Who reads FR? [FReepathon thread 9.6]

Conservapedia-An Illustrated Guide ^ | Jan 18, 2011

[bezelbub]

At www.freerepublic.com, we find the question Who reads FR? to be answered in the following way:

Over 300,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic since inception in 1996 and our forum is read daily by over one hundred thousand freedom loving citizens and patriots from all around the country, and all around the world. We're currently delivering over thirty million pageviews per month to over one million visitors.

This number of 300,000 users is sometimes quoted (i.e., "On one conservative Web site, Freerepublic.com, some of the site's 300,000 registered users have recently used discussion threads to encourage votes for Bristol." - www.people.com), and adorns the front page of freerepublic since Dec 2008 (waybackmachine.com).
But it was wrong then - and it is still wrong now.

So, why aren't there 300,000 freepers?

When registering for posting privileges, any user gets an identification number. The user normally doesn't see this ID, it is only used for internal purposes. Jim Robinson got the number 1, the number 100,000 is taken by The 100,000th FReeper! Unfortunately, these consecutive numbers seem to have been assigned at the beginning of the registration process, not after a successful creation of an account. So each failed try to register increased the used ids, but not the number of accounts. Both numbers diverged pretty fast, but the bug wasn't mended until Feb 2010, when the new mile-stone of 350,000 attempted registrations arrived. By then, the two numbers differed by roughly 100,000. In fact, when freerepublic announced to have 300,000 registered users for the first time ind Dec 2008, the number really was closer to 230,000 - and today, it is less than 270,000.

And what has been done about it?

The way the powers-to-be have chosen to get the numbers right is obvious: they wait for the reality to fit the stated fact. The number of created accounts wasn't updated for two years, and probably won't be changed for another two years, until the number of registered freepers meets the announcement on the front page.

Just for the record: I think that the number of pageviews and visitors are correct. And I doubt that the makers of the site willingly inflated the numbers of created accounts. It seems to be just an honest mistake, and an easy one to make. But when they found the bug, wouldn't it have been the right thing to change the number, as they knew that it was false?

[Jim Robinson]

Thank you very much, dayglored!! God bless.

[onyx]

God love you and Bless you, sweet Dayglored!
Your message alone makes my day!
Thank you very much for your generous donation!

[Windflier]

I was supposed to get a hat, too. :-(

I don't think they make 'em that big. Special order, ya know. Jim is on top of it, Your Highness.

(glad I'm not a blogger...)

[NoGrayZone]

If you donate $200 to the FReepathon right now, I’ll believe you!

[dayglored]

> (glad I'm not a blogger...)

You just keep that stuff up, poking him with a stick like that, and I'll betcha humblegunner will make a special Blogger Overlord dispensation just for you!! :)

[Windflier]

...how many folks share accounts, such as husband and wife or newsroom groups like the Pajamas Media team.

It makes exercises like what the OP did completely fruitless and a waste of oxygen.

Indeed, but at least this thread has stimulated some donations to the cause. I'm actually getting a kick out of it, to tell you the truth. It's got a toe in the Viking Kitties' water bowl ;-)

[humblegunner]

I'll betcha humblegunner will make a special Blogger Overlord dispensation just for you!

There's a whole menu full of stuff I haven't clicked yet.

It looks ominous, I dare not.

I dare not.

[caww]

Hey..it got me to do what I’ve been putting off this time around.. Ya know I might just as well cough it up right from the beginning. Better eventually be a monthly donor. That is the goal.

[Jim Robinson]

Here’s one that got away:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc1-EUPKzBo&feature=related

[Windflier]

Pshaw, I've been downright impossible for years!

I was trying to be nice, considering your new appointment and all, Your Lordship, but you're right.

(damn, did I just admit that you're right? Sheeesh....)

[dayglored]

> Indeed, but at least this thread has stimulated some donations to the cause. I'm actually getting a kick out of it, to tell you the truth.

Likewise. It's been competing very successfully for my attention as I try manfully to concentrate on work. :)

> It's got a toe in the Viking Kitties' water bowl ;-)

Eeeewwwwww. They're not going to like that....

[Windflier]

You just keep that stuff up, poking him with a stick like that, and I'll betcha humblegunner will make a special Blogger Overlord dispensation just for you!! :)

Oh, hell! I don't have a blog, but I do have email. Do you think The Overlord has the power to zot my email account???

Egads!

[r-q-tek86]

I guess I misunderstood... I thought this was a “post useless information that doesn’t really matter” thread.

My bad.

;^)

[Windflier]

There's a whole menu full of stuff I haven't clicked yet. It looks ominous, I dare not.

Your Most Gracious Master of Wayward Electrons:

Please forgive my earlier impudence and (unintended) insolence. I am guilty of momentarily continuing to treat you as a fellow peasant. I won't make that mistake again, Your Lordship!

Signed, Scared

[humblegunner]

Jagger has a good voice for that kind of work.
Everyone loves Texas...!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUJ9tftPsGY

[dayglored]

> Oh, hell! I don't have a blog, but I do have email. Do you think The Overlord has the power to zot my email account??? Egads!

Oh yes. The Overlord is speedy and cunning and has power to make your email account do weird things that are banned in 34 states. (And did I mention "wily"?)

In fact, by the time you read this, it's too late.

Way too late.

Sorry.

[Windflier]

Hey..it got me to do what I’ve been putting off this time around.

I hear you. We're scuffling to make ends meet in my house, but the big thread about the mystery freepmailer caused me to dig deep. I found a way to send in a small donation.

[Windflier]

The Overlord is speedy and cunning and has power to make your email account do weird things that are banned in 34 states. (And did I mention "wily"?)

In fact, by the time you read this, it's too late.

Way too late.

Aw man, I just knew it!

Well, maybe if I grovel hard enough, he'll see fit to re-instate my email account. Hey, do you think he'll stop all my spam emails if I ask him real nice?

[dayglored]

> Well, maybe if I grovel hard enough, he'll see fit to re-instate my email account.

Could be. It's gotta be some seriously fine grovelling, though. The Blogger Overlord has very high standards for acceptable grovelling.

> Hey, do you think he'll stop all my spam emails if I ask him real nice?

Hmmm, spam.... I'm not sure even the Blogger Overlord can do that. Can't hurt to ask, though...

[abbyg55]

But shouldn't we try to get every number on the main page right?

Your insistence that JohnRob drop everything to satisfy your obsession with the number of registered screen names would be like asking General Washington to order his men to stop fighting and count their bullets.