Alternatives to donor based, ie, freepathon business model?

Click here if you wish to continue the donor based business model and free participation for all ^ | April 19, 2012 | Jim Robinson

[Jim Robinson]

I've checked with an ad agency. We can probably raise the funds we need to operate FR at our current level and at the current market price for online advertising if we run a banner ad at the top of every page and at least one rectangular ad in the above the fold body of the page and a couple rectangular ads in the sidebar. If that doesn't generate enough revenue, we can also run pop ups or pop unders and we can even run audio and video ads if need be. But of course, if we go full bore commercial, we'd have to insure strict copyright compliance with very brief excerpting of all articles to avoid lawsuits. And the agency would require that we install a filter to censor out any bad or unacceptable words in our posts.

Or, of course, there's always the membership model. We could setup a members only system where paying members get full access and non-paying members get throttled back, etc.

I don't like either of the above models and think we'd soon lose a lot of our readers and participants. Of course that may happen anyway if we can't fund it and if we cannot get our equipment problem under control, or if my refusal to vote for or support an abortionist/homosexualist/statist who has plans to install ObamaCare, er, I mean RomneyCare into all 50 states runs everyone off.

The donation model has served us very well since 1997 when we first started using it. It's very clean, uncomplicated and we attract participants who perhaps can't afford membership dues but do want to join the discussion and join our rallies, protests, prayer sessions, etc. And the advertising model would probably bring in the revenue, but it comes with strings attached.

I'm sure there are other ways and ways to combine features of various models, sell books, cds, gear, etc, offer no ads for paid subscribers, etc, even ISP services, but all of these also complicate matters.

I'm an old dog and I like to avoid new tricks, new complications, additional overhead, additional accounting, additional rules and regulations, etc, wherever possible. I like to stick to simplicity and with what works.

Thank you all very much for your continuing participation and support.

[zeugma]

Jim,

I took the time to read the whole thread. For once not proudly posting without having read the article!

Whichever way it turns out, I'm cool with. My favorite suggestion right now is banners with donors ($5/mon or $60/yr) not  seeing the ads.

Regarding having a symbol next to your posting name for donors, I'm 50/50 on that. It would make filtering freeloaders easier (kinda like filtering out anonymous cowards on slashdot), But I'm concerned that it would adversely affect discussion. ("You don't even contribute, why should I care what you think.") I definitely do NOT like the idea of having it show more if you donate more. I kinda doubt you would either.

I trust your and John's ability to keep ads as unobnoxious as possible, to keep the site clean and uncluttered.

I think the stat you mentioned earlier of $1/year for all visitors is astounding.

 Regarding all the bitching about your stance on MR, I for one, am absolutely cool with it. I don't see this particular primary season as being that much more contentious than previous ones. It always gets really hot around here during election season. This, after all, is a site for conservative folks who think politics is important. It is natural that we have strong disagreements.

 

FR is still the best political news site on the net. I like it's clean look and feel, even though I'd like to be able tag a post with a "{+1 insightful" or "-1000000 DUfus" sometimes.

[NittanyLion]

Please see my reply to that particular post.

I read it. All I can say is, the perception of a significant number of posters differs from yours. Does reality lie someone in between? Probably. But ultimately it's irrelevant, as what is indisputable is the funding has dried up.

Just one man's opinion...

[Drew68]

FR has always been volatile. There were flame wars since I joined. This has never been Miss Manners class.

There's nothing wrong with healthy flame wars when the participants have equal footing but now it has become one-sided. And ganging up on people and browbeating them into submission is not a "flame war". And you're one of the worst offenders. You and that clique you all ping each other to have chased more good conservatives off this forum than Jim himself has zotted. It's the truth.

[Amadeo]

Jim,

How about limited advertising (strictly from conservatives we want to buy from) and only during fundraising events.

I for one would pay to advertise my new Obama satire on FR. Freeper to Freeper advertising. Four times a year.

I haven’t seen anybody else doing anything like this but I think it could work.

