- Joined
- Mar 26, 2008
- Messages
- 1,143
- Reaction score
- 316
- Points
- 83
- Age
- 77
- Location
- Lebanon, Missouri USA
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Responding to email notices you receive.
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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.
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IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed
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Posted 08/15/2025
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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.....
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Addendum: 01/10/2026
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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....
The BOI will be coming to an end on 02-02-2020
- Thread starter WebSlave
- Start date
Goodbye
All this opinion from a person who has never supported this site. Jerk.
All this opinion from a person who has never supported this site. Jerk.
Thank you for taking the time to make your 12th post in the nearly 7 years you have been a member here. And seriously, I do admire your frugalness in never having felt the urge to spend a single dime to support what this site has tried to provide you *for free* over those years.
I am glad you have more rewarding places to spend your time and offer your valuable support for. I am sure all of the notable benefits and support this site has received from your membership here will be sorely missed.
Hopefully those other places you speak of will find your membership equally as rewarding. They sure will be fortunate to have your presence.
And lastly, thank you for the supporting evidence that I am making the right choice. THAT is definitely appreciated.
What a load of horse
!Maybe he no longer cares to have all of the liability that a forum like the BOI inherently brings with it.
Maybe he's tired of the threatening emails and messages he gets from people, demanding that certain BOI posts be removed, "or else . . ."
Maybe he's tired of dwindling financial support from the reptile community. So many people expect everything to be free, and then label someone an "extortionist" if they dare ask for contributions.
I'm not happy that the BOI is coming to an end. I've been a Contributing member here for years. But a few of us can't do it alone. Why don't YOU help out, and buy a membership?
Maybe it's just easier to criticize the decision; you're not the one who could be sued.
Don't let the door hit you on the way out. You do sound like one of those soft little do-nothing critics who have a sense of entitlement but somehow were never taught either responsibility or commitment at home.
Horse
Bye Felica!
LauraB
CLOSED ACCOUNT
Who the f
are you to make such blatantly ignorant and offensive statements? Oh yeah, your 9 posts in 7 years entitles you. What a great contribution you have made here! You clearly have NEVER cared about helping members of this community, and it's highly unlikely you have website management skills or you would not make such a moronic statement. In all my years here, I don't believe I have ever been so incensed by such a stupid, useless post or an individual. However, thanks to Rich's response I am now laughing at that buffoon. Good riddance.
eldiablokid
Member
Every forum that I am on requires a fee/membership for enhanced features, if you're to cheap to spend 25 bucks to be a member here, maybe you shouldn't own any reptiles.
eldiablokid
Member
One more thing, now that Facebook has stopped all animal sales, I would imagine that the sites like Fauna Classifieds and others will see a major increase in numbers. Actually I think that is a good thing, I will continue to be a member here and other forums.
Maybe I need to answer the comments brought up by Mr. Dean point by point. It appears that some people are just skimming through this thread without bothering to actually read and understand all the pertinent details.
Perhaps it does sound like that. But I guess "disappointment" in the industry/hobby I had hopes the BOI would server is more like it. "Profit" doesn't have all that much to do with it. I really don't NEED the money this site brings in. It does provide some nice pocket change while I am retired, but I certainly wouldn't starve if I had to cut it loose. Point of this matter is that it is what that financial support actually means along with just the raw support of participation and visitation by the membership in general. How else do you rate "support" for a website besides financially and traffic statistics? That is what I am looking at, and finding it lacking. I fell that people are telling me that they don't really need the BOI. Well, honestly, I sure as heck don't need it. So why should I bother with keeping that monkey on my back?
I hear some people claim that the BOI has helped quite a few people come to a satisfactory resolution to the problems they came here about. Some say they got money back that they probably would not have been able to recover any other way. Some people claim that others have saved a lot of money by becoming aware of the potential negative aspects of engaging in a transaction they were considering. If that is the case, was this all expected to be provided forever, for free? Even discounting those people who have "profited" from the help that the BOI already provided to them, the impression that lack of support gives me is that most people do not expect that the BOI will ever be able to help them. Or is this looked at as a resource that most people expect will always be here, and they can just come to utilize it AS NEEDED and WHEN NEEDED for nothing more than the cost of just logging in and posting their issue? Let the support needed to keep it available simply come from someone else, instead?
