Rrstar.com Banned all Democrats Today.

[SlingBlade]

Our Cities only newspaper forum The Rockford Register Star, Rrstar.com
today purged and banned every single Democrat ,Progressive and Left leaning
independent today. That included myself and one other D.Uer.

Having lived here for more than thirty years I know there is a very strong
right wing presence here. The 16th. Congressional district has elected
and reelected Don Manzullo for pretty much a life term.

During this election year the right wingers have become increasingly hostile
to anyone that does not toll the Bush line but I never in a million years
thought this News Organization would go to such lengths.

I’ve PM’d and E-Mailed with no response. This is fascism at its very worst
Hopefully its not a preview of things to come nationwide.

[babylonsister]

1. That's probably illegal, or should be. Kick and recommend for input and outrage. nt

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. and wrong...

K&R

[Donnachaidh]

2. Send the information to Countdown

And let him give them a Worst person's award. And keep doing it until the forum explains it censorship.

[SlingBlade]

3. This is what they have been pushing for

A post from one of the Right Wingers

You know what? It is really doesn't bother me that FATCAT is still posting at RRStar under almost a half dozen usernames while my account there still remains inactive.

bootstrapbob
TomJoadsGhost
fastfreddy
Bruce_Butler
System of a Down
Jonathon Blaise
Stone Cold Steve
Psychotic Mastermind
D GR8 DB8R
The Lone Gunman
RastaGal
Chop Suey
Chi Town Charlie
Sergeant Major
Shockwave
Mirth Munch
ZEE

FatCat was banned some 6 months ago, Really gave it to em.
Every one on his list above AND MORE were kicked off

[murielm99]

4. Did you find out why you were banned?

Did they make a statement?

[SlingBlade]

5. It only states that you are banned

I think the moderator may be a right winger and is taking the word of the above
poster that we are all trouble makers of dupes of this fatcat guy.

Multiple accounts, etc.

[PATRICK]

7. Picket, boycott and drop

leaflets?

[lonestarnot]

8. Sue!

[sharesunited]

9. Gatehouse Media. Stock symbol GHS.

[SlingBlade]

12. Yes, Gatehouse

one of the banned members, TomJoadsGhost was forwarding some
of crap going on there directly to Gatehouse.

Obviously did no good, Bunker mentality

[alfredo]

28. Hit them in the wallet. Boycott advertisers.

[spuds]

10. Nazi's

you have a printer? print up a big swastika and stick one on all there public papper boxes and underneath tell the publick what they have done.

[SlingBlade]

11. I signed up under a new screen name and posted this

You ahve banned every Democrat

What gives you the Right to exclude people for thier views or on the word of an obvious dupe right wing dupe, Johnny Blaze.

I hope you know that lawsuit comes to mind here.



I dont expect an answer from MGT., Just more name calling from the Bush Crew.

Sorry, I'm pretty upset

http://community.e-rockford.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=61301#61301

[Retired AF Dem]

24. If the website is privately owned

They can ban anyone they want. Same as any other board on the internet. Bush lovers don't seem to last long here. :)

[Canuckistanian]

26. At least DU is up front about it

It says right on the registration page that Bush lovers and disruptive conservatives aren't welcome.

This board was meant to be a haven from rabid rightys who seem to have infiltrated almost EVERY board, political or not.

[Roy]

50. Actually, I don't think this is correct

I have been a member of this site almost since it's launch. I see this assumtion thrown about quite a bit with no replies.

Right wingers have always been a part of DU either as welcome guest to debate issues or the ever present trolls. people are banned from DU only for breaking the rules and this includes long respected democrats.

There used to be a coonservative economist here (with a conservative user name) who was even allowed to "blog" on the DU front page. I learned a lot from the discussions between he and the learned DU economy types.

Even obvious trolls exist here today, and are only banned when they blatantly and constantly break the DU rules. And even then it seems only after repeated warnings that rules are being broken.

