The Web Gets a Scoop (Wall St. Journal Lauds Free Republic on Columbia Coverage)

Wall St. Journal/Opinion Journal ^ | Sunday, February 2, 2003 1:29 p.m. EST | BY JAMES TARANTO

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Space Shuttle Columbia is in a decent for the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will pass over the San Francisco Area around 6:00 AM Pacific Time. Route will take the Shuttle over Las Vegas, Flagstaff, etc. NASA has still not decided which runway will be used. Landing will be at 9:16 AM Eastern.

[Jael]

Bump.

[swheats]

That is awesome.

[Flipyaforreal]

congrats! I always say, I Freep, therefore I am. FR is the Best in The World. Back to reading :))

[Mogger]

Welcome aboard new Freepers!

You will find this is THE online place to find out what ir really happening as it happens!

[PaulJ]

I'd venture a guess that we also scooped everyone on 9/11 as well.

That was a thread that I'll always remember. With Freepers watching all networks and local channels, listening to radio and Freepers there in NY, it was the most up to the minute news available. Drudge received too many hits, if you recall, and crashed. This was the place to be and why it is always the first place I go when I want up to the minute news.

[henbane]

Free Republic scooped the AP by at least 11 minutes--which is an eternity in the competitive world of wire-service reporting.

FREE REPUBLIC=CUTTING EDGE

[CyberAnt]

WhoooHoooo!!! We scooped the AP - what a hoot!!

[RobbyS]

A Citizens wire-service is what this is.

[I still care]

I saved those threads - at 9:08, a prescient Freeper predicted Osama Bin Laden was the culprit. They are amazing threads. FR is the best news source on the net. I didn't see much of that tragedy on TV, because I was glued to FR - it was a much faster source than anywhere else.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/520255/posts

[Merovingian]

no problem..thanks for the article..

[HighWheeler]

congratulations leadpenny! and FR

[agitator]

EABinGA and others were tracking the Shuttle in the RadioFreeRepublic chatroom as it approached for a landing in real time. Here's a transcript of what happened:

[08:23:00] <@EABinGA> but from what it looks like, it will fly directly over your head

[08:23:23] <+carenot> Woah!

[08:24:28] <@EABinGA> in about 35-40 minutes

[08:24:54] <+carenot> I will look for it. Thanks.

[08:25:15] <@EABinGA> leaving australia now, heading towards the philipines

[08:25:48] <@EABinGA> i'll see if i can let you know, when to stick your head out the window :)

[08:26:10] <+carenot> LOL, Thanks!

[08:52:24] <@EABinGA> Approaching California

[08:53:18] <+carenot> Ok. Ijust went out and didn't see anything. Sky is very bright.

[08:53:27] <@EABinGA> not yet... i'll let you know

[08:53:37] <+carenot> Ok, thanks again

[08:53:37] <@EABinGA> just north of SF, calif. now

[08:54:32] <@EABinGA> it doesnt take you long to go outside does it? it is moving very fast

[08:55:03] <+carenot> About 15 seconds

[08:55:08] <+carenot> If that.

[08:55:51] <@EABinGA> north of las vegas now

[08:56:10] <@EABinGA> arizona

[08:56:30] <@EABinGA> entering new mexico

[08:56:41] <@EABinGA> looks like it will be to the north of you

[08:57:06] <@EABinGA> eproaching texas now

[08:57:26] <@EABinGA> probably will be in texas in about 2 minutes

[08:58:15] <@EABinGA> going from new mexico to luisiana in a straight line, entering texas now

[08:58:22] <@EABinGA> time to go outside

[08:58:29] <+carenot> Ok, going now!

[09:00:26] <@EABinGA> they lost tracking.....

[09:02:25] <@EABinGA> probably long gone now

[09:04:59] <@EABinGA> should be landing in 12 minutes

[09:05:32] <+carenot> Ok, back in

[09:05:38] <@EABinGA> nothing?

[09:05:40] <+carenot> It is cold out there

[09:06:07] * @EABinGA passes carenot a cup of hot tea

[09:06:16] <+carenot> No I didn't see or hear anything and now I have a stiff neck!

[09:06:26] <+carenot> Thanks, LOL

[09:06:26] <@EABinGA> :)

[09:06:46] <@EABinGA> they are trying to contact the shuttle....

