Way Too Many Vanities (Updated)

March 29, 2003 | Admin Moderator

[Admin Moderator]

There have been way too many vanities lately. The news forum is being overrun with them. We have been spending a lot of time moving them to the General Interest ("Chat") forum. With the increased volume we have seen with the war starting, we have been missing mail and other moderator duties, such as zots. So, here's some guidelines for vanities. Of course, there are exceptions to these guidelines. We have seen some great vanities.

Vanities are never posted in breaking news. Exceptions will be from valid news sources where breaking news is happening immediately. Such as 'CNN just reported Baghdad has been overrun by coalition forces'. Or, 'Fox reports that WMD have been discovered in Saddam's palace by embedded reporter'.

Your one line vanites, for the most part can be posted as a comment on an existing thread. If you want to post a one line vanity, post it in the chat forum. One line vanities consist of but are not limited to, 'Did you just hear that guy on KASD?'. Or, 'Does anyone know where that thread is about that women who said something about chemical weapons'. They will be deleted unless they are posted in the chat forum.

Most emails are not valid sources of news. Who knows where they originated from. They will be deleted unless they are posted in the chat forum.

Most humor threads should go to the chat forum, unless they are relevent to current events and news. Jokes and 'caption this' are also included. They will be deleted unless they are posted in the chat forum.

Freep this polls will be moved to chat depending on their revelance to current events.

Thanks for helping. Free Republic is growing faster than ever right now!

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WHERE IS CHAT?

At the upper right hand side of the latest posts or latest thread, you will see a menu which looks something like this:

Campaign Central
General Interest (also known as 'chat')
News/Activism
Religion
RLC Liberty Caucus
The Smokey Backroom
VetsCoR

To post an article in any of these forums, just click on that forum, and post your article. They all work the same way.

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Reference threads:

On War Images
Announcement Regarding the Breaking News Posting Category
New Numbers for the Curious (or FR Traffic Stats)
Loose Lips Sinks Ships
Welcome, and Thanks [Newbies Especially, Please Read]
Help us out, please search before posting an article.
Regarding Graphics During Heavy Free Republic Traffic
Topic Abuse, Particularly Activism
Traffic Rank for freerepublic.com (alexa)
a colorful comparison of daily site statistics
The Ultimate Sidebar Management Thread

[OK]

I agree with the idea that you will never get people to put things in the "chat forum" unless you rename that forum "chat forum". I have been on Free Republic for years and today is the first time I realized that "chat forum" referred to General Interest. I thought you had some secret forum that only those in the know had access to.

I also can't figure out how to get "latest posts" to include ALL latest posts and not just latest posts from one forum or the other.

Thanks.

[Heff]

This is sounding like the "I" before "E" rule....its getting very confusing.

Are you saying that if someone posts a real "breaking news" story...you can't post a "vanity" post to that breaking news story or someone's reply?

[Dog Gone]

I also can't figure out how to get "latest posts" to include ALL latest posts and not just latest posts from one forum or the other.

You can't. You'll always get the latest posts in the forum you are in.

In fact, that was the whole point of creating separate forums--to categorize latest posts into specific categories.

[FreedomPoster]

>>I'm sure you all will have more questions, so fire away!


Why are so many long-time FReepers posting so many vanities? Every time I see one, I think, "Dang, there goes another clueless fool who's not paying attention!"

[Fighting Irish]

[WaveThatFlag]

Along the same lines: Can't you guys create a special place for stories on Pro-America rallies? The rallies are important, and they are not getting the coverage they deserve in the media. But we know about them, because we are the ones organizing and attending them. When every single breaking story is about a freedom rally in des Moines, I can't help but feel that I am not hearing about something more important.

[TaxRelief]

It says news/activism. Does that mean we can post Rally for America announcements here?

[Admin Moderator]

Yes, but not in breaking news. Announcement Regarding the Breaking News Posting Category

[Admin Moderator]

We have a catagory. Just set 'activism' as your sidebar.

The Ultimate Sidebar Management Thread.

[chance33_98]

Are there any plans, or am I missing it perhaps, to have a lastests posts which shows latest posts from all the areas (ie all on one page instead of going to each section manually)?

[FreeTheHostages]

While we're at it, is there a way to have a blanket rule against starting new threads that say "Freep this Poll."


We all have eyes, we all surf the web, we'll Freep the polls we want to Freep -- if indeed we want to at all. I think it's mostly a waste of time to play such cyberwar games.

[MtHLancerFan]

I guess you need an MBB for this one.

[MtHLancerFan]

Maybe you should try a FMEA.

[Amerigomag]

I appreciate all your efforts to streamline this forum in times of high use but there seems a simpler solution.

When someone posts a vanity, revoke their posting priveleges for the duration of the war. After the war welcome them warmly back into the group.

At first the effort will be considerable, but probably no more than you're expending now, but within a short while the small percentage that repeatedly offend will be gone and the rest will get the message.

Thanks for your efforts.

[DoughtyOne]

I'm hungry, have to go to the bathroom, need a drink, want to whine, and need an attitude adjustment. Can we pull over for two or three hours?

[Admin Moderator]

ARGH! Never!

[Admin Moderator]

Jim has considered a pause for 4-6 days. We're in deep consultations with Gerry and Pete.

[plain talk]

I agree. It's kind of hard to separate the wheat from the shaff at this site. Any action by you to remove more of these vanity threads would be appreciated (that is - except for mine which are very, very important!)

[brityank]

"You guys
REALLY need to rename
the General Interest forum

the   Chat   forum."

DITTO !!

[DoughtyOne]

That's it, a pause. Didn't I see CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC pushing the same thing a few days back? LOL