartedly by the number of times I said so, lol!
No comparison whatsoever. Free Republic and Jim Robinson are no more akin to God than you or I.
However, this issue did become a good catalyst for the larger life-lesson.
“No matter how lousy my day is going, I can always “escape to Freeper Island”! And I think we should all be grateful for it.”
Indeed. I can always count on my fellow FReepers to make me laugh, even on the days when it seems that the world has gone nuts, and I am ever grateful for that.
Thank you Lord, for free will, AND FreeRepublic ; )
Tatt
No fair. No fair, I say.
In other words, it's all good. FR is fine the way it is.
lol.
I was wondering if those “satisfied customers” have any relationship to the “I’d hit it” posts. /sarcasm
Good advice, especially to all ***noobies***, Laz. Oh wait, I’m still considered one, too. Still, very good advice on many fronts.
Holy cow. All these years all I’ve heard is Laz would hit it, and all that. I didn’t know you were such a great writer. Your message this morning was very good. Nice to meet the other Laz!
There are many things I love about FR; things that have kept me on this site since 1998 (and why it’s always my browser’s Home Page). Among those things is the fact that FR “evolves” without “changing”. Look-and-feel are similar to the earlier days, but with added functionality and ease-of-use, for example.
Back then, posts tended to be longer, more thematic, more prosaic. One would think very, very carefully before posting; the bar was set pretty high.
Still, the “evolution” of FR hasn’t been bad in terms of content. It’s more free-form now; more interactive. The cast of characters has grown, changed, and expanded in terms of styles and backgrounds.
As FR continues to evolve, I’ll be here to be either funny, acerbic, sometimes angry, occasionally thoughtful.....but always appreciative of what we have, thanks to Jim and John Robinson.
Best site on the Internet, hands down.....and Laz, you’re one of the guys who keeps me coming back here every day.
Being what?
Point me to where God has punished those who question him on this earthly estate?
Excellent, Laz, excellent.
Thanks
Are you a friend of Bill W.?
Great essay, Laz.
May I request that you increment to "75" with the addition of "dayglored"?
Thanks!
My brain weighs nine pounds.
XLNT!!!
It is best for me to remember that my mind is a dark, dangerous place and best not to go in there alone.
Reflection of what I have done this day, attempt to do better the next and apologize where necessary.
My motorboating through someone else’s waterspace ain’t good for nobody.
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