The link to freerepublic was critical in the late 90’s. It helped to spread the word about the forum in the very early days.
As I recall, it was taken down for a period. I cannot remember exactly when or why.
IIRC, I first found FR from a Drudge link about 2003.
FreeRepublic was linked on Drudge under the heading “WHITEWATER” when the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke in 1996. I found FR by hitting that link.
Drudge used to hang out with us, in the day. I still have a picture in my archives of me with Lucianne and Drudge at a FR event in DC in 1998.
I remember Drudge and FR were pretty tight in ‘98. Matt was just getting started.
A few yrs. later, don’t recall exact dates, there was a falling out between the two.
IIRC it was over some remarks and a thread critical of Drudge.
Matt removed his link to FR.
I was unaware he had put it back up as I don’t visit Drudge Report.
Remember him, Ann Coulter. Shared a cab with Lucianne and Jonah Goldberg after the March for Justice, Oct.1998.
Fun weekend to remember.
I came here via Drudge during the Whitewater era. It was the only place on the internet to find uncensored debate. For years I was sure FR was “show-prep” for Rush Limbaugh. I’d read a tidbit here that had the potential to be devastating to Clinton, and later that day it would be mentioned by Rush. The first time I saw proof that Dan Rather was using fake documents to try to undermine President Bush was when a FReeper posted a .GIF showing the document in question with a Word Perfect copy overlaid on it. It was hours before anyone else picked that up.
Drudge is a wonderful site and a great news concentrator with lots of eyes.
FR is a wonderful site, a news concentrator and information site. FR is the conservative HIVE-Mind at work.
We have had many well known figures here and if you are in politics and don’t stop here to see what the roots are saying, well, you end up like the Alphabets on November 9th. Shocked and unprepared.
We are part of show prep for many, we are part of speech prep for many conservatives nationally.
We are in some ways the tip of the spear.
Things that are discussed FR on Monday, make national news with in a couple of weeks.
Fr and Drudge both great sites. Good to mix it up a bit otherwise you just have a mono-site.
February 1, 2003 a vanity was posted on FreeRepublic about something in the sky exploding. Quickly it was associated with the space shuttle Columbia returning to earth.
I turned on the TV and checked all the news channels and nothing was being reported.
FreeRepublic scooped everyone.
FreeRepublic is like a news organization with 10s of thousands of beat reporters working 24/7 from every corner of this nation. If something is happening we will know about it.
The old gatekeepers hate that.
FR used to be more Wild West. Lucianne and Drudge complained about antisemitism. Lucianne spun off her own forum, hoping to draw off the best FR research people to be her “pretties”. I suspect Lucy wanted this site to be less conservative and more Republican.
I found FR thru Drudge back in 97-98 My dad “BB Park” did as well. Drudge used to comment often but stopped around 01-02 and cut the link several times because of stupid freepers... I imagine he still posts incognito...
I can’t remember if I found Free Republic through Drudge or Drudge through Free Republic. Either way I have enjoyed both for close to twenty years.
Not sure how I ended up at FR...but I recall Drudge breaking Watergate and the Vince Forster event.....waited for updates from the mystic Quidam.
That Drudge link is how I first found this site.
Clicked on the link at Drudge in 1998 and entered the FReepWorld of Ash, Murrysmom, Ash Alerts, Quidam and “turn off your Italians!”
I found mention of FR on the alt.impeach.clinton newsgroup in 1998.
As for Drudge, the only thing I have against him is his website design that automatically refreshes the page every few minutes. That artificially boosts his click count, and he uses those numbers to market himself to advertisers.
To me, that is fundamentally dishonest, so I don’t feel the least bit guilty about blocking all of his ads.
I first came to Free Republic off of a Drudge Link in late 1996. But as I remember it wasn’t a direct link. I clicked on a link for an article by Patrick Buchanan that was featured and that link brought me here. I’ve been here ever since.
I think I found freerepublic by doing a search on conservative forums. I lurked for a month or two and registered my account on April 23, 1998. I do remember I actually found drudge AFTER I found freerepublic so drudge was never much of an attraction for me.
His linking to us dates from about mid 1998 or so very very early.
it was a couple times, maybe 10 times, taken down temporarily, usually when someone used the n-word.