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.

[NoCmpromiz]

Just imagine that I sat and typed that all out by myself.

That statement has more truth than the birth certificate...

Make statement. Get confronted for proof. Offer no proof and instead post flippant comeback.. i.e. "Go find it yourself". I saw one of them living under the culvert in the back 40. Near as we could figure she lived on possum and cow dung. We called her a ditch troll. Did I mention that the water in the ditch was truly blue? Pictures are out there. You find them...

[Drew68]

Go back to the old free wheeling FR where true believers from every nook and cranny of the right, center and occasional liberal got to tee off on each others views without fear of getting shown the door or harpies calling moderators because some poster isn't toeing some line.

This! Especially the part about the harpies! This is the FR I joined eleven years ago.

[NoCmpromiz]

A very immature, bitter weenie wrote that.

And a very immature, bitter weenie posted it here as truth with no documentation.

Bet we can guess where she found it (assuming that her regurgitation of the text is accurate.)

[Tunehead54]

Morning! Thanks for at least responding ... sometimes simplicity can be effective. Sounds like we need all the help we can get. Two or three examples - I don't know what the last one will do but its for you. My wife thinks diamonds and emeralds go together nicely. Sigh. ;-)

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To: Tunehead54

Emerald is my birth stone. I like!

216 posted on Thursday, April 19, 2012 9:40:26 PM by onyx (SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC, DONATE MONTHLY. If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, let me know.)

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or a little bigger ...

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To: Tunehead54

Emerald is my birth stone. I like!

216 posted on Thursday, April 19, 2012 9:40:26 PM by onyx (SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC, DONATE MONTHLY. If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, let me know.)

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 200 | View Replies | Report Abuse]

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But just for you ... ;-)

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To: Tunehead54

Emerald is my birth stone. I like!

216 posted on Thursday, April 19, 2012 9:40:26 PM by onyx (SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC, DONATE MONTHLY. If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, let me know.)

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 200 | View Replies | Report Abuse]

Emerald is my birth stone. I like!

Emerald is my birth stone. I like!

Emerald is my birth stone. I like!

[Tribune7]

I would not even think of sullying their honor

That's really great Windflier.

Now what are you going to do about keeping 0 from getting a second term this November which is personally my bigger concern?

And on an ancillary matter what are you going to do about solving FR's revenue issues -- other than invoking the Founders I mean? If you mortgage your house and send the cash in that would probably cover the nut for this quarter but how about next?

[altura]

This is exactly what I’m talking about.

You accuse me of cowardice. The other day I was told by a charming freeper to “eat shit and die.”

I’ve explained my position several times. I stand by it.

Perhaps if I use the term The Republican Nominee instead of the Romney word, I could escape the abuse.

How are we going to discuss the upcoming election if we become a 3rd party site? There is no 3rd party. If you want one, start now for 2016 but in the meantime, get rid of Obama.

I read posts by otherwise sane seeming people who say ‘there are worse things than losing elections.’

What would that be? A pointless stand that nobody will remember and that won’t even be a ripple in history while a known tyrant who’s already announced he will be more free in a second term to ruin this country gets another term?

Nobody here has been able to convince me that this is a good policy.

And, yes, a majority of people here agree with me but, sadly, they are afraid to post their opinions for fear of receiving ugly comments or being banned.

[TheOldLady]

I'm not positive, but I believe that Onyx meant that we have $40K in monthly donations for the quarter, so they amount to $160K for the year.

She will correct me if I'm wrong.

[RedMDer]

BTTT!

[AnTiw1]

Poor unappreciated liberal. How nobly you shoulder the evil conservative abuse while you just give and give.

At some point you have to decide that you love and respect yourself enough to find the support you need among people sympathetic to your plight. Good luck.

[BuckeyeTexan]

As a proud Dollar-a-Day club member, I vote to go with your preference. I can live with ads.

FRegards,
Tex

[MizSterious]

Since you seem to think such matters should be public, let’s see you post yours, from start to finish. (I’m appalled that anyone would ask for such information—big brother, anyone?)

[trisham]

Yes, and I have nothing against capitalism and making profits on goods and services, because that is our God-given right and absolutely best form of conducting business and society in general, but in this case that’s not my intent. We do not sell products or services. We are not a commercial enterprise. We are a pro-God, pro-life, pro-family, pro-liberty activist organization, not a business. We have to pay our bills and our debts, so we have to raise money, but we’re not trying to get rich here. I’d rather have less money and keep complete control if it meant I’d have to give up even one iota of my belief in God or support for our Judeo-Christian founding principles and inalienable rights.