Well sorry, but it appears that we have run out of enough "someone elses".
"Ransom"? Hardly. But maybe that word means something different to you than it does to me.
I have sounded this alarm at least twice before. Once in 2005 and again in 2009. There might have been more. But I believe the tune has always been the same. That the BOI cannot continue unless it has the support, both financially and via the power that a large number of people providing a substantial amount a peer pressure that is needed to catch the attention of people engaging in business practices that could be impacted by such a large number of members of this industry/hobby watching closely how they are engaging in business. If you choose to interpret this warning as a "ransom", then be my guest. On 02-02-2020 the BOI is going away, regardless of whatever it is you believe is the "ransom" being demanded. If you want to think of this as being that the "ransom" was not paid, then by all means, be my guest.
I bow down to your higher intellect and greater experience in this field. So please explain to me how you would handle this situation if you were in my shoes. What is it about the facts and details that got us to where I believe we are right now that you do not agree with? You DID read this thread, didn't you?
So if all of the evidence clearly indicates that the majority of the membership no longer "cares" about supporting this site in general, and the BOI specifically, then I am still beholden to keep up "helping members" (I presume with the BOI), regardless? Through thick and thin? Well "mostly thin", anyway? Regardless of the cost, regardless of the risk, regardless of the headaches and work involved, I am supposed to continue on here with the BOI? Regardless of the indisputable fact that MANY former members have clearly shown that they "no longer care"?
So, apparently I am being contrary to the intent of what you are implying, but agreeing with the letter of your claim, yes, I no longer care to be carrying the burden of my own support of the BOI when appreciation and support is so obviously lacking. I presume you are a better man than me since you find fault with this, and apparently feel you would be able to carry the baton longer and more ably than I can. But that isn't proven, now is it?
I guess it depends on how you define "profitable". Making more than expenses, sure, that is rather easy to do. Well, at least it used to be. Not quite the case any longer, if you have tried. And even back when this was comparatively easy to do, that was unless those expenses might include attorney fees defending against one or more lawsuits. Then that changes the equation quite a bit, does it not? Without the BOI, then the equation becomes much more favorable, and is exactly the reason I have my finger on the trigger to kill the BOI. The support for this site, with the potential risk of expenses because I will refuse to delete threads and posts authored by a third party that some irate party finds objectionable enough to file a lawsuit over, no longer exists. And perhaps it never really existed to the extent that I should have been cognizant of the financial jeopardy I faced. But I had a thriving reptile breeding business through most of this site's life, that I had funds readily available for if such an event were come to pass. That is no more. So the equation changed, and the "answer" is just not reasonably sustainable any longer. Perhaps I have been stupid for years thinking that this hobby/industry would have rallied around me to help me with the attorney fees arising from my standing fast defending their ability to post their opinions and facts about a situation on the BOI without worrying about my folding under the pressure of a threatened lawsuit and removing their statements. I thought that was valuable to people. Apparently I was in error. Sure, some would have. But obviously most wouldn't. That is abundantly clear to me now. So I am just bowing out of the implied and threatened responsibility that running the BOI entails.
But not enough to help support, it seems. Not belittling you for that, it is what it is. And apparently a lot of the 19,272 currently registered members feel the same. Only just over 2,000 of which even bother to check in by logging in every day, too. So you are not alone in the category you reside in in relation to supporting this site. Which, again, is exactly why we are where we are right now. The BOI does not have the lifeblood it needs to survive. If someone(s) want to find fault with me about this, then have at it. It won't change a thing at this point.
"Jaded", eh? Well let's look at the official definition of that word.
I suppose I could reasonably state that you are correct. But let's see how the attitude of the admins of those other "better avenues" you speak of are feeling after doing the BOI for something like 17 years like I have. Heck, probably longer than that if I consider the very first iterations of the Board Of Inquiry.
