• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

State of the onion report.

WebSlave

WebSlave

It is what it is, but certainly not what it was.
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Well I sent out the broadcast email on 2/17/05 to ALL registered members of FaunaClassifieds who have not opted out of getting emails from the admin (me). This was something like 14,000 if I remember correctly.

So far I have gotten about 2,000 bouncebacks for invalid email addresses or other ones requesting that I click on a link to bypass the spam security (which I DO NOT do, by the way).

I have gotten back maybe 100 replies from people who, surprisingly enough to me, were overwhelmingly positive about this. Positive comments ranged from "Gee, I think you are just stupid for not doing this sooner", through "IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!!", to "Well, I don't like it, but I see your points."

And of course there were the hate mail varieties as well. From a curt "Count me out" to rather derogatory ones claiming "You are going to kill the best thing on the web because of your greed for money".

Also, there have been roughly 25 people signing up for the paid memberships already, just in response to that email and before their feet are held to the fire when some of the freebies go away. Surprisingly, most were at the Contributor level and not opting for the minimum level to get by with. That, I believe, is encouraging.

Honestly, this is becoming quite an effective catharsis for me. From the start of creating the BOI, I naively thought that everyone would be behind me in this. That I was doing something that would benefit everyone and they would only naturally be behind me in this effort. Well, I no longer feel that way, of course, but I can change my thinking enough to accomodate the reality.

I will take the chips, no matter what, however they fall.
 
The sign of a truly humble man is to think that he is better than no other man.

It's not easy doing the right thing all the time.

I hear shooting things and blowing them up is good for cathartic releases as well. You might want to look into something like that. lol
 
" I thought that everyone would be behind me in this. That I was doing something that would benefit everyone and they would only naturally be behind me in this effort."

Many more people are behind you than you realize. And, just like in 'real life' relationships, some folks do not know what they have until they do without it for a while. They will be back.....

What you have built over the years is good, and valuable. This is a quality site and the BOI is unique. I know that when people look at the alternatives, they will see what an outstanding site, and value, this place is.
 
My wife and I have been talking about this quite a bit, of course, since she has sacrificed quite a bit herself to help me pursue my interests. She has taken over a lot of things over in the reptile building that used to be my sole responsibility to give me more time on "that damned computer".

Well she informed me this morning that we have 5 children that I didn't even know about. I met them today for the first time. Rather uncanny, I think, how they all look like the milkman.............
 
WebSlave said:
My wife and I have been talking about this quite a bit, of course, since she has sacrificed quite a bit herself to help me pursue my interests. She has taken over a lot of things over in the reptile building that used to be my sole responsibility to give me more time on "that damned computer".

Well she informed me this morning that we have 5 children that I didn't even know about. I met them today for the first time. Rather uncanny, I think, how they all look like the milkman.............
Click to expand...

So that's the real reason behind the paid subscription plan, you have all those mouths to feed. :hehe:

Seriously though Rich, I highly doubt there is one person out there who would have done what you have done for so long without implementing some sort of paid program. I for one am glad to help out and glad to be a part of this community.
 
" I thought that everyone would be behind me in this. That I was doing something that would benefit everyone and they would only naturally be behind me in this effort."
Click to expand...
i think most every IS behind you, in trying to make this better for you... i think the main thing is... ALLOT of these people behind you did not agree with having to pay to acess the BOI (essentially having to pay to say someone is good or bad and it's more inclinded someone will pay to have there bad guy post but not good guy posts). Most all of us think it haas been about time to do something.. and i agre you should have. most of the people opposed are not opposed to payinga member ship or for classifieds but for paying to post on the BOI section
 
robin s. said:
i think most every IS behind you, in trying to make this better for you... i think the main thing is... ALLOT of these people behind you did not agree with having to pay to acess the BOI (essentially having to pay to say someone is good or bad and it's more inclinded someone will pay to have there bad guy post but not good guy posts). Most all of us think it haas been about time to do something.. and i agre you should have. most of the people opposed are not opposed to payinga member ship or for classifieds but for paying to post on the BOI section
Click to expand...

This has already been addressed before about why I am charging to post on the BOI. My answer has not changed.
 
WebSlave said:
This has already been addressed before about why I am charging to post on the BOI. My answer has not changed.
Click to expand...
We're not asking you to explain again, we're just reassuring you that even tho (when you asked for opinions) some of us have voiced (some, over and over!) differing opinions re the BOI, we do support you, fauna, and your decision. :)
 
leaftail said:
We're not asking you to explain again, we're just reassuring you that even tho (when you asked for opinions) some of us have voiced (some, over and over!) differing opinions re the BOI, we do support you, fauna, and your decision. :)
Click to expand...

That may be true in some cases, but certainly not all of them.

In some, I get the impression that they believe I just do not understand what they are saying. Depending on the circumstance, my various answers of "I disagree" or "I don't care" just don't seem to be making an impression.

The voting machines are now open.
 
I vote Fauna!

I just purchased an Endowment membership.

Thank you Rich for all you do. Let's get this thing rolling.
 
WebSlave said:
That may be true in some cases, but certainly not all of them.

In some, I get the impression that they believe I just do not understand what they are saying. Depending on the circumstance, my various answers of "I disagree" or "I don't care" just don't seem to be making an impression.

The voting machines are now open.
Click to expand...

oh, when I said "we" I meant me and robin. can't edit my posts here :)
 
Tokay_Dude said:
Agree'd

but rich...state of the onion?..you mean...union? LOL
Click to expand...

No, I meant "onion". The blade I am wielding is going to bring tears to some eyes, I imagine..... ;)
 
We're not asking you to explain again, we're just reassuring you that even tho (when you asked for opinions) some of us have voiced (some, over and over!) differing opinions re the BOI, we do support you, fauna, and your decision.
Click to expand...
what she said sorta..i may not agree with you charging for the BOI but i do like fauna and i agree something neeeded to happen. but i feel (and hopefully i am wrong) that charging for the draw of this site may verywell be its downfall
 
Please clarify one thing for me. I'm a bit slow lately.
Since the BOI will be a paid, does that mean no one can even look at it?
Do they need to pay to go to the BOI to look up a name?
 
I doubt it would be a downfall, give those people that thought paying was stupid some time... Then when they are craving fauna they will comeback. Especially those that post on a almost daily basis. They would have the worst withdraws from the site.
 
SPJ said:
Please clarify one thing for me. I'm a bit slow lately.
Since the BOI will be a paid, does that mean no one can even look at it?
Do they need to pay to go to the BOI to look up a name?
Click to expand...

Viewing and researching will be free. Follow this link, it will give you a breakdown on the capabilities of each membership level.

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64541
 
SPJ said:
Please clarify one thing for me. I'm a bit slow lately.
Since the BOI will be a paid, does that mean no one can even look at it?
Do they need to pay to go to the BOI to look up a name?
Click to expand...

There's at least 3 threads with who knows how many pages, feel free to go through all those again :nuts: but to answer your ?, you can view the BOI if you register (which is free), you need a membership to post. But to just search the BOI no it doesn't cost.
 
reptilebreeder said:
There's at least 3 threads with who knows how many pages, feel free to go through all those again :nuts: but to answer your ?, you can view the BOI if you register (which is free), you need a membership to post. But to just search the BOI no it doesn't cost.
Click to expand...

Dammit Shrap :D seriously, damn my two finger typing :spinner03 , but thanks for posting the link also. I gotta figure out how to do that someday.
 
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