Should Free Republic become a paid subscription service?

Vanity | 6/23/2006 | Berlin_Freeper

[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).

[Atlantic Friend]

You raise several questions in your post :

1) Is FR technically satisfying ?

I have no technical expertise to give any kind of answer, so I'll just say that FR is the most user-friendly of all the sites I've browsed through. The search engine is streamlined, the presentation is very clear, the navigation from forum to forum is comfortable. Frankly, most sites would just love to propose their users the same level of comfort.

2) Should donations be replaced by subscriptions ?

I feel, like many other Freepers, that it would result in a significant shrinking of the Freeping crowd as people are usually ready to donate freely but don't like to have their arm twisted. The way I see it (but I could be wrong), the success of FR hinges upon the fact posters see the site not as a commercial venture but as a place where they can express Conservative opinions and even organize some political actions. Wouldn't a mandatory subscription to FR be akin to a tax on Conservative activism ?

3) Should foreigners (among others) be allowed to post ?

Well, it`s not for me to say, and AFAIK it`s not for you either. This site, like any other self-respecting opinion website, has an administrator who sets the rules and moderators who enforce them. If the current FR administration say foreigners are OK, then why shouldn`t they post ? The day they decide foreigners aren`t OK, then FR will be closed to non-US members, for better or for worse.

As a foreigner, I find it mildly amusing that I`m guilty by association of "ìnfecting" this site. I guess it's up to Freepers and FR administration to say if me, MadIVan, Eurotwit, Atlantic Bridge, Michael81Dus, and countless others are some kind of viruses, and if the world (or FR) would be better without us.

IMHO, banning foreigners or US Freepers who do not 100% agree with you won't exactly do much to further the Conservative agenda, as it will mean reducing the number of Freepers and the scope of experience Freepers will be able to share. But once again, this decision isn't mine nor yours to make.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

As a foreigner, I find it mildly amusing that I`m guilty by association of "ìnfecting" this site. I guess it's up to Freepers and FR administration to say if me, MadIVan, Eurotwit, Atlantic Bridge, Michael81Dus, and countless others are some kind of viruses, and if the world (or FR) would be better without us.

He doesn't even want to respond - he insults us evils Euros, and he won't even give an explanation for it!

[bmwcyle]

Keep your stupid ideas to yourself.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Well, well, well, what have we here? Looks like you just did that all by your lonesome. And, it's anti-illegal alien, I'll have you know.

Uh, no......I haven't...........

[processing please hold]

However the recent thread hijacking on FR by the anti-immigration crowd has made me want for an ignore button at this site

What post brought up the subject of anti-immigration(as OBL supporters) like to call it?

Yours was the first I read, I apologize if I'm wrong.

I checked again and I didn't see any mention of illegal aliens before yours, where you claim the anti-illegal alien crowd hijack threads.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

I checked again and I didn't see any mention of illegal aliens before yours, where you claim the anti-illegal alien crowd hijack threads.

There is no claim to it, they have in fact been hijacking threads, if not this thread.

[processing please hold]

There is no claim to it, they have in fact been hijacking threads, if not this thread

We're talking about THIS thread. See, you were the first. You really should be more careful. Looks like no one took your bait as the thread was progressing at the time about it being hijacked by the anti-illegal aliens crowd. In the first part of your sentence, Stop moving the goalpost to cover yourself for being the first.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

We're talking about THIS thread.

Yes we are and the next time you interject yourself into a conversation between two others, you might out to more carefully read about as to what they were talking. I had been talking about the need of an ignore button of FR, and how in particular the anti-immigration crowd's constant hijacking of threads for their purposes made me wish all the more for an ignore button.

See, you were the first. You really should be more careful. Looks like no one took your bait.......

I have not tried to get anyone to take any bait. I was making a comment that happened to include mention of anti-immigration, I was not trying to get a discussion started on that subject.

[processing please hold]

You brought it up. I called you on it. You said you didn't, I said you did. You did. Everything except those facts is filler for you. And, have a good day.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

You called me on nothing for I did nothing. It is people like you who make that ignore button all the more necessary. Failing having one I will just also wish you a good day.

[T Minus Four]

Sheesh, is this still going? I was going crazy viewing this at work, where they have blocked my ability to post replies. But......not to add keywords, BWAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAA!

[MEGoody]

That is obviously what they want.

Could be. And if they are having a hard time making ends meet with just the quarterly donations, I can see the point of doing it. Just so Jim Rob knows he'll lose a lot of posters.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

You still haven't explained why you hate foreign FReepers?

When you make a statement, it's common courtesy to explain it.

[Berlin_Freeper]

I never said I hated foreigners. Why do you need to make it seem so? Especially after this thread has been quiet for so long. Are you scarred for life or something?

I made it abundantly clear that when I sign on to FR it is to read other Americans' thoughts about America/world politics. After all this is a political site specifically for American Condervatives, don't you know?

If I wanted to read foreigner opinions then there are other sites for that. Heck if I wanted to hear a foreigner's opinion I could simply watch my German TV or talk to my German friends.

Now, I am sure you think you have something big to define your life on, but honestly you are just coming across as a weirdo so drop it already.

By the way, Ireland is not significant enough to hate. I at least want to make that clear to you. Just my opinion, deal with it.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Not a weirdo.. and Ireland isn't as insignificant as you think...

Well, I got my explanation, so this weird insignificant Irishman will let it go...