I thought about it more, and I believe that FR —at least in the incarnation that I first came to know it— is now about 15.7 years old.
Before that, it did exist, though in some other form, I dimly recall.
When I first came, in a full day there was still just 20 threads or so and EVERYONE more or less “knew” each other.
I don’t really knew how many freeps there are now, only that it’s more than 250,000.
I think many, many more than that lurk dedicatedly.
During the Monica Mess, someone here at FR did provide Monica’s REAL phone-number.
I did call her, but she hung-up on me.
We had very many consummate experts on the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and 95% of “real” journalists knew nothing about it, or were concealing it totally.
Another time Jeffrey Toobin came slutting around, trying to dredge up some form of info, I recall.
I think most famous people who come here do so by lurking, or do not self-identify.
I remember so well the day I found FR. I was on my son’s computer and was researching Monica and the dress-— when I found Drudge, and of course from there to FR.
I couldn’t believe what I was reading, and called to my husband that I found a web site that thinks and says everything we say and feel. I was hooked!. That was in March, but I didn’t think I could register on someone else’s computer. That’s how much I knew about computers at that time.
Finally in July I had my own computer, and Exit148 was officially a FReeper. Bless you JimRob!