[kevinbgoode]

13. You need to handle this is a very pro-active, very pragmatic manner

There are a few things you can do to make your voices heard, but it is going to take some work and perseverence.

First, you've acknowledged that you are not receiving any responses from the newspaper's editorial department concerning the ban. At this point, you don't know if this was an editorial decision by the newspaper management, or an ideological decision made by the website operator employed by the company for online content. You need to call the managing editor for the entire newspaper, followed by the publisher. If you can't email them directly, I suggest a phone call.
In this contact, you need to specifically point out issues you have with how you are being treated by the newspaper - and be specific. Ask them for the purpose of their online forum, ask if this is their entire newspaper editorial policy now, and be prepared to give them specific examples of inherent bias. Be polite and reasonable - even if they sound unreasonable.

If you don't get an adequate response, then it is time to go to their OWNERS. The Rockford newspaper is owned by GateHouse Media. . .http://www.gatehousemedia.com/aboutus/. . .you can locate a listing of management officials for the company. I'm not impressed by the lack of ethical description on their web site - meaning, they don't seem to have any posted statement of news ethics, so that may be a negative clue about their content. I haven't tried to do many other searches about the history of this company, but I suggest you do so before contacting them - the more you know about their agenda and policies, the better off you'll be in approaching them with your complaints. Those complaints can work, by the way. . .I've been a pain-in-the-ass to my local newspaper, and their parent company, for several years, and they listen to me. (of course, I have two degrees in journalism and have written a chapter in a text book, and have been a reporter, but that isn't necessary - it just means I understood how these companies are constructed. Don't be afraid of confronting the larger company with your complaint - if there is one thing a publisher hates, it's having the parent company field a complaint about their policies.

Now, there is always a chance that you won't get a good response. If that's the case, there is no reason to despair - it means you, and all of the other independent/progressives in Rockford (which has a rather large population) have reason to start organizing. If you have an entertainment newspaper in town (even a weekly) approach them with a request to write a weekly column, pointing out that the Register-Star refuses to air any point of view other than right-wing crap. If that isn't possible, it's time to get together with some other concerned locals - and create a web site that targets the content (and lack of content) in the newspaper about certain issues. Find someone with some journalism background who understands the limits and can judge the publication's ethics - if you go this route, put up flyers for people to access the site and encourage real discussion.

Newspapers are still struggling with figuring out how to handle online content. For over 100 years, they were used to being able to edit, screen, toss-aside and rewrite letters-to-the-editor, often the only forum which people could interact or question the content of the newspaper. Now, with an online presence, they suddenly realize that people are more open, more direct, sometimes more hostile, and are quick to engage in discourse with each other as they are about the newspaper content - and the paper can't run a forum and use the same level of controls as letters-to-the-editor without employing someone full-time, 24/7 to moniter the site. And this is your strongest argument. . .you are certainly within your rights as a consumer and participant, to question their dedication to providing forums for discussion if they limit participation to right wing zealots.

In the end, there are other things that are possible. Newspapers are generally not doing that well financially. . .if you organize well, their advertisers can be approached, subscribers can be encouraged to cancel subscriptions, and the parent company will certainly take notice of declining circulation and advertising dollars.

[SlingBlade]

15. Thank You kevinbgoode

I may have a few ideas.
We do have a progressive weekly in the Rock Rover Times, But no online forum
Then there is the Democratic meet up crew etc.

Thats why I posted this. D.U has some great activist and can show us the
proper way to approach this.

[struggle4progress]

14. Our political fights ultimately will not be won on the internet anyway: they'll be won when

we organize moving people in the streets and workplaces

[SlingBlade]

16. Your right, But we do need to counter their message

of hate and division.
It's late, Just wait until Sat. They will go ape once they
see what their benifactor has done for them.

I'm pulling my hair out now :)

[SlingBlade]

17. I’m paranoid, But

has anyone else here experienced this besides in Rockford ?

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. You are not paranoid, the net

with few exceptions, has become less and less friendly to people of certain political persuasions

And people need to take to the streets, physically

NO, not holding my breath on that one either.

