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
I just cannot get over the self-fawning of Arator though. That's a side of him I'd never seen. It's quite unattractive. No wonder he doesn't get along anywhere he goes.
Aw, come on, Howlin, lighten up. I was just feeding off the mood of the moment. If you think I take myself that seriously, you're mistaken. I was laughing all the way at that schtick. LOL.
Now, on a more serious note, I heard from our mutual friend about the reprehensible attack against you earlier today and I've read of Harry's coming gallantly to your defense. I want you to know that if I had been on this thread at that moment, I would have done just as Harry did. That was beyond the pale. I'm sorry you had to suffer through that.
I've been cracking up reading along at how desperate aligyrl is (as the official hostess of antifreeping?) for people to come and read their site. These people have never allowed dissent. In fact, they never could resist banning each OTHER at times, much less allow people who didn't agree with them to stick around.....
Such lafs.
That's just here. Action was breaking all over the place today, on multiple forums. It was sheer madness, I tell you. Perhaps you haven't heard about the Clarity emails?
But, compared to Harry, I probably am the older one. I certainly felt like it this week as I have been afflicted with a terrible cold.
What, did you feel the *love* on this thread for you?
As far as what happened, I'd appreciate it if YOU did not patronize me and stayed out of my personal life, period. One of the things that irks me the most about you is how, when you DO get back on here, you always act like you have all the inside information and are "one of the guys" around here. And even if I have differences with Harry, Harry is NOT a liar, which, as I have stated on this thread many times, you are. You knowingly let the people on the AFer site think that I had come over there and posted gross and vile stuff. You KNEW it wasn't me, and you STILL 'entertained' the idea that it might be me.
Unfortunately for you, people that never even knew who you were have now been to the AF sites; now they know about you.......and it's not a pretty picture.
In case you didn't notice, you lost this war. You have accused Jim of a mulititude of things, and you guys gave it your best shot, and nobody over here is buying. The only thing you have accomplished is to expose yourselves as the petty, freakish losers you are.
All in all, I'd say it worked out great for us. I don't think you picked up any groupies on this trip, old boy.
Busy, busy. You're in such demand as an expert fawner, I'm surprised you have time for FR anymore.
Perhaps you haven't heard about the Clarity emails?
Nobody cares about that, A Rat; oh, it gives YOU a hard-on, but nobody cares about that over here. A bunch of back biting weasels, the lot of you.
Here everyone helps out with making this site a success. There you only fight. That is why Jim is a success and you are not. I mean you and ALL the anti-s anything either freepers capitalist Americans Clintons.
Rest assured the grown ups are back in charge as Ann Coulter says.
How many times have you read "If only they'd realize what was going on," or "Wait till the 9th comes in and FR goes belly up," or "Wait till they figure out how JimRob is cheating them all."
The thing is, IF FR ever went belly up, their lives would be over.
all 10 of ya! LOL
Wow. You just won't let this one go.
Now, Howlin, be fair. There was know way for me (or anyone) to know absolutely whether fake Howlin at Reunion was you or not. Frankly, at the time, I hardly knew you. I had no clear idea of your posting personality. I had nothing to go on except the fact that you had told a mutual friend that that was not you. On that basis, I announced it to the forum immediately. But then, other members who knew you better than I did, insisted that that was you and demanded that I regard it as such. Were you lying to our mutual friend? It certainly was possible. So, as there was no way for me to know absolutely what the truth was, I merely acknowledged that fact to the forum later that day. Put yourself in my shoes. I didn't know you. I still don't, really. Absolute certainty simply was not possible for me to attain in this matter. I merely acknowledged that fact. Now, is that really so terrible?
Arator lost any respect I might have had for him when he got banned (one of the times) and went running to Eschoir's site. Over a period of time, I think some unkind things had been said about Arator at some of those yahoo clubs.....and he went there anyway, for sympathy? Companionship? Acceptance?
Odd, because I thought I saw him saying something recently about how people shouldn't stick around at sites where they are "abused". Maybe I read it wrong, or he changed his opinion later.
Jimrob could paint himself purple, pretend to be Barney and shake down little kids for their lunch money and I could care.
I'm here to read what people say. Why some people formed a cult trying to discover what is REALLY happens behind the screens at Free Republic is beyond me.
Well, I've been waiting for this for two days! In order to extracate yourself from this accusation, you're willing to say you don't believe your OWN friend.
You truly are pathetic.
Any idea why?
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