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?

[Copernicus]

Advice to newbies:

Always remember and don't ever forget: Free Republic is an acquired taste.

Best regards,

[ladtx]

Good idean Ron. I just sent an email to several friends with a link to this post. We may welcome a few more into the fold.

SCOUTS OUT!

[MalcolmS]

Free Republic is the intellectual crack cocaine of the internet. Read just one more article, scan just a few more posts, find just one more factoid . Drivers of the economy, engineers, entrepreneurs and the like tend to be conservative. And now there's 100,000 of them FReeping half the day away in the office, and coming in to work bleary-eyed after FReeping half the night.

FR's political influence cannot be underestimated. But if FR were to fold, I bet it would add 2% growth to the GDP.

It's addictive. Sign up and poverty will be your lot. I predict that FReepers will soon be begging/protesting in airports, living off half the proceeds and sending the rest to FR, to support our habits.

My name is MalcolmS, and I'm a FReepaholic.
.
.
.
.

Just kidding folks. Come on in, the water's fine.

[lowbridge]

What (exactly) **is** Free Republic?

A website thingie.

How does it work?

The server connects to the hip bone....

Why can it do for ME?

Ask not what your FreeRepublic can do for you. Ask what you can do for your FreeRepublic.

[Valin]

You done good kid!
Re the zot page..I think I hurt myself laughing.

[Carolinamom]

I think of FR as a family....w/a few crazy relatives....of news junkies who also have funny bones that get a kick out of witty remarks.

[Okies love Dubya 2]

'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.'

You poor thing---I think I would go postal if I had to listen to that bilge daily! I grew up in Indiana, which was a Republican stronghold, although for some reason, they seem to favor Dems as governors now, now I live in OK, which is fairly conservative, but we also have a Dem governor (Brad Henry). I grew up in a conservative household but I rebelled a bit in my post-adolescent years, straying more to the center, but my husband brought me back into line :)

Welcome to FR!

[backhoe]

Thanks!

[Carolina]

******Fifth Edition of the Lexicon of FreeRepublic * * A helpful FR dictionary for newcomers * ************

Very useful in learning about freeper lingo and some freeper lore.

Now you don't have to be in the dark about "bump," "ping," etc.

[b4its2late]

Pretty neat, isn't it? I saved it as a FReeper link.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so much for the Welcome Center link! Hugs!!!

[mabelkitty]

It's like a brain-storming and fact-finding incubator.

[Fintan]

You forgot to mention it's a great way to meet babes.

[Clint N. Suhks]

Knowledge is POWER!

[RonDog]

You forgot to mention it's a great way to meet babes.

LOL!

See also:

TigersEye and .30Carbine meet on FR; engaged to be married
Free Republic ^ | 12-05-01 | TigersEye and .30Carbine/FR/God
Posted on 12/05/2001 1:55 AM PST by .30Carbine

-- snip --

Announcement: TigersEye and .30Carbine met on FR on August 16th, 2001. Bumps and thread chats turned into FReepmails...FReepmails turned into emails...emails became phone calls...phone calls led to pictures by US Mail...

...until TigersEye arrived in VT by plane on November 21st at midnight, the night before Thanksgiving. On his knees he proposed, placing a (large) diamond on .30's finger...

....30Carbine said yes.

CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread

[RonDog]

Free Republic is the intellectual crack cocaine of the internet...
...It's addictive. Sign up and poverty will be your lot. I predict that FReepers will soon be begging/protesting in airports, living off half the proceeds and sending the rest to FR, to support our habits.

My name is MalcolmS, and I'm a FReepaholic.

See also:

I Can Stop FReeping ANYTIME I WANT (thread 2)
			Posted by Dog Gone On 03/10/2000 8:28 AM PST with 144 comments Vanity | 03/09/2000 15:25:28 PST | Nita Nuprez and Dog Gone
I Can Stop FReeping ANYTIME I WANT
			Posted by Dog Gone On 03/09/2000 2:23 PM PST with 185 comments Vanity | March 9, 2000 | Nita Nuprez and Dog Gone

and:

(ULTIMATE VANITY!!!) MY SPOUSE ORDERED ME OFF FR FOR 7 DAYS!!!
			Posted by AnnaZ On 11/03/2000 9:51 AM PST with 195 comments

[from occupied ga]

Just my opinion (worth what you pay for it)

1. Information - news that the leftist media does not consider "fit to print" because it contradicts their agenda of establishing a totalitarian police/welfare state in the USA
2. Encourgement - lets you know that you're not alone in thinking that taxes are too high, criminals, not guns are bad, politicians are liars, reporters are even worse liars than politicians etc.
3. Confrontation - lets you go head to head with idiots who don't agree with you and may the most cogent argument win. (and by definition anyone who doesn't agree with you is an idiot :-)
4. Dissemination - allows you to publish information on political activism and organize opposition to the aforementioned police/welfare state so beloved of the media

There are lost of others, but those are the main ones.

[JohnnyZ]

2 - Free Republic is HUGE.

I think you mean HUGH.

[Free_at_last_-2001]

I think you mean HUGH. - you series?

[kevao]

I think you mean HUGH. - you series?

Vey funny, guys.