[SlingBlade]

19. Well, That's one plus

I wish I’d had a chance to get real world info on the others who were tossed.
The only one I know how to contact is my fellow D.Uer.

Should have known.

[struggle4progress]

20. Nothin wrong with kicking back against it: but there's plenty of this comin down the road

[Peanut Butter]

21. In a Right Wing City, An Election Year, Hummm.

Looks like the games begin.

[orleans]

22. i wonder if all the dems who are rejoicing that randi rhodes has been

silenced (in effect "banned") from the airwaves are in agreement with this stunt as well.

[byronius]

23. Jesus that had better end soon.

I love Sam, but this is nervewracking, frankly. She's my Source.

[nadinbrzezinski]

43. Of course they should be

to be consistent that is

[SlingBlade]

25. This is the excuse they use

A post by one of them

Yep, here's one that I saw on the member list that has now popped up since his other alias' got booted, AND he's starting right back in with the same old garbage.
The RRStar does NOT exclude anyone for their points of view. They keep booting you off of here because of the incivility you bring to the forum (name calling, insults, false accusations), yet you keep coming back and doing the same things over and over.

Have you considered a different hobby, perhaps? One that doesn't involve being a pain in the backside to others.

My Reply:
Say’s one of the elite Right.
What was the giveaway you noticed, The two Black men in the avatar ?
Your scenario doesn't hold water
Only Democrats have been banned from this site.

Your excuse that only banned members are being purged is also a joke.
It’s obviously CODE for Democrats.

And the fact that you post here for something meant for Anna and the Rrstar.com
Also shows the amount of arrogance you Right Wingers display here.

There has been mounds of name calling by the Far Right yet they go on and on.
This has been documented and is a clear as glass.

[alfredo]

27. Picket the paper. Make sure the electronic media knows. Got to

media outlets and advertisers.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

29. Shitty thing to do, but most likely not illegal.

We ban Republicans everyday here.

[progressoid]

30. Um, no, it's not fascism.

[SlingBlade]

39. I believe it is fascism

Their normal postings contain a steady stream of Bush Lies, Hate Speech
and Race Baiting, If your Black your a lazy welfare cheat, If your Latino
your an illegal alien, If your a Democrat your an America hater etc etc.

The whole point is to silence opposition.

[progressoid]

48. Sorry, that still doesn't make it fascist.

Silencing the opposition on a privatly owned website is not facism. If it is, then DU is fascist since the opposition is regularly banned from DU.

[backscatter712]

31. Re-register and troll them.

Think of it as sport - sort of like trolling Free Republic or Redstate.

Every time you get banned, register and do it again.

[spanone]

32. don't worry, they'll eat shit come november

[I work for workers]

33. This thread has to be a joke,

right? ...

[SlingBlade]

36. No Joke, Its REAL

[I work for workers]

47. I'm more refering to the responses it's getting.

Never mind. If you don't get it immediately, it's not worth explaining.

[dave123williams]

34. So strong is their argument that it can not brook debate, eh?

So correct is their ideology that it can not withstand scrutiny, can not be held to the light without disintegrating.

Theirs is a house of cards that's already folding.

[BlooInBloo]

35. "toll the Bush line" - we're a stupid, stupid country.

[SlingBlade]

37. This is how they’ve been doing it

Once they identify someone as being on the left they immediately start calling you
a banned member, Usually one named “FatCat”

This is followed by reams of complaints to the moderators asserting this along with
the usual name calling hoping to get you to respond in kind at which point you get banned while they walk away Scott free.

I believe there is no more than four of them doing this, They hang out at a site called:
http://z3.invisionfree.com/harrrstarboard/index.php

One of them obviously has multiple accounts, The Johnny Blaze character.
This has worked for them to perfection, I’ve never seen a Newspaper Forum
ban a whole crop of people like this.

Here is what was waiting for me this morning after a posted a complaint to the moderators.

