Does posting "freeper" hate and bile advance DU?

[Just Me]

Actually, let's make this bigger than DU. Does posting "freeper" hate and bile advance a healthy democracy for our people?

On edit: *blush* my first poll has it's,...um,...challenges.

[Just Me]

1. Sorry 'bout the mistakes,...my first poll experience,...and all.

:blush:

[Scout]

2. I don't think we need to waste the bandwidth...

I usually don't click on the "freepers say" threads, I don't really care what a bunch of fucktards have to say.

I don't think we need Drudge headlines either.

Most of us already know those sites exist, and if we want to visit we can.

I wish DUers would just self-censor and not post that shit. Yeah, I know, I can "hide thread" or ignore users, but I have to see the thread before I can hide it.

[Just Me]

5. I was just wondering because there seems to be so friggin much,...

,...of that sick, divisive, human garbage planted here. When I've picked up a virus,...I certainly avoid passing it around and choose to advise other's how to avoid it,...for their well-being. That's how I see it. I just don't want their disease spread around. It doesn't make us more powerful IMO.

[Howardx]

3. if i wanted to read it

i know exactly where to find it. dont need it here. at the most people should post a link for those who can stomach it to follow.

[DemNoir]

4. It is boring and destructive

I think a alot of people indulge in things like reading Free Republic and watching cable "news" shows because they are addicted to the outrage buzz they get from it.

[Just Me]

28. Destructive.

Destructive.

[stillcool]

6. it's garbage....and a waste of time..

arguing he said-she said in a knee-jerk fashion while held hostage by the empire no one admits to.

[Just Me]

22. Yep. NO FREEPER POST PERTAINS TO ISSUES,....

,...they are ALL CHARACTER ASSASSINATIONS. Seriously. Keep a journal of every "freeper" post on this board,...99% are nothing but hateful, personal attacks having NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING to do with the state of this nation.

[cbear70]

7. I don't like it either

I know its a choice and I don't have to click but I think the freepers get a kick when we cut and paste and I don't think we should give them the satisfaction. They have nothing intelligent to say, they are rude and callous and even ridiculous. It is not worth having on this site where we are intelligent and compassionate people. We only get upset and lose our temper when someone brings the vile over. We need to leave the vile with them and let them drown themselves in their hatred.

ok.. done rant.

[ohio_liberal]

8. We can all choose which threads to read

Don't like it, don't read it

:shrug:

[Just Me]

10. Okay. But, does posting "freeper" hatred advance us or democracy?

We don't get to choose whether or not we are confronted with bullies on the streets. However, we sure as hell can choose in this domain. What do we do with the bullies? Is it beneficial for us to allow their disease here? Or, is their disease disempowering and provocative and divisive? Should we help them solicit hatred and allow that hatred to invade our board, our lives, our democracy?

:shrug:

Never underestimate the cruel ambition of hatred. History warns us.

[ohio_liberal]

13. See post #11

Tahitinut said it better than I could. :)

[smartvoter]

23. Agreed. nt

[lady lib]

9. It's toxic, they're toxic.

I don't read it for the same reason I don't drink poison.

[TahitiNut]

11. Other: No, it should be hidden and allowed to grow.

Just as we should always keep quiet when people speak hatefully. After all, we sure don't want to be criticized. Let's never speak politics in gatherings of friends and family because it's not nice. Let's be sure that the insane and hateful spewing of fascists and myth-mongers are given ample opportunity to spread. These ridiculous beliefs must be allowed to spread far and wide. After all, there're things far more important than the loss of democracy, right? Really - as though that would ever happen. We should always wait and talk about thses things only in the company of other liberals. Really. It's worked so well for so long now. Anyway, it can't happen here, can it?

[mcctatas]

20. I agree...

:applause:

[smartvoter]

24. I was going to post something similar to this. I think you are right. nt

[TahitiNut]

25. Well, I hope you weren't going to include a ....

... :sarcasm: emoticon/smilie. After all, that'd be wrong. Right? :dunce:

[Just Me]

27. LMFAO.

:rofl:

[shugah]

30. we should never keep quiet

when people speak hatefully. but the question was about bringing the freeper trash set out home to DU. do you think it benefits anyone that we are so thrilled to dig thru their trash? who do you think gets the ultimate thrill from that? DU or the freepers watching DU watching them?

yes, we need to know what the media is saying. if we watch (in whatever doses we can) fox news, cnn, msnbc, and listen to any talk radio at all, we will know what hatefulness is being spouted. that we can count on free republic to take the talking points to beyond extreme is a given.

threads about media bias (and for the most part DU can be counted on to ferret out truth, or at least more than one source) are relevant and important.

whenever a DUer posts freeper trash here, it only gets another freeper his horns. it does not further the discussion here, it only makes us pause and rubberneck for a minute.

[TahitiNut]

33. This is the internet - no curtains on the windows.

The International Information Superhighway carries a lot of travelers. I'm guessing that about 10 times as many people read this site as post here. I wouldn't think of dividing them into merely two categories.

