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
Now go back to trolling Arator. He will doggedly rebut your ever-insane posts until Jim bans us all again. You're looking at a good forty eight hours or so.
Now git!
Some crackpot moderator FReepmailed me two weeks ago threatening me with suspension.
I told h/she to butt off and then suspended myself for two weeks.
I just came back Tuesday and was greeted with a rash of mindless vanities with titles like "What's the most popular baby name" or "Who are the single male Freepers."
Sad stuff...
Oh yeah,one more thing,,,,
A good 48 hours of what?
I would give my left one for some of the folks IQ around here. I see it used to convince, not educate.
That is what I see as the problem...at times, causes a little disfunction. For what it's worth...
SR
Welcome to FreeRepublic. I do not know whether you are familiar with the writings of Ayn Rand. However, in Atlas Shrugged (published in 1957) her characters discuss "progressivism". The policies that the "progressives" in the book argued for are the exact policies the progressives of today argue for.
You claim that progressives are slowed by conservatives. The problem with "progressivism" is that there is very little "progress" involved.
I hope that you stick around for a while. Mr. Robinson is actually quite fair. We might learn something from each other.
One last thing, your post was filled with form letter rhetoric. I would suggest putting your thoughts into your own words.
regards,
Jim, you just let us know what we can do. Thank you again.
I agree. To date, Arator, I have not seen one posted. Did I miss it?
OK, I'll apologize to dear Howlin. Howlin, I apologize for not being the liar and fraud you have repeatedly and falsely accused me of being. I'm truly sorry. I know the truth is probably very hard to for you to take.
There. I feel better now. Thanks for the suggestion. ;^)
The aging process is a funny thing.
In 1969, I didn't trust anyone over 30 years old.
Now, I don't trust anyone younger than 30...
Trolling Arator concerning the HOWLINFR thingEy, of course. What did you think I meant? Arator and I are going to be banned within the next forty-eight hours or so, and everybody knows it. So feel free to heel bite Arator. He can't resist rebutting your arguments over and over and over and over, even though he WON the argument HUNDREDS of posts ago.
Arator is like a poker player when it comes to debates. He will debate and debate and debate and debate.
Me? I'm all done with you on this GW thingEy. Why? Because YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T INTERESTED IN WHAT I HAD TO SAY concerning it.
Therefore, you may bother Arator now.
Thanks in advance!
Good point. Now you can send in your donation and get a good night's sleep to boot!
JimRob's FR is now a Powerful Voice in our land; FR MUST NOT be silenced!
Doc
I don't automatically assume that folks I meet are psycopaths. I like to take them on face value until they give me good reason not to. I'm kind of funny that way.
Me too. Me too.
Consider your post 519:
Like many other once-enthusiastic FReepers, I have no interest in posting (or donating) to FR as long as its present draconian regime of censorship, banishment, and general FReeper abuse continues.
You stated that you had no interest in posting. That was over 40 posts ago. What gives? For someone that seems so loathe to post on FR, you seem fairly unable to control yourself. I suggest that for all the faults of FR that you seem to have at the ready and willing to launch with deft precision, you are unable to exhibit any modicum of self-control.
How can that be? If the FR is so painful, so sad for you, then why continue to post? I advance the theory that you too, are in need of attention. One would not post they have no intention of posting and then make 40 more posts. Your fictive declarations diminish the quality of your arguments.
.
Anybody who reads this thread, if you don't give now - do so today. FR is an entity like none other. I value it highly!
You're generous, I don't trust anyone under 50, especially if they attended govmnt skool!
I'm completely addicted to FR and wish I were able to send a boatload of money to help keep the site going. I'll send what I can.
And backhoe, thank you for the ping.
Is Sit-rep.com still up? Ashamedly, I have not attempted to visit recently.
I told h/she to butt off and then suspended myself for two weeks.
OK, all I want to know is how come YOU can get away with that and I can't? LOL.
I just came back Tuesday and was greeted with a rash of mindless vanities with titles like "What's the most popular baby name" or "Who are the single male Freepers."
Sad stuff...
Yea, sad indeed. FR is an intellectual moonscape compared to the FR of old. Ah, those were the days...
Oh yeah,one more thing,,,,
GO PAT GO!
Now, THAT'S the last straw. How dare you! I'm hitting the abuse button! You'll get yours, you'll see. Damn non-Republican. </ sarcasm>
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