As for there being better avenues now for those of you in this hobby, well, more power to them and to you. It appears to me you have always been availing yourself of those other avenues in preference to this one during your tenure on this site anyway, so I don't see much changing in that regard. If the majority of members who have registered here are also availing themselves of those other avenues all along, then doesn't that support what I am claiming? That the BOI has outlived it's usefulness and no longer has any reason to continue? Surely we are not arguing that point, are we?
I really don't think you had this site as one of your hot "go to" places in your browser. Surely your posting history doesn't support that premise, but I guess it is possible that you are referring to links to every place you have ever visited on the web. Us losing you from this site will likely be every bit as painful and distressing as it will be to you losing us.
And thank you for the well wishes concerning my retirement. Actually I am enjoying it right now. Hard to believe that I actually retired over 8 years ago, isn't it? But be that as it may, I really don't see anything in that "need" department changing no matter what happens after the BOI goes away.
Perhaps it does sound like that. But I guess "disappointment" in the industry/hobby I had hopes the BOI would server is more like it. "Profit" doesn't have all that much to do with it. I really don't NEED the money this site brings in. It does provide some nice pocket change while I am retired, but I certainly wouldn't starve if I had to cut it loose. Point of this matter is that it is what that financial support actually means along with just the raw support of participation and visitation by the membership in general. How else do you rate "support" for a website besides financially and traffic statistics? That is what I am looking at, and finding it lacking. I fell that people are telling me that they don't really need the BOI. Well, honestly, I sure as heck don't need it. So why should I bother with keeping that monkey on my back?
I hear some people claim that the BOI has helped quite a few people come to a satisfactory resolution to the problems they came here about. Some say they got money back that they probably would not have been able to recover any other way. Some people claim that others have saved a lot of money by becoming aware of the potential negative aspects of engaging in a transaction they were considering. If that is the case, was this all expected to be provided forever, for free? Even discounting those people who have "profited" from the help that the BOI already provided to them, the impression that lack of support gives me is that most people do not expect that the BOI will ever be able to help them. Or is this looked at as a resource that most people expect will always be here, and they can just come to utilize it AS NEEDED and WHEN NEEDED for nothing more than the cost of just logging in and posting their issue? Let the support needed to keep it available simply come from someone else, instead?
Well sorry, but it appears that we have run out of enough "someone elses".
"Ransom"? Hardly. But maybe that word means something different to you than it does to me.
I have sounded this alarm at least twice before. Once in 2005 and again in 2009. There might have been more. But I believe the tune has always been the same. That the BOI cannot continue unless it has the support, both financially and via the power that a large number of people providing a substantial amount a peer pressure that is needed to catch the attention of people engaging in business practices that could be impacted by such a large number of members of this industry/hobby watching closely how they are engaging in business. If you choose to interpret this warning as a "ransom", then be my guest. On 02-02-2020 the BOI is going away, regardless of whatever it is you believe is the "ransom" being demanded. If you want to think of this as being that the "ransom" was not paid, then by all means, be my guest.
I bow down to your higher intellect and greater experience in this field. So please explain to me how you would handle this situation if you were in my shoes. What is it about the facts and details that got us to where I believe we are right now that you do not agree with? You DID read this thread, didn't you?
So if all of the evidence clearly indicates that the majority of the membership no longer "cares" about supporting this site in general, and the BOI specifically, then I am still beholden to keep up "helping members" (I presume with the BOI), regardless? Through thick and thin? Well "mostly thin", anyway? Regardless of the cost, regardless of the risk, regardless of the headaches and work involved, I am supposed to continue on here with the BOI? Regardless of the indisputable fact that MANY former members have clearly shown that they "no longer care"?
So, apparently I am being contrary to the intent of what you are implying, but agreeing with the letter of your claim, yes, I no longer care to be carrying the burden of my own support of the BOI when appreciation and support is so obviously lacking. I presume you are a better man than me since you find fault with this, and apparently feel you would be able to carry the baton longer and more ably than I can. But that isn't proven, now is it?
