ReUnion Thread: Calling All Pre-WOT Freepers with PRE- 9/11/2001 Join Dates

May 2, 2012 | Vanity

[xzins]

We are the Free Republic Pre-War on Terror Class of Freepers.

Having been a freeper for over a decade, and having experienced both a pre 9/11 presence here and a post 9/11 presence, having experienced the Hanging Chad Wars of GW's first election, Sore Loserman and all, what stands out for you regarding the growth of Free Republic over the years.

What are your thoughts on the independence of Free Republic, and Jim Robinson's decision to go advertisement free all these years. My first thought is that his financial independence is what has freed him to tell the GOP-E to stick it in their ear this year.

If he had to worry about sponsors dropping him, or well-heeled pubbies supporting him, that might have intimidated a lesser man.

We've been blessed these many years. What stands out for you in your decades plus experience on Free Republic?

[MrIndi]

Used to post quite a bit until the men in black paid a visit and my website was shut down over the “cross-hair” video NBC did on GWB. Been a lurker since...

[Randy Larsen]

I found FR through Drudge in mid Jan. 1998 while on my web TV.

Saved the link to comedy because my distrust of government. Finally joined on 14 Feb 1998 under the name Randy2u which has now been banned by JR.

If it has happened, if researched it or read about it on FR!

How many can remember there FR join number, I think Jim Rob is #1, mine is 1690.

FR is my home page on all my confusers, and ipad!

[xzins]

I do not remember my FR join number, but what a memory you have. Awesome, Thanks RL.

[1lawlady]

Here I am checking in just a little late as usual. 260 posts already. I lurked from 1998 and joined this merry and witty band 4-20-2000. The highlights and battles we've fought as conservatives are too numerous to count, but somehow Travel gate and 500 FBI files seem to stand out to me. I go here for my news and correct and proper news analysis. I am bored beyond reason if and when I watch TV b/c they are reporting and always incorrectly analyzing some item we discussed on FR two days prior. I want to yell, “Catch Up,” at the TV pundits. All subsequent blogs and news comment pages, like Townhall, Daily Caller, Blaze, HP, and, of course, DU are pale comparisons and insipid
imitations of FR. I don't even bother with them much. Why would I when I get it all right here on FR; and I get it first. I also adore and learn so much from my fellow Freepers who are the wisest, wittiest, and wackiest people I know. God bless ‘us.

I gladly support FR so that we don't have to have advertisements. I like to do a sizable contribution once a year and then practice what I like to think as my “free speech” for the rest of the year.

May FR continue forever, or at least til Christ's return. Never forget. WE ARE THE RESISTANCE.

[xzins]

I want to yell, “Catch Up,” at the TV pundits

LOL! I remember doing exactly that at TV news people during the Florida recount. My time on the pages of FR had me better briefed, updated, knowledgeable than any of them.

I realized then that they weren't all that bright. In fact, they didn't stack up to most freepers I knew.

[KC Burke]

Do you remember the Fire Talk thingy we had operating a couple of years later with voice and text chat in spring of 2000. I think BobJ and some others set it up.

[Randy Larsen]

Check this out...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2414604/posts

Ken5050 asking about Freeper #’s.

[boxlunch]

Y’all are very welcome! This has been a great thread, I needed to feel that FR camaraderie again. Thanks for getting it going!

[EDINVA]

“I’ve only been here for eight years so my opinions surely mean nothing.”

Pretty much!

Actually I’ve seen some “noobs” contribute more to some threads on their first day here than some old timers. “Noobs” is one of my absolute least favorite words. Next only to “RINO” or “Rhino” as it’s so often misspelled and - worse - misused.

I spent 2+ years as a lurker before signing up and still consider myself a ‘noob.’ Don’t know how to do some of the clever stuff, or even the simple stuff like bolding and underlying, God forbid I could put up a graphic!

Memory is we went to one of the first FReeps on Capitol Hill, around Halloween time in ‘97 or ‘98-’99. somewhere in there. Went to a few dinners in the Crystal City area, a Christmas party or two at the Orleans House in Arlington. They were all fine, but NOTHING compares to the 2000 post-election FReeping of the VP mansion. Nothing will ever be that much fun. That’s when I finally signed up. Still own a Sore Loserman t-shirt I bought there.

The tone over time has become far more harsh and a lot less clever, IMO, It’s become hard to discuss issues because differences of opinion seem to invite name calling. I avoid religious threads 99% of the time. Just hideous. Always try to hit the prayer threads, and add to my daily prayer list that seems, unfortunately, to get longer every day.

Mostly I try to remember it’s a website, open to the public, and anyone can claim to be anything and to hold whatever expertise their cyberself wants. One has to separate the wheat from the chaff. Whether paid advertising would change that we will probably never learn.

[Gasshog]

In no particular order:

WhiteWater/ Sink POTUS/ CHELSEA CLINTON: 'I FEEL LIKE A PORN STAR/ all your base are belong to us/ Bunny, pancake...you know the drill./ Tourist Guy/ hanging chads/

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Cant believe my eyes! Ive been member of FR for this many years?!?!

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Aside from the comedy the only news/posting forum on the internet where you'll get real experts (like astrophysicists commenting on threads of scientific interest) that know what their stuff. Plus commentary from people who are close to where the news happens. And just a lot of good people!!

[Cronos]

joined in May 2001. What stands out for me was the movement AGAINST the liberal attacks on Bush.

[Dog]

What stands out for me after all these years....it was the morning of Sept 11,2001.....the world changed in a span of an hour. Gone were the days of Judge Sauls,Hanging Chads,Sore Loserman......and "Get out Cheneys House...."

We awoke to a world of suicide bombers...planes as weapons....shoe bombers...etc,etc...and a fight to the death with a radical sect of nuts.

P.S. See my tagline.....:-)

[Cronos]

Not quite so old — I’m 35 and joined FR in ‘01 basically because i was disgusted with the entire tv media available. I wasn’t too political, I credit FR with confirming my conservative nature and FReepers for making me understand why I always felt the conservative viewpoint had more logic to it (and yes, our viewpoint is more logical than a liberal view)

[Cronos]

on 9/11 I was in Brussels and it was surreal. It's was a case of "we're no longer in Kansas". For long we had watched the Taliban commit their atrocities while Clinton stood by and did nothing.

If Clinton had done something, 9.11 may never have happened.

For that matter if GW Bush hadn't got involved in GW I...

[Cronos]

And FR is one of the very, very few places where it can be used.

whoa, wait, -- "can"? I thought you had to use it still :)

[Cronos]

whatever happened to Dighton? he hasn’t posted since 2010.

[bmwcyle]

I think the old guy is dead. It was a different time at the FR.

[bert]

-——the growth of Free Republic-——

I am not able to measure growth but see no evidence of growth in numbers or prestige.

There are new faces and absence of old faces but I have no reason to believe that there is growth.

My view is that there is change.

For the good? can’t say but there is no longer an activist capability, an ability to act as a unified force to accomplish a specific goal. Many upon whom I relied for well reasoned views are gone. The new faces babble but do not represent reason.I have seen some of the old posters recently but they came and quickly left.

The place is not the same.

[firebrand]

One thing I have noticed over the years, but especially recently, is how no one seems to know what we know. The chasm between the news that we conservatives read and what others read or watch is enormous and growing bigger.

[Ax]

As I approach my 70th birthday, I have difficulty remembering what I had for lunch yesterday, let alone all the FReepers from back in the day. Can’s say I recall Fire Talk and Bob J.