Is Free Republic a Fraud? Is it time for Free Republic to go away?

Free Republic | 11/28/01 | Jim Robinson

[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

[Ratatoskr]

All the whiners on here are like hearing city people trying to sue a farmer because he wouldn't paint his barn red.

And what if the farmer asked me to chip in for the paint? Would I have "whining" rights then?

[Ratatoskr]

Why don't you do what the other over 95 percent of us do here -- get along?

I'm getting along just fine, thank you. I was asked for my opinion.

Remember?

[deport]

Well I see you still stirring the pot... lol. And all this on such a good for nothing site with poor management, posters that don't think for themselves but instead just follow the leader and cough up money just to be bilked since it apparently feels so good. Amazing, truly amazing....

You go girl.......

[Howlin]

For regular snail mail donations:

FREE REPUBLIC, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794

(link for monthly credit card donations)

[Silly]

"...of all the posters on FR I'm aware of that got banned, you're the only one about whom I thought "Really! That's too bad."

That's really nice of you to say -- and I appreciate it. Just to set the record straight, however, I was not banned, only suspended temporarily by a Moderator. I know it seems like a matter of semantics, but, because there has been a lot of talk of banning on this thread, perhaps others on the board would be interested to know the distinction:

Suspension: Temporary, 1 to 7 days
Banning: Permanent
Nuking: Permanent, with posts deleted (example: Michael Rivero)

From Jim and John's comments I have read on some very informative explanatory threads, I believe I am correct in saying that Moderators don't have the ability to ban people, only suspend.

My fervent wish is to never again have to experience that secret and ineffable joy of watching my friends festoon FreeRepublic threads with "Free Silly!" balloons.

[firewalk]

Very nice!

[tpaine]

"In the meantime, why don't you grow a pair and quit your bellyaching. Your constant whining is grating on the nerves."

To: tpaine Ditto my message to Arator to you.

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

Yo boss...

But don't confuse a button with balls.

[the_tisha_girl]

no...that's why I asked the question.

[Arator]

Look, if your mother did not teach you proper etiquette as a child, and or if your (presumably) adult life experiences have left you lacking in the area of proper conduct and behavior in a public setting and or in mixed company, then perhaps you should go down to the nearest public library and check out a book. There are also numerous websites available that teach proper netequitte (do a google search).

My etiquitte book says that when you open your door to the general public and invite strangers in for the express purpose of joining together in a wide-ranging discussion about current events and politics and someone at the party expresses a viewpoint with which you happen to disagree, the polite response is NOT to forcably bind them, gag them, and/or summarily boot them out the door. Rather, my ettiquitte book says that the polite response to those with whom you disagree in such a setting (or any setting) is to respectfully exchange views, argue the points in contention to the best of your ability, and debate the issues, without ever getting personal. If you will permit me, I shall try my level best to do just that.

If, however, your dislike for me is now so intense that my presense here causes you pain or unduly adds to your daily afflictions, just say the word and I will depart from you and this forum forever.

To me, all of our butting heads over forum policy was always mere political disagreement. It was all part of the gamesmanship of politics which your forum uniquely provides a stage for. It was never personal. And despite all of the high-strangeness, probable misunderstandings, and sometimes just plain bewildering total non-communication in our stormy and sometimes head-scratching relationship, I've always wanted to believe the best about you and hoped for the best for you and this forum.

So, just say the word and I will bid you and everyone a fond FReeper farewell. Otherwise, I'll stick around and freep -- oh so very politely freep, that is. :^)

[the_tisha_girl]

Well to tell the truth, while it isn't a matter of life or death to be banned from FR (although, reading the thoughts written on this thread, it seems some people feel it may be), it's very uncomfortable to have someone anonymosly hit the abuse button and another annonymous person rule on the validity of the complaint. There is no appeal, from what I've read. Not even an explanation. I guess you wouldn't understand, since you don't post under the same threat as the rest of us do, but it isn't a good feeling...not at all.

[Fury]

the polite response is NOT to forcably bind them, gag them, and/or summarily boot them out the door.

Hello. I see you are overdramatizing again. Please, let your emotions and words be appropriate for the moment. Becoming so awash in emotion really does not do you justice, nor your cause.

[Jim Robinson]

Ok. Please leave.

[Howlin]

I guess you wouldn't understand, since you don't post under the same threat as the rest of us do, but it isn't a good feeling...not at all.

What on earth would make you think that? I live and abide by the same rules that everybody else does here.

And since you've only been here a few weeks and only have posted eight times in the last 3 days, why would you presume to know ANYTHING about me?

[Howlin]

someone at the party expresses a viewpoint with which you happen to disagree, the polite response is NOT to forcably bind them, gag them, and/or summarily boot them out the door.

If only you were here to express a viewpoint we might not agree with.

What should we do when you pee on the rug? Ask you into another room?

I ask you again, what makes you so weird that you, and only a few of you, can't seem to abide by the rules like the rest of us do?

[Arator]

Nuking: Permanent, with posts deleted (example: Michael Rivero)

Rivero got NUKED!? What a tragic loss of great threads, some of the best conspiracy-type critical-thinking out there. I can hardly believe it.

[Ligeia]

I borrowed it [Arator] from John Taylor of Caroline, a Virginia planter and Jeffersonian who, in the early 1800's, wrote some prescent political commentary warning his countrymen of the dangers posed by the combination of federal power and northern commercial interests to agriculture and his native region, the South. He wrote these essays under the pseudonym, Arator. As I am an Agrarian Jeffersonian and Confederate sympathizer at heart, I adopted his pseudonym as my FReeper name.

I was hoping you'd agree to be polite, ignore the flamebait, and stay. I'm interested in what "John Taylor of Caroline," a Jeffersonian, might think about today's challenges. But, I'm a Virginian.

[tpaine]

Well to tell the truth, while it isn't a matter of life or death to be banned from FR (although, reading the thoughts written on this thread, it seems some people feel it may be), it's very uncomfortable to have someone anonymosly hit the abuse button and another annonymous person rule on the validity of the complaint. There is no appeal, from what I've read. Not even an explanation.

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

Well said, -- and every word is dead on true.

And with that whine, a couple of nut studded cheese balls would be mighty tasty.

[Arator]

Ok. Please leave.

As you wish.

Farewell everybody! It's been a pleasure. I wish Jim Rob, and all of you only the best.

Freep long and well. I will never forget you.

[the_tisha_girl]

I'm sorry. I thought your use of "we" in your earlier post to me meant that you were one of the moderators. It's true I have just recently registered. I don't post much because I'm afraid I might say something that will make someone angry or upset. That's what I'm talking about. I don't get the feeling that this is a very friendly place.

[Howlin]

I don't post much because I'm afraid I might say something that will make someone angry or upset. That's what I'm talking about. I don't get the feeling that this is a very friendly place.

Don't be silly; this is the friendliest place on the internet.

Since you are new, why don't you stick around and post more often; then you can make up your OWN mind about how great a place FR is, not just from the malcontents you've seen on this thread. In case you haven't noticed, since you haven't posted to other threads, we're having a great time "out there."

Try it, you'll like it.