[RedMDer]

[Jim Robinson]

Well, they (the ones who are leaving) have got to do what they’ve got to do. I’m not going to try to persuade them otherwise if it means I have to allow campaigning for or supporting a man who is 100% opposed to every conservative principle I hold dear. I do not put up yard signs for abortionist/homosexualist/statists! Not at my home and not on my pro-life, pro-family, pro-liberty website!!

Thank you very much!!

[DJ MacWoW]

But the market is speaking, isn't it?

You people with an axe to grind are a freepin' hoot!

Do you know how many FReepers are out of work? Some talk to us on the FReepathon thread. Some even try to send money. They are distraught because it's not as much as it used to be but they send it.

Is the economy booming? No? Keep your fantasy problems. Apparently you enjoy them more than the truth.

[fml]

Well Mr FreeRider, maybe instead of complaining on this thread, perhaps you should be thanking the posters here that are carrying your load for you. This is a privately owned conservative forumn and socialist and socialist sympathizers are not welcome here. If you fit in then you are welcome here, if you do not fit in here, your stay will be short.

Do your research kiddo, I've been here a long time. Until the checks clear seems anyone fits in.

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

I was a regular poster on Lucianne.com for ten years. Perhaps I can give some perspective on their model. They have a combination ad revenue/donation setup. The ads present little problem except for three minor issues:

1) The ads seem at times to be chosen/computer-generated based upon certain key words in the article posted. Therefore, an article about how Mitt Romney supported the homosexual agenda in Massachusetts might be accompanied by an ad promoting gay cruises in the Caribbean. To some extent they were able to limit those anomalies, but not entirely.

2) On rare occasion, the site went down. On at least one occasion, I think that the site failure was tied to a rogue script in one of the ads. That was a rare event, however.

3) Some users, especially those on dialup, will probably have a much slower computer experience because of the ads.

Otherwise, the ads seemed relatively innocuous.

In the distant past, Lucianne.com sold LDot merchandise through a third party, but I don’t think that it was a major success.

With regard to the $2 processing fee: facepalm!! I’ll try to keep that in mind in the future.

I think that making FreeRepublic a members only site would be a mistake. It would lessen its influence in the country at large. Having special perks for members might work, however.

I can appreciate the financial difficulty in trying to keep a site like this up and running. As a long-time social conservative, I have noticed the trend in which the conservative wing of the Party is supported by many people of limited means who are only able to give small donations; but they are overwhelmed by the liberal wing of the Party, whose fewer but wealthier contributors are able to give more. I would imagine that you have lost quite a few contributors in recent weeks. Nevertheless, I appreciate your conservative voice and your effort to continue to give those of us on the right a prominent voice as well. Thanks.

[NittanyLion]

Keep your fantasy problems. Apparently you enjoy them more than the truth.

*shrug* Think whatever you want, but it isn't the economy that's extending what used to be a 10 day process to ~80 days. There's a much more fundamental issue than that, and it's the one I've described.

[DJ MacWoW]

but now it has become one-sided.

C'mon Drew! They've always been one sided. Were you ever on a Schiavo RTL thread? I was. And there was a pack of posters that pounded the RTL's.

And you're one of the worst offenders.

Thank you Sweetie! Glad to know that I drive liberals into a frenzy.

[Wissa]

But ultimately it's irrelevant, as what is indisputable is the funding has dried up.

Indisputable?

At this point this quarter, donations are averaging just over a thousand dollars a day. I think that's actually slightly better than was the case the same number of days into the first quarter.

[DJ MacWoW]

but it isn't the economy that's extending what used to be a 10 day process to ~80 days.

yeah the economy's just BOOMING!! /s

[fml]

Whats the mission statement have to do with elitists who pay for the “privilege” to belong?

[Osage Orange]

If you don't mind my asking....

Have you ever given money to FR?

If so...how much?

You've been here for as long as I have....pretty much.

How much have you given?

[Drew68]

You sound like you want to leave, so why don’t you?

Who says I want to leave?

This is a thread about alternative methods of funding that might be needed to keep the site running. Obviously, freepathons aren't cutting it anymore. I was just opining as to why this might be.

