• 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
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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.....

    =====================
    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....

Random Thoughts...

Sasheena

Sasheena

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I was just wondering if somewhere, in some location, it might be nice to elaborate on what exactly contributors get versus "regular members".... it could be something that would be continually updated as new gizmos, gadgets, etc are added. I think that the more things that are explicitly for contributing members, the more it will provide a lure for people to try it out. Anyway, it's just a thought. Perhaps one of those comparison charts with checkmarks/data in it...... here's an example.... my brain is too stuffed full of cooked bird to be very clear on my thoughts! :)
 

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I think that’s an excellent idea! I also like the idea of the premier members account. That’s just another way to raise more money for the site.

I don’t think Rich has had time yet to make a chart but I’m sure we’ll have one soon.
 
Another thought I've had is that if it eventually goes to a pay-only site... what might keep the BOI from being as beneficial as it has always been is to have it be read-only for those who do not wish to pay.... they can do research on bad guys... but cannot contribute unless they wish to pay.... that would increase the effectiveness of the BOI without allowing in all those bogus posts/usernames...

Anyway.... I would REALLY like Rich to see enough remuneration to at least pay for this site, if not to bring him a little bit of extra cash... without undermining that which makes the BOI effective.

Of course it's easy to say... but we'll all see how it goes as it goes. I at least am grateful that I sprung for the amount I did.... since then I've had a dozen different tiny windfalls, which has made it all the easier!
 
Yeah, definitely one of the things on my plate to address. The real problem is that so many things are kind of "hind-sight" affairs. Meaning, I am trying hard not to make the paid subscription plan(s) be something that members used to have for free that are now going to cost them to utilize. Looks like this is going to be unavoidable if I go to a general paid membership requirement. I may eventually make the new photo gallery a perk for paid members only, as that does have the potential of becoming a significant drain on he server. Or reduce the free intro level considerably.

I'm really trying everything I can to keep from going to a general paid membership by offering expanded bells and whistles instead that are optional for a fee. But if only a minimum number of people use the paid services, then I am right back where I started: Spending more money for a negative return. :(

Well, we'll just have to see what happens. But yes, one of these days I do need to make up a chart showing which options are provided for any levels of paid membership that apply here.

Thanks for the thoughts.
 
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