Now, nobody can control the quality of any discussion (or whatever passes for it), but anything for which there's no interest or audience will rapidly sink to the cellar. (I know, most of my threads do.) It's "natural selection." Threads that don't sink have an audience. So, while I might argue that the discussions be a bit more focused on retorts and rejoinders (instead of mere ad hominems) containing some optimum amount of factual references, I'd never argue that such posts be stifled.

I might also argue that people take a bit more care to include quoted materials in their Original Posts along with some well-articulated perspective - rather than some bare URL that shifts THEIR work to me and everybody's brother - but again, I'd never argue that such posts be stifled.

Besides, that's up to the Admins ... not the membership. :shrug:

[shugah]

35. agree!

and i was not really arguing or being contrary. the threads on DU survive by the responses of the DU members (that are active and post/respond).

you wish (some) posters would be more responsible - so do i!

as far as quality - well, quality is here, even if it's a bit frustrating to dig thru "FREEPERS LEFT TRASH OUT! _ L@@K L@@K L@@K!!!!!!!!!!!!!! F*kin* FREEPERS."

i'm convinced they will thrive less without us. but there seems to be a moth/flame thing...

i would never advocate stiffling anyone. the internets are abundant with anything you want to talk about. i need to get over looking at DU as "safehaven." if any FR post can be posted here, how is it, exactly that we differentiate?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

12. The useless junk they post on FR is toxic

The people over there posting that bile are a sick lot and I see no reason to spread their disease around.

I'm slightly torn when it comes to posting what a talking head is spewing. I may not watch them on TV but I do think we should keep up with whatever their latest smear is.

[shugah]

14. my opinion

i read the freeper threads from time to time - i really don't know why, the vileness is never a suprise. but, i've decided to stop looking at them for 2 reasons:

1) the other day there was a thread that carried garbage here from there. it was so disgusting, so full of hate and venom, so completely out of place on DU, that i found i was disgusted not nearly as much at the expected nastiness from those people as i was at the DUers that posted all of it and kept it kicked and thriving for far longer than it should have been. i will no longer encourage that type of thing by even so much as reading that venom.

2) at the vigil we attended last night - and i think it may have been the only one that had "counter-vigilists" (what would call people who came out to spew nastiness over a few people who are simply lighitng candles for peace? :shrug: ) - what i saw was that psuedo patriots really lost steam when no one reacted to them at all. their loudness, rudeness and lack of couth was very clearly an attempt to get attention. they grew louder when anyone came even near them, when anyone was addressing our group, they would start singing loudly or shouting USA! USA! so, i've decided ignoring this type of person is probably the most effective method possible.

[SofaKingLiberal]

15. Freeperville...

[pinto]

16. My personal opinion..... No.

I understand there's an interest in what's being said across the media gamut, from American MSM, to foreign news sources, to blogs, to forums like FR and such.

But, in the case of FR, I don't see any useful purpose in hashing and rehashing what they've got to say. Waste of our time and focus, I think.

Just my $.02.... :hi:

(ed for grammar)

[Just Me]

18. Me either.

Yeah, I try to avoid the human bile.

The "choice" to avoid really isn't the point. The point is whether posting that hatred is helpful.

IMHO it is NOT helpful.

[QC]

17. Kick!

[funkybutt]

19. I hate the word "FREEPTARD" -

if this word is used in the subject, I don't click on it.

no issues seeing people quoting people ect.

[QC]

21. Anybody who wants to read that shit knows where to find it. n/t

[Just Me]

26. Now,...there's CHOICE!!!!

Choose to go to that bile! Choose to bring it back,...why?

[Zen]

29. I have felt sickened by much of the stuff posted here by people

I almost want to call them Freeps because it makes me angry and makes me think we are promoting the same lies as the media. I wish people would stop doing this - or maybe Skinner could create a separate forum for that bile...

[Just Me]

31. It's just a "back-door" means of ABUSE AND OPPRESSION.

IMO. Why should we allow emotional abuse so much freedom, here?

[Faygo Kid]

32. Strategy. The stakes are too high.

FR is the mainstream of the lunkhead wing of the GOP, useful idiots who vote for Republicans because of gay marriage, affirmative action and evolution, while their jobs and benefits go south and Grandma loses Medicaid while Bush, Cheney, the Rangers and Pioneers laugh all the way to the bank. Oh, did I mention it is their sons and daughters who die in Iraq for the insane neo-con dream, and can they name the rich Republican kids who have gone there, and given their lives? I am sorry, but they are wrong and losing, no matter how orgasmic they get about Rush, Sean, O'Reilly and those on Rove's payroll.

[Mr_Spock]

34. The Freeper garbage posted here makes me sick to my stomach

I'm not sure why we are promoting stuff that we get all pissed at the media for promoting?

Same as watching Faux News.

Know thine enemy is just an expression - we know plenty about them without promoting the ravings of thier most insane psychopaths.

[Telly Savalas]

36. It's hate-porn.