Doubt it makes much difference, but I do use secure shell for search engines and other forums where possible.
I agree with your assessment.
The NSA has come out within the last 6 months and explicitly stated that if you are using HTTP without SSL (HTTPS) they are cataloging everything that you do. Since FR doesn’t use SSL, I wouldn’t be surprised if every one of us has a record somewhere.
Hell, some ISPs (I’m looking at you Bright House!) don’t offer SSL for POP3 on their email. I’ve been using BH as a relay for years to just send my email to my secure personal mail server.
If you’re not using SSL or TLS for browsing, your browsing history and behavior is out there for all to see.