When the Trolls started showing up in mass, during the Q Revolution, I would search their post history and find 10 year gaps, then suddenly, they were posting like 30-40 times each day.
Free Republic is not the same place it was 20 years ago, but I still find more useful political information and commentary here than I find any other place on the Web.
I also contribute generously every month now.
Before I retired, I was concerned my real name would get hacked and publicly released, which could have had serious financial consequences.
I don’t even know what would be considered a troll. I would think that on a website like this that you could have people who like Trump and people who don’t like Trump and people who like Desantis and people who don’t like Desantis, etc. But, there seems to be one view that’s acceptable here on every topic and the rest are not and you get called a troll if you don’t go along with the “right” opinion. The same goes for many of the COVID-related issues.
It’s not a civil place anymore.
But,like you, I’m still here. I just participate less. I check in several times a day as always.