• 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....

Final poll on the membership fee program

If a membership fee is inevitable, I am willing to accept the following:

  • $10 yearly fee to view and post on the BOI. Classifieds viewable to all, no posting ads without fee.

    Votes: 28 15.7%

  • $10 yearly fee to POST on the BOI, viewing still allowed. Same as above for the classifieds.

    Votes: 107 60.1%

  • Posting on the BOI and classfieds MUST be free or I have no further use for this site.

    Votes: 43 24.2%
  • Total voters
    178
WebSlave

WebSlave

It is what it is, but certainly not what it was.
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Now that most of the ducks are all lined up in a row, let's see where the real chips lie. This is in it's most simplest form and gets right down to the heart of the issue.
 
i think "$10 yearly fee to POST on the BOI, viewing still allowed. Same as above for the classifieds." seems the most fair and reasonable

i think new people would be really unlikely to pay a fee for something that can't see beforehand...without being able to read it first they wouldn't have any real understanding of what the boi is all about and why it is worth their money


--liz:)
 
Alone Again

Well, so far I am the only one to vote that $10 should be paid to view or post on the BOI. I too am worried that new viewers won't get here, but we can't let this die! Maybe there is a way for new viewers to get 7 days free or something like that when registering. I am all for paid classifieds w/free viewing. Rich has provided us with something really good here, but everyone needs to ante up now.

David Scarboro
Dahlonega, Ga.
 
I am all for alievating some financial stress for Rich as he has obviously made a mountain out of a mole hill here. In fact I feel bad for not contributing anything money wise for sometime now, as I surf this site DAILY and not only for the important aspects to my business, but for my own entertainment. So will I pay $10 for a year to continue coming here?, you better believe it. Although I think it is a valuable site with a plethora of information all should be privy too. The only thing that bothers me is that if someone were to post negative things about someone especially if it's unfounded, the person defending themselves may have never heard of the BOI and will now be forced to pay cash just to defend themselves when they may have never been here in the first place. I'm just thinking about the little guy here as $10 to most of us isn't by any means a huge amount of money. Many of us here have made hundreds times that off sales alone, as well as good business generated by the BOI, not too mention the hundreds saved by not sending your hard earned cash to outted scammers on the Board. So do I think it's fair to charge for the site? Yes. Do I feel that veiwing BOI should be charged? No. I realize that what I am saying is the perfect catch 22 but what can you do?
 
I picked the second one for the simple reason I was here a while hearing about the BOI but took me forever to figgure out what it was. I like the idea of being able to be free to view but have to pay to post. That will also cut down a bit of the "junk" post, just posting to post. I love this site and have no problems paying now that I have had a chance to get a feel for it. I love it :)
 
Ditto with Mark and Aimee and others. My choice isn't on the poll. A small fee for posting on the classifieds (as long as its less than kingsnake) but viewing free, and the BOI must be FREE FREE FREE to function properly.
 
What about possibly allowing newcomers 10 free posts or something ont he BOI alone. I just feel like someone being forced to pay cash to 'defend themselves' in a thread that they didn't originally start themsleves is too much like the real government. just has a tendency to leave a bad taste in your mouth... Kind of like when it says on you license 'Driving is a privilage not a right'. The BOI should always be a right, not a privilage. This is only my most humble opinion as I very much respect you Rich and I personally will go with the flow your provide either way.
 
Hmm, maybe I should have added another option on the poll:

Charge no fee for viewing or posting on the BOI, but PULL all moderation out of it as a result.

Heck, I guess that would make it just a YES or NO poll, then.

Basically, you can't have your cake and eat it too. To quell the complaints of credibility and abuse within the BOI, I believe that something needs to be done to at least head in that direction. If people are not willing to accept the step that I feel is most fitting and appropriate at this point, then why should I and the moderators here continue beating our heads against the wall trying to play clean up after the abuses are made?

In a nut shell, I am saying at this point that you have the opportunity to put up, or shut up. If I do not implement the fee from the results I see in the poll, I WILL be pulling the moderators out of the BOI completely. And I personally do not want to hear even one little peep out of anyone about it, either. Will the BOI become another **HELL** forum? Maybe, but you have the seeds in your hands. So you can sow them, or eat them. You will have the results to contend with afterwards.
 
Mike and Erica @ MotherGecko said:
What about possibly allowing newcomers 10 free posts or something ont he BOI alone. I just feel like someone being forced to pay cash to 'defend themselves' in a thread that they didn't originally start themsleves is too much like the real government. just has a tendency to leave a bad taste in your mouth... Kind of like when it says on you license 'Driving is a privilage not a right'. The BOI should always be a right, not a privilage. This is only my most humble opinion as I very much respect you Rich and I personally will go with the flow your provide either way.
Click to expand...

Mike, please read the other threads in this section. This has been covered at length, and I really don't want to repeat myself any longer.

And as for the BOI being a "right"? So now I am being forced into servitude? Over my dead body......

Thanks.
 
Webslave, do what you feel is most appropriate. It is your baby, anyway.

Although I'm now confused. Did you want people to reply to this poll, or just vote? I would have voted, but I don't agree with any of the choices.
 
I apologize for all the horrible typos there, my coffee machine has been broken for the past few days and I havent been the same since, chewing and sucking on the beans really seems to affect typing...

Sorry to beat a dead horse on that end there Rich, on the suggestions.

The BOI being a right was only meant metaphorically, no offense was offered. It seems that you are pretty intent on implementing this plan and I personally don't blame you one bit. You have put in countless time and energy to make it what it has become, and probabaly and justly feel it's time for a break. I will send my $10 now, if the plan is implemented i'll be happy to be the first one paid, if not, consider it a long overdue donation.
 
leaftail said:
Ditto with Mark and Aimee and others. My choice isn't on the poll. A small fee for posting on the classifieds (as long as its less than kingsnake) but viewing free, and the BOI must be FREE FREE FREE to function properly.
Click to expand...

A great thought, but not many good things are truly free. Bandwidth, Servers and other equipment, not to mention Rich's time must be considered. Why would the BOI have to be FREE FREE FREE to function properly? Also, Mark and Aimee; I have read your posts with interest on the BOI. Surely it would be worth $10 per year to continue the discourse?

David Scarboro
 
Bringerofdoom said:
one question though. if somone was to contribute the normal $35 a year does it bypass the $10 yearly fee?
Click to expand...

Yes. Anyone currently having a Contributor membership will be considered as an "Endowment" member if I implement my plan. This will be the top level membership offered. Matter of fact, let me try an experiment to see how it looks here:


Addendum: This membership level will be in effect for the duration of your current Contributor's Membership. If this place goes into effect, this level of membership will be a LOT higher then the current Contributor's Membership.
 

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Why would the BOI have to be FREE FREE FREE to function properly?
Click to expand...

Because of the appearence of impartiality. If you have a requirement or hurdle for a post on the BOI then it carries the appearence of an arena of a "select few". It will keep the smaller transactions out of public view (good and bad). I'm not concerned about the people with a 1,000 posts not using the boi but rather the newcomer that wants a reference to purchase a $30 corn snake.

I know the reasoning for the charge on the boi is to decrease the ones kicked off from returning but frankly I"ve watched them and they rarely last long on this site as people start to ignore them, so I don't feel it's enough of a problem ... especially at the cost of new visitors.
 
Point Taken

Good answer Daniel, I definitely see your point. My question would be, How do we pay for Rich's time and expenses to keep this running?

David Scarboro
 
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