What is Free Republic? How does it work? What's in it for ME? [Practical advice for beginners.]

Welcome, and Thanks [Newbies Especially, Please Read] ^ | May 21, 2003 | RonDog (and FRiends)

[RonDog]

I have been asked by a group of politically active "not-yet-FReepers" (at my local NRA chapter) to explain to them (in forty-five minutes or less) how to use this extraordinary forum.

They would like for me to tell them:

What (exactly) **is** Free Republic?
How does it work?
Why can it do for ME?

I of course have MY OWN ideas about this place, but what do YOU tell people who have never been here before?

How do YOU use this forum?
Why do YOU visit here?
What advice can YOU give to "newbies" here?

Perhaps the BEST way to demonstrate the power of Free Republic is to post a thread, and ask for YOUR advice.

What say YOU, my fellow FReepers?

[RonDog]

I will start.

1 - Free Republic is a conservative Internet news forum.

This is a place where concerned citizens can:

- FIND news and information,
- COMMENT on that news and information,
- PROMOTE future activism, and
- DOCUMENT past activism, in words and images.

(Some folks also use this place to build relationships, argue about religion and politics, and share their own unique brand of political humor, but those are SECONDARY benefits of this forum, IMHO.)

2 - Free Republic is HUGE.

Finding what you want here is sometimes like trying to get a drink from a fire hydrant.

Every day, over TEN THOUSAND articles and replies are posted here.
(CLICK HERE to see the daily statistics.)

FR's basic structure works like this:
Someone posts an "article" - ideally a news story that they found somewhere on the Internet.
Others then post their "replies" to that article - to form a "thread" of related ideas and images.

3 - Free Republic is a (moderated) PUBLIC "marketplace of ideas."

Within reason, just about ANY idiot can post here, and many do. :o)

There are, however, mysterious beings (known collectively as the Admin Moderator) - who enforce the rules around here:

- NO profanity,
- NO racism, and
- NO personal attacks.

Moderators have the power to delete ANYTHING here - from a single reply to an entire thread, and can punish repeat offenders by restricting their posting privileges, or even BANNING them from ever posting here again.
(CLICK HERE to find out more about the dreaded Admin Moderators.)

Beyond that, YOU get to be your own editor here, rather than having to depend upon the judgment of some left-wing "agenda journalist" at CNN or the New York Times to tell you what is "newsworthy" and what is not.

YOU decide what to read here, and what to ignore.

Similarly, while YOU can exercize your God-given First Amendment rights to free speech here, OTHERS can exercize THEIR God-given right to ignore you.

I have much more that I plan share here - later.

For now, though, I will let some OTHERS post their thoughts and ideas.

[RonDog]

ping

[RonDog]

ping

[backhoe]

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b84f77b74f1.htm
R U new? Some Tips....
( things I wish somebody had mentioned to me... )

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/862546/posts
Free Republic Dictionary-Help For Newcomers
Old FR Thread ^ | 3/11/03 | Various FReepers

http://www.gettingstarted.net/howto/practice/

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/586112/posts
Researchers: What are your favorite research sites?
Bump in the night | December 7, 2001 | Bump in the night

[not_apathetic_anymore]

I'm new to FR and I'm an evolving conservative. I was raised in a Democrat household, lived in the independent landscape for awhile and finally with the last administration admitted to myself that I really am a conservative . (Though I don't think my family knows yet that I'm now a registered Republican.)

This is a place where I can learn from the wisdom of others. (With a solid skepticism of anything I read online.) What is the history of a position, and how did a movement evolve? What are appropriate responses to concerns the 'dark side' may have about a conservative position? There have been several times during a discussion with one of my liberal co-workers when they've been blathering on and on about something. I'll ask a question I've seen raised here and say, "so, if all of what you're saying is true, how do you explain ________?" the usual response is something like "is that true, well I don't know about that then." And the topic gets changed to some other rant.

I live in a very liberal area of the country (Seattle suburbia). Visiting FR helps me keep my sanity. After a day of listening to people talk about the "good old days of the Clinton administration" and mean it, it's reassuring to come here and know that everyone in the world is not completely insane.

[winstonchurchill]

There are, however, mysterious beings (known collectively as the Admin Moderator) - who enforce the rules around here: - NO profanity, - NO racism, and - NO personal attacks.

