Informal Poll: Should Jim Robinson make money from FR?

Today, don't ask me to be more specific.. | Jhoffa_X

[Polonius]

I guess I'm out of the loop ... who's bitching about FR's finances?

[gPal]

why should he do anything other than what HE decides to do?...i would think that if donations provide a stable and sufficient income...he will continue fund raisers...and if subscriptions serve that need...it would be surprising if he didn't go that way...either way...i doubt that he should be concerned about losing visitors...actually, i feel sure that the number of members wil continue to GROW either way...his choice...he has earned that choice

[ChadGore]

Short answer = Yes.

This reminds me of an interview with one of this countries best CEOs, G.E.s Jack Welch. Jack was being interviewed by some limo-lib, trying to pin him down about "socially responsible companies".

INTERVIEWER: "What can companies do to be more socially responsible"?

JACK: "Be profitable"

He's right. How much 'comunity philanthropy' will Enron do this year? Will Worldcom be giving education scholarships this year? I doubt it.

If FR has profit left over at the end of the year, it means they can do more good NEXT year.

1)Add value.
2)Reinvest.
3)Repeat.

[Senator Pardek]

Anything worth doing is worth doing for a profit.

13th Rule of Acquisition.

[BOBTHENAILER]

I think he should do whatever he likes. If he wants to make money its fine with me.

If he wants to hire me for my rapier like wit and sheer unadulterated brilliance, thats fine too.

I'll be here if its free and I'll be here if I have to pay. Either way I agree, this is the Rush Limbaugh of the internet.

[NormsRevenge]

An unemployed and wish I could contribute more Ditto BUMP

Hang in there. A lot of very qualified and talented folks are sitting on the sidelines these days. Im hoping by end of the year, we've clobbered Saddam and a few other folks in the mIddle East and restored some order and cooperation between "friends". THat should let the market have a little confidence and hopefully let some companies take up the slack in the workforce.

[Jhoffa_]

No, no, no..

It's a reflective, principled thing..

Not an actual course of action.. I want to de-fang the anti-freeps.

However you vote has no bearing on what Mr. Robinson will do..

It WILL however silence many dissenters forever.

[Hostage]

Absolutely without question, the owners of FR should pay themselves what their product and market will bear.

I would eschew the use of referring to "profit from FR" and use instead "compensation from FR".

[Jhoffa_]

who's bitching about FR's finances?

The anti's.. constantly..

[Khepera]

I didn't mention chickens once! Now you take that back!!

[PoorMuttly]

No. He should get a job to pay for someone to be him.

?

[Jhoffa_]

I apologize.. and I will wax your car..

[El Gato]

First and foremost, conservatives mind their own business.

Indeed.

I consider FR to be somewhat analagous to the old "Commitees of Correspondence" set up during pre Revolutionary times. I don't think the members of those committees made money, but I bet those who provided printing services, paper and of course the necessary food and drink to support the meetings, probably did make modest amounts on the enterprise.

[bmwcyle]

I don't care if he does. He is a honest man and God blessing are for him.

[tpaine]

I assume your referring to self-proclaimed "libertarians" who don't respect Mr. Robinson's right to run his website as he sees fit.

---

Laughable 'assumption'.
No one here is challenging JR's right to run his website.

If you want to be taken seriously on this forum you might think about cleaning up your anti-libertarian act.
-- In fact, JR has just formed a new forum that endorses the libertarian RLC position of the Republican party:
RLC Liberty Caucus | latest posts
Address:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/rlc/browse

[justshe]

Yes, Jim Robinson deserves to make money on FR. It is WAY beyond a hobby. And.....as I read on another thread (wink),... REAL conservatives reward success, socialists don't!

[michigander]

I think the question was more to the effect of "Should JimRob be making money off FR?"

No, the question was (although it wasn't phrased that way) "Would you oppose or favor Mr. Robinson making a profit from FR."

I'm in favor of Jim doing whatever the FReep he wants to do with FR.
When I donate money, it's completely without preconditions. He (or whomever he trusts within that capacity) can give me the heave-ho at anytime (it wouldn't be the first time either). That's the way it is, has been and always will be as far as I know. BFD!

[Jhoffa_]

I consider FR to be somewhat analagous to the old "Commitees of Correspondence" set up during pre Revolutionary times.

I think of it as an enterprise.. I think of all things as an enterprise.

[Khepera]

No that's OK it was a simple mistake.
Long live Jim Whatshisname!

[Teacher317]

"Should he" should not even be a question. This site takes nothing (except most of my waking hours), pollutes nothing, injures no one (except those who despise the light of truth), and would be 100% legal if we had the same discussions looking at a single copy of the newspaper at some local bistro. (Free Republic IS our bistro, and the copies of the articles we share were free to begin with.)

There is NO REASON WHATSOEVER to oppose a profit-making venture of this kind. (Does anyone ask this about DU, publicly-traded Salon, etc?!? Do they get sued for doing the same thing we do?)

The real question is, CAN he make a profit, and the sheer quality, addictiveness, and value of this site certainly say, unequivocally, "YES!"

The large volume of voluntary donations (for this free product) would also be a huge indicator of the profit potential.