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Posted on 04/19/2012 1:22:35 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
I've checked with an ad agency. We can probably raise the funds we need to operate FR at our current level and at the current market price for online advertising if we run a banner ad at the top of every page and at least one rectangular ad in the above the fold body of the page and a couple rectangular ads in the sidebar. If that doesn't generate enough revenue, we can also run pop ups or pop unders and we can even run audio and video ads if need be. But of course, if we go full bore commercial, we'd have to insure strict copyright compliance with very brief excerpting of all articles to avoid lawsuits. And the agency would require that we install a filter to censor out any bad or unacceptable words in our posts.
Or, of course, there's always the membership model. We could setup a members only system where paying members get full access and non-paying members get throttled back, etc.
I don't like either of the above models and think we'd soon lose a lot of our readers and participants. Of course that may happen anyway if we can't fund it and if we cannot get our equipment problem under control, or if my refusal to vote for or support an abortionist/homosexualist/statist who has plans to install ObamaCare, er, I mean RomneyCare into all 50 states runs everyone off.
The donation model has served us very well since 1997 when we first started using it. It's very clean, uncomplicated and we attract participants who perhaps can't afford membership dues but do want to join the discussion and join our rallies, protests, prayer sessions, etc. And the advertising model would probably bring in the revenue, but it comes with strings attached.
I'm sure there are other ways and ways to combine features of various models, sell books, cds, gear, etc, offer no ads for paid subscribers, etc, even ISP services, but all of these also complicate matters.
I'm an old dog and I like to avoid new tricks, new complications, additional overhead, additional accounting, additional rules and regulations, etc, wherever possible. I like to stick to simplicity and with what works.
Thank you all very much for your continuing participation and support.
Having a temper tantrum like a two year old, does not make you a man. In fact it makes you look like a little boy.
Agreed. I’ve been here since 1998. I’d vote for the neighbor’s cat over Obama. He must be removed for the sake of the country.
Yes, I know. I’ve looked into it. Like the hosting service we use. Thanks.
Your post can stay for posterity, but your second opus is also accepted.
FWIW, I’m good with the present format and funding mechanism. I simply send in to FRee Republic the money I used to send to Gannett for a dead-tree subscription to The (Monroe, LA) News Star. The cosmic rewards for that act far outweigh the monetary value.
Of course, any marginal hardware/software upgrades to the system should be done as time/money permits.
LOL. Of course.
He rightly deserves it. Good riddance!
Thank you very much, rtwingxtremist!!
Thank you very much, abb!!
I guess one of the questions I would have about the advertising model is what sort of ads would be there. My first thought was of coming to FR and seeing Obama and Romney ads on every page, for example.
If this has already been addressed, sorry about that. I scanned down through the posts but didn’t have time to actually read every detail.
Bob J and BadJoe did some merchandising with our logo as a separate entity long ago when we first got started, but then gave it to another FReeper. We chose not to participate when they transferred ownership to the new owner, to avoid being involved in merchandising or commercial ventures on FR. We did run a banner for him on our front page for many years as a public service for those who wanted to purchase gear with our logo, but I don’t think he made much money on it and gave it up recently.
So I guess that means you are for the Ads rather than the donations?
Dunno, maybe it'd be too much of a PITA to implement, but seems like it'd keep the trolling pruned back a bit, especially around election time(s).
/.02
A good number of people are pissed.
LLS
(and an edit button, while you're at it ;-)
Yeah, I like it!
Free Republic Premium Membership
FRPM $1 a day gets you Free of the adds!
Freedom isn’t free anymore Jim.
The ads if we went that way would probably look similar to the ones on Drudge:
Or NewsBusters:
(for example).
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