Okay Freepers. Let's Clean Up Our Act and Have Fun Doing it.

06-11-2002 | Joe Phillips

[BADJOE]

JimRob and many of us other oldtimers are concerned that the viciousness of the personal attacks are getting out of hand.

The continued hyperbole could ultimately destroy our site.

Let's adapt ridicule, poking fun at our adversaries as the method of choice to blow off steam.

I just handled a disruptor on the Freepathon thread this way by asking him if he was bucking for Jim's $1.23 per hour job ( Jim's draw divided by 24/7/365 = $1.23 per hour). And yes , I told him Jim gets that much while sleeping too. The Moderators ultimately banned this poster, but we all had a few good laughs in the process. Ridicule really is the fastest, most effective way to shoot down a jerk. You have to think about how to do it, but if you will, we all will have a lot more fun.

A year or so ago I recommened we post all attacks to an imaginary Freeper, "Nincompoop" We could even get this guy his own Home Page, where we could go to look for the best put down of the day, and get many, many chuckles from all the shots this poor turkey will take. : )

[stuartcr]

Please see my #51.

[Larry Lucido]

Re: Your post #9

Did you mean to post your most recent appellate brief?

[Larry Lucido]

Re: Your post #9

9 = 13.

Flame away.

[Demidog]

Sadly, the Bush administration is taking a page out of the Clinton administration. I think it's appropriate to post and as long as people are polite, flame wars are not inevitable.

[maxwell]

Allright you asked for it, buddy... And YOUR humble opinion of MY true personality is WHAT???

[dalebert]

I don't think getting nasty ever wins an argument and makes the nasty one look like a fool.

[BADJOE]

To be articulate and funny at the same time is the most effective way to disarm any adversary.

[Dog Gone]

Did you mean to post your most recent appellate brief?

LOL, no. The judge thought I was talking about HIM, which is probably why I lost the case.

[Lady Jag]

Nincompoop:   No current Freeper by that name.

[HeadOn]

;-)

[VRWC_minion]

Often the disruptors come up with such stupid, illogical and ignorant posts that there is little difference between making ad hominem attacks or demonstrating their idiocy. Sometimes the personal attack is kinder.

[Zviadist]

JimRob and many of us other oldtimers are concerned that the viciousness of the personal attacks are getting out of hand.

Well I am an old-timer too...

The Moderators ultimately banned this poster, but we all had a few good laughs in the process.

...and I think this is the real threat to FR. Not only are people banned for disagreeing with you, but you actually think it is fun and funny to exercise this power. Sorry. It never used to be like this. Someone like this got cocky and the rest of us would slap him down in the open. No need for secret bannings to silence opposition. Just an open smacking and then back to the debate.

I took your post as an invitation to comment, so I am taking that opportunity.

I have made this argument here a hundred times, so I don't expect anyone to listen. But I am an old-timer and felt I should chime in.

[inquest]

"revisionist"?

[Dog Gone]

Yes! Among other things. You want to get me started again?? ;-)

[Wurlitzer]

"..............censorious, secretive, aggressive, mind-numbing, arassive, poisonous, flagrant, self-destructive, abusive, socially-retarded, puerile, clueless, and generally Not Good. I Hope This Helps..."

You have come as close to describing my feelings for Bill and Hillary as possible using the English language.

[TomServo]

I shall fart in your general direction!

I just want to siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggg...

[carenot]

This is an election year, I do not see the committment needed to clean out the corruption in Congress.

Yep, it is an election year.

When it isn't an election year, it will be next year. So watch what you say!

I think it is a shame what has happened here.

I found Lucianne.com. I loved it!
About a year after I found it, she got moderators. The very best posters were banned. They kept the ones that never really said anything.

Then I found Pipebombnews.com, because one of the banned ones signed in with a new name and posted it as a place to go. I am happy to say I saw it before the whole thread was pulled.

I found lots of the names I had enjoyed at L.com there. Someone, I don't remember who, posted a link to FR.

DANG! I was HOME!.

Yes, every once in a while a poster was banned. Poor old A+Bert was banned a lot but he could come back later. I always enjoyed him.
LOL! He was finally, really banned forever because this pushing 80 year old man,(A+Bert) threatened to kill another freeper, that lives in another state!

OK, everything was still cool. Bush is in the Whitehouse.

Then, 9/11 happened.

Old Freepers I loved to read were "no current freeper".

Then, in late March or early April, all of the Chief negotiator murder investigation threads were pulled. Why? Lots, at least 200 freepers very interested. Why were they all deleted?

Now it seems all we have is bragging on President Bush's secret plan, when we get mad that he is out Democrating the Democrats!

So. What is going on here? We use to fight and make up. Now Daddy won't let us work it all out.

Is that you Trixie?

[sweetliberty]

I know I try very hard to control transferring what I think to what I say at times, or at least how I say it. In spite of that, my words are sometimes misconstrued anyway, but I think most of the time I do pretty well. Granted, there are some people who are just too ignorant to have a decent discourse with and there are the ever-present disruptors, but I think the majority of FReepers are intelligent and passionate and decent people. We all get a little carried away at times. Most of us can apologize.

I think the worst issues arise when a poster begins to take himself or herself too seriously, and that happens more than it should. I think that is an ideal time to try to get the person to lighten up, either by doing as you suggest OR by calling attention to the fact that the person needs to LIGHTEN UP. Here is one of my personal favorite posts for such times. Sometimes it makes them laugh. Sometimes they just shut up. Effective either way I would say.

[tet68]

Really, I'm in awe!

[tet68]

I know what you mean, a person can't even leave their tags open anymore.