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
There you go again. Arator and I were MENTIONED in a POST written by the OWNER of this site. THE OWNER of the site lifted our banned status and INVITED us to post here.
How that could be translated into a play for attention on the part of Arator and I is anyone's guess.
Must be a way to lower cost without sacrificing quality.
LOL! Well, it certainly wasn't OUR ploy for attention, but I have to admit, I'm loving every minute of it. This has been a blast. LOL.
What exactly is wrong with you? What would make any person sit with a browser open and watch another site and copy and paste on YOUR site what we are saying and comment on it? What would make somebody do that ALL DAY LONG??????
Don't you think that sounds kind of pathetic? Do you just lurk here, hoping Jim will let you on, so you can come in and give us chapter and verse about what's wrong with the place, therefore wrong with us?
You're almost as bad as eschoir.
My opinions were specifically asked for. Remember the saying
Don't ask a question you don't want to know the answer to
If the LAT/WP lawsuit went against FR because of bad legal counsel, then why do you insist on blaming Jim?
Aside from deciding who to blame, I simply do not feel compelled to pay off the debt myself.
And as for pushing Jim's personal political agenda, two things: This is now and has always been a political forum, and the owner is certainly entitled to his political views. If he can use that bully pulpit to push that agenda, that's free speech.
But you cannot expect it both ways. If you want to be independent then don't ty to get others to pay the bills. If you want others to pay the bills then don't insist on independence. This is basic.
That said, Jim posts very seldom, and generally only on issues dealing with the site itself. His political views are probably unknown to most of the posters here, although I think they can guess he is somewhat conservative.
True, and when he is candid about his views he risks , and sometimes does, lose followers. Politics 101.
Since you presume to know what his views are, enlighten us. How does Jim stand on [fill in issue here]? You've cast aspersions on Jim and this site, and hinted at all sorts of improprieties and irregularities. But you don't have any of your own money at stake,
Correct , and happy about that.
nor any of your own time or effort invested. You sound like an outsider looking in, a forlorn keyboard commando.
I have invested a modest amount of my time here, and I did invest a modest amount of my hopes here. I have lowered my expectations about what to expect here, and generally enjoy being here now.
Maybe when you get 50,000 registered users on your own website, you can stop by and give us the benefit of your vast experience, including how you have never been swayed to make a bad decision or to be so generous as to invite your enemies to take potshots at you.
I have no desire to start a website. When I started posting here it was done as Jim's hobby. The site was not a business, and there was a different atmosphere here. The site is business now. That is ok with me. I just don't want to pay for it.
If Jim Robinson wasn't so gracious, you wouldn't be here on this forum telling us how ungracious he is. I hope you appreciate the paradox. None dare call it hypocrisy
When you go fishing for Bass, you have to expect to catch some bullheads.
I agree 1000%, Grit.
I noticed you showed up and took advantage of the offer. Who looks silly?
I suggest you read post 519 in which in was stated there was no intention to post further, and then proceeded to post, and post and post.
It's the personal responsibility thing. JimRob extends an offer, you accept. Of course, you, et al are responsible for your own posts, which is woefully evident, even from this distant quarter.
For FR being in such poor shape as you and others suggest, I am sure there are many who are glad you are back to help steer the rudder of FR back on course. Of course, you don't seem to be all that complementary of FR, nor do some others, while at the same time, using FR as a soapbox to espouse your dislike of FR, and not just constructive comments, but comments that serve a full and hearty plate of criticism to FR.
If that ability to express one's self (within reason) is not a powerful reminder of how valuable FR is, then someone show another example. And when you obtain the fortitude to develop a site that that is an alternatove for FR, please let us know, so we may see how you have improved on the concept of FR.
We really are lucky to have you back.
Saying.......and truly meaning........all of the above, having read many of your replies here and on the "Reformation Reunion" (or whatever it's called; sorry to say I've ALREADY forgotten after spending HOURS there this afternoon at TKE's urging), I've also come to the conclusion that you ARE, in fact, incredibly self-absorbed. I don't say that to be obnoxious or overly rude to you, Arator, but dude...........you've gotta step away from that mirror for just a few.
You seem to delight in razzing this forum, its denizens, its owner. What the hell for? If you have some hard-on for Jim, work it out like a man. Pick up a phone. Go see him and talk it out. Just get over it. We're supposed to be working together to whip the liberal a**holes that abound all around us........and now, the terrorist forces wreaking havoc. This petty, childish sniping has just got to stop.
I don't know your background, Arator, but I'll tell you this about myself: I'm a 46 year old father of 7, from ages 2 months to 22 years. I'm a former Aircraft Commander in the Strategic Air Command and spent years spending a third of my life underground, ready to go to nuclear war. I now work for a HUGE, Fortune 10 computer company.........and work my butt off there to better my family and my company. I also am working on various projects outside of work that I hope, in some small way, just might help my country, as well. That just might explain a tad why I find this all so...............sad, as well as ridiculous.
We need folks like you, Harry, TKE, et al to do the same, to cut the third-grade playground arguing and WORK with us. If it isn't you, it'll be others.........I just happen to think that, the nonsensical bluster aside, you have a lot to offer.
You can scoff at this or get pissed or ignore it; certainly your choice. I just hope that you take it in the spirit in which it's intended. I've spent far too much time on this..............topic.................today, but I felt it necessary (and I was only able to since I decided to work from home today to catch up on a lot of work projects; go figure.........) and I felt I, in some way, owed it to you and the others to check this out thoroughly, from top to bottom as best I could in the limited time I had. Either way, God bless.
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