Posted on 11/28/2001 7:31:29 PM PST by Jim Robinson
Free Republic has had one helluva run over the last five years or so. We helped impeach one president and helped get another into office. We've been active in demonstrations and protests in nearly every city across the nation. We've participated in conventions, petition drives, activism campaigns and projects for dozens of conservative causes.
We've grown from a tiny web site with a few hundred posters and readers from the time of inception in 1996, to one with tens of thousands of participants today. Along the way we've made lots of great friends and, unfortunately, also made lots of bitter enemies.
We've grown from a small web site that I could manage myself on a part-time basis to a huge monster that has totally consumed all of my time and resources plus nearly all of John's time, plus the time and resources of many dedicated FReepers who volunteer or contribute large amounts of their own time and money.
The site is now consuming all of a 10 mbps dedicated line with two servers and we're still growing, and it consumes large amounts of money to keep all this running. In the early years, it only took a few thousand dollars per month to keep Free Republic on the air, but it is now costing over $20,000 per month to cover all expenses.
The major costs include approximately $8,000 per month for bandwidth, 3,000 for systems management and programming services, 7,000 for management, operating and administrative services, plus two or three thousand per month for miscellaneous office expenses, telephone, communications, repairs & maintenance, travel & lodging, postage, rentals, insurance, legal fees, accounting fees, etc., etc.
We anticipate a reduction in bandwidth costs next year as we renegotiate our contract (the market price for bandwidth has fallen recently), however, that will be more than offset by an expected increase in costs of our legal expenses. As most of you know, our pro bono attorney has left us and we've hired a new attorney to continue with our case, plus we have the suit against eschoir to pay for. My projections are that our regular monthly expenses for next year will be running in the neighborhood of $22,000 per month, or approximately $264,000 total for the year. This means we will need to raise approximately $66,000 per quarter.
Talking about making enemies, we've got several ex-FReepers and other detractors who are claiming on their anti-freeper web sites that I am ripping off the donors and that Free Republic is a fraud. Now, Free Republic is what it is, and it is definitely not a fraud. It is a conservative news discussion forum that encourages participation in politics and activism projects. It is not being billed as anything else. We are not selling or promising anything. And I am being up front about our operating costs. The costs of running Free Republic are what I've stated above and they are necessary to keep FR on the air. I do not have the financial wherewithal to operate this site without your help. If the majority of the FReepers feel that these costs are out of line or too much to bear or that Free Republic is no longer wanted or needed, then we will either cut it back or shut it down or do something altogether different.
I've also been criticized about not making our financials public. Well, the reason I do not want to do this is that I have been sued, both personally and as Free Republic, LLC. The people suing us want to bankrupt us and shut us down. They subpoenaed our financial records, but we refused to turn them over. The judge agreed that the plaintiffs have no right to the information, thus I have no intention of making any more of it public than I absolutely have to, until this lawsuit is resolved. You all know the amounts of money we raise if you follow the fundraising threads. It is all above board and out in the open. The totals posted by BadJoe are usually pretty close to the actual cash received and the amounts expended are pretty close to the amounts projected. No one is getting rich here and no one is being ripped off. The funds raised are being used for the purposes stated, and that is keeping this website on the air and that's it. Nothing fraudulent about it. Those who want to help fund us freely do so with nothing expected in return. Those who do not want to contribute do not have to.
There was a thread running this morning where people were making all kinds of accusations about Free Republic "hiding the truth" or whatever. These accusations are being made by Chuck Allan and others and fall along the same line with the accusations being made by some of the earlier banees or AFers including Mojo, Inspector Harry Callahan, Arator, keep U.S. Sovereign, TKEman and others. Some of these people are existing FReepers and some are banned. I am going to reinstate Mojo, Inspector Harry Callahan and Arator's accounts so they can join Chuck Allan, TKEman, K.U.S.S. and whomever else wants to get involved, and I invite them to come onto this thread and make their accusations public. As long as they do not go onto other threads and make a nuisance of themselves, I will let them have their say.
Like I said above, if it is time for Free Republic to go away so be it. Those who want to keep it going speak up. Those who want it to go away, tell us why. But if those who want it to be gone lose out in the debate, then I'd say they should just go away themselves, or, in the very least, shut up and quit whining about it.
Thanks,
Jim
A quick crunch of the numbers shows that 10K people contributing just $3.00/month would yield $360,000 annually. $3.00 per month is less than one copy of the Sunday NY Times (ok--cheesy example).
I am amazed that people refuse to contribute unless it is mandatory. Maybe one day I'll reach a point where nothing amazes me anymore. If it must be mandatory, then so be it. I would recommend $5.00/month for kicks and giggles. Of course, there will be some who will continue to volunteer more.
