You have outlined perfectly some of the reasons the freepathons have not been as successful lately--and within those reasons there exists an obvious solution, but apparently that is out of the question.
At some point, sensible people decide that it's not in their best interest to pay (or donate) to visit a place to endure insults and threats--and watch as others of long-standing membership and patriotism are picked off one by one. And for what? Simply saying that although they do NOT like Romney, they may well cast a vote to avoid living under a wannabe dictator? Something that simple can result in a zot. And has!
Going to ads is not going to solve THAT problem. People will just use ad-block, and if the insults and threats (from mods, no less!) continue, there will be less hits from that. Charging a fee at the door will probably not raise as much money as the freepathons of old did, back before these latest purges. And, again, the threats and insults to that smaller group will cause it to dwindle even more.
Fortunately, it's not my decision to make. This is, as we've often said, Jim's creation, and I wish him well. With so many other similar boards--most entirely free--on the internet and on FaceBook, people have more choices. No one board is "the only game in town" these days.
Hmmmm...is this your SECOND opus, Miz? You left once before over the FLDS battle when FR didn't go your way and then came back. I truly am surprised to see your support of Romney.
It appears that FR doesn't meet your standards, so one of the other boards may be more to your taste. Remember the old song, "got along without ya before I metcha, gonna get along without you nowww..."
And...that goes for every one of the "I'm not gonna donate if JR doesn't fold" posters.
In my opinion the posters predicting/wishing for doom for FR are not in numbers high enough to cause their hoped for effect. There will be new sign-ups coming in, as there are every day.
Perhaps they won't all be free riders.
"No one board is "the only game in town" these days."
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