I guess it depends on how you define "profitable". Making more than expenses, sure, that is rather easy to do. Well, at least it used to be. Not quite the case any longer, if you have tried. And even back when this was comparatively easy to do, that was unless those expenses might include attorney fees defending against one or more lawsuits. Then that changes the equation quite a bit, does it not? Without the BOI, then the equation becomes much more favorable, and is exactly the reason I have my finger on the trigger to kill the BOI. The support for this site, with the potential risk of expenses because I will refuse to delete threads and posts authored by a third party that some irate party finds objectionable enough to file a lawsuit over, no longer exists. And perhaps it never really existed to the extent that I should have been cognizant of the financial jeopardy I faced. But I had a thriving reptile breeding business through most of this site's life, that I had funds readily available for if such an event were come to pass. That is no more. So the equation changed, and the "answer" is just not reasonably sustainable any longer. Perhaps I have been stupid for years thinking that this hobby/industry would have rallied around me to help me with the attorney fees arising from my standing fast defending their ability to post their opinions and facts about a situation on the BOI without worrying about my folding under the pressure of a threatened lawsuit and removing their statements. I thought that was valuable to people. Apparently I was in error. Sure, some would have. But obviously most wouldn't. That is abundantly clear to me now. So I am just bowing out of the implied and threatened responsibility that running the BOI entails.
But not enough to help support, it seems. Not belittling you for that, it is what it is. And apparently a lot of the 19,272 currently registered members feel the same. Only just over 2,000 of which even bother to check in by logging in every day, too. So you are not alone in the category you reside in in relation to supporting this site. Which, again, is exactly why we are where we are right now. The BOI does not have the lifeblood it needs to survive. If someone(s) want to find fault with me about this, then have at it. It won't change a thing at this point.
"Jaded", eh? Well let's look at the official definition of that word.
I suppose I could reasonably state that you are correct. But let's see how the attitude of the admins of those other "better avenues" you speak of are feeling after doing the BOI for something like 17 years like I have. Heck, probably longer than that if I consider the very first iterations of the Board Of Inquiry.
As for there being better avenues now for those of you in this hobby, well, more power to them and to you. It appears to me you have always been availing yourself of those other avenues in preference to this one during your tenure on this site anyway, so I don't see much changing in that regard. If the majority of members who have registered here are also availing themselves of those other avenues all along, then doesn't that support what I am claiming? That the BOI has outlived it's usefulness and no longer has any reason to continue? Surely we are not arguing that point, are we?
I really don't think you had this site as one of your hot "go to" places in your browser. Surely your posting history doesn't support that premise, but I guess it is possible that you are referring to links to every place you have ever visited on the web. Us losing you from this site will likely be every bit as painful and distressing as it will be to you losing us.
And thank you for the well wishes concerning my retirement. Actually I am enjoying it right now. Hard to believe that I actually retired over 8 years ago, isn't it? But be that as it may, I really don't see anything in that "need" department changing no matter what happens after the BOI goes away.
In the past, pointing out ads that seem to be scams by posting a relevant reply in the ad has not been disallowed. Today, for instance, a Google of a phone number in an odd sounding bearded dragon ad showed the poster also selling English bulldog puppies for $100 and other questionable ventures.
How do you want to handle such ads?
I would suggest just reporting the ad and cite your suspicions. Normally one of the moderators will take a look at the notice we get and take whatever action seems to be appropriate. And by "appropriate" I mean that the author has to be violating a rule here, which in many such cases means that they are using a false location and/or name. If they are not violating one of the rules of the site, our hands will be pretty much tied.
So, that being said, I do expect things to get difficult when people claim to be scammed by someone selling here. Removal of the BOI will obviously close off an avenue for members to actively do something about such things here. Unfortunate, but that is what we will be left with.
But I am open to realistic suggestions.
the gecko geek
I CAN lick my elbow!