All the WingNuts signified by a star *

My post to the forum Mod:
You have banned nearly all Democrats on this forum ANNA !
You have banned nearly every Democrat, Progressive and Independent on this forum.

What gives you the Right to exclude people for their views
Or on the word of an obvious right wing dupe, Johnny Blaze who also goes by
Psycotic Mastermind, Magnetron, Thorn, Typhoid Mary, Anarchitect ,2548-week-old fetus, keith13, jockstrapbob, Fatcat, missbehavin1010, Jeff Semiche, jonathonb61, Kiloman, Among others here and at his Anti-Rrstar Message Forum hosting such catagories as this:

*
Yep, here's one that I saw on the member list that has now popped up since his other alias' got booted, AND he's starting right back in with the same old garbage.The RRStar does NOT exclude anyone for their points of view. They keep booting you off of here because of the incivility you bring to the forum (name calling, insults, false accusations), yet you keep coming back and doing the same things over and over.

Have you considered a different hobby, perhaps? One that doesn't involve being a pain in the backside to others.

ME:
Say’s one of the elite Right.
What was the giveaway you noticed, The two Black men in the avatar ?
Your scenario doesn't hold water
Only Democrats have been banned from this site.

Your excuse that only banned members are being purged is also a joke.
It’s obviously CODE for Democrats.

And the fact that you post here for something meant for Anna and the Rrstar.com
Also shows the amount of arrogance you Right Wingers display here.

There has been mounds of name calling by the Far Right yet they go on and on.
This has been documented and is a clear as glass.

*
Thanks again for proving my point of making false accusations.
You're picking up right where you left off.

ME:
And your a Right Wing Shill interjecting yourself into something that
doesn't concern you.

This makes at least six different Forum members you have accused of being a banned forum member.
As I stated, This is code for Democrat.

You stated that you knew from looking at the Members list that I was a banned member.
The members list only shows five things.
Screen Name :
Avatar:
Location:
Birth Date:

As YOU stated, You KNEW I wasn't a friendly member from what ?

My Location: Rockford ??
My Birth Date: 08/14/74 ??
My Screen Name: Legends ??
My Gender male: ??

No, The Avatar of two Black Men obviously
MLK and Malcolm X

Now go away

*
Right back to the name calling, too. Thanks for once again showing why you've been booted from here over and over.


*
No, they banned obnoxious idiots, who repeatedly violated the forum rules. The fact that most of them espoused Far-Left Liberal views says far more about THEIR deficient character, than about that of the forum administrators.

*
I am an Independent. I have not been banned.
It seems that the bans have occurred because of peoples' actions, not their political views. Take some personal responsibility, Fatcat.

*
Note that with the absence of FATCAT, Del Wasso and their clones accounts ...
http://community.e-rockford.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=5

... real members like mattygbd, Parent2 and UTB feel comfortable enought to post real topics and have real discussions, without worry that someone is going to bury these under a mountain of cut & paste and spam or get caught up in some juvenile flame war.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
As you can see they assume I am a banned member, I’m not, At least I wasn't
until the mass purge. But as I said, It works to perfection for them

[SlingBlade]

38. OneAngryDemocrat a fellow DUer

Can back me up on this.
I repeat, It is no joke, I wish it were.

[bullwinkle428]

40. I was just at the site myself - I see no evidence of this "banning"

http://community.e-rockford.com/forums/

[SlingBlade]

41. Thats because we are all GONE

What is it you are looking for ?
All of the postings as well as the screen names of all these individuals are GONE.

[SlingBlade]

42. So far as I can tell, There are only TWO left

Out of more than 20

[SlingBlade]

49. List of purged Democrats, Progressives and Independents

Yea, Not just a "Few bad apples" as the Repug moderator and Rrstar Repug members claim.

