Suggestions for a better Free Republic

Vanity | October 10, 2003 | RightFighter

[RightFighter]

I was just wondering if any of you have any suggestions for how to make Free Republic easier to use and a better place in general. This is NOT a criticism of Jim Robinson and I am most appreciative of all his hard work. This site is great and I enjoy coming here to learn about and discuss the conservative issues of the day. This is just my desire to see this site become more "viewer-friendly" than it is in its present iteration. I've had thoughts over the years about this and these are the ones that I keep coming back to:

1. Different background colors for alternating posts within a thread, for readability

2. Ability to set up chat rooms for certain events, rather than using the "Live Thread" concept. The entire idea of a "Live Thread" is somewhat of an oxymoron and EXTREMELY difficult to follow.

3. Smilies and other icons available when posting messages

4. Keeping track of numbers of posts by each user. Many forum sites do this, and some even give titles to users who reach certain posting milestones.

5. The ability to mark a thread for later reading, rather than having to "bump" the thread

[StriperSniper]

Yeah, that's the way to do it. But last night I saw a spelling mistake I made about 50 posts earlier and just let it stand since it was so far back(on a 'Live' thread). With an edit feature, I would have fixed it.

[So Cal Rocket]

I'm not sure how Google does it, but did you know that you can use Google to search within a particular site?

for instance: "hillary clinton" site:freerepublic.com

when typed into the Google search box, will find you all the mentions of the term "hillary clinton" that appears on the freerepublic.com website.

Cool, eh?

[is_is]

Where is the setting, and is it global to the browser or configurable by site?

It is a Global setting. You can configure it to open links to a different web site in different tabs or ALL links in a new tab.

Go to the Firebird Extensions web site and download TABBROWSER EXTENSIONS. When installed open the options window in Firebird....go to Extensions......highlight TABBROWSER EXTENSIONS....click on settings and there will be tons of options on how to configure firebird/tabs.

[Calpernia]

You can use google to search FR. Go to Google, in search bar put freerepublic.com + item you want searched.

[M0sby]

BUMP TO THAT~
(I would LOVE a spell check option) and for the
"MY COMMENTS" title to stay as "MY COMMENTS" if the only new post was one's own...
I might feel differently if I had DSL... but sadly, on dial up I hate to click on the NEW POSTS just to find out the only thing new was fROM ME!!!

[StriperSniper]

Cool, eh?

Very, and something I forget shortly after I 'learn' it everytime! ;-)

Maybe after discussing it here, it will stick this time.

[StriperSniper]

So Cal Rocket just reminded me also, thanks!

[AppyPappy]

Any newbie has their new articles moderated. The article must be approved before it is posted. Articles only.

[Joe Hadenuf]

3. Smilies and other icons available when posting messages

Smilies??

How about little tinkerbells too. Oh, oh and those hugs and kisses little do hickys. And little rainbow icons for the kinky community.....

[M0sby]

SO COOL!!!!!!!
BEST INFO I HAVE HAD IN A LONG TIME!!!!
THANKS!!!

[Hildy]

Stop right here: 3. Smilies and other icons available when posting messages

If there is a God in heaven, please don't allow smilies on FreeRepublic!

[Calpernia]

Ya know...I wonder if we can put that html google search script into our profile page...hmmm, I'll have to see if it is supported there tonight.

[theFIRMbss]

>"Congrats! Your thread just hit 50 posts! Here's a babe to stare at while at work!"

Some of the coolest
Freepers are lady Freepers...
They stare at work, too!

[RightFighter]

Hmmmm, I'm not sure I agree at all with the things you'd like changed, but one thing I would like is fewer people suggesting something be changed because THEY don't like it -- especially when it means someone else will have to do the work. To me, there's just something completely impertinent about someone suggesting that someone else change their website to please someone else. Just rubs me the wrong way, KWIM?

I could see your point if my original post had said "Free Republic sucks and here's what has to be done to fix it." Since that was clearly not my intent, I think your post here is off base. As a site driven by its participants, Free Republic should be open to suggestions from those participants as to things they would like to see happen to make the site more participant-friendly. That's not a hard call at all. If Jim Robinson doesn't want to change it, that's his call, and as the owner of the site, it's well within his rights to make (or not make) any change he pleases, but to suggest that we as Freepers don't have any right to offer suggestions is asinine.

[Publius6961]

I have noticed in my 5 years here that we periodically get a controlling twit type who also thinks he or she is the center of the universe and they have a much better idea.

Any organization has at least one of these. It is a pain but unavoidable.

I will comment on just one of the "improvements": The chat room idiocy. This is not AOL.
I fail to see how "live thread" is an oxymoron. It is dynamic, and probably this site's biggest strength.
The notion that the kiddies whose main aim in life is to have the last word would best be tolerated in their own sandbox. But that is a vain hope.
Their raison de etre is to scream "look at me!" "look at me!", and the bigger the audience, the better.

[Calpernia]

>>>. Oh, oh and those hugs and kisses little do hickys.

Come here Joe, you need a hug!

[RightFighter]

Exactly what was it about my post that made you decide I am a controlling twit, you stupid idiot?

See, I can play the name calling game too. It gets us nowhere.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

If you are using Windows, you can do this through your daily history list.

[TomServo]

I hope while ya'll are coming up with your ideas on how this forum can be improved, realize it doesn't run for free. Some of these improvements would cause a resource hit on the server. Who's gonna pay for the extra horsepower?

Pony up folks....

[Calpernia]

And no good tips and tricks came out of this thread? No freepers on this thread picked up function information they weren't aware of from other freepers?