Posted on 01/11/2011 5:28:06 AM PST by paulycy
FYI -
Here are statements from Jim about the future of FreeRepublic.com for those who missed them. They are quite serious.
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"Well, I can say that there are definitely two things that will never happen. 1) Banner ads. 2) Oracle [a completely new database system.] And a third is a total replacement [of the current damaged system.] Don’t have the financial wherewithal."
"To those who wish to leave because of it, see ya."
"If FR dies, that’s that."
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[To: paulycy]
Hey, you want us to get an all new system with all new software and add a few more pricey techs, system programmers and database administrators to keep it all working 100% of the time 24/7/365? Well, start coughing up the big bucks.
It’s going to take tens of thousands of donations and many with at least three zeros each after the comma to accomplish the task. And that would be EVERY month like clock work to make the payroll. Once you take on a big load of expensive overhead, there’s no going back. As it is, we get a couple thousand donations per quarter averaging about $30 bucks each and there’s no guarantees we can cover this quarter’s expenses much less next quarter. We’re on a pay as we go system and we have zero employees.We just ask for enough to pay the bills.
Throwing more money at the problem won’t solve it. [This latest glitch] was a technical issue and we just had to keep troubleshooting until we found it. And no, we’re not going to invite a bunch of strangers in to get their hands on our secure systems. John has been programming since he was 14 and he’s pushing 40 now. He built these systems and he’s an expert in them.
And no, we are not going to throw out our software and rewrite it and no we’re not going to move on to some other database system. There are no guarantees that any other system can do a better job and not without hiring a staff to build and maintain it and that’s for sure. And we don’t have the financial wherewithal to do any of that anyway. Maybe if we had a couple million bucks at our disposal and a couple years to do it in we could build an iron-clad system. And maybe not.
All I can say is, if someone else can do it better and cheaper, then please step right on up and get ‘er done!! I’ll bow out and retire. Thankyouverymuch.
Hit it boys:
https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/
And no, we have no plans of taking FR commercial. I like it the way it is. Not sure I could handle getting rich.
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- Jim Robinson
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2653583/posts?page=168#168
I’ve learned that if someone wants something bad enough, they’re going to find a way to get it. If folks who want FR to stay on the air, they’ll find a way.
There will always be FReeploaders. I’ve bounced back and forth between FReeploading, being a monthly donor, FReeploading, donating as available, etc. I do what I can. I’ve noted that there have been donations as low as $3, maybe less, don’t know for sure. But folks find a way to give what they can, when they can.
All that being said, is there a “silver bullet” available to solve the problem once and for all? IMO, I don’t think there’s just one, there’s probably a combination of things.
I like JR’s perspective so far on the various forums, it puts things (posts, threads, topics, etc.) in there respective place. He’s done a good job offering ways to avoid those areas for folks who don’t want to frequent those areas or topics.
I’ve read through about 500 posts and sense that some feel excluded because their feelings were hurt or were treated less than they expected and thus, don’t donate. I don’t believe any here should expect preferential treatment because they feel like they should be part of some protected class. That’s lib thinking.
Look, if you’re going to post your perspective or opinion, don’t expect that everyone thinks the same way. Grow some hide over that thin skin. Expect that there are going to be those who have no manners or interpersonal skills, that essentially behave like trolls. Dismiss them. It’s not like you have to face them everyday at school.
IOW, pony up what you can, when you can. Quit your bellyaching and childish behavior. If you don’t support FR, then why should you expect to have any weight given to what your opinion is in how it’s managed or operated?
Yep, and after that person being here for 10 years I'd say you hit the nail on the head.
Excuses. Excuses. Excuses.
I'm a Freeper business person, and I would pay to put up my banner ad on this site in a heartbeat.
I’ve been a monthly donor for years, and believe the key is to increase that area of participation. Find a way to identify , at a glance, who the monthlies are.
Maybe a different color to the font of their handle, maybe a gold star, or a mini American flag icon next to your name. Maybe different colors for different levels of monthly donation amounts. Platinum stars for those giving over a hundred?
I believe that if the monthlies were easily identified, more people would proudly participate that way.
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I agree! Lots of people like something that makes them feel special and they like to be able to feel good. Great idea!
The reason FR has an impact is because ANYONE can come here and read the truth. That will not happen with a closed board.
ABSOLUTELY INDEED.
I'm afraid I must admit I made the analogy in the knowledge it might get a "rise"! Sorry about that.
