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Is Free Republic a Fraud? Is it time for Free Republic to go away?
Free Republic | 11/28/01 | Jim Robinson

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


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Announcements; Breaking News
KEYWORDS: bushbabeslist; enviralists; hughhewitt; jimroblist; opuslist; usocanteen; zionist
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To: Howlin
Nevermind. LOL!
2,461 posted on 11/30/2001 2:40:28 PM PST by Inspector Harry Callahan
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To: Inspector Harry Callahan
Any ideas?

You're not important enough to take up their time? Nobody cares about you? They've said all they needed to say?

Sorry, bozo, you're stuck with just me.

2,462 posted on 11/30/2001 2:40:52 PM PST by Howlin
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To: Howlin
"Sorry, bozo, you're stuck with just me."

You say the sweetest things.

2,463 posted on 11/30/2001 2:43:12 PM PST by Inspector Harry Callahan
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To: Inspector Harry Callahan
And, of course, if you look real close you'll see days where I hardly post at all.

Harry, it's not MY fault that the days I don't post much are all the days you're banned.

Too bad for you; you're stuck with just me because nobody else wants to talk to you -- ain't life grand?

Oh, BTW, don't forget Jim's rule: you have to stay on THIS thread alone, no wandering.

2,464 posted on 11/30/2001 2:44:34 PM PST by Howlin
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To: Inspector Harry Callahan
You say the sweetest things.

You won't think so when you finally realize it's just you and me; I look at you as sort of a toy, mine to play around with.

I'll come back in a bit....meanwhile, just sit there.

2,465 posted on 11/30/2001 2:46:13 PM PST by Howlin
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To: Jim Robinson
Hey Jim.

In the spirit of Christmas, and in the hopes of making our latest FReeperthon a rousing success, how about granting a "Battlefield Absolution" to Arator, Harry and the rest of the vagabonds currently lost and circling the most outer ring of the internet????

2,466 posted on 11/30/2001 2:48:46 PM PST by Jethro Tull
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To: Howlin
Isaiah Lucifer smells like the maggot king, lottafarts, and while his work compiling all of your posts may seem like hard work to normal people, the afwa baha's record everything in the sacred archives for future use when they are vindicated...I don't think they know the shelf life on storage tape is not in their favor.

If you would like to take the night off I'll be happy to play with Hairy...I feel the need for a really dull straight-man tonight.

2,467 posted on 11/30/2001 2:53:49 PM PST by harrowup
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To: Constantine XIII
"FR Rocks--love it or leave it!"

Bump.

2,468 posted on 11/30/2001 2:57:07 PM PST by Rocko
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To: harrowup
Admiral, are you okay?
2,469 posted on 11/30/2001 2:57:44 PM PST by Inspector Harry Callahan
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To: Jim Robinson
Let them leave. You are an antidote for all the "expletive" out there. GO FREE REPUBLIC. otoh-if you have to go just tell me where I can find you.
2,470 posted on 11/30/2001 2:59:34 PM PST by esoteric
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To: harrowup
Heck, no. I figure they won't be here that long since they are only allowed on this thread -- they're bound to break the rules soon!

We can share him though. Unless you have something to trade, like Mojo or Pesky.

2,471 posted on 11/30/2001 3:01:03 PM PST by Howlin
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To: Howlin
So, how many totally worthless posts is that, just today, say, 100 or more? By the way, how much have you paid? I'm sure it's not sufficient as posting on this site seems to be your life! You owe Jim some more money, now give it up!

Or, perhaps, where you live they don't let you have money? But, I guess, having a PC is better than talking to yourself in that kind of environment.

If you look very close at what Jim is saying, you'll see that here has got to be reasonable compensation (and less flack) for his time and effort, especially from posters like you that take up more space than, say, OBL. Perhaps you should consider cutting down your posting activity to, say, when you actually have something to contribute. My guess is, in your case, one post per millennium would be one too many.

2,472 posted on 11/30/2001 3:04:05 PM PST by Isaiah Lucifer
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To: Inspector Harry Callahan
I have missed your posts and am glad that you are back, albeit temporarily.

I wonder if we linked our donations to having you permanently re-instated........LOL

2,473 posted on 11/30/2001 3:04:18 PM PST by Rogmonster
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To: Isaiah Lucifer; Howlin
Another 11-day wonder who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.

I'd pay to see Howlin's words, but I expect a check for the tedium of dragging through yours.

2,474 posted on 11/30/2001 3:05:35 PM PST by Cyber Liberty
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To: Inspector Harry Callahan
No Inspector, you don't fit any theory of mine, as well as anyone else around here. Other than you don't seem to have a lot to contribute, other than free time and posts that are bearly comprehensible.
2,475 posted on 11/30/2001 3:08:21 PM PST by Isaiah Lucifer
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To: Inspector Harry Callahan
No Inspector, you don't fit any theory of mine, as well as anyone else around here. Other than you don't seem to have a lot to contribute, other than free time and posts that are bearly comprehensible.
2,476 posted on 11/30/2001 3:09:16 PM PST by Isaiah Lucifer
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To: Howlin
Read Jim's post again, my dear. We are not to go to other threads and make a nuisance of ourselves. I've been commenting on other threads since my arrival back in FReepdom. The way I see it, that's not a violation of Jim's wishes. For if it was I'm sure he'd have banned me by now.

I'm sure he remembers how.

2,477 posted on 11/30/2001 3:10:19 PM PST by Inspector Harry Callahan
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Comment #2,478 Removed by Moderator

To: Cyber Liberty
O.K., that sounds very good to me, so pay up! I'd say $1,000 to Robinson would do the trick.
2,479 posted on 11/30/2001 3:11:48 PM PST by Isaiah Lucifer
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To: Isaiah Lucifer
But, I guess, having a PC is better than talking to yourself in that kind of environment.

I'm not the one obsessed with FR, pal. I'm not the one that looks like a big whiner crybaby because you got banned one time or another.

And now you demand to know how much I pay? What a fool you are. Who do you think YOU are to go around asking anybody stuff like that. Oh, I forgot; you're one of the special ones -- the ones that know all and how everything should work.

You're also one of the ones who are jealous of Jim Robinson, which makes you pretty pathetic, despite all your snappy words.

BTW, I'd say my "worthless" posts, however many of them they are, are much more informative than your vocuous, specious lies about this forum and its owners.

2,480 posted on 11/30/2001 3:13:17 PM PST by Howlin
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