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2010
- Messages
- 439
- Reaction score
- 11
- Points
- 0
- Age
- 34
- Location
- Yucca Valley, CA, United States
i must say i am very sad to see the BOI go. i may not be the most active member on the site, and will admit that i have been afk for quite some time, but that was due to some unfortunate life events. when i first joined the forums i had every intent on becoming a contributing member as my budget allowed and my hobby of breeding reptiles was able to grow and become more successful. yeah i was just an 18yr old with crazy ambitions but this site actually helped me get off the ground, and the BOI definitely saved me a lot of money, time, and headache.
and now here i am ready to get back into the game and grind that this amazing hobby is and i find out my favorite site on all the internet is having to go thru this. its a shame really. i wish i could have been on here all those years, and been a better supporter of my hobby.
after reading this thread, my opinion is that this is going to hurt new members, and those like myself who are trying to establish themselves as breeders in the community, while those who already have some time under their belts are reputable and recommended, and have become known names here will prosper greatly from this. not to say that’s a bad thing, they put in their hard work and time and deserve to benefit from that. i just feel
its gonna be hard for anyone to establish themselves with this change.
since its all about legality and potentially damaging recourse to the site as a whole, what about a place where someone could leave say a 60 character post of a transaction with a member on the site? or even have preset phrases to choose from. could be something as simple as the person typing in the sellers name, and then they are prompted to select up to 3 phrases to describe their transaction with said member. simple stuff like “great seller” “great experience” “great buyer” “will do business with again” highly recommend” or things like “bad experience” “would not recommend” “potential scam” “would not recommend”
then if someone searches the username, those posts pop up and people can see good/bad experiences with a potential buyer/seller and it doesnt get all muddy with how in depth and lengthy the BOI was. the research still falls in the hands of the individual, but there is a place to do some surface investigation. you could disable replies to messages, but instead have a thumbs up or thumbs down button for others to click if they have also had the same or the opposite interaction with someone. members can then pm other members for greater details on their interactions/transactions.
im not sure if that’s a valid option, but if it works it works. i feel like a “BOI type” of place is needed in an environment like this, even if its super vague. otherwise i feel like buying and selling online is gonna become more of a hassle and people will disappear and stop coming here.
i just love this site and its been good to me in the past and i’ve recommended it to everyone i had the opportunity to. i just want to see it do well, and show it to my kids one day and tell them its where i started my journey of breeding reptiles and the amazing community these forums hold within. ultimately though, it’s Rich’s decision, and his hide to cover so whatever you decide to do we just have to support as best we can.
and now here i am ready to get back into the game and grind that this amazing hobby is and i find out my favorite site on all the internet is having to go thru this. its a shame really. i wish i could have been on here all those years, and been a better supporter of my hobby.
after reading this thread, my opinion is that this is going to hurt new members, and those like myself who are trying to establish themselves as breeders in the community, while those who already have some time under their belts are reputable and recommended, and have become known names here will prosper greatly from this. not to say that’s a bad thing, they put in their hard work and time and deserve to benefit from that. i just feel
its gonna be hard for anyone to establish themselves with this change.
since its all about legality and potentially damaging recourse to the site as a whole, what about a place where someone could leave say a 60 character post of a transaction with a member on the site? or even have preset phrases to choose from. could be something as simple as the person typing in the sellers name, and then they are prompted to select up to 3 phrases to describe their transaction with said member. simple stuff like “great seller” “great experience” “great buyer” “will do business with again” highly recommend” or things like “bad experience” “would not recommend” “potential scam” “would not recommend”
then if someone searches the username, those posts pop up and people can see good/bad experiences with a potential buyer/seller and it doesnt get all muddy with how in depth and lengthy the BOI was. the research still falls in the hands of the individual, but there is a place to do some surface investigation. you could disable replies to messages, but instead have a thumbs up or thumbs down button for others to click if they have also had the same or the opposite interaction with someone. members can then pm other members for greater details on their interactions/transactions.
im not sure if that’s a valid option, but if it works it works. i feel like a “BOI type” of place is needed in an environment like this, even if its super vague. otherwise i feel like buying and selling online is gonna become more of a hassle and people will disappear and stop coming here.
i just love this site and its been good to me in the past and i’ve recommended it to everyone i had the opportunity to. i just want to see it do well, and show it to my kids one day and tell them its where i started my journey of breeding reptiles and the amazing community these forums hold within. ultimately though, it’s Rich’s decision, and his hide to cover so whatever you decide to do we just have to support as best we can.
I appreciate your concerns, Jordan. Much of what you are suggesting as an alternative to the BOI sounds a lot like what the Trader's Ratings is already providing. And quite honestly, if that appears to be putting me in the same predicament as the BOI did concerning threats of lawsuits and such, it too will just go away. Pretty much all such discussions, even brief ones, are going to stop on this site come 02-02-2020.