[NittanyLion]

Indisputable? At this point this quarter, donations are averaging just over a thousand dollars a day. I think that's actually slightly better than was the case the same number of days into the first quarter.

If funding is just as solid as ever, why would this thread be posted? Clearly there's a business issue.

[onyx]

*shrug* Think whatever you want, but it isn't the economy that's extending what used to be a 10 day process to ~80 days. There's a much more fundamental issue than that, and it's the one I've described.

Our longest FReepathon is 55 days, thankyouverymuch, and as a matter of fact, in the old days, our financial goals were $40K, then $60K and now we're at $94K which includes the cost of new servers to handle our heavy traffic!

FWIW, we have almost $40K in Monthly donations, so you have NO idea what you're spewing!

[Windflier]

Civility is expected only from those who don't toe the line. Outright unhinged hostility is what they face.

Still don't get it, do you? Here's a brief excerpt of a statement by the founder of Free Republic that may help:

Statement by the founder of Free Republic

"I posted the following statement to our front page in response to the criticism I'm receiving lately as to not being fair and balanced and perceived mistreatment of trolls and assorted malcontents. Got news for all, I'm NOT fair and balanced. I'm biased toward God, country, family, liberty and freedom and against liberalism, socialism, anarchism, wackoism, global balonyism and any other form of tyranny.

As a conservative site, Free Republic is pro-God, pro-life, pro-family, pro-Constitution, pro-Bill of Rights, pro-gun, pro-limited government, pro-private property rights, pro-limited taxes, pro-capitalism, pro-national defense, pro-freedom, and-pro America. We oppose all forms of liberalism, socialism, fascism, pacifism, totalitarianism, anarchism, government enforced atheism, abortionism, feminism, homosexualism, racism, wacko environmentalism, judicial activism, etc. We also oppose the United Nations or any other world government body that may attempt to impose its will or rule over our sovereign nation and sovereign people. We believe in defending our borders, our constitution and our national sovereignty.

We aggressively defend our God-given and first amendment guaranteed rights to free speech, free press, free religion, and freedom of association, as well as our constitutional right to control the use and content of our own personal private property. Despite the wailing of the liberal trolls and other doom & gloom naysayers, we feel no compelling need to allow them a platform to promote their repugnant and obnoxious propaganda from our forum. Free Republic is not a liberal debating society. We are conservative activists dedicated to defending our rights, defending our constitution, defending our republic and defending our traditional American way of life.

Our God-given liberty and freedoms are not negotiable."

[Outlaw Woman]

Jim there is one thing you should be aware of. Sometimes, all is not what it seems.

The following is from a long time FReeper 'out there' on other boards as an alternative to the atmosphere on FR:

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"I'm seriously re-thinking if I will honor my monthly donations pledge the rest of this year. FR is turning into a Mormon hating, Romney hating, Obama loving forum If Obama can beat Romney, WOOT WOOT! I think Jim hates Romney more than Obama. He has a few ass kissers that feel the same way, we all know who they are, but most of the others are trolls that pretend to go along because they voted for Obama and will again.

One of his very best friends that helps on the Freepathons, spews anti Romney crap all day on FR but in emails tells other Freepers that she will vote for Romney if he is the candidate in November because she hates Obama much more. So the bottom line, it's all BS all the time on FR lately.".

---------------------------------------------------------

Jim, many of us, both zotted and yet to be zotted love this site. We've tried to post quality material and make the site even better with those posts which in turn reflects highly and favorably on you.

We've loved FR and has said as much. But there's no room for disagreement any longer it seems. But unlike some of those that continue to put up a 'front' there are some that state their honest feelings and then are viciously attacked, because those attacking, I suppose, believe they are making points with you.

NONE of us have been shilling for Romney. He doesn't represent us but advocating not voting is beyond comprehension for alot of people.

People/members just didn't expect the reaction from some of the others, simply because they are considering Romney if he's the nominee. And Drew made a valid point that was cordially written. Look at the type of responses made back.

Anyway thought you should know, what is being said to your face/open forum is not always what it seems.