You may want to grab your tinfoil but I think the site has been targeted by those who don’t appreciate the conservative nature of FR. JMHO.
Jim Thompson is no Captain Bligh .. lol
Trust me , Folks, for your value FR is leaps ahead of the news cycle machines out here, this is as raw as it gets and ya don’t have to go outside and get a hard copy in the rain.
I can understand the frustrations and questioning by many , FR is an addictive place, its that darn ebb and flow thing, almost predictable in years and times like this.
There is no starting from scratch with the database, the machinery, it’s a slow painful process to grow and stay prepared for attacks , design , traffic ..
The sad reality is money talks,, anyone doing what they do already and keep it up as much as they do on the dollars available is to be commended, not hounded imho.. or they are not tech savvy when ya start building a couple racks worth of servers support a nation of folks at FRee Republic.
Challenge to anyone.. Go out and start a site with all the bells and whistles that make FR click on $250K and a similar infrastructure to connect thru.. now keep it running grow it and keep the bow out of the water as long as ya can..
Is there a next Gen FR out there or on the drawing board.. not that I know.. but I’m patient enough to let some of the big dog servers go online.. sooner rather than later .. but Hey.. ya never know.. ‘Til then the drinking lamp is lit. Please smoke on the deck, wifey will be home soon. :-)