Thank you very much.

God bless.

******************************

Jim, this is as clear a statement as I can imagine. God bless you.

[MizSterious]

"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. "

You have outlined perfectly some of the reasons the freepathons have not been as successful lately--and within those reasons there exists an obvious solution, but apparently that is out of the question.

At some point, sensible people decide that it's not in their best interest to pay (or donate) to visit a place to endure insults and threats--and watch as others of long-standing membership and patriotism are picked off one by one. And for what? Simply saying that although they do NOT like Romney, they may well cast a vote to avoid living under a wannabe dictator? Something that simple can result in a zot. And has!

Going to ads is not going to solve THAT problem. People will just use ad-block, and if the insults and threats (from mods, no less!) continue, there will be less hits from that. Charging a fee at the door will probably not raise as much money as the freepathons of old did, back before these latest purges. And, again, the threats and insults to that smaller group will cause it to dwindle even more.

Fortunately, it's not my decision to make. This is, as we've often said, Jim's creation, and I wish him well. With so many other similar boards--most entirely free--on the internet and on FaceBook, people have more choices. No one board is "the only game in town" these days.

[MizSterious]

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

Outlaw Woman, you are so right! Not voting at all, or starting a third party, is exactly what is going to plunge this country (as we know it) into its last days. Obama has everything in place to turn this into his dictatorship, and don't think for a minute that the spineless Republicans will ever step in to stop it. They sure haven't so far. Our only hope is to vote for the Republican, no matter how much the clothespin on our nose hurts, so that we can buy enough time to set our nation back on track.

I'm appalled at the apparent patriots on this board who are so willing to throw their country under the bus to teach a lesson--to who? Republicans? The country? Not sure, but I've seen it posted in that way. Well, there's a saying about cutting off a nose to spite a face...and I respectfully decline to participate in that activity.

If saying this gets me banned, so be it, I guess. I would prefer that not happen. I've been here since 1998, and have been a dollar-a-day donor for most of those years, but such is life. As I said in another post, everything changes.

[trisham]

That is more than unkind.

[trisham]

Jim’s FReepathon team puts in countless hours because we love Jim, Free Republic and believe in everything Free Republic stands for.

I stand with our Team, proudly and completely. We stand solidly together. The internet is full of vicious posters and sore losers.

Freep em. They’re nothing to us.

***********************************

Amen, onyx. I stand with our wonderful, generous and supportive team as well.

[altura]

I never use the term noobie to demean another freeper.

However, I will use it now.

Excuse me, noobie. I am not a poor unappreciated liberal.

I’ve been on Free Republic since the day it was founded in its current identity and long before that when it was the Whitewater forum.

You joined a few months ago and seem to regard yourself as really special.

Before you insult me, look at my posting history. I have never been a liberal and am very much appreciated by most of the members here and in my personal life as well.

As for poor, well, I’m not rich but I’m not on food stamps either.

I’d advise you to think before you post.

On the off chance that you are capable of it.

[Windflier]

what are you going to do about keeping 0 from getting a second term this November?

1) Vote for Newt Gingrich in the primary.

2) Continue to urge others to vote for Gingrich.

3) Continue to make the case that a vote for Romney is a vote for everything we conservatives oppose, and that supporting him will signal the death of conservatism in America.

4 Continue to remind people that preserving ones honor and integrity is more important than losing this election.

5) Continue to encourage others to look to the Founders for guidance and answers.

[altura]

MizSterious, I seriously considered having your screen name. Other ideas were Miztaken and Mizbegotten.:)

I totally agree with you and, by the way, I love your tag line.

Where were people on this forum who are bemoaning The Presumptive Nominee when Rick Perry was running.

I’m still ticked about that. So many of those holier than me people either viciously abused Perry or refused to defend him.

He was the ultimate small government candidate. He wanted to do away with several agencies, that do nothing but make our lives miserable. He would probably add the GSA to that list now. Government could be pared down to half with fantastic savings and great benefit to our country.

Not only did members here crucify Perry but they attacked every other candidate. From the misbegotten infatuation with Herman Cain, they moved (and I guess I did too) to Newt.

It became obvious pretty early that Newt wouldn’t make it, but that didn’t stop the vicious attacks on Santorum.

And now we want to blame others? Forget it. It was us.

[RedMDer]

Amen, onyx. I stand with our wonderful, generous and supportive team as well.
BTTT!