In defense of being called a FReeper.

[casus belli]

There was a recent post regarding questioning sources for news coverages, and how it is a characteristic of a FReeper to ask questions about news sources. This post was entirely based on a question I asked in a discussion listing Nancy Pelosi's itinerary for the first things on a to-do list of cleaning up Congress. The news source was Canadian, and one I was not familiar with. Admittedly, I am not intimately familiar with the foreign press and which sources are more reputable than others. I simply asked if there were any credible US sources reporting this as well, since I had not yet seen it reported and wanted to corroborate before getting excited about it. Hell, why paraphrase. This is the original text of the post:

This is great news!

Not to disrespect your sources, but I would like to see confirmation of this in a reputable US news source before getting too excited over it. Still, all of these suggestions are a fantastic start to cleaning up the house. I'm guessing that six months with a woman Speaker, and America will wonder how it ever went without.

A few members were kind enough to respond with links. Yet other were condescending, all fine with me. Then I ran across this post:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2695389&mesg_id=2695389

The references to my post are clear. As is his assumption that I am a freeper in disguise, infiltrating the boards for...well, I guess I'm not sure why a person would waste their time reading posts they don't agree with on a board comprised of those who are the polar opposite of your political leanings, but perhaps that is a question for the individual who accused me of being a FReeper, as he stated he spends quite a bit of time doing so.

I am a new member, with less than 300 posts under my belt. I had lurked for far longer, and only started posting in the month leading up to the elections. It was an exciting time for me, and I felt energized. I spent a great deal of time and energy locally (I live in Indiana) speaking with people and trying to persuade them to vote. My father, who had never voted in his life, agreed to register as my Xmas present. I am and always will be a progressive, and have spent a great deal of my adult years fighting for progressive causes. I think this witch hunt looking for FReepers was largely uncalled for, given it was a simple and honest question that aroused suspicions about my true motives. Naive...perhaps, but an honest question nonetheless. I am as offended by the comments as if he had accused me of closet racism or homophobia. To be associated with a political mindset I deplore is every bit as offensive to me.

In any case, it needed to be answered. So this is my answer.

[seemslikeadream]

1. don't let it concern you casus belli

It'd against DU rules to call another member a freeper. Very impolite and rude, sorry that happened to you. :hug:

jah bless
SLaD

[leftofthedial]

2. I've been called a freeper and a troll at least a hundred times here

usually for less

[William769]

3. In case I haven't said it yet, Welcome to DU.

First advice, wear a thick skin here. Second advice, don't believe everything you read (even here on DU).

Just a sample of what I am talking about. "First, without us progressives you would have taken precisely zero new House seats and zero new Senate seats". People that post stuff like this show nothing but their own ignorance.

[TalkingDog]

4. Hang in there. The first few times makes you feel stabby.

But after a while, you realize that just because people post on this board that does not automatically make them nice, thoughtful or even intelligent. The best thing to do is ignore them.

I had a 200 post count once and look at me now!

Welcome to DU

[William769]

5. We just can't shut you up!

I'm only joking! :hi:

[Raine]

6. Don't let it get you down

some people here are paranoid. :-( They see your post count is less than 1000 they jump on you for things they would otherwise let go by. It happened to me because I didn't post that often and was slow to get 1000 posts even though I had been registered for years. It happens to everyone, just keep on posting, put them on ignore if need be.

[Bryn]

7. It Happened to me when I was a newbie also

One poster called me FReeper just because I objected to Teri Schavio's husband Mike putting down her two beloved cats. I am all the way a democrat! Anyway, that poster with over 1,000 posts got banned eventually though I don't know why.

Welcome :hi: I joined nearly 2 years ago and I lurk mostly.

[toddaa]

8. Getting called a freeper on DU doesn't require much

Some knucklehead accused me of being a freeper once because I suggested that no matter how much I disagreed with someone, I'd still be willing to sit down and have a beer with them. No, I don't get the link either.

[Kagemusha]

9. Your story is sad to read. I understand your questioning

A polite response that the CBC is the public, national news service of Canada with a reputation similar to that of the BBC should have been more than sufficient. Take care.

[stop the bleeding]

10. you don't write like one,

to question is good, hell this country was founded on dissent and open questioning/dialog

[mduffy31]

11. I know that I am tired of the elitest thing

that your post count is what determines how good a lib you are. If you are under 1000 it seems that people think automatically that you are a FReeper if you show any dissent. Just don't worry about it and move on. It's not worth it.

[SmokingJacket]

12. Maybe people were reacting to their perception that you

were suspicious of the post simply because it was a Canadian source. A source is not necessarily worse because its not American -- in fact, the foreign press is often much nervier than the American one. I mean, I think I see where you're coming from -- it's that you're not familiar with Canadian sources. Point taken. And I don't think people are right to go calling people Freepers -- in fact it's against board rules.

There *are* lots of freeper trolls though -- the appropriate tactic is to ignore them or alert on them, but they do exist. It's not fair, but some people are suspicious of those under 1000 posts who challenge longer-time members, because that's what these trolls do. It's kind of "street law" on DU that you act super-polite until 750 or so! It's silly of course, since *everyone* was a newbie once, and there are also plenty of 1000+ trolls.

Anyway, welcome to DU. :toast:

[Caution]

13. I can't tell you how often I have been accused of this. Try asking one of the conspiracy

nuts for evidence sometime. They don't like that question and as soon as you ask it you are automatically a freeper/neocon/plant.

Just ignore it as best you can and move on. I find that adding them to your ignore list will do wonders.

[casus belli]

14. Thanks for all the positive responses.

Truly, I really appreciate them.

[Lasthorseman]

15. Don't feel bad

I get banned from both sides since I view both left and right as simply entire industries of mass deception. You simply can't state your entire case short of a five hundred page book on who you really are and where or how you came to your personal worldview. From there issues upon complex issues arise with division created by both sides being inflated by mainstream "media".
The result is someone takes you the wrong way and blam....

[Make7]

16. I'm a bit suspicious of this whole story.

Only a freeper troll would try to deflect suspicion by pretending to be so upset about being called a freeper! :sarcasm:

Actually, you're not really a full-fledged DU member until you have been accused of being a freeper and/or troll.

You've made it - congratulations!

I think it's fairly obvious to anyone that has been around here for awhile that there is a small portion of the active membership that are rather paranoid. Not that there isn't reason to be, but there are some people here that seem to cast aspersions on anyone that dare disagree with them.

But now that you have been anointed, you can feel free to disagree whenever you want - you already know that some is just waiting to label you instead of actually trying to have a discussion. Remember, discussion boards are no place for discussing anything with people that don't already agree with you. :)

And always use spell-check before you post. Misspelling is apparently a dead giveaway, as is my sometimes atrocious grammar.

- Make7

[Moderator]

17. locking...

please do not continue arguments from
locked threads.