Stop the public accusations of "Freepery"!

[bigbillhaywood]

The outright accusations or thinly veiled accusations of posters being moles, lurkers, infiltrators, Freepers, Republicans or Bush-supporters is getting out of hand. What don't people understand about DU policy? Such accusations are forbidden. Just hit the damn Alert button if you think someone is a Freeper-- that's what it's there for (among other things).

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

1. I agree

it just gives them publicity. And probably a cheap thrill. It serves to stir up paranoia, too, IMO.

The alert button is great. People should use it. Freepers are just sad creeps, anyway....even the ones really trying to stay undercover out themselves eventually anyway.

Nothing to get frothy about.

Now, no more of this. On to winning the election in November.

:mad:

[nonconformist]

2. Thanks for starting another freeper thread

to clear this up. ;)

[bigbillhaywood]

7. Sorry, but I felt people need to know what the DU policy is and

abide by it. I don't understand why people can't just hit "Alert", I can only suspect that the reason they don't is that they are more interested in discrediting those with differing opinions than they are in getting rid of Freepers.

[kentuck]

3. I hit the alert button, bigbill....

You have finally been exposed. Goodbye.



































just kidding....

[Submariner]

4. For those of us

who have been with DU for at least a couple of years, we have seen an exponential growth of freeper-like disruptors, and we know they play the "run-the-post-number-up game" to try and blend in, so you will have to put up with us if we appear sensitive at times when outsiders enter and disrupt our Democratic domain.

You have joined DU during a peak in the tempest of disruptors, so get used to it. We are on guard for it, that's why you see the reactions you do.

The last time we laid back, some asshole stole the election to the WH.

[fishnfla]

12. thats bullshit

I understand what the poster is saying. This hypersensitivity is ruining genuine discussion.

The freepdar around here is out of control, and the paranoia as well. Almost every new person to this board is suspect, and accused, questioned, and made to feel unwelcome. Its embarrassing. Its bullshit

[Hubert Flottz]

13. LMAO!

Don't slop the Hogs!

[H2O Man]

14. I agree with Submariner.

Decades of work in progressive causes has given many people on here the ability to be quite accurate in identifying those who come here to disrupt and spread misinformation. Yes, care must be taken, and sincere dissent must be dealt with in other manners. But never be blind to the reality that the DU attracts a fair share of trouble makers. Some of the time it is kind of obvious .... I think it was in February that someone who was on about their 8th post quoted something I had put on months before in a debate we were having. That person ended up deleted, and I have never encountered him/her again, at least under that name.
At the same time, when the police infiltrate a group such as the mob or the AIM or Black Panthers, a common tactic is to create an atmosphere of suspicion that reaches the level of paranoia. I trust we can avoid that.

[bigbillhaywood]

17. All I'm saying is it's DU policy to hit Alert and not publicly accuse

as doing that stifles dissent and creates an atmosphere of paranoia. I think this is a good policy and just wish people would abide by it, hit the Alert button and carry on.

[WMliberal]

5. seriously, whocares if there are anyway.

There's the alert button, the ignore button, and being informed makes you invulnerable to their shrill blatherings. Their nonsense runs off like water on a duck's back in the face of logic.

[eileen from OH]

6. And for myself. . .

Unless it's out-and-out name-calling or ridiculous crap or hacking with repetitive posts or stoopid Clinton-is-the-root-of-all-evil, I don't mind debating or mixing it up. I lurk at Free Republic and those people (for the most part) are total nuts. The latest was a wonderful example of How Freepers Make Lemonade - did you guys know that since the prison torture pictures came out that the attacks on our guys/gals have lessened? The Islamic terrorists are all a-scairt now 'cuz we'll humiliate 'em and put dog collars on 'em. I am not making this up. (No link, sorry, I DO have standards.)

What I'm saying is that I almost wish we could have a category that included conservatives and/or Bush supporters if it could be reasoned and civilized. I do find that Tacitus is a site that does seem to strike a balance - I may not agree with him, but he has posters that put forth a different viewpoint and really tries to keep it sane.

Guess I'm saying there are freepers and there are others who offer their own viewpoint in a rational method and I kind of wish there was a way we could eliminate the former and accommodate the latter.

But then, this IS Dem Underground, so perhaps this is not the place.

eileen from OH (just musing)

[PragMantisT]

8. I demand a Loyalty Oath be administered by Skinner n/t

[Paradise]

9. why are you so upset? did it happen to you? just asking... n/t

[bigbillhaywood]

10. No, not lately. I just think it's a really good policy DU has, and it

pisses me off that people flout it all the time. I think these accusations are just to discredit someone who holds different views on things. If people really wanted to get rid of a Freeper, they'd hit the alert button and move on.

[Paradise]

11. thanks for responding, big bill :) n/t

[fujiyama]

15. LOL

I love that word - "freepery".

[wyldwolf]

16. Get used to it...

I've been called a Clark operative, a DNC operative, a DLC operative, a Kerry operative (as though being any of that is a bad thing), a GOP operative, a Mike Ruppert operative, Mike Ruppert himself, a freeper, and worse by relative newbies on DU.

...and that's just on THIS board. On another that will remain nameless, I've been called worse.

Badge of honor, I tell ya!

[bigbillhaywood]

18. Calling someone a Clark, Kerry, DNC or DLC operative does not violate

DU rules. Calling someone a Freeper or Republican does. The Alert button is there for a reason-- that's all I'm saying.

[wubbathompson]

20. That's hilarious

I've gotten my fair share of insults in my "youth" on this board, but I feel like people have gotten used to my style so I don't mind any more. I think it tends to be the "less intelligent" on this board who resort to calling those who disagree or bring up volatile points "freepers". Nonetheless, the alert button is there so we should use it and move on.

[wyldwolf]

21. well, most of the slams against me came after I went over 2000 posts...

...from people often well UNDER 1000 posts.

[Renew Deal]

19. Only a freeper would say something like this.

j/k

I love the freepers as much as anyone else. I will do what I can to get them the mental health services they need.

[Skittles]

22. I think it is because

there are quite a few under-the-radar trolls here with hundreds, sometimes thousands of posts. Sometimes they are bragging on other boards how easy it is to "fool us". Sometimes I just have to let them know we are ON TO THEM.