Thank you all very much, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the system other than the fact that it runs on computers and that we run on a shoestring budget with no employees. It’s just me and John, Amy and Chris. I’ve been involved with computers since 1972 starting with the Univac and the IBM/360 and Digital’s PDP and VAX generations. Amy got started a few years earlier. John started programming when he was 14 and was a commercial programmer by 16. He was our C+ guru when we were in the software business. He introduced us to the Internet in the early 90’s before the browser had even been developed. I’ve been a programmer/analyst from the 70’s and also in programming/project management and data processing management and also owned my own software company.
The one biggest thing we’ve learned in all these years is that computer systems have a tendency to crash. And when the inevitable happens, we don’t panic. We troubleshoot, find the problems, fix them and go on. Been doing it for nearly forty years. There is nothing wrong with FR. It’s perfectly normal for systems to fail occasionally.
Now there are ways to make a system more bullet proof and to build-in back ups and redundancy, etc, so there is almost zero downtime for users, but these are usually reserved for critical operations. And that’s because they cost money. Lots of it.
For example we only have one tech, one programmer, one hardware guy, one security guy, one operating system guru, one perl guru, one mysql guru, one all around computer guy and John is it. He’s also our chief procurement officer and liaison with all vendors and suppliers and in his spare time he fills in as our research and development department. Dear old dad with 40 years experience in programming and managing legacy computer systems tries to join in and help but usually just gets in the way. John is a one man shop, he’s on call, on duty 24/7/365 with no vacations or holidays unless he carries a cell phone and lap top and he likes it that way.
We could hire three or four guys to do what John does and we still couldn’t cover it 24/7/365 and provide uninterruptible service. We’d still suffer downtime.
We could also build redundant systems. But that just doubles the cost, doubles the maintenance and doubles or triples the capital requirements and ongoing expense. And unless they were located in different parts of the country on different providers, the redundant systems would not guarantee 100% uptime. Guess what? Even multi-million dollar fail-safe systems fail occasionally. Computers crash! It’s a fact of life and we deal with it every day.
FR was started on zero capital. It was a hobby that has grown terribly out of control. It was a one man shop when I set it up. Amy came in later to help me administer it, then John took over the programming a couple years later and redesigned and rewrote it all at least three times since. He built the servers it runs on. Now it may be that if we had the money we could order all new equipment and redesign and rewrite the software again with an eye for making it all bullet proof, but that would require lots of money and probably hiring some additional talent and it would require time. But we have no money and no access to money. And we are reluctant to take on any additional debt.
Now we could go commercial. We could sell ads. We could sell subscriptions or memberships, We could sell t-shirts and hats. But the moment we do, we invite scrutiny and copyright lawsuits. Before going commercial we would have to scrub our archives of any possible copyright violations. And we’d have to tighten up our current operations to make sure no one posts anything that could get us into trouble with any publisher of stories, photos, images, etc. And with sharks like Righthaven swimming around, there will always be room for trouble. And going commercial still wouldn’t guarantee enough income to build and maintain a paid staff, bullet proof software, redundant systems, etc.
I’m an old dog and I like to keep it simple. We have a nice little system here. We are comfortable with the hardware and our software and our providers and it works fairly well. Actually, very well. We have some occasional problems and have been down a few times but as I said, there are no guarantees that if we had double or triple the size of our hardware or our staff that we still would not suffer some downtime occasionally. It happens.
And we’re perfectly comfortable with donor funding at a shoestring level. I’d hate to complicate the thing by going commercial. We are grassroots and it makes sense to me to keep it all grassroots and uncomplicated if we possibly can.
I see no reason whatsoever to panic about our systems our staffing or our funding.
And I really wish to thank all of YOU who make it possible. Your donations provide the capital we need to keep it all going and your continued participation on our forums makes FR the premier God and Country CONSERVATIVE site on the Internet!!
Thank God for the FReepers!! God bless you all.
No.... Thank you Jim! And John! And Amy! And Chris!
