Replies

Hogwash. The management doesn't have to respect diddly. This is a private venture, and one Jim runs for his own purposes, namely those stated explicitly on the home page. That simple English is what YOU don't seem to get.

Sigh. Let me try to explain this using simple words. Free Republic is much like a corporation selling a product or service. There is no rule or law telling the company what kind of product it must sell. There is no law telling the company that it needs to listen to the wishes of its customers. Ford is free to sell a Model T Ford, in black only, if it so wished. However, Ford's customers are free to go buy from Toyota, instead.

Still with me? Okay- Free Republic is not a democracy, granted. However, it is clear that the owners do not have the resources to keep this site running without we the FReepers and our donations. In addition, if there were no FReepers because the administration had zotted or alienated everyone, this whole endeavour would be kind of pointless.

Where does that leave the owners? They have to walk a tight rope between getting rid of disruptors and trolls, on the one hand, and being responsive enough to the demands of the FReeper community so that people don't leave this site en masse, on the other. They seem to do that job pretty well, since they seem to get the point I'm making here- none of us "need" Free Republic. There are other conservative websites out there. We could all go post elsewhere. However, FR does a very good job of adapting itself to the needs of its constituency.

I've seen my share of bloodbaths around here when people start dictating policy to the ownership.

You miss the point, again. One FReeper cannot change policy around here. If enough people are unhappy though, the owners have to listen to their concerns- not because of any law or rule, but for the same reason Ford has to listen to car buyers. No customers= no Ford. No Freepers= no FR.

The owners here seem to understand these issues, even though you may not.

Your error lies in assuming that this site must continue, or that, like Henry Ford, Jim Robinson stands to profit if it does or suffer if it does not. Neither of those is true. Free Republic is NOTHING like a corporation selling a product or service. Jim has said many times in the past that if FR folds, it folds and he moves on to other things. He has also said that if the site does not make enough to support itself, he will shut it down.

Those two realities utterly destroy your argument, since the site can now be a unilateral extension of Jim Robinson's values and either survive or fail on its own merits, irrespective of the marketplace. While a failure may be a plebiscite on those values, it does not cause Jim Robinson any hardship. Neither does the site's continuation carry any benefit, especially if it runs counter to Jim's own beliefs.

Save your laments for yourself. It is YOUR comprehension that is coming up sadly short.