After starting my web site and finding out how much of a pain it is I decided to take the easy way out.
arator
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
Anyone, and I mean ANYONE (non afers) who was there at the time will tell you the same thing. I tried to warn you but you said "nyet". Quit trying to shove responsibility for that site becoming a sewer on anyone but yourself. Sewer is as sewer does.
BTW - If you're going to keep going into and out from the mist, could you take my car? It could use a washing.
THEY AREN'T!
After starting my web site and finding out how much of a pain it is I decided to take the easy way out.
arator
---------------------------------------
I'm curious too, -- do you ever follow the thread back to see what others are refering to on their posts?
Back aways, #2491 I believe, I made a suggestion about financing FR.
John replied with a freepmail, and I asked him the question on cost per post.
Can you tell me why that makes me a 'total paine'?
3064 posted by tpaine
------------------------------------------
I think somewhere in the previous 2,000 posts and within the last 5 years of FreeRepublic, the question has been addressed. Okay, not a total paine, maybe a nagging backache. Which is better than a hemorrhoid.
How weird . Your first post mentioning me illustrated near 'total foolishness'. Now you're into hemmorrhoids. Totally bizarro.
Ha! I just KNEW you used to work for Fidel !
Probably a lot like your family, ours is very Christian but doesn't go to church. A professor at Bradley University just published a very good book entitled Spiritual But Not Religious, addressing the more-and-more-common "unchurched" Christian. The starting point is that 90% identify themselves as Christian but only 50% go to church.
Well, in the end they did crap all over it (Esky with red java graffiti, sodomy inquiries, etc.) but for the first several months even Esky was a surprisingly good citizen and it was working.
That was your decision because you wanted traffic
Well, the posting rules were my decision and everyone who abided by them was welcome at Reunion, regardless of faction. As such, neither the AFers nor anybody else was excuded.
and and the only ones who would come over to play (all your paleo buddies hit the road after 2 weeks) were the miscreants who were happy to have another forum from which to lob shitballs at FR.
Uh, not true. A few of my paleo buds did get scarce because of the ugly AFer-FRPTB wars which broke out at the start, but most persevered to the bitter end. Why, after the FR-AFer feud settled down, there was even a pleasant couple of monthes where Paleo and AFer coexisted amicably, then it all went to hell in a handbasket. LOL.
Anyone, and I mean ANYONE (non afers) who was there at the time will tell you the same thing. I tried to warn you but you said "nyet". Quit trying to shove responsibility for that site becoming a sewer on anyone but yourself. Sewer is as sewer does.
Are you calling me a sewer, toilet mouth? Take's one to know one. LOL.
BTW - If you're going to keep going into and out from the mist, could you take my car? It could use a washing.
Just hand me the keys and I'll be on my way...LOL.
Ah, love that mist....
I second that emotion.
Dar, on this THREAD the issue (just one of--what?--666?) of merely being present on an anti-FR board was NEVER the complaint; the behaviour of those on the given AF board WAS. I do not support banning or nuking or the "FReeper since" crap, and the idea of scrutinizing FR, "even" with extreme negative bias doesn't disturb me (it can take the heat) but, logically, if someone posts ANYWHERE it's fair game. Fair GAME, nothing more. Not credentials, just accountabilty within the teapot.
You know, Jai predicted this thread . . I forget what the astrological consensus was . .
HA! Not bad Robert. Checked with SO, next Wednesday is good...do you do spa?
That's no act.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.