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Title: FR is Freeping Its Membership Numbers
Source:
www.clownposse.org
URL Source: http://www.clownposse.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5065
Published: Feb 19, 2006
Author: Mehitable Storm
Post Date: 2006-02-19 01:09:15 by mehitable
Keywords: Membership, Freeping, Numbers
Views: 885
Comments: 22
I rarely look at Clown Posse but as folks were talking a look at it tonight I took a look around. This poster, Columbo, did a FANTASTIC job compiling stats on Free Republic registrations and posting. It's obvious from his data that FR is vastly inflating their membership numbers. We all assume this (I think) but it's great to see it backed up by solid research. Some of you might find this interesting or enjoyable to contemplate:
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#1. To: mehitable (#0)
Lots of time to compile this for sure.. Not surprising.. their #s didnt make sense.
Quite a massive undertaking - more time than I'd spend on FR, but I thought it was really interesting to see.
This guy should post this on Daily Kos they'd have a field day.. they'd love to see this..
JR will do or say anything to rack up that $80,000 or so a quarter. $240,000 p.a.---not bad for doing jack except computer server tinkering, Bush brown-nosing, snotty posts, and "zotting" dissidents.
You can't win. You can't break even. You can't get out of the game.
There are other possible explanations besides FR freeping its own numbers. 1) As a forum grows the marginal post rate per user likely declines. How many original comments can there be on a thread, and how many newsworthy items happen per day? 2) Bannings. Assuming the time to ban a disruptor is roughly constant, an increase in disruption -- or newbies who don't know the FR party line -- would result in inflation of the current user count (inventory = flow rate * flow time.) 3) Information warfare. It this event many of the new accounts would only be meant to comment occasionally.
I read the stats and I agree they're cooking the books. BTW How do you post a day before your account is registered? Possibly.. but they keep reporting that they have that many posters.. read a news article where they're interviewed..
BTW How do you post a day before your account is registered? (Unless you're one of JR's buttboys) LOL!.. Good point.. :P
I don't think FR makes it money from those "drives." I doubt most of the posters left are smart emough to have any money to donate. I've thought for years they get their funding from the GOP, which is why RimJob pretty much follows the Republican line.
"I aim to misbehave" -- Mal Reynolds, Firefly
In reading their stats though (and there are copious stats that Columbo has compiled here), over 50% of those registered have not posted at all. Why would so many people register and never post at all? I guess also, the registration patterns look suspicious as well. Folks will have to look at the stats to come to their own conclusions, but I think they're cooking the books. Intuitively this seems obvious to me. Everytime I go over there to see how the bots are responding to an issue, I see the same poster names over and over again.
I might go over there and suggest that. There are a couple of other forums that might enjoy seeing this as well such as DU.
I've seen several articles about the GOP launching new campaigns using "cyber space". Here is one example: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-10-gop- strategy_x.htm They never say exactly where or how, but I assume FR plays into it heavily. The campaign laws might not permit a big direct donation, I not sure how these work hee, but it wold be easy for the GOP to get a bunch of shills to sign up and contribute.
Spam the net! People should know FR & JimmyRimmy are frauds.
I know RimJob's in a wheelchair, although I have forgotten why. Whatever the reason, someone's got him over a barrel. If he's doesn't do what they want, he can kiss off all those big bucks. Then where's he going to be?
"I aim to misbehave" -- Mal Reynolds, Firefly
Has he ever gone hunting with Dick Cheney?
I just looked it up. He has Muscular Dystrophy.
"I aim to misbehave" -- Mal Reynolds, Firefly
That's a shame, but it's hard to feel sorry for people who work so hard to destroy this country.
Seriously.. there are a lot of really good researchers on DK.. and believe they'd like nothing better to expose the RW fraudmachine.
Yeah, same here. I just wonder how he feels having to write stuff he does not believe, when if he doesn't he might go back to being a poor man in a wheelchair? Does he resent it? I sure would.
"I aim to misbehave" -- Mal Reynolds, Firefly
I know RimJob's in a wheelchair, although I have forgotten why. Has he ever gone hunting with Dick Cheney? LOL!
I know one thing from studying Forum Softwares on my own private Apache server to look for one I might use on my own forum when I start it again as a full website. Several of them allow for the creation of artificial members in order to test the Banning/Post Editing/Moderator Status controls. It has long been my contention that JimRob, JohnRob and the "Mod Squad" use this artificial member creation ability to inflate the membership and also to make most of the "ZOT- Kitty" posts that do not originate with DemocraticUnderground or ClownPosse THEMSELVES. These "ZOT-Kitty posters are basically created in order to divert Freeper flame figths tendencies to these fictional "liberals" and away from Howlin, nopardons, BobJ, Doug from Upchuck, sexual stalkers and other objectionable posters JimRob allows on FR because of the money they donate.
That's really interesting, CS, I had no idea that there was so much psychology involved or such mind games. I figured FR was a hollow shell at this point, but you've added a lot of insight.
#2. To: Zipporah (#1)
#3. To: mehitable (#2)
Quite a massive undertaking - more time than I'd spend on FR, but I thought it was really interesting to see.
#4. To: mehitable (#0)
#5. To: mehitable, Zipporah (#0)
"Business is business", you say?
Conscience is conscience.
#6. To: mehitable, Zipporah (#1)
(Unless you're one of JR's buttboys)
Hey, Meester,wanna meet my seester?
#7. To: Tauzero (#5)
#8. To: Flintlock (#6)
I read the stats and I agree they're cooking the books.
#9. To: mehitable (#0)
#10. To: Tauzero (#5)
#11. To: Zipporah (#3)
#12. To: YertleTurtle (#9)
I've thought for years they get their funding from the GOP, which is why RimJob pretty much follows the Republican line.
#13. To: mehitable (#11)
There are a couple of other forums that might enjoy seeing this as well
Hey, Meester,wanna meet my seester?
#14. To: ... (#12)
They never say exactly where or how, but I assume FR plays into it heavily. The campaign laws might not permit a big direct donation, I not sure how these work hee, but it wold be easy for the GOP to get a bunch of shills to sign up and contribute.
#15. To: YertleTurtle (#14)
I know RimJob's in a wheelchair, although I have forgotten why.
#16. To: mehitable (#15)
I know RimJob's in a wheelchair, although I have forgotten why. Has he ever gone hunting with Dick Cheney?
#17. To: YertleTurtle (#16)
#18. To: mehitable (#11)
I might go over there and suggest that. There are a couple of other forums that might enjoy seeing this as well such as DU.
#19. To: mehitable (#17)
That's a shame, but it's hard to feel sorry for people who work so hard to destroy this country.
#20. To: mehitable (#15)
#21. To: mehitable (#0)
#22. To: Coral Snake (#21)
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