VANITY : Suggestion for reducing Freepathons

self | 6 August 2022 | self

[ShadowAce]

OK, so I woke up this morning with a thought. It may not be worth anything.

People here are understandable frustrated with the fundraising and lack of donations to the site. We also do not want to clutter the site with ads and become beholden to outside interests. We want to remain as independent and self-reliant as possible.

Why not merchandize the FR name? Sell coffee cups, water bottles, t-shirts, etc with the FR URL and logo? I'm a woodturner and can make pens with logos/messages on them (though I *am* employed full time and would not have the time to make hundreds or thousands). I would even suggest selling e-mail addresses ( user@freerepublic.com ) for a nominal fee. The selling point would be a guarantee to not create, collect, or produce logs of any activity for this domain. This may take some up-front expenses to set up though.

Not only would this raise money, it would get the site out into the public eye more often.

I'm not saying this will replace freepathons, but perhaps it can mitigate the length and lower the monetary requirements needed for each one.

[Halls]

I’d buy a tshirt and coffee mug!

[BraveMan]

I’d buy a humblegunner T-Shirt . . .

[1FreeAmerican]

Yeeees!

[TomGuy]

I would suspect that selling anything would change the status of FR from non-profit to profit/commercial.

If there were a separate ‘selling/commercial’ entity, it could ‘donate’ some or all profit.

For consideration:

Keep FR open to viewership, but charge a ‘member’ fee for posting articles and comments. Depending on the number of members, the fee could be quite low — $1/month or $10/year.

[Vermont Lt]

I actually bought a FR mouse pad ages ago.

The site isn’t making money because the moderators allow abuse. It’s driven away throngs of folks. What used to be the best news aggregator on the internet has fallen from that peak.

Now if you are not a hard core Trumpian, anti-vax, consoiracy crap or Putin lover, there is no room for discussion. It is 100% attack. All the time.

I used to give every quarter. Not so much any more.

I figured my communications to moderators were ignored or brushed aside…so I vote with my money.

[Allegra]

I have an FR mug with my username on it from back in 2003 or 2004-ish.

[JonPreston]

I never gave as i rarely posted but now i do.

this site has degenerated into a rw wacko conspiracy site and russian troll outlet.

Kinda makes me not want to donate.

The FR is Right Wing conspiracy site?

[JonPreston]

Now if you are not a hard core Trumpian, anti-vax, consoiracy crap or Putin lover, there is no room for discussion. It is 100% attack. All the time.

.

[Larry Lucido]

The t-shirt standard.

[Allegra]

The FR is Right Wing conspiracy site?

That poster got lost on his way to DU. He doesn’t like white, native-born Americans and tends to support the Biden position on most things.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Stick around, eventually you will learn to think critically...

[JonPreston]

He doesn’t like white, native-born Americans and tends to support the Biden position on most things.

Both are NeverTrumpers and both riding free on the arm.

[gas_dr]

I have done exactly the same. The unjust application of the rules an abuse of two primary people who appear untouchable has changed by monthly donation from extensive to zero. I don’t need to donate to be abused. Robust debate is fine. Apparently some here just believe in repeated Bot like insults when they have nothing to say intelligent.

[MinorityRepublican]

However this site has degenerated into a rw wacko conspiracy site and russian troll outlet.

We need to zot the Russian trolls.

[Larry Lucido]

One thing I can’t help but notice is that there are one or two sites that get posted here all the dang time. Every single article. The site demands to be excerpted. And yet (usually) a single FReeper will post thread after thread excerpting article after article from that site as though just a fan boy of that site. American Thinker comes to mind.

Now is the human posting bot on the payroll of the site? I have no idea. But he likely has some connection. How much does American Thinker (just as an example) make from FR clicks? Does American Thinker contribute anything out of gratitude after demanding to be excerpted, but getting all this free publicity day after day? Fair question, I think. Maybe the human posting bot can send an email to his handler, er, I mean, the head honcho, and suggest throwing something FR’s way as a sign of gratitude.

[Responsibility2nd]

And what’s wrong with the current tried-and-true method of raising money for Free Republic?

At the beginning of every quarter a new Freepathon begins. After 90 days the goal is reached and another Freepathon begins.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

This model has been ongoing and successful for 20+ years. Why change things now?

[cymbeline]

“What say you? No ads”

I say ads would be ok.

[dfwgator]

I actually bought a FR mouse pad ages ago.

We should do it like "Spaceballs", think of the possibilities:

"Free Republic The Mouse Pad"

"Free Republic The Flamethrower".

MOICHANDISING! MOICHANDISING!

[Responsibility2nd]

I have had one on one conversations with Jim about this very idea.

I think it’s a great idea. He did not think so.

[madison10]

The only idea that I agree with. The others are too restrictive. Everyone does NOT have funds for donations to allow them to post.

Like becoming a HOA.