I've always been amazed, by people who do that.
They sign up on Free Republic just to say "goodbye" to us.
I lurked around here 18 months before I signed up, and then never posted a response to a thread until I had been signed up for more than 6 months, and never even posted a new thread for yet another 6-8 months after that.
I guess I am easily intimidated, but man, those who sign up just to say "farewell" have chutzpah.
I lurked for almost 2 years before signing up.
Some of the n00bs remind me of a Zen story I heard:
A young student had traveled far to learn from the old master, and was very earnest. The old master ignored him and went about his business. Finally the young student demanded that the old master acknowledge him. With that the old master took his walking stick and broke out all the young students teeth and then returned to going about his business.