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
At this point, I think the GOP club is the one that should go, if any. I mean, who comprises the GOP club these days? Mittens, McAmnesty, Murkyowski...
I’ll send in something today. I also happily contribute monthly. That said, I see no dishonor in accepting ad space revenue. None at all and it would have no affect on my regular contributions.
But it's inevitable, Jim. Change will come.
And if you refuse to change the way you manage the servers and software, it will crash and burn.
Now I respect your attitude, but the future of FreeRepublic is more important than any one of us.
I hope you have a change of heart, or find a wealthy “sugar momma”!
Whats the situation currently? Is death imminent for FR?
5-10 bucks....I got ripped by any number of cheap souls last time for saying that anyone could afford 10 bucks a quarter. I heard sob stories, laments about how tough it is, and just downright defiance.
I still believe that those who don’t contribute are living on Free Republic Welfare.
10 bucks is 11 cents a day. People refuse to pick that up off the street if they see it.
What is the problem? What are we trying to solve?
I don’t know why anyone would consider Oracle, except in specific circumstances. I’ve found SQL Server to be far more nimble and dependable for projects in the multi-million record range.
Need a financial Knight in shining armor. Rush? Are you there?
The only banner ads I could stomach are ones from conservative orgs and members’ own sites. If you want to pimp a blog, pay up to JimRob. Smaller than those horrible banner ads too and maybe just on the main forum.
Just a suggestion.
FR should require a paid subscription to post any article.
I believe DU runs on fornicated CForum+ Version 1.1 by dcscripts which is no longer in business as of 2009. They also leverage advertising, I saw a Verizon article there the other day while trolling articles about the AZ incident. (Know thy enemy)
My point is that I see the inevitability of both forums needing to be modernized. Not just upgraded, but a complete rewrite or rebranding.
I’m a fan of “if it’s not broke don’t fix it” however that logic doesn’t apply to technology.
FR has proven its value many times from Buckhead’s forged Bush letter discovery to the recent AZ incident and rapid documenting of leftist hate speech.
The question is, we have a good thing going, how can we keep it going and in what form?
As to fixing the problem - the only thing that comes immediately to mind, assuming we want FR to continue to be the BBC to the liberals CNN, is for us the users of the site to introduce it to more of our friends/relatives/associates, with the idea of expanding the user base, and therefore the donator base.
I honestly don't know. That is a mystery that Jim won't share. Part of me understands why and part of me wants to know what the heck is going on so that we can solve the problems and bring the money and manpower to bear on the situation as needed.
Jim is the owner of FR. We are merely donors. The problem comes in that we *feel* like shareholders in a company and should have the rights of shareholders. But we don't. That's the rub. We don't have a right to know what Jim knows because FR is his private property and not *our* company.
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*Three posts, and bang. Gone. I'm not good at pretending to be liberal.
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This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about this, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
Or are you waiting for Somebody Else to do what Everybody should?
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This is what Jim said: 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.
FR lives hand to mouth and Freepathons are taking longer to fulfill. It may be that sometime we won't complete a fundraiser and that will be that.
its pretty hard to deny that everyone couldn’t pitch in $5 or $10.
If everyone did, Jim’s troubles would be over.
As it is in government, the few are subsidizing the many.
I think each person who posts should get a star by their name for donation. And if they don’t have a star, then they can be in the hall of shame. I admit, I was on FR a long timne before i became a monthly donor. I am ashamed to say, there is no sense in that. I now donate monthly, if everyone contributed just a bit then it would be just fine.
Melissa Lewis
It's more than obvious to me that FR is a source of much of Limbaugh's commentary.....it'd be nice if he waved the financial wand now and again.
SQL Server, as in MS SQL Server? Last time I checked, it don’t run on Linux, and FR is a Linux shop.
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