[09:07:01] <+carenot> They lost it?

[09:07:12] <@EABinGA> yeah, over your house

[09:07:51] <@EABinGA> 8 minutes to landing

[09:07:55] <+carenot> How big is it? Maybe I better check the tornado cellar

[09:08:46] <@EABinGA> it wont fit in there :D

[09:08:52] <+carenot> Good

[09:09:34] <+carenot> Where is it supposed to land?

[09:09:38] <@EABinGA> i am surprised how calm the folks are at mission control.... they actually look bored

[09:09:41] <@EABinGA> florida

[09:09:59] <@EABinGA> still looking for the shuttle

[09:10:06] <@EABinGA> 6 more minutes

[09:10:35] <@EABinGA> lost contact about 10 minutes ago

[09:10:51] <+carenot> How in heck can they lose a shuttle? What about all the radar every where?

[09:11:40] <+carenot> My thinking

[09:11:48] <@EABinGA> 5 minutes

[09:12:53] <@EABinGA> 4 minutes and still no contact

[09:13:46] <@EABinGA> 3 minutes

[09:14:41] <@EABinGA> starting contingency procedures

[09:14:52] <@EABinGA> people are actually moving at mission control

[09:15:02] <@EABinGA> no radar contact

[09:15:04] <@EABinGA> 1 minute

[09:15:54] <+carenot> I can't believe they lost it!

[09:16:12] <@EABinGA> should have touched down by now

[09:17:06] <@EABinGA> look at FR

[09:17:11] <+carenot> OK

[09:17:19] <@EABinGA> 3 messages already posted

[09:17:06] <@EABinGA> look at FR

[09:17:11] <+carenot> OK

[09:17:19] <@EABinGA> 3 messages already posted

[09:17:37] * bigaln2 (trillian@TORN-32B687FB.netwurx.net) has joined #rfr

[09:17:38] * ChanServ sets mode: +v bigaln2

[09:19:13] <+carenot> They lost the shuttle!

[09:20:52] <+carenot> I wonder if it has been blow up and they are not telling us?

[09:21:37] <@EABinGA> i am watching NASA TV...

[09:22:20] <@EABinGA> you didnt see it blow up?

[09:22:35] <+carenot> I didn't see nuffin!

[09:23:02] * Scutter (Scutter@TORN-104DEC60.cmngga.adelphia.net) has joined #rfr

[09:23:03] * ChanServ sets mode: +v Scutter

[09:23:04] <@EABinGA> Last seen over Dallas.

[09:23:09] <+Scutter> Shit

[09:23:27] <+carenot> Fix my hat hat please Scutter.

[09:23:42] <@EABinGA> I am not lying about this. I live in Dallas. Right at the time it disappeared, we heard a large boom.

[09:23:46] <@EABinGA> from FR

[09:23:47] * +Scutter adjusts carenot's hat

[09:25:05] <+carenot> I saw that it was visible in Dallas on the tv. It showed a very long contrail

[09:26:27] <+carenot> Just said they are securing all records and data.

[09:28:21] <+bigaln2> What the hell happened to the shuttle?

[09:28:38] <+carenot> They lost it

[09:28:42] <+Scutter> don't know al, but it isn't looking good

[09:28:57] <+bigaln2> The pictures on CNN are quite damning

[09:29:10] <+Scutter> its gliding in for a landing, so its not like it can just float around up there indefinately

 

[friendly]

Free Republic scooped the AP by at least 11 minutes--which is an eternity in the competitive world of wire-service reporting.

[tallhappy]

I bookmarked this thread yesterday. Glad to see others noticed.

Free Republic is the best news and info source around.

There needs to be a book...

[prairiebreeze]

This is so great! My best source of news hands down is FReeRepublic. Make that news AND knowlege because of so many learned and knowlegeable people posting and commenting about so many things. I love reading here!

Prairie

[Brad’s Gramma]

Oh MAN!!!!!!!!

Thanks for that.

[Polybius]

Some Freepers had the heartbreaking experience of watching brave men and women die in real time while sharing their experience on FreeRepublic.

Maybe we should all tone down this "WoooHooo!!!" stuff.