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
FR is FReepin' fantastic!! A fee sure would cut down on all the disruptors, wackos and trouble makers around here, too.
I wasn't aware that your hero Bill caught anybody to try for anything.
Harry, I wasn't talking to you; I'm not the least bit interested in what YOU think of George W. Bush; if I want to have a lively debate with you, I'll ask you something about the moon landing. Now go away.
WHAT about the moon landing? We did land on the moon? Right?
RIGHT? LOL...
You'd be familiar with that, right? Your mental disorder is that you don't like anything at all....except maybe whining.
For you to insinuate that Bush has done anything close to what Bill Clinton did just shows how out of it you are.
And, yes, I am familiar with the act; and me and the rest of the country aren't the least worried about it. We're not planning on overthrowing the country.
I agree. To date, Arator, I have not seen one posted. Did I miss it?
I've heard that Heathen libertarian is considered more dangerous than ebola.
Any truth to that?
This is a good argument to make about two years ago. As near as I can tell the issue is now settled. It is illegal to post an entire copywrited article on an independent internet site. Who knows, maybe the decision will be over turned, but I very much doubt it. Face it, there is a 1 million dollar judgement against free republic. Furthermore, the lawyers that represented Free Republic did a terrible job of representing Jim Robinson. A lawyer that was actually interested in his clients best interests would have recomended against being so hard nosed with the plantiffs, especially when his client does not have the money to pay the judgement. Furthermore, said counsel, if professional, WOULD NEVER EVER EVER EVER post messages to a public forum taunting his legal adversaries and basically saying "WE WILL BURY YOU!" Do you realize that Jim Rob's Legal Team was here doing that? I think that the Fair Usage doctrine was a legitimate question at the time. Jim chose an "in your face" approach of settling the issue and it turned out to be very very costly. Now the forum has been delivered an ultimatum "Pay up or else!" I think the issue could have been settled legally , by working with the plaintiffs throughout the proceedings at a small fraction of the $1 million dollars.
The defendant in the LAT/WP lawsuit is Jim Robinson and Free Republic LLC. Jim Robinson IS Free Republic, LLC. The thousands of users of this site weren't named. There is no Board of Directors or Corporate Officers to share the liability. This whole thing fell on Jim Robinson's shoulders. Does Jim run this forum for himself? Does he enjoy the continual sniping and character smears spread by whiny malcontents? Or the thousands in bandwidth costs? Or the countless hours he spends shepherding this group? I don't think so. So this site exists for US, for ME. And yet,
It exists to advance a political agenda ( Jim Robinson's)that I am not all that comfortable with anymore.
when the firing squad loaded up, they didn't sight in on me, or you, or Harry Callahan or Arator or some newbie who'd just gotten new batteries for his Timex Sinclair. They pasted the target over Jim's heart.
Yes, and by his choice. He did not consult me during his lawsuit. I do not feel compelled to pay for it.
I don't owe the LAT/WP a million bucks.
If you are willing to be a Super Patriot I am sure that JR will reluctantly transfer the debt into your name.
I still have a forum to use. I'm not caught up in an endless nightmare of appeals and motions and summary judgments.
Same Here.
But Jim is. Why?
Because of bad decisions that I do not feel compelled to pay for.
Unfortunately less than a thousand of us pull the cart while 49,000 ride for free. Sadly, we are a microcosm of America despite all of the lofty rhetoric.
I'm staying and as long as Jim stays they can keep billing my credit card for as long as I'm on the right side of the dirt.
Actually, I didn't. JenLart seemed to be a persecuted Libertarian in flight from the harridans of the Guild. Having been a Guild-persecuted Paleo myself, I found her to be a sympathetic figure. 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.
I haven't read all of this thread but I have read a portion of it. Free Republic is absolutely necessary...especially now! I saw your numbers. Although, I don't particularly like advertising...it is a good way to raise some the funds that are necessary to keep this site going. Our target group has a value. Why not utilize it? Is that possible? summer has a great idea. Banner ads on every post, reply, preview, profile page etc. It must be working for these web sites that are offering free space.
But rest assured. GW's legacy will be filed in the same folder with the Clinton's. When looked at closely, you have probably lost as many liberties in the short time GW's been in office as you lost in the EIGHT YEARS Willie stunk up the White House.
PATRIOT ACT, military Tribunals with secret proceedings, federalization of airport security, enforcement of all previous land-grabs, enforcement of ALMOST all previous EOs, etc, etc....
Welcome to America.
All the time now I see posts bellowing that such-and-such should be banned - the moderators are deleting posts containing pics of "busty" 19th century artwork, I fear for this forum if it continues down this path. Why? Hell, who says we have to all get along??? That is what the UN-types want a big homogenized world-society (boring). If we allow certain people who fit the "mold" to post here and kick out the rest that dont agree with the status quo, then this place has already moved in the wrong direction.
Just my take.
Exactly where did I say that, you liar?
Put up or shut up.
I've seen this on occasion as well for my postings. Happened once or twice.
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