I would think that FreeRepublic is primarily a database driven web application. When someone creates a post some table or tables are update with 5 basic pieces of information: The post being replied TO The user posting the message (FROM) The contents of the post A timestamp documenting when the post was created Given these bits of information how hard would it be to simply not allow posting a duplicate of 1, 2, and 3 within a certain time threshold of 4 (maybe 1 minute)? Why not spend the hour it would take to implement this and save everyone the...