"If FR dies, that’s that." - Jim Robinson [Jim's reply at post # 588]

freerepublic.com ^ | 1/11/11 | paulycy

[paulycy]

FYI -

Here are statements from Jim about the future of FreeRepublic.com for those who missed them. They are quite serious.

===

"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."

===

[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.

===

- Jim Robinson

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2653583/posts?page=168#168

[Windflier]

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.

[Quix]

I greatly agree.

However, I have to confess that my

SBD’s in my college years

were weapons of mass destruction.

I guess chronic sinus infections contributed a lot to that.

When my new wife tried to insist that I had to fart in the bathroom I threw a fit. I said if a man can’t fart in his own house, it was beyond the pale.

All the more so given her mother! LOL.

Out to eat at a restaurant or a big family Christmas dinner . . . welllllllll depends . . .

[colorcountry]

If you don't like a certain area, DON'T GO THERE!

Exactly! :D

[Quix]

WOW.

LOL.

Thx.

[Lazamataz]

Nice summary of your thoughts and feelings about FR. Makes a lot more sense, your various directions thereof, when you put it all on the table like that. :)

Thanks, chief.

[Elsie]

...he has never shown any propensity to violence...

I'm conflicted about it...

[MHGinTN]

That thread was posted by a Mormonism apologist proselytizing for Mormonism and even the title violated the RF CAUCUS rules because it was bannered to bait non-mormonism into heated discussion but posted in caucus to prevent any opposition on the thread.

[onyx]

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

   2011 Q1 Scoreboard — ranked by total receipts   

Rank	Location	Receipts			Monthlies
		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

[Danae]

I know. My Husband is one of the few who know how to use it to it’s best effect. He just finished a job implimenting it in Multnomah County. The users are over the moon about it.

[reaganaut]

Oh that is funny. We aren’t the ones playing the victim card, they are.

And MM is right, you are doing the same thing you are condemning us for.

Some of us are damned sick of atheists and nominal Christians, who tout this ‘can’t we all just get along’ liberal crap. Some of us actually STAND UP for what we believe.

If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

[pillut48]

Isn’t FR’s membership something around 300K?? If each person only sent $10 measly dollars, how much would that be??

MORE than enough to pay the bill to help keep conservative free speech online!! C’mon, y’all! You don’t even have to dig deep if EVERYONE coughs up a little bit! You can’t beat the price for the wonderful source you get in return day after day!!!!

[Elsie]

WOULD like to see perhaps a bit more backup hardware.

Would say . . . double the hardware be helpful?

"Times are changing. You've got to change with the times."

--Dominic

[Quix]

YEA! LOL

Glad SOMEONE agrees!

[Rightly Biased]

Thanks, and we are here with you ‘till its over.

God Bless you Jim!

[reaganaut]

I don’t like small minds and it isn’t me that has one, it is you as evidenced by your post.

Just because I stand up for my faith, can and do defend it, and don’t allow evil to go unchallenged doesn’t make me ‘small minded’.

But not allowing others freedom of speech because you don’t like what they are saying makes you small minded.

[smith288]

If a move to C# and SQL may I suggest NHIbernate, MVC and Amazon AWS. All VERY customizable, extensible, and complete with built in load balancing and regioning. It would require quite the rewrite but I can imagine most of the complexity is built around the current system’s efforts of caching and what not. A forum, on the surface, really isnt all that complex.

[Elsie]

 

Yes, there is an FRinquisition and you are part of it along with several others and many of us are damned sick of it.

 

 

 

Do other Freepers annoy you?

Tired of being badgered??

[reaganaut]

I am not telling anybody what they believe is wrong,

-0 -0 0 0 0 0 0 0
So, you have no principles that you think are worth standing up for...got it.

I suppose you don’t tell liberals they are wrong either?

[MHGinTN]

Just so you’ll know, the ‘other ones’ that smell also expel yeast which causes those yeast infections your lady friends get, especially the ones who wear tight jeans, which of course slow the dissipation of the ‘cloud’.

[Quix]

Slicksadick;

Just send JimRob and the ADMIN MODERATOR a FREEPMAIL

asserting that you’re sick to death of your screen name and your chosen new one. Sign up with the new one.

Avoid using the old one. You can answer the FREEPMAILS until they die out—tell Jim and ADMIN MOD you want to do that

and the old stuff will still be accessible under your old screen name but you won’t use it any longer. Use the new one.

It won’t have your old sign-up date.

Many of us have lost earlier incarnation sign-up dates.