Free Republic

How many of you realize how great a forum Free Republic really is not only as a home for conservatives, but a home for technical information as well? For the first Freeper who can help me download only an excerpt of a Youtube video clip into an MP3 file, I will donate to the current Freepathon in YOUR name. We all know there are forums out there who allow you to donate to get information on computer assistance, auto repair and virtually everything imaginable.But we have some of the brightest people on this forum and I want to make a...

Something interesting just happened tonight when I just tried posting an entire article from The Des Moines Register... It isn't allowed to because of a copyright complaint... So now I can't point to articles in the largest newspaper in my state because people don't realize you don't post entire articles here (or anywhere) without permission. But let's just continue to whine about excerpts. Here's a question, if we aren't supposed to do it, why does Free Republic give us that option when we post? When we post entire articles it is not fair to the authors of the original content...

As more and more FReepers (old and new alike) post articles, they really need to pay attention to what they are doing. I know there is a need to excerpt many articles, but remember - you have up to 300 words or no more than 1/2 of the article if it is less than 300 words. May I make some basic suggestions when excerpting? In addition to the above mentioned FR guidelines, please copy and paste the "who-what-when..." of the article. Earlier today, someone posted an article about a student getting arrested at school for an item found in his...

EXCERPTS OF THE PRESIDENT'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS Wed Jan 27 2010 19:13:14 ET We face big and difficult challenges. And what the American people hope – what they deserve – is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics. For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds and different stories and different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same. The aspirations they hold are shared. A job that pays the bill. A chance to get ahead. Most of all, the ability to...

Of all the misguided schemes put forth lately to save newspapers (micropayments! blame Google!), the one put forth by Judge Richard Posner has to be the most jaw-dropping. He suggests that linking to copyrighted material should be outlawed. No, Posner does not work for the Associated Press (which also has some strange ideas on linking). He is (normally) considered to be one of the great legal minds of our time. Posner is a United States Court of Appeals judge in Chicago and legal scholar who was once considered a potential Supreme Court nominee. He is someone who should know better....

So what's the deal now with excerpts now? I see you're editing articles to one or two sentences even if they were excerpted by the poster to begin with. I thought 300 words was the excerpting standard.

Excerpts from the prepared text of President Bush's final State of the Union address Monday, as released by the White House. ___ On Congress: "The actions of the 110th Congress will affect the security and prosperity of our nation long after this session has ended. In this election year, let us show our fellow Americans that we recognize our responsibilities and are determined to meet them. And let us show them that Republicans and Democrats can compete for votes and cooperate for results at the same time." ___ On trusting and empowering the American people: "From expanding opportunity to protecting...

NEW YORK NYTimes.com kept its strong lead in February as the top newspaper Web site, besting competitors across the country in unique audience, page views, and time spent per person on the site, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Rounding out the top five in uniques were USATODAY.com, washingtonpost.com, LATimes.com, and WSJ.com. The New York Times site (which has some articles behind the TimesSelect pay wall) attracted a unique audience of 12,960,000 users in February, who combined for 455,527,000 page views. USATODAY.com came in second with 9,050,000 unique visitors and 169,517,000 page views; the Washington Post's site had 8,030,000 readers and 154,836,000 views....

These are the first three of five excerpts from America Alone: The End of the World as We Know it, by Mark Steyn. Published by Regnery Publishing, Inc. Copyright © 2006 by Mark Steyn. America Alone: The End of the World (part 1) Mark Steyn, National Post Published: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 John O’Sullivan, a former editor of National Review, once observed that postwar Canadian history is summed up by an old Monty Python song. I’m a Lumberjack and I’m Okay begins as a robust paean to the manly virtues of a rugged life in the north woods but ends...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein testified Wednesday for the first time at his trial, and the judge closed the court after the ex-dictator's speech calling for Iraqis to end sectarian violence and fight U.S. troops instead. Even as the judge repeatedly yelled at Saddam to stop making what he called political speeches, the deposed leader read from a prepared text, insisting he was still Iraq's president. "Let the (Iraqi) people unite and resist the invaders and their backers. Don't fight among yourselves," he said, praising the insurgency. "In my eyes, you are the resistance to the American invasion." Finally, Chief...

Would it be possible for FR to maintain an up to date list of sources which limit or prohibit article posting, and put a link in a very visible place?

As most of you are aware, we've recently received several copyright complaints. In the last few weeks, we've received complaints from the SJ Mercury News, Independent (UK), SF Chronicle and The Boston Globe. Just a couple days ago the Post-Gazette send a cease and desist notice and yesterday I heard from the Tribune-Review. Tonight, I got a call from Amy and there were two more registered letters at our PO Box. The McClatchy News (Sacramento Bee) and USAToday are now added to the list of publications that have complained about copyright violations. Well, folks, the handwriting is on the wall....

President Bush, wrapping the themes of his re-election campaign in an upbeat State of the Union address, planned to say tonight that America is still a nation at war and must not "falter and leave our work unfinished." Bush said he was optimistic about the reviving economy and urged Congress to take steps to make sure the recovery lasts. "We must respond by helping more Americans gain the skills to find good jobs in our new economy," the president said. Excerpts of his address were released in advance by the White House. "America this evening is a nation called to...