• Posted 12/19/2024.
    =====================

    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • 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.

Extended travel plans to reconsider...

WebSlave

WebSlave

Maybe seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
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Connie and I have been talking about traveling ever since we retired, but seems that something is always coming up. Then with the problems made known about the issue of illegal immigrants sneaking into our country via the southern border, and the concern that people who are breaking the law likely aren't going to be much concern with breaking more of them, sort of puts a big damper on those plans anyway.

And certainly, news worthy incidents such as this certainly don't get me to thinking that perhaps I am just being a shade too paranoid for my own good.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-deputies-missing-new-hampshire-couple-murdered-rv-stolen

Interestingly enough, I very recently traded in one of the cars and purchased a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk specifically with travel in mind. This Jeep has a 7200 lb towing capacity and would be perfect for pulling a smallish travel trailer. I like the Wrangler, but the 2 door version that we have has a limit of only 2,000 pounds for towing. And I had been pushing this thought of travel closer to the front burner as a result of obtaining the Grand Cherokee.

But really not sure how good of an idea that is with obviously predatory illegal aliens pouring through our porous southern border into our southwestern most states. In my opinion, knowingly going into an area that is ground zero for a bunch of desperate criminals illegally coming into this country just is not a very smart idea.
 
Bad people in Mexico, bad people in USA. Just about every state has area's you probably want to avoid. Like they said in the movie American Werewolf in London. Boys, keep off the moors, stick to the roads. The best to ya....
 
Head to the southwest. Head to the gorgeous mountains, valleys and everything in between. No reason to be paranoid. You will both be glad you did :)
 
If you look at the statistics, the crime rate with immigrants (papered or not) is the same or less than other groups. If you look at how news reports crime, minority crime almost always makes headlines (especially with Blacks and Hispanics) while white crime goes largely unreported. Also, immigrants don't want to get caught so they keep their heads low for the most part. I wouldn't let fear get in the way of any potential travel plans. I visited Texas a few years ago and things were fine, more Spanish speakers than elsewhere in the country but Spanish is pretty easy to learn and communication wasn't hard. Great food there too. I even visited Brownsville which is right on the border and had no issues at all. Went through a border check, crossed into Mexico, and came back the same day. It was completely fine and I'm a 5'4" youngish white chick.

The truth is, travel in the United States is some of the safest travel you'll ever do compared to crime rates in some other countries.
 
Ah, its good to know someone else hasnt let the hype ruin their travel plans. The southwest is a wonderful place to visit, especially when a lot of the country is icy. Not to mention the tucson gem mineral and fossil show is something everybody should go to at least once, plus I think arizona is an open carry state, nevada too, if that helps.
 
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