Freerepublic.com's Internet Ranking Surpasses Salon's

Alexa.com ^ | February 3, 2003 | High Wheeler

[HighWheeler]

For the first time ever, the Internet ranking of freerepublic.com has surpassed salon.com's Internet ranking. Their rankings crossed over each other Monday, February 3, 2003, with freerepublic's ranking at an all time high of 803 (meaning that freerepublic.com was the 803rd most popularly ranked website on the Internet on Monday) while salon.com dropped the same day to 1378, a full 575 websites difference between them.

The biggest Alexa monitored surge of freerepublic.com happened in the last 3 weeks, driving the conservative website from a very respectable ranking of just over 2000, all the way up to 803.

The Alexa generated graph below shows salon.com's graph (and this weeks decline) in communist red, and freerepublic.com's dramatic 3 weeks upsurge shown in Patriot Blue. The crossover is shown on the right side of the graph.

Freerepublic.com is, as they state, "an online gathering place for independent, grass-roots conservatism on the web. We're working to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America. And we always have fun doing it. Hoo-yah!" Members and regular visitors of Freerepublic call themselves "FReepers".

Salon.com is a publicly owned company that at one time in 1999 was on the NASDAQ at almost $15 per share. But since then, the stock and the company has suffered. Salon has been bleeding red in it's editorials and on its balance sheet since the beginning. In a tinge of irony, the stock now trades on what stockbrokers call the pink sheet for 5 cents a share. It appears that the attempt by Salon to merge Capitalism and Communism has not worked.

The sudden spike in popularity of Freerepublic cannot be fully explained, but the talk of ousting Saddam Hussein, the SOTU last week, and the Shuttle accident this weekend drove many people to Freerepublic. Even the Wall Street Journal recently browsed Freerepublic: over the weekend the WSJ mentioned that Freerepublic.com had scooped the Associated Press about the problems with Columbia by 11 minutes. By the way, the Associated Press's website, www.ap.org, was ranked only 1736 today on the Internet by Alexa.

[HighWheeler]

Like this?:

[Bogey78O]

Yea...it's tastier than Ann Coulter by a mile.

[Nick Danger]

Doesn't anybody wonder what happened precisely three weeks ago to cause this amazing rise in popularity? Somebody big must have linked to us, who never did before. Either that, or it's some data collection weirdness at Alexa; there is nothing in John's daily stats that would indicate any huge increase in usage, unless they are all lurkers.

[July 4th]

It looks like the WSJ reference probably put us over the top. At the end of the chart, right before Feb. 1, we're about even with Salon. But the real question is, why are we even comparing ourselves to Salon? JimRob probably took in more money last quarter than Salon's seen since '99!

[Tamzee]

I knew I was on a lot since I found FR a couple of weeks ago, but I guess I owe hubby, kids and house a HUGE apology ;)

This site IS addicting... feels like a breath of fresh air!! I was thrilled to find it, an island of class, intelligence and rational thought with simply fantastic people throughout.

Congrats, FR... at least until it hits #1 :)

Tammy

[meanie monster]

I love freerepublic! I haven't been a member for long but have lurked here since the woman was worried about her husband on a plane and she was getting a shower. You guys was mean to her LOL. Y'all just cracked me up. Your my kind of people and I would be lost without this site. Oh, and Jim Rob, my check is in the mail.

[RainDog]

What took so long? I'm proud/bemused.

[Inspectorette]

Welcome to Free Republic. Most of the time we're having a lot of fun here, but this weekend has been one we're we've been united in our grieving.<P.

Stick around - we are a resilient group.

[MeekMom]

I'm so very impressed. But, I must ask, why are we only 803rd?

[Inspectorette]

Well, if you see anything about a moose biting someone's sister, pay no attention ;-)

[Bogey78O]

A variety of reasons. Mostly being we don't appeal to the brainy AOL user. Heh. They're Dims anyways.

/sarcasm

[MeekMom]

LOL!
Lifelong Python Addict!

[HighRoadToChina]

"FR is almost communistic (not the economic theory) in the sense that every individual acts out of good for the community on a whole."

Communism is the perversion of a true community. The latter is the coming together of people by their own free will to do things better for the good of the whole. The latter is the coercion of people by a system that seek to control its members in order to stay in power.

So, yes Communism looks a lot like what FR has created, but it isn't close.

BTW, I was the CPAC convention and got "interviewed" by a Salon reporter. I almost mistaken her for a student. I felt sorry for her.

[TennesseeProfessor]

Interesting question: How much money does Salon pay on advertizing to try to get hits/subscribers? How much does Free Republic?

[libsrscum]

803rd!? C'mon, people! We've got work to do!

Personally, I LOVE Free Republic! It saved my life during the algore coup d'etat...

[Bogey78O]

Think of it this way. we're 803rd but we're selective. We don't let tincan dictators and their leftist supporters in (unlike the UN). And that's like 2/3s of the world.

[Bogey78O]

True. In practivce that's how it is. But the egalitarian communists believe the impossible dream of a bottom-up communist state. With the reality being a top-down authoritarian state being developed.

Basically my whole gist was FR is at it's very core a bottom-up society that relies on the ingenuity and skill of it's indivdual members to work together to elevate the whole in general.

Agree?

[Admin Moderator]

I try to do my part.

[Redbob]

Well, I hate to rain on anyone's parade, but I should point out to you that while FR has been increasing, Salon has had a regular series of increases and decreases, and we just happened to catch up to them while they're in one of their "down" periods.
Don't expect their ratings drop to last very long - per that chart. I'd guess they'll be back on top by Feb. 5.

And when you're gonna talk conservative cheesecake, How can you leave out Michelle Malkin?!?

[HighWheeler]

Welcome to FR and thanks for putting us over the top of salon!