[ShadowAce]

I have always figured there was some technical reason why that step is needed.

I'm not sure why there is that small wait with FR. I don't think there is a purely technical reason for it.

Perhaps John Robinson can enlighten us?

[zeugma]

I suspect it's a security thing to let you know that whatever content you get from the link is not something managed by FreeRepublic. It would be easy enough (especially with the clean design FR has) for someone to create a porn (or liberal) site that looks like FR, but isn't, and trick people into thinking they are still on FR when they are not.