Posted on 06/23/2006 12:27:30 PM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
I am not certain what the legal ramifications would be in changing Free Republic from donations to a subscription service. It seems to me the switch may be detrimental to legal issues such as copyrights. If that is true I'd appreciate if someone could briefly explain that to me. However if that is not the case here is my suggestion:
I have been wondering about this for some time now and have not seen any discussions about it. So I would like to ask: Is it time for Free Republic to become an online subscription service?
Currently, the site is very antiquated. People can easily abuse the "add a keyword" feature and there seems to be a growing number of liberal trolls, foreigners and even pro-homosexual agenda-driven people infecting the site. In order to cut down on the undesirables and enhance FR at the same time, would it be advisable to start charging a monthly fee of about 15-30 bucks to be able to log into the site and post? There could also be different subscription levels like Basic, Premium or Platinum. That way, the more you pay the more features you have access to. Some of these extra-services could include storing photos or FR could be a conservative search engine for the web.
I have seen online sites where people can still read the boards for free. FR could do something like that so it would still be accessible to the Conservative public even if they are not paying members with posting priviledges.
Websites that rely heavily on banner and pop-up ads need as many hits as possible so for them restricting posting rights to subscribers might not be so desirable. However, Free Republic does not work like that. There are no ads other than some book links on the home page so the number of hits is not as crucial to the bottom line which is currently being paid for by donations.
Donations seem to be working well, but I am sure the cashflow could be improved. How many of you people honestly are put off donating money to FR because it is not what it should be? Especially in regards to the undesirable element that can be found throughout many of the threads. Wouldn't this change in format go a long way in eliminating the undesirables? I think so. Plus it would be neat to experience an upgraded more modern version of Free Republic.
Note: If you are a democrat troll, foreigner or pro-homosexual/lesbian then I am really not interested in your opinion and you should not be posting it to me (just the fact that I have to add this note is proof that something is not right).
Just Damn, another brain fart. I meant that to go to BIGH4U2, sorry Glenn
You know, I used to think that way, until I realized, I lurked here for a couple years before I posted. I couldn't compete with the knowledge the whole group had. Then, I stuck my toe in, actually, I hid on the supreme court threads Hole-n-one managed during the gore takeover. Back then, the interenet was still in it's baby days. Now, people who post on other sites, think they understand how chat sites work, wrong, it's FR, not a 'chat' site per se, or, 'just another chat site on a blog'. Sometimes we need to work with posters, guide them and show them we aren't 'other' internet sites. If we keep that in our minds, we'll raise some good freepers.
Thank you for that.....For a moment there I was afraid that this thread might get hugh and series......
Yeah! But it lacks an 'edit' button for all those typo's I make!
:0)
I had one and only one Breaking News post stay up for about two hours. I expect to have my firstborn son back in around two years. I guess it was worth it...
The guy's lived in EUSSR for such a long time, that he's become Yuropenized - why donate anything, you're entitled to it through a comprehensive system of over-taxation.
If he doesn't like it here, why not just join some site pay for site (NYT, for example.)
".....For a moment there I was afraid that this thread might get hugh and series......"
Groan,
Ok, get yer beebers ready cause All Your Base Are Belong To Us!
There's one 'little' humongous problem . . . . amongst others . . . with your suggestion.
Once upon a time, JimRob . . .
And . . . JimRob is quite understandably (last I heard), and quite fiercely (last I heard), and quite wisely (to my mind)
1,000% hostile to the whole idea of your suggestion and anything close to your suggestion.
And, I think he's right.
Lots of us think he's right.
Besides, it's his living room.
"Just Damn, another brain fart. I meant that to go to BIGH4U2, sorry Glenn"
LOL!
:0)
Pat Buchannan, IS THAT YOU???
A "bring out the cynical" ping.
Thanks! Sounds like he is as frustrated as us!
I will be back, gotta take a shower......
Don't worry about disrupters. They get handed their hats in record time!
How many users subscribe to Rush's 24/7 site? I'll bet it's a fraction of his listeners.
Apologies if this suggestion was posted previously.
Mad Ivan left.
Check his home page for his reasons.
Yah. As long as we understand what it takes to pay the bills. Uh, What is this? June? Oh oh! Here comes a Freepathon in a week or so. That is what makes us go
There's this filter, we can't ban him, most of us have tried..... :)
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