FR is currently seriously underfunded. This is something we FReepers can do something about.
Comments? Suggestions?
Donate:
bttt
Here’s my 2 cents if anyone cares....
FR feels like s a horse n buggy in it’s last days. Here’s why I don’t donate: because I could give money out the rear and if I say just the slightest wrong word, such as “what the hell is with all the Mormon bashing?” there’s a good chance I’ll be banned.
If you want FR to survive you can convert to a new board format, add banners or KILL one of the friggin hundreds of other boards that take up space.
I’ve been around for a long time. I don’t post much and almost never start a thread. But I read every single day. I donate occasionally when I can. Which isn’t much.
I have long thought that having ads would be a good thing. I have never been comfortable with the PBS model of generating revenue. Advertising done right would seem to solve the problem. Television and radio do it. Lots of competing websites do it. Why not FreeRepublic?
Before anyone jumps on me, I understand that this is Jim’s property. He can deal with the problem however he chooses. I just don’t think asking for donations is working very well. I would hate to see FR fold.
Marking...
I’d have no problem with some sort of ad placement. I’d be more likely to support any business that supports FR.
I’m kind of surprised there haven’t been some conservative versions of Soros around throwing large donations this way.
I have only been a “Member” since late 2001 but I was making donations prior to my signup and continue to donate quarterly.
I urge everyone to donate today. Our troops are defending us overseas; FR is defending freedom here at home. FR must stay alive and active in order to expose the Elitist’s attempting to take over our freedom. The Left would love to see FR go away; we won’t let that happen!
Freepers are patriots who love their country. Thank you JimRob for giving us a home on the web!
1. The problem with pay to post is quite clear. A sugar daddy/mammy makes a significant contribution, posts a hateful lib screed, gets banned and revokes donation.
2. Politics = passion, like it or not. How many purges have occurred since I started reading here in 2000? I wasn't a fan of George W Bush then. Had an anointed aura about him and thought Ambassador Keyes was a better choice.
3. Many people don't feel welcome him based upon the actions of several cliques of FReepers. Self-appointed guardians of what is and isn't conservative, incorrectly.
4. Bloggers are a point of contention. The ill-conceived war on bloggers, poorly planned and more poorly executed is absolutely ridiculous. Bloggers are a potential source of revenue. If you wish to "pimp" your blog, pay the piper, if not, no more excerpts. If they wish to take advantage and harvest readership, make them pay.
5. When I grew up, it wasn't polite to ask somebody how much they got paid. Asking for a breakdown of costs lacks class and nobody's business.
I also know that some big names in the media surf this site. When Hannity and Rush cite their “sources” who do you think they are talking about? I know who their talking about. FreeRepublic is a conservative think tank and investigative body like no other. If their reading I hope to hell they pony up. If an old retired burn out like me can collect some aluminum cans to send in funds so can they. Jim Thomson keeps everything confidential.
I have been here only 3+ years & just made my first contribution. I would hate for FR to go away. Even though I don’t post I do read here everyday & reply. This is a great forum. Let’s keep it going.
Here’s my 2 cents. I’ve been here for a long time. I rarely post articles, I occasionally comment on articles. I probably have donated a very few dollars to FR, but not recently. I have decided what few political dollars I have to spend will go to political candidates who are conservative, and have a good chance to win. No matter how good of a candidate you are, if your opponent is running 10 TV ads to your one, you’ll probably lose. Our guys need money to compete, so all of my political budget has been going there.
As for FR, I like this site, I come here for news, but rarely donate. I think that’s something that could be financed through a few ads, or such, plus like I said, I think our candidates need the money more. Furthermore, I don’t want to donate money, and then be banned because I spoke out of turn about Sarah Palin or DADT. If we want win in the arena of ideas, we have to spend some time debating the other team, and hone our arguments. Who knows, you might even convert a few of them. If you run off everyone with a moderately different viewpoint, the site becomes stale and boring.
If FR dies, it goes away forever unless something changes. Is this acceptable to us?
