Actually, they used to run for two weeks or so. And someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that the record really is one week.
I don’t blame Jim or FR for their going on for weeks. I think a lot of the blame rests on the O’Bambi economy, the 17% unemployment rate, and the doubling of grocery and fuel prices.
Another thing that didn’t help was the propaganda spread on the site by “anti-FReepers” and “anti-Jimmers” (their own terms, not ours) about Jim’s being “greedy” and not really needing the amount of money at which he sets his (private, for-profit, donation-funded) company’s FReepathon goals.
A LOT of gullible FReepers bought into all that nonsense.
I remember them being shorter, but never THAT short.