Beyond that, anything else being suggested would likely require custom programming to implement. So I do have to ponder the question of why would I want to throw money and effort at implementing something to take the place of a function that is being discontinued because of lack of support by the hobby/industry? Would that make much sense to consider? I certainly have no illusions of such implementation regaining that lost support, so why bother? What would be the point that would neuter the point behind the reasoning for closing down the BOI? Implementing something that would continue the liability of the BOI would just be nonsensical on my part, wouldn't it? Someone saying "Joe Blow is a lying, cheating scammer" in 60 characters or less would create just as much liability as someone saying it in 2,000 characters. Thanks, but no thanks.
I have been saying for years now that the BOI needed the help and support of the membership in order to survive. Well, this weakness I foresaw then has now come to a head, and we are right here now because my statements were either not believed, not understood, or the majority of the people just don't give a crap either way about it. So I simply decided that it is time for ME to stop giving a crap as well. If that is illogical and unreasonable on my part, then please somebody, explain to me why that is.
I doubt anyone here is more disappointed than I am about closing the BOI. But the hobby/industry is speaking and I am finally listening to the narrative I have been hearing for quite a while now, and just studiously ignored. I was continually hopeful that things would get better. Eventually. That hope has ended.
I am really sorry that some of you will feel a loss and disappointment at the closing of the BOI, but you apparently are in a very small minority that is just not enough for me to keep the life support running.
elthznd901
Member
Out of curiosity.. on the legality aspect... how are other companies/websites getting away with allowing un-policed reviews of various businesses, products, store fronts, even individuals in some cases. Think as big as google or amazon all the way down to a review section on any website..or even facebook. Do they face the same legal consequences potentially as this site has and are just simply taking on risk? Just asking for my own understanding since obviously you have been having to deal with this directly for so many years.
Well, I have not inquired with any other entity about how they handle the legal aspects of a BOI type environment under their control and responsibility. So I don't know what their perspective is of the risk they have undertaken. But I have conferred with at least 3 attorneys about what the best way SHOULD be, and that is how I run this site.
Unless the smaller entities have explored their potential liability and risk with an attorney, then my guess is that they are unaware of any actual legal liability and risk they are exposing themselves to. And that is even ignoring the fact that even legally crossing all your "T"s and dotting every "I" can still get you placed in the position of becoming a defendant in a baseless lawsuit. Even being legally defensible in every aspect does not give you a free pass in court. You STILL have to pay an attorney to defend your position.
My guess is that MANY have just looked at this site, seen how long I have survived running it, and just think that anyone can do it in any way they see fit. Perhaps in methods that they think is even better, perhaps not understanding that the way I run the BOI is because my opinion (based on actual legal advice) is that it is the best legally prudent way to do so. So some might just be completely ignorant of the risk they are undertaking.
Unless such entities can (and want to) afford to go to court upon any such eventuality of an actual filed lawsuit, which I am sure the large entities can, then such BOI style forums will only exist up till the very first credible lawsuit threat. The question, of course, will be whether or not the owners of such entities will choose to spend the money to defend someone else's ability to post material that will place the owner in such a position. I hope they have at least thought this through thoroughly, and even conferred with an attorney.
As one attorney put it to me at one time, "Rich, is it really worth $50,000 to you just to prove you are right?" How many people will answer "YES" to that sort of question?
Unless the smaller entities have explored their potential liability and risk with an attorney, then my guess is that they are unaware of any actual legal liability and risk they are exposing themselves to. And that is even ignoring the fact that even legally crossing all your "T"s and dotting every "I" can still get you placed in the position of becoming a defendant in a baseless lawsuit. Even being legally defensible in every aspect does not give you a free pass in court. You STILL have to pay an attorney to defend your position.
My guess is that MANY have just looked at this site, seen how long I have survived running it, and just think that anyone can do it in any way they see fit. Perhaps in methods that they think is even better, perhaps not understanding that the way I run the BOI is because my opinion (based on actual legal advice) is that it is the best legally prudent way to do so. So some might just be completely ignorant of the risk they are undertaking.