BTW, I'm still banned. JimRob hates me more than he hates you, nayh, nayh, nayh. :-) :-)
I was under the impression that you hated me MOST. What's the deal?
Did your mom tell you that you'd never feel pain? - Grow up.
'Do you realize how it feels to be banned without just cause?"
Yep, bin there, done that, can't say that it won't happen again.
"Do you realize what it's like to be lied about when you can't rebut the lie due to your banned status?"
Yes I do.
When I got banned, it was really a surprize. - I had been exchanging barbs with Mojo, but anybody here with a brain did that. - I got zapped for expressing the opinion that Jim had erred by giving Connie more authority than she was ready for. - It wasn't that I had any real gripe with either of them; in fact I greatly admired both of them then as I still do now. - But Jim was under heavy attack that day, and didn't have time or energy for deep analysis.
Then, after getting banned, I made the real mistake: I joined a chorus of others in reacting with anger, and let my mouth run on subjects upon which I lacked sufficient knowledge to comment.
I regret doing that; I had no idea what Jim was going through, or how dependant FR had become on the donations that were needed to keep running. - That was why the "coven" was able to attack with impunity, not because Jim was in agreement with them, but because he could no longer do it alone.
"I'm done with it. But for the next couple of hours, I plan to stick around and see what plays out. I fully expect to get banned, so the pain will be non-exsistant."
Wrong attitude.
- You didn't get banned for your message, but for being in the middle of a cloud of agravation that is choking FR to death.
Don't you see how important this site is? - Stay with us and support it. - And don't let the noise drown out the music.
This black and white attitude is the root problem. So many people see free-speech as an all or nothing deal. Philosophically, this is an impossiblity. You and I are hopelessly bound up into a human conglomerate of diverse cultural backgrounds. Without limitations on pure freedom, we would annihilate one another. And so society has learned, for the common good, to limit individual freedoms. The U.S. has done the best job of protecting individual freedom without imposing those on the common good. Is it perfect? Hell no. But it is still the best there is. What is my point? You say,
Censorship, either by moderators or self-censorship, cannot lead to finding solutions to complex problems.
I say that if there is a land of absolutely no-censorship it is a land of make-believe. There has been and always will be censoring, and sometimes, even though I may not like it, it may be good and for the common-good. When I deny, as an individual, the rights of the common good, I become an advocate of totalitarianism.
You also said,
I for one feel that the “abuse” button is too often abused by those seeking to intimidate or silence thoughtful criticism.
I, for one, feel that the "abuse" button SHOULD be used when the common good is threatened by the selfless rhetoric of an anarchist.
Please don't take this personally. Just MHO about civil liberties. There are times when people are unfairly censored, but I am not talking about those times.
Uh, no and no.
Hope that helps!
I have no problem with heated dissent in an argument nor do I have a problem with people who have opinions that are not in agreement with mine. I do not think holding a dissenting opinion from the majority qualifies as poor forum manners.
There are also those that mistrust. I again suggest that those that mistrust - just go elsewhere rather than ruin the site for those that enjoy it. It is all voluntary. What right do the malcontents and distrustors have to take down something others enjoy.
Their efforts sound like the efforts of those who are offended by something, so that means that "something" must be banned for all others. Offended about God being mentioned - therefore, we are not allowed to mention God. Offended by the Ten Commandments, so we are not allowed to post the Ten Commandments. Offended by the flag, so the flag is banned, etc., etc., etc.
Such power we give the malcontents yet no power or rights to those who are content to continue with what they have.
Frankly, I am offended by the gripers and whiners, I am offended by those seeking to destroy FR, I am offended by those who feel they have the right to trash this site with their language. I am offended by those who seek to attack others posting just like they are.
Ok, let's see my offenses taken seriously and the gripers and whiners made to stop their whining, those that trash this site, made to stop it, those who attack, prevented from doing so. If I am ignored - it is unjust. Why are my complaints ignored but those of others listened to?
What is the Institute's budget, and from where does it derive its funding?
Finally, what impact does the institute have on the appeal with the Ninth Circuit, given your affidavit in that matter regarding chapters, activism, and so forth?
It's just about bin Laden losing his nads to a box cutter.
Howlin, as mad as I get at some of your comments, you make me laugh and I always end up wanting to invite you over for coffee (wine, actually Hehe). Dang....so ALL does not work for us...that is very, very elitist of you, Jim, one would think you owned this website or something! :^)
I say let's roll...
Any reason why you can't make the names of these lowlifes public? I sure would like to know who is trying to shut us down and why.
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