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
Jim, please oh please, do not shut down the site. It is such a Godsend for so many of us. Don't know what I would do without the great people I have met - although only electronically, for the time being at least - on FR. It is a terrific site for the exchange of ideas, etc. If you need more money, do a fundraiser. I promise to contribute mightily!!
'Three Rings for the Elven Kings Under the Sky
Seven for the Dwarf Lords in Their Halls of Stone
Nine for Mortal Men Doomed to Die
One Ring to Rule them All
One Ring to . . .
Oops, sorry, only 20 days to go!
I've read much of the thread. Enough, at least, to know there are no easy solutions to the funding problem. I personally would vote for subscriptions, but understand the downside to that option. Maybe a requirement that all proprietary news articles be linked rather than posted to threads would allow for advertising and subscriptions. Just a thought.
In any case, do whatever you have to do to keep FR running. If it's fundraising - let's get it on. Good luck, Jim. And where's my news, JH? =')
:D
Was Willie your brother?
I lurked here for most of 2000, got addicted during and after the election, and "signed up" to contribute and get a match from someone else. I'll re-up again, as soon as I see another great match :-)
I don't post a lot -- that's not what I get from FR. I just lurk and read, most of the time, but I get pointers to most of my news here.
I get to read really brilliant -- and not so brilliant -- commentary from a wonderful variety of mostly very conservative people I'd never know without Free Republic. These folks come from every age bracket, many professions and trades, many faiths and cultures, and every philosophical twist on every possible issue.
Sure, as the crowd grows, the noise grows. And any crowd is going to have some who want only their voices heard, or none. I think you and the new moderators have done a great job of maintaining a semblance of order. People who don't like the crowds, or who think the crowds should rule, should stop coming to the concerts.
It's your house. Thanks for inviting us.
You have an absolute right to have things go as you wish (and as you have stated they should), and to ask folks to leave if you don't want them there. IMHO, you've exercised remarkable restraint.
I would, however, give A+Bert a semi-permanent banning waiver (a grandfather clause?) -- subject, of course, to suitable timeouts when he really twists off. Can you imagine what he's up to when he's not Freeping?
I'm a programmer. If you're getting all this, plus the ongoing improvements (you oughta see my red, white, and blue FR style sheets!), for $3,000 a month, you ain't paying the kid enough! I just wish I could ftp from /perl, to see how he does some of it.
Keep it up. Illegitimis non carborundum, or however that illegitimate phrase goes...
u
I second that.
As much as I find TKEMan's pro-censorship anti-freedom views abhorant, I would never want to see him banished for them. Instead, I would like to explode them with irresistable argument, leaving their rotting carcus in public view for all to see. ;^)
?? You mean THE Willie? Uh....No.
Jim, there will never come such a time. Ever.
Free Republic isn't simply a gathering place for political conservatives, it has become so much more than that. This website is now a VERY POTENT FORCE to be recken with. No one knows this better than the powers-that-be.
If that were not the case, why on earth would Free Republic be making so many enemies among the establishment?
Free Republic is making the lives miserable, that's why. Both the politicians and the media know they can no long act with impunity.
We're watching them. Closely. And they know it.
As you, yourself, have said repeatedly: The media is today too corrupt, too liberal, too compromise, too "inside" to function any longer as a genuine check on government power, nor as a window on government corruption.
Free Republic has emerged to fill that all-important niche -- and will continue to do so, whether our enemies like it or not, Jim.
To your embittered critics, to those who have stooped to questioned your moral and ethical integrity, I have just four choice words for them: Get a life, already.
Not one of these hypocrits, who are burning with jealously at your roaring success, is fit to even tie your shoes.
Well, that's my two cents, Jim.
God bless you, and God bless Free Republic.
Oh, gag!
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