Yep, Jim and John Robinson have been even cleverer than PBS in hiding all that taxpayer money they've been getting from the government!
Heh, well I'm not an expert on the operations of PBS, but I would assume they are extremely strapped for cash and are forced to be not too particular as to where it comes from! Of course I know FR is a private organisation. The point I was trying to make is that FR, like PBS, is not reliant on advertising money (and therefore is not beholden to advertiser pressure).
Are you sure you really want to make that analogy? First, there's that troublesome matter of government funding of the BBC. Secondly, the BBC and its personnel are even deeper into leftist moonbattery than CNN. Although your current profile doesn't show it I seem to recall that you're in Germany, so perhaps your skewed perspective of the BBC is understandable... /g
Well actually I'm British, so am a bit more clued up on the Beeb and its operations than a German. Yes I think I do want to make that analogy, principally because the analogy is to do with FR being paid for by voluntary donation rather than advertising. Contrary to popular american opinion, the BBC is NOT funded by the British government. It is funded by an (admittedly) compulsory licence fee (although it also makes quite a lot of money through selling its products abroad, and it also has a very nice sideline in its own record and book labels). The point is that all of the licence fee is all posted to the BBC. The UK government is little more than a clearing house.
As to the comment about the Beeb's left wing moonbattery, in the first place the fact that some of the people who work there live on a different planet from real earth does not invalidate the principle of having a broadcasting system that works by a direct payment from viewers, as opposed to an indirect payment of 2-3cents on everything you buy in the shops, which ultimately is where a commercial broadcasting operation gets its cash from. Its a bit akin to comments from people, (some of them on this site) like "Oh I never watch Television. Its a very bad thing, full of bias/immorality/whatever they don't like". Wrong. Television is wonderful. It's the greatest form of communication existant (although the internet is catching up) and has an enormous potential for informing, educating and entertaining people. It's what's ON television that's the problem! In the same way, I think the principles behind the BBC are great - it's the current way those principles are sometimes applied I have a beef with!
The second point is more involved. What non-Britons often don't realise is that the BBC is very, very departmentally based. The individual departments (current affairs, light entertainment, news, sport, religious affairs and so on) have a lot of autonomy - much more so than in a contemporary commercial broadcaster. So yes, the natural history unit (prop David Attenborough) is full of enviromentalists of varying shades of wackiness, but the light entertainment dept produces "Top Gear", which regularly ridicules the whole concept of AGW and green affairs. In many cases, the departments and individual program makers are often on the side of their own target audiences! So not all the personnel of the BBC are moonbats, not by any stretch of the imagination. It may seem more like that from your perspective, if the only things you see are BBC news (which incidentally is very pro Irish Nationalism - boy were there some arguments with the UK government over that!)
Not even the hairy ones?
I wouldn’t mind banner ads if they brought in enough revenue. I give my piddly donation because piddly is what I can afford right now. I don’t like it, but there it is.
Things are going to get more expensive. If you can work out a banner ad thing that will give you more money for the site, Jim, I won’t complain.
It has been pointed out that poor Freepers would be targeted. Being poor shouldn't mean you are not a good poster.
Well there's currently a schism with the sousaphone players.
From a usability perspective, I like the FR format, you can quickly see the thread titles, glance at which ones interest, or don’t interest you, see the posts and who posted it, without having to click the mouse. Sure it may look relatively spartan, but I prefer simplicity.
If there would be only one thing I wish they could add, it would be to have the ability to self-edit posts. Nothing worse than knowing you made a grammatical error right after you hit ‘Post’.
I'm with you my FRiend. I would go nuts without it. It's like a second home in a strange way.
This is a thread about concerns over FR’s continued existence and you’re upset that you can’t use your iPhone. You deserve to be insulted. Repeatedly.
As Rush likes to say ‘ news businesses fail because of lack of content’.
Even Rush has his “Rush Insiders,” Beck has his subscription members and that hasn’t hurt them?
The bad thing about editing is deleting.
HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
However, IIRC . . .
there have been some trust issues and severely burned fingers from trusting folks in the earlier years . . .
I mostly don’t blame him for wanting to keep things in the family.
However, there should be a way to filter out to a handful of truly trustworthy skilled folks to help.
I’d think that Laz could pull together a handful of folks that Jim would find tolerable to work with.
However, I recognize that such a line could be difficult to cross for Jim at this age and stage.
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