-——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.
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.
I like the fact that FR is ad free for all the reasons you mention.
Aside from the obvious ones, there have been many interesting moments on FR..
Buckhead, and the Dan Rather phony memos
The March4Justice..I have a pic of me somewheres with "MrCigarMan", ( where did he go?)and also with Clinton's a Liar" ( aka Connie Haire) AND Ann Coulter ....
Two pretty funny scandals..."Deep in the Huertgen Forest" and "Classy Greeneyed Blonde" ( are those threads still archived?
And I got to meet, and know, lots of great folks: Because of FR, I had the wonderful opportunity to become friends with Barbara Olson (Freeper "bko")
And I still miss Howlin.. she rocked.
The purges of 2000...
I coild go on and on..
9/11 was a day I will never forget. And of course, the SoreLoserman days.
I lurked here starting in 2000 and signed up in July 2001. Going ad-free definitely enables Jim to say what’s on his mind. Good for him.
But I was a lurker long before that.
Just found this great thread.
I was so intimidated by all the knowledgeable people here that I lurked for a good while before I signed up.
Things I remember - Ash Alerts, Eschoir.
What finally push me to sign up: Registered’s Sore Loserman, the DC Chapter’s “Get out of Cheney’s house,” and the realization that the dems really did think they could steal the election.
Lurked through the summer of 1998 (courtesy of the Drudge Report); been a poster since Nov 2, 1998.
“Taxman” because I was/am a citizen activist/lobbyist for the National Retail Sales Tax, now known as the FairTax.
Went to as many FReeps as I could between March for Justice (Oct. 31, 1998) and Feb. 2004 when I moved to Floriduh.
I have many fond memories; DC Chapter of FR activities; many great FReeps 1998 - 2004; meeting and beFRiending many Real Americans; the FR Cruise; “Get out of Cheney’s House;” “Count the Silverware;” “Sore Loserman;” White House Tour after Slick left town; protesting Slick in FRont of the White House; how the DC Police Officers went out of their way to treat us well, and protect us FRom the LIEberal scum. And, many others.
All in all, a satisfying six years of activism.
Most satisfying? The fact that the LIEberal/Socialist/Marxist/Fascist twerps who thought they owned the streets were struck dumb when conservatives started doing “street theater.”
I am just so disappointed that American conservatives let us down by not raising the proper amount of HELL to convince the Senate to convict Slick; by not holding W’s feet to the fire and by electing ZERObama.