Replies

I see it as more software to “go bad”. We already have to deal with attacks and the normal breakdown of equipment and software. It’s one more feature to go wrong.

DJ, if Jim allowed banner ads on the site, they would bring in more than enough revenue to deal with the occasional glitch or breakdown associated with their addition.

At the top of this thread, Jim is quoted as saying, "If FR dies, that's that." This discussion has brought out a lot of very good suggestions to fix what is obviously a long running deficit in funding.

It's plainly apparent to most regulars here that the established donation model is barely sustaining the site. Folks can continue to exhort their fellows to donate more, but how long has that been going on, and how has it affected the overall revenue generation?

I suspect that it hasn't been all that effective.

This site is too important to the health of our republic to allow it to simply die because the business model is fixed in stone. Naturally, all I can do as a member, is to gently suggest some kind of change to the existing business model that will generate the sort of revenue that is required to keep FR healthy.

Banner ads are one sure way to accomplish this, and as I posted upthread, paying members could be spared the ads, while unpaid members would see them.

Jim would also be free to accept advertising from only those businesses and individuals that meet with his approval.

I think the larger (and inescapable) point here, is that FR is doing the same thing over and over, and hoping for different results.

FR is Jim's property, and he's going to keep his own counsel on what's best for his forum. I just hope that he takes the time to weigh some of the very good suggestions on this thread.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH WONDERFUL, FABULOUS AWESOME FREEPERS!
LOOK AT NEVERNEVERLAND!! WOO-HOO!!!

2011 Q1 Scoreboard — ranked by total receipts

Rank	Location	Receipts			Monthlies
Rank	Location	Total	#	Avg/Per	Total	#	Avg/Per
1	Texas	$2,695.00	58	$46.47	$883.00	62	$14.24
2	California	1,815.00	38	47.76	1,307.00	74	17.66
3	Arizona	1,464.99	14	104.64	370.00	16	23.12
4	Virginia	860.00	19	45.26	750.00	32	23.44
5	Pennsylvania	745.00	20	37.25	410.00	22	18.64
6	Maryland	680.00	13	52.31	132.50	8	16.56
7	Florida	670.00	25	26.80	525.00	33	15.91
8	Ohio	650.00	12	54.17	270.00	15	18.00
9	Colorado	635.00	12	52.92	220.00	15	14.67
10	New York	625.00	12	52.08	362.50	23	15.76
11	New Jersey	615.00	8	76.88	205.00	10	20.50
12	West Virginia	600.00	4	150.00	35.00	2	17.50
13	Georgia	570.00	12	47.50	310.00	18	17.22
14	Alabama	460.00	11	41.82	150.00	11	13.64
15	Missouri	446.25	12	37.19	155.00	13	11.92
16	Tennessee	400.00	11	36.36	220.00	13	16.92
17	Washington	390.00	10	39.00	363.00	20	18.15
18	Illinois	368.00	12	30.67	270.00	14	19.29
19	South Carolina	355.00	6	59.17	60.00	6	10.00
20	Alaska	350.00	2	175.00	50.00	2	25.00
21	Arkansas	340.00	5	68.00	65.00	5	13.00
22	North Carolina	330.00	12	27.50	355.00	22	16.14
23	Connecticut	266.00	5	53.20	90.00	7	12.86
24	Oregon	265.00	7	37.86	175.00	9	19.44
25	Michigan	235.00	9	26.11	150.00	9	16.67
26	Idaho	200.00	7	28.57	215.00	9	23.89
27	Indiana	200.00	11	18.18	190.00	13	14.62
28	Nevada	173.00	5	34.60	50.00	3	16.67
29	Mississippi	171.00	5	34.20	141.00	6	23.50
30	Maine	150.00	2	75.00	80.00	3	26.67
31	Oklahoma	130.00	5	26.00	215.00	10	21.50
32	Louisiana	130.00	4	32.50	125.00	6	20.83
33	Massachusetts	120.00	5	24.00	183.00	10	18.30
34	Wisconsin	110.00	3	36.67	120.00	9	13.33
35	Minnesota	105.00	4	26.25	170.00	12	14.17
36	Utah	100.00	3	33.33	135.00	8	16.88
37	New Mexico	100.00	1	100.00	50.00	3	16.67
38	Nebraska	85.00	3	28.33	10.00	1	10.00
39	Montana	80.00	2	40.00	50.00	3	16.67
40	Canada	70.00	2	35.00	10.00	1	10.00
41	Kansas	65.00	3	21.67	130.00	10	13.00
42	Germany	60.00	3	20.00
43	Rhode Island	55.00	2	27.50	50.00	2	25.00
44	Hawaii	50.00	1	50.00	115.00	6	19.17
45	Japan	50.00	1	50.00
46	Iowa	50.00	1	50.00	20.00	1	20.00
47	Vermont	40.00	2	20.00	6.00	1	6.00
48	Kentucky	40.00	2	20.00	40.00	3	13.33
49	Delaware	36.00	3	12.00	26.00	3	8.67
50	New Hampshire	33.50	1	33.50	98.50	5	19.70
51	South Dakota	30.00	2	15.00	55.00	4	13.75
52	El Salvador	30.00	1	30.00
53	Wyoming	20.00	1	20.00
54	Australia	10.00	1	10.00	10.00	1	10.00
	District of Columbia				20.00	1	20.00
	Armed Forces - Europe				15.00	1	15.00
	Norway				10.00	1	10.00
	Congo				10.00	1	10.00
	North Dakota				10.00	1	10.00
Never Never Land		3,105.00	83	37.41	730.00	51	14.31
60 locations total		$22,428.74	518	$43.30	$10,972.50	650	$16.88

I don’t like ads. Apparently neither does Jim. As of right now every inch of space on FR is dedicated to FR and conservatism. Why would I want to foul up the clean streamlined “face” of FR with glitzy junk? I honestly don’t read ads and I find them annoying.

Folks can continue to exhort their fellows to donate more, but how long has that been going on, and how has it affected the overall revenue generation? I suspect that it hasn't been all that effective.

It seems to work for public television and NPR, who have the frequent fund-raising program interruptions. We get that on our local classical music station and also many religious broadcasts that need donations. Advertising and fund-raising are facts of life for anything other than blatantly commercial operations that cater to mass mediocrity.