You guys walk the talk. You more than walk the talk, you build the sidewalks and the coffee shop the talk happens in, then maintain it. You are all outrageous and I love you for it!
We are in your debt. There is no doubt of that.
In light of this, I know there are a lot of very tech savvy people. Perhaps there is a way that qualified folks could assist with the code writing duties?
I don’t code personally. I can build computers well enough, I have built a couple of rather bleeding edge PC’s just recently. But thats where my lame skills end.
At any rate, I would think that there are at least one or two people who have the skills and the willingness to donate them to assist however they can, and have the long term familiarity with the site to have some crediblity.
We love this site, and I for one wish there was more that I could do other than being a monthly donor. I am just hoping now that someday soon I can up that amount. Once I am done with school and working, things will get better, but until then, like so many others, we are cash strapped.
Its inspiring to know and see what just a few people can do, and you folks have made a HUGE difference to us conservatives out here in the wilderness.
THANK YOU!
Thanks, chief.
Thanks, and we are here with you ‘till its over.
God Bless you Jim!
As I have always done in the past, I support any decisions you make here, and will continue my support in every way this feeble old vet can.
Nam Vet
Awesome! You are all doing a great job. Wouldn’t know what to do without everyone here at FR.
God bless ya Jim.
We’re here as long as you are! Thanks for all that you, John, Amy and Chris do for free speech! It is a pleasure
to be able to come here and feel safe!
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.See his reply at 588 by clicking the "to 588" link.
GOD Bless!
There's nothing wrong with charging a moderate posting privilidge.
It would actually cut down on the trolls ~ look at the difference in posts on the Wall Street Journal, compared to posts on Market Watch, which WSJ owns and doesn't charge for. MW is a pump n dump, anonymous Lib hypster infested pit, while you have to use your own name on the WSJ.
I'm not up for giving away the freedom FR's anonymity offers, (though the Rats will find us if they want to, no matter what) but a dollar a day ~ or a two tier system for those who are occasional visitors or just don't use much bandwith wouldn't chase anyone away.
Or just don't extend the benefit of having a unique ID to anyone who doesn't donate.
If we don't value the community you've attracted and provided for, why should the community offer us notoriety?
Visitors could still do their DD on most any currently relevant subject for free, an offering clearly near to your heart.
Though I'm against banner ads, I would support a simple Business Listing section benefit for members who donate.
This is an amazing forumn with many, many very intelligent folks contributing! I lurk a lot and make wise-cracks but I absolutley cherish the volume of knowledge and intelligence on so many subjects on this forumn.
sappy (i’ve had other user names over the last 10yrs, but let’s not go in to why they were not IBTZ) haha.
God bless you too. Thank you for reassuring us that FR will remain the same. I like it just the way it is.
Sir, i DO think FReepers would be very happy to buy hats tee-shirts, mugs, keychains, anything, you name it with an FR logo in it to help out and show the flag to the public as proud FReepers... and we prolly have several FReepers in that line of advertisement that would be happy to help
just my 2¢
FR is a great blessing to us all!
Dang! I was hoping ya’all were going BIG TIME and stockpiling to buy out one of the alphabet networks when they go belly up! I WANT MY FREEPER TV!!!
Thank you, well stated.
Thank you Jim and God bless!
"Now there are ways to make a system more bullet proof and to build-in back ups and redundancy, etc, so there is almost zero downtime for users, but these are usually reserved for critical operations. And that’s because they cost money. Lots of it."
Hardware is cheap. You are running on MySQL. Perhaps Open Source OSes too. With all that and virtualization, it's no longer really expensive to build redundancy. Any time you decide to ask for some more technical help just let me know. I'm here. You know where I am.
BTW, I don't know about those people complaining about the software. I don't care what it's written in. FR's forum has always been superior IMHO. I prefer it to any other forum software I've seen. Always have. It's simple and doesn't put a lot of garbage in my way.
You truly are beautiful Jim. Your comments are as founded on God-given common sense as anything I have ever known. Thank you.. and look forward to a Free Republic for many more glorious years.