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Revision as of 08:06, 14 April 2005 edit undoJonathan Christensen (talk | contribs)252 edits As User:Wakeforest refuses to explain himself, remerging content into Free Republic. See Talk:Free Republic for details.Next edit → |
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'''Jim Robinson''' (born ]) is the founder and primary owner of ], a ] internet forum based out of ]. He is a computer programer and served in the ] as an electricion from 1965 to 1969. He formed Free Republic in 1996 and is currently semi-retired due to ] |
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==Controversy== |
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Robinson's activites on Free Republic are the subject of extensive controversy. In 1998 Free Republic was successfully sued by the ] and ] for copyright infringement of their news stories, which were posted to the site. |
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===Immigration Rift=== |
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Robinson has taken informal positions in favor of ]'s amnesty program for ], causing a substantial rift in the membership of the site. The difference of opinion has allegedly resulted in Robinson's decision to ban several hundred posters and the resignation of many others. Critics on the right, such as ] have likened Robinson's activities to political ] and suggest that he screens new members of the site who take a differing position on immigration from his own. Robinson is also said to engage in ] of articles that criticize illegal immigration. |
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===Financial Impropriety=== |
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Free Republic's finances and Robinson's involvement with them have long been the subject of internet criticisms. The website is allegedly run on quarterly fundraiser drives that reportedly collect as much as $100,000 from member contributions. Many critics on sites such as ] and ], as well as former Free Republic posters who have since fallen out with the site, have expressed suspicion with the site's fundraising and Robinson's activities. Frequent allegations of financial impropriety include the claim that Robinson uses member donations as a source of substantial personal income. One frequent allegation suggests that Robinson used money collected for Free Republics operations to purchase a large ] for his personal use. |
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According to ], "Robinson has also been accused of raising funds online and not accounting for how he's used them." He was rumored at one time to be receiving a six-figure consulting fee from a now-defunct online streaming radio venture "while crying poverty" on Free Republic "and begging for donations." As Salon notes, "No one beyond Robinson really knows how much money has been taken in or spent. He refuses to release a financial statement, and declined any comment to Salon News on his finances." |
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==External links== |
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* at ] |
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* at ] |
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{{bio-stub}} |
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