FR is currently seriously underfunded. This is something we FReepers can do something about.
Comments? Suggestions?
________________________________________
I really appreciate you getting this out there. This is the site I turn to first for news and in fact, I rarely read any other news sites as I used to.
That said I was participating heavily 2 & 3 FReepathons ago with sponships etc. and then I found a disturbing trend during the last FReepathon that caused me to back off.
It’s not you or your fault, I’m simply replying to your post because it’s easier and I want to get the information out there for others to see.
I had been adding posts into some popular threads simply saying that ‘FReeper so & so’(name withheld as it isn’t important) was sponsoring X number of folks - contact this person and you’d know money had been donated for you, which for folks that can’t donate right now is pretty cool.
I got some of the worst, rudest and harshest FReepmail I have ever received over this! One of the tamer ones came from a very, very prolific poster here and said something along the lines of “I’m too busy for your s***, take it off my threads”.
Now this wasn’t hurting anyone and is similar to the items other FReepers have posted on this thread. I think it’s helpful because if I couldn’t donate, I’d like to see a notice saying some other FReeper would happily do so for me.
So sadly the attitude expressed in those FReepmails turned me off to anything other than just doing my monthly $1 a day plus gig. It’s sad when attitudes like that from frequent posters cause problems, but there you have it. If I’ve experienced it maybe others have also.
FR is an interesting study. It claims to be a conservative website etc. and yet depends on a PBS fund raising model, without the government grants.
I think this is a good thread to have for open discussion. Folks who use the site for “free” really don’t have a dog in this discussion though. Paying members though do in my humble opinion.
Not everyone is a programmer or understands the outages when they occur, but something and some solutions need to explored. And while Jim’s site is private, he has paying customers.
When his customers are complaining, letting him know things are just not meeting expectations...consideration should be given to their concerns...and if possible finding solutions.
If the cost and corners need to be cut slimming down the bandwidth use or whatever...to be able to invest in some of the needed upgrades...lets say it, get it out there and do what needs to be done.
I am not a computer guru, I a customer service guru and some of the problem here is some of his customers are unhappy.
What is a priority item for FReepers regarding FreeRepublic?
1. Site access
2. Load times
3. what else?
And then all the other stuff of the different forums etc. that could be consolidated down.
Part of the frustration this weekend came from a failure of the first two items...at a time when the left was firing a rapid fire rhetorical machine gun at the United States of America. If we’re going to stay on top of things and events to be able to use the soapbox in saving our nation...we can’t let that happen ...again.
I know some folks here vehemently defend Jim Rob and FR and that’s fine, but don’t let it cloud your judgment of the things that need to be repaired.
Jim, we met once on your Tea Party Across America journey. I love and admire what you’ve been able to build here, the activism you have inspired in likely thousands of people and I hope you can get through all the harsh words to evaluate ways to make FR even better. There are some great suggestions on this very thread. Perhaps garner some of the ideas and private poll your customers what they would do and what they value most.
ok then how about a SUBSCRIPTION?
maybe you can read online for $5 yearly (by far the cheapest subscription price on the web)
but if you want to post you have to pay $50 (yearly)
I donate AT LEAST $100 whenever I can so that would be fine with me
All I can say is, if someone else can do it better and cheaper, then please step right on up and get ‘er done!!
I do not have a lot of funds right now but I donate automatically every month.
That written, with Gods grace I may end up with a better job soon and I will increase my monthly donation to make it at least a dollar a day, if not more.
Free Republic is more than a web site;: It is one of the few bastions of conservative thought and debate. It is too valuable to our Country to see it die, and I am not being hyperbolic.
I give $10 a month. If my situation improves, that donation will increase. There are a lot of regular posters on FR. It seems like people who can afford a computer and an internet service provider could also commit to a regular FR donation.
Please FReepers, let’s get it done.
I give $10 a month. If my situation improves, that donation will increase. There are a lot of regular posters on FR. It seems like people who can afford a computer and an internet service provider could also commit to a regular FR donation.
Please FReepers, let’s get it done.