ThomasM
[PuristS]
14331
There seems to be some misunderstanding about this site, this forum in particular, and
the relative roles we play.
I founded and at this time, continue to foot the hard dollar costs for this site.
We do have a Patron's Program, but because I want it to be voluntary, and I do not want anyone to feel pressure to contribute, we do not publicize it at all. In fact, one almost has to go looking for it to find any information on it.
As a result, the