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
The censorship is getting worse here though, its really too bad, I never know when I will write a nice long reply only to hit the post button and get the "the thread has been deleted" message :(
Can you tell us some of the screen names she was using? (I use the feminine pronoun not literally, but in the generic sense of the word, like Ann Coulter does when talking about whiners.)
You know I love FreeRepublic. You know I support it. If FreeRepublic goes, the hope for America goes with it.
I'm sick and tired of all the whining and complaining that goes on. If these people don't like it here, why do they keep coming back?! I say ban them when they whine and complain. Conserve the bandwidth for those who are actually trying to do something to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America.
Now let's go kick some liberal, socialist butt!
Just my 1.99 cents
Mojo Is A Liar
MojoNNLBIsALiar
Mojos A Liar
Correction
If you think that's bad, just wait until you catch a random banishment lightning bolt in the chest. LOL.
You (and everyone) should exchange email addys with your FReeper friends of choice before its too late. It's banishment insurance. ;^)
Good point. The "living room" analogy was ALWAYS inane, and always will be, and becomes ironic within the funding context.
But then, I'm not here for mere common sense.
I'M HERE FOR UNCOMMON SENSE!
1.)they can't keep up here because they're just not bright enough.
2.)can't behave long enough to remain in polite company for very long without showing a serious lack of social skills and bad upbringing.
These points are reinforced again and again on your site where it's evident that the your entire collective has the IQ of a sack of hair.
If your brains are SO BIG and you're SO SUPERIOR to the "stupid FReakers" as you like to call us then why is it that you don't discuss anything BUT FREEREPUBLIC.
Why not discuss National Security, Homeland Defense or any other relevant topic of the day instead of reposting what's already been posted here.
You're like the nerdy neighborhood kids that didn't get invited to the cool kids party...you stand around talking about how you didn't want to go anyway while straining to watch the whole party from between the slats of the fence.
It's pathetic....please go away so the cool kids can get back to our party.
I see that Arator opines that you may be insane!!! What did you do to tweak his tail, you naughty boy? ;-)
You're right on the money there, Arator. Remind me to tell you a "Honeymoon Story" someday.
I am surprised that you didn't just start yelling, "what about Dingell-Norwood, WHAT ABOUT DINGELL-NORWOOD?"
http://www.techlawjournal.com/courts/freerep/19991029rob.htm
Re: Chapter activity, it reads in pertinent part:
55. Neither Free Republic or I have any connection with the association which calls itself FreeRepublic Southern California Chapter beyond the fact that the members of FreeRepublic Southern California Chapter are "fans" and users of the Free Republic web site. I have received no money, dues or payments from the Free Republic Southern California Chapter. The "Free Republic" referred to in Paragraph 15 of the Declaration of Heather L Wayland In Support of Plaintiffs Motion For Partial Summary Judgment is not the Free Republic which is the defendant in this action. Neither I nor Free Republic have any connection with or control over the FreeRepublic Southern California Chapter referred to by Ms. Wayland.
Is not the FR Network now comprised of all the FR Chapters? If so, is not the Southern California chapter a part of the FR Network?
What relationship does Jim or FR have, if any, with any chapter or the Free Republic Network? Explain, if you can, how Jim and FR have no connection.
Thanks!
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