Unless such entities can (and want to) afford to go to court upon any such eventuality of an actual filed lawsuit, which I am sure the large entities can, then such BOI style forums will only exist up till the very first credible lawsuit threat. The question, of course, will be whether or not the owners of such entities will choose to spend the money to defend someone else's ability to post material that will place the owner in such a position. I hope they have at least thought this through thoroughly, and even conferred with an attorney.
As one attorney put it to me at one time, "Rich, is it really worth $50,000 to you just to prove you are right?" How many people will answer "YES" to that sort of question?
Do you know if those attorneys quoted that number based on how much it would cost to simply get a case dismissed under the recently passed Consumer Review Fairness Act? Or was that the quote to actually fight it out in court?
I don't believe that Act was in force during the last review I had an attorney perform for me concerning the BOI. Or else it was, but still too new to be common knowledge among most attorneys. Or perhaps my current attorney knew it wouldn't apply to my situation, so did not bring it up in the discussion. I've been reading it over, from various sources, including the actual text of the Act, and I'm not certain it would be of much help concerning the concerns I have expressed here.
The Act seems to be mostly focused on companies that put statements in their contracts designed to inhibit a customer's legal right to post their opinions about such company or it's products. It does not seem to specifically apply to any person or company that does not have such contracts or statements.
In any event a person's sole remedy appears to be to file a complaint with the FTC, and does not appear to be something that can be handled directly via the legal system. If I am reading it correctly.
I didn't see anything that inferred that a lawsuit filed would be neutered by such complaints to the FTC.
If I were intending to continue with the BOI after 02-02-2020, I would ask my current attorney for his opinion about it. But such that it is, I believe it would just be throwing away money at this point.
IMHO.
The Act seems to be mostly focused on companies that put statements in their contracts designed to inhibit a customer's legal right to post their opinions about such company or it's products. It does not seem to specifically apply to any person or company that does not have such contracts or statements.
In any event a person's sole remedy appears to be to file a complaint with the FTC, and does not appear to be something that can be handled directly via the legal system. If I am reading it correctly.
I didn't see anything that inferred that a lawsuit filed would be neutered by such complaints to the FTC.
If I were intending to continue with the BOI after 02-02-2020, I would ask my current attorney for his opinion about it. But such that it is, I believe it would just be throwing away money at this point.
IMHO.
BTW, my current attorney brought up the anti-SLAPP law here in Florida (http://conlinpa.com/2015/08/15/new-...e-pertaining-to-lawsuits-filed-by-any-person/), but I'm not sure the courts have yet determined how broad the scope is of it. Several other states have similar laws on the books, but I'm not sure if there is any federal equivalent of it.
As I said before, I believe I have quite a few protections concerning the law protecting me in how I have been running the BOI, but none of them can actually prevent a lawsuit. They are only helpful in tilting the odds far in my favor that I would win it. I would still have to pay for the legal defense, regardless.
Anyway, as I have stated before, the issue isn't so much my legal standing as it is the fact that the support from the industry/hobby it was designed to help is so obviously lacking. So I am simply withdrawing my support for the BOI as a result, by simply removing the weight from my shoulders.
As I said before, I believe I have quite a few protections concerning the law protecting me in how I have been running the BOI, but none of them can actually prevent a lawsuit. They are only helpful in tilting the odds far in my favor that I would win it. I would still have to pay for the legal defense, regardless.
Anyway, as I have stated before, the issue isn't so much my legal standing as it is the fact that the support from the industry/hobby it was designed to help is so obviously lacking. So I am simply withdrawing my support for the BOI as a result, by simply removing the weight from my shoulders.
RGMinc
New member
Straight up we here at RGM feel strongly killing the BOI is a huge mistake and are completely willing to MOD the entire thing without complaint. This is a necessary part of doing business the trades have grown to big and there have to be stop gaps to allow people to know who they are dealing with and keep reputations in check. There was a time when anyone in the trades knew who everyone was because the circle was so small those days are long gone every one with a computer can pretend to be a real deal “known” breeder. Facebook has made it even worse. Please reconsider the his action.