"Vanity posts", one of the stranger characteristics of Freepville, in my opinion

[Syrinx]

They actively discourage original thought.

Whenever someone posts an original thought on that site, it is invariably mocked and labeled as a "vanity" post.

To gain group approval, the post must be a quote from Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck, or from some extreme fringe blogger, that may very well be the actual FR member posting said comment.

If someone posts a "vanity," they are often accused of being an interloper. But if they take a minute or two to start a blog, and post a back-link to their diatribe, it's golden.

It seems that the default position of FR members is to distrust the "wisdom" of their fellow travelers, unless that wisdom can be attributed to someone ostensibly outside the FR cocoon.

In other words, Free Republic doesn't trust it's own members.

They prefer cut and paste, from thoroughly discredited imbeciles, than a single original thought from their own kind.

I think that's a pretty weird way to build any kind of "online community."

[deminks]

1. If they relied on original thought, their board would be empty.

Much like their Congress critters. Empty except for the hate.

[SpiralHawk]

2. RepubliFreepers & TeaBaglicons are followers. That's well documented.

They do not think for themselves. Too risky. They find someone who can articulate the fear that lives in the core of their being, and then they follow follow follow whoever can pluck that peculiar fear string.

RepubliCorps figured that out long ago -- and they play their followers according to a tightly scripted plan. That's how they can have the FreepBagliCons now protesting against net neutrality, and advocating more more more tax cuts for fat cats.

These are absolutely preposterous notions for anyone who does their own careful analysis. But they loom as gospel 'truthiness' for FOLLOWERS who have willingly allowed the overpaid chickenhawk republicon propaganda pimps to pump their heads full of RepubliPoo.

Sad, but true.

[Canuckistanian]

3. That's very interesting

It's like their whole site is a giant "appeal to authority" logical fallacy.

[lillypaddle]

4. Should be called "freakrepublic"

Those people are crazy AND downright mean.

[Recursion]

5. I don't know that it's "mocked"; they just prefer posts in their version of "GD" be articles

Basically imagine if DU was just LBN and the Lounge: they want to discuss articles on the main page and then there's a "free chat" a few clicks in that's more like the lounge.

You're free to post a sourceless post of your own rant, but you usually call it "vanity" (you call it that yourself), like a vanity tag.

I do think their "ping" system is pretty cool. And, oddly enough, FreeRepublic is much more accessible than DU according to ADA guidelines.

[JBoy]

6. I don't understand that "ping" thing at all. What is it?

[Recursion]

9. Sort of like a hashtag on twitter

Like on Twitter if I post about the Red Sox I'd say "Damn we keep getting a lot of injuries #redsox". On FR if there's a group of red sox fans they join a "red sox ping list" and if an article comes up about Charlie Baker being at Fenway, you would "ping redsox" to BCC them on the post.

[JBoy]

11. thanks!

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Ya gotta love irony

[LoZoccolo]

8. I actually agree with this some aspect of this practice.

I don't think it's really useful to say "I believe _____" without telling other people why they should as well.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

10. KER-BLAMMMMMM!

That was my irony-o-meter.

[LoZoccolo]

12. There you go.

You've told me that you believe this is ironic, but not why.

[LoZoccolo]

14. Moderators: I give Commie Pinko Dirtbag permission to reference and/or link to my old posts.

[Brickbat]

13. Trusting each other might form what is known as a "community," which leads directly to communism.

So they avoid it at all costs.

[david13]

15. You have a similar phenomena here. The idea that there can be

no dissent from the litany. The common opinion. Everyone must tow the party, or 'un-party' line.
dc

[XemaSab]

16. I've noticed this before

and I agree it's very odd.

[EstimatedProphet]

17. That's because the words "I think" are considered an abomination to freepers, and are Of The Devil

Not to mention genetically impossible for them to perform.