This adds up to more than 41 in the past year or so.

mmissinglink
left_ofcenter
Lady326
Machinehead61
Nocheapthrill
Drummerron
Budwsr
Smartypants
Marcusdog
Geekintraining
scottycash99
FATCAT
VIAGRASIXFAN
MrPoopers
dasvar
Fred75
Bookworm
Hillary
HOOHAH
LionStar
bootstrapbob
TomJoadsGhost
fastfreddy
Bruce_Butler
System of a Down
Jonathon Blaise
Stone Cold Steve
Psychotic Mastermind
D GR8 DB8R
The Lone Gunman
RastaGal
Chop Suey
Chi Town Charlie
Sergeant Major
Shockwave
Mirth Munch
ZEE
Del Wasso
The White Rose Society
DemGirl
Legends

And of course Legends the latest victim who posted this last message on
the Rrstar.com web site

The Rockford Register Star Forums (Rrstar.com) purged nearly every Democrat, Progressive and Left leaning Independent today on its Message Forum.
This leaves only one voice which has spewed loud and
clear there for years now.
The Right Wing Radicals who have spewed countless slanders against Democratic Candidates, As well as
bigotry against Blacks and Latinos with such hated and
venom Id not seen in years.
Their excuses are less than truthful when you consider
nearly all who were banned were Democrats.

If any of you are one of the above former banned members please contact me.

[varelse]

44. Maybe your city's only newspaper needs some competition

Any chance of you banding together and starting up your own news forum for the area?

[nichomachus]

45. How to kick a local newspaper right in the nuts

Don't scream and yell -- that just solidifies their belief that they're getting noticed and making a difference. Really.

Don't pick out the biggest advertiser and try to boycott them. Their ad buys usually come from some corporate office somewhere and they could give a shit less. IOW, don't try to make a difference with Target or SavOn Drugs.

Pick a local business who buys a lot of ad space -- this is usually going to be "Honest Jack" the car dealer or "Babson Furniture" -- you know the type, local guys who rely on the patronage of a large portion of the public.

Get a bunch of people -- 25-50 should do the trick, more if you can -- start calling the local business and ask to talk to the boss. Get as close to him as you can. Tell him that he advertises in the newspaper and the newspaper is biased and unfair and that you and no one in your family is going to shop there. About 10 minutes later have someone make the same call. And again and again and again.

I can guarantee you that by mid-afternoon the guy is going to be freaking out. Before close of business, he will be on the phone threatening the publisher of the paper. The publisher will be freaking out because he is evaluated by corporate on how much money he makes -- nothing else. Corporate doesn't care what the paper runs -- only how much money they send back to the mother ship.

The next day, pick another merchant, and repeat the process. After about the third day, I can guarantee you that the publisher will be shitting bricks. Most newspapers these days are on the brink of starvation and when their biggest local advertisers are calling and screaming, you just know the publisher is going to be screaming. And most car dealers and furniture stores are up against the wall, so 20 or 25 calls from angry potential customers are going to be noticed and the owners will be on the phone with the paper.

I spent a good part of my life in community newspapers, watching the publisher twist and dance to keep local advertisers happy. He would have given them a lewinsky if it meant keeping their business -- and that's when things were going pretty good.

[spanone]

46. the right wing is a dangerous entity. they are also about to lose a shit load of their power

[Peanut Butter]

51. OK Kiloman, Tonight I started the test drive

We will see if what you said is true.

"I Took The Test Drive"
At the Rockford Register Star Fascist Forum
Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:02

One Post and Two Comments
Posted Leo 9s D.U POST “Warmonger McCain doesn't appreciate "Warmonger" tag”
Didn't include any D.U identifiers for obvious reasons.


Warmonger McCain doesn't appreciate "Warmonger" ta (Post)
http://community.e-rockford.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5493&sid=e8b6d96da7f5da0847f5316ac6308f54

Rockets Kill 3 US Troops in Baghdad - S.O.S... (Comment)
http://community.e-rockford.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=61432&sid=e8b6d96da7f5da0847f5316ac6308f54#61432

Why Mexico sucks (Comment)
http://community.e-rockford.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=61433&sid=e8b6d96da7f5da0847f5316ac6308f54#61433



"I Took The Test Drive" :)