Of course, you're free to be as critical of Bubba and Hitlery as you wish, BUT nary a discrediting word about Little Joey Smith, his famous peep hat or the resultant Mormon church.

[MeekOneGOP]

Here is a FReeper Newbie Orientation I give offer to new FReepers . . .

Here is a link. Go to post #116 first (link should take you right to that post), and look under "Pictures". That will give a walk-thru for picture posting. That article gives a lot of very useful and helpful tips on HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), which you need to post on FR. There are other related links and information there as well.

Click Here.

You might want to bookmark that article. Bookmarking puts an article on your FReeper Profile page for quick and easy referencing. See post #53 & 59 for bookmarking instructions.

If you have any questions or problems, feel free to send me a Freep mail or a note and we’ll work through it.

[sweetliberty]

Free Republic is a haven of sanity in a world gone mad. It is a place for information, speculation, education, reflection and even an element of sprituality.

It is a forum populated by people from all walks of life who are collectively some of the most intelligent, witty and passionate people you could care to meet. Of course, there a few of these people around, but they spice the place up a bit.

It is THE place to get the latest news, relax and unwind, laugh, make friends and even follow events as they happen BEFORE they make the news.

I could say a lot more, but I have to get ready for work now. I'm sure you will get lots of responses though. If there is one thing that FReepers like to talk about, it is how great FR is. Will check the thread when I get home tonight.

HAPPY FREEPING!

[Ben Bolt]

Check this out !

[ovrtaxt]

Now, then. The very first and most important lesson of all: proper flaming technique. Oh, yes.

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3ae062430192.htm

[Free State Four]

In the Clinton years, I learned to parse everything he said. During the same time period, I learned to parse everything the media writes or broadcasts. Freerepublic was my teacher.

[Dustoff45]

RonDog -

In 45 minutes you could make lifelong devotees of the entire audience by doing it right.

I have done many shows to audiences. They need to see and hear to really appreciate.

1) Look for a venue where you can get to a high-speed internet connection. Even a couple hundred feet of Cat-5 back to someone's network jack may be enough.

2) Use a laptop and projector and push the image to a big screen.

3) Bring a sound system (A boom box will do if it allows for an aux input).

4) Demonstrate how to search. Use keywords that are also buzzwords for the group and see how quick they get into it.

5) Show them anything posted by MiaT or Registered so they might have a true taste of the possibilities. (Turn the sound up high)

6) Use screen capture techniques and show how to register, how to set preferences.

7) Have some hand-outs for those that will forget everything. I used to end some of my shows with the voice of Homer Simpson "I haven't learned a thing!" So give them something to get them started, once they get home.

8) Ask for emails and send them a list of html links, especially those already shared on this thread.

9) Have fun. Expect the unplanned and just run with it.

[KeyWest]

FR is a marketplace of ideas. You can read articles from all over the world with comments by those living in many of the countries.

You will have an understanding of the news that you cannot get from any other source.

Even though it is a Conservative website, liberal ideas are posted and rationally discussed.

You will get some flame wars (stay away from posts on drugs and libertarians, a volatile mix), but by-in-large the discourse is fairly civil. Be prepared to defend your position, since not all will agree with you.

If you listen to talk radio, you will see where many get their topics of the day- from FR.

[Dustoff45]

html links = hyperlinks

[facedown]

B(ump) T(o) T(he) T(op)

[b4its2late]

A little piece of history.....

FreeRepublic: How it looked in 1996! 1997! 1998!

[b4its2late]

Free Republic Statistics & Stuff

[mikenola]

I basically credit FR with my transformation into a conservative.

I started lurking here around the 2000 election, and then after 9/11 I started posting.

Also it has been tremendously educational. I don't think anywhere else I would have been exposed to writers like David Horowitz, Victor Hanson, Charles Krauthammer, and (shudder) Ann Coulter.

Some of the threads on economics have truly blown my mind, as well as some of the constitutional law threads.

To be sure there are plenty of junk "vanity" threads. I personally avoid Dixie Chick, Laci Peterson, "Caption this Photo", and "Freep this poll" threads.

But there are some awesome forum posters who do a great service. I would mention Diogenesis, JohnHuang2, Southack, longjack, and many others.

[strela]

A very succinct and complete synopsis there, RonDog. I'd been puzzling over how to explain Our Thing to some friends of mine other than saying "Just try it, d3wd", and now you've made it easy. Thanks!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

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