Question for the "old timers"

[Beearewhyain]

This is somewhat inspired by a previous post for newbies but I would like to know what the more prolific posters think about when seeing someone with a short time registered and/or low post count. I lurked for many months before I registered and am not a prolific poster and I am specifically wondering how someone like myself might be viewed. I purposely avoid the more controversial topics in that I think I might be labeled a freep for no reason other than I disagree with the more extreme view points. To be honest, many times I have questioned the intentions of short timers and/or low post counters.

Bottom line is: What are the things you look for to determine whether one “might” be a disruptor and how do you make your assessment?

[Scottie72]

1. Pure and simple

Though I have been around since 2002. (I think Feb) I have a relatively low post total for that period of time. (only about 1500).

I just look at what they are saying. It is not all that difficult to spot the disruptors regardless of post counts.

[Beearewhyain]

2. I appreciate your response

However, I know that I look cynically at those with low post count that don't seem to "fit". I am not saying this is good by any means but it might be a part of human nature.

[Forkboy]

3. Normally I try to give people the benefit of the doubt

but since Raygun died alot of Freepers have blown thier gaskets and tried disrupting DU,and a lot of people are ready to pounce on anyone who sounds like a Right-winger.

For the most part they out themselves though pretty fast.Like I said,between Raygun going to the big Bitburg in the sky and F9/11 they've been blowing gaskets allover the place.They're usually as subtle as a sledgehammer :)

Also,I'm sure there are Freepers here with high post counts,so a high post count isn't an automatic guarantee that one is A-OK.

Just disagreeing with people shouldn't get you labelled a freep.Using links from FoxNews,Newsmax and the like though to disagree is a sure fire way to earn the label though.

Welcome to DU :)

[Rhiannon12866]

4. I also give anyone the benefit of the doubt

And I agree that Freepers and disruptors are pretty easy to spot. They all seem to use the same tactics and say much the same things. You get so you can usually spot them. It's hard to express. They try too hard to sound like they're agreeing with the opinions expressed. They ask certain questions about what we on DU believe, trying to sound ingenuous, but you can tell from how they phrase it that they really have an agenda and that they are insincere.

I welcome newbies. I was welcomed on my very first post by the incomparable newyawker99 and I remember how welcome here that this made me feel. So I try and return the favor. So welcome to DU, Beearewhyain! Glad to have you with us!:hi:

[Syrinx]

5. I see if their handle is Beearewhyain

:)

Just joking.

[Beearewhyain]

6. Damn it...I knew I was hiding something

:silly:

[eleonora]

7. I was here in 02

then I stopped coming here and couldn't remember my screen name *lol*. So I got another one and I have a low post count. I don't post much but I like to browse, but from what I've seen it's easy to spot the troublemakers, They're the ones trying to be sarcastic without being so. It shows.

[LibertyorDeath]

8. Easy to spot freeps

Their World view is fucked so that's a dead give away & they usually start their posts with

I lurked for many months :) but seriously they are so funny because they think their being super Stealth by starting threads that are borderline
freepish but could be argued one way or the other.

Sometime this place is crawling with "stealth freepers"

asking questions like how can you tell if someone might be a disruptor :)

Intuition from years of posting here everyday. That's how.

Cheers

[Beearewhyain]

10. So is asking a question what denotes a freeper?

If I wanted to be very paranoid I would point out that Huey Long was far from a civil rights activist (although he was one of the better populist in his era)

In my experience with the freeper type, they are a combination of misinformed and motivated against their own self interest. If we look at the Southern politics that Long came from there have been only two political positions that have worked well for politicians in the South; that being race baiting or populism. The race baiting via code words (welfare, criminals, "middle class values" etc.) has been used to great effect by the right to everyone's detriment.

I consider myself to be much more on the populist side due in no small part to the fact that I think that this position can transform out current political situation. Of course ideally I am much further to the left than that but I am also a pragmatist.

Where are you?

[LibertyorDeath]

14. " is asking a question what denotes a freeper"

No it's a combination of many different things.

Up to and including the choice of words they use to express their thoughts.

Where am I politically

Well lets say for me Bill Clinton is to far Right.

Gore is more my speed.

[JCMach1]

9. It's obvious

same old story since spring '01

[lazarus]

11. my take on it

And I've been a moderator a bunch of times, so I've seen and nuked countless disruptors:

I dunno. Generally, they out themselves damned quick. It's rare for a true disruptor to last long. Sometimes I get a clue that I don't even realise I've picked up, and can predict that someone's a disruptor, but as a mod I always waited for them to actually out themselves.

Fair's fair, after all. Innocent until proven otherwise, etc.

[wickerwoman]

12. I never really notice the post counts when I'm reading a thread.

But either something they say, a link, or a tone just doesn't jive so I look at post count. Someone with less than 50 posts waging a full on assault on DU administration is a pretty dead giveaway. People who complain that we make dems look bad, etc. People who come on really strong against another poster. Some of them calm down and become productive members but many of them are tombstoned.

(I don't have many posts on this handle but I've been around since 7/01- hope that qualifies me.)

[Beearewhyain]

13. You qualify if for no other reason than...

you have "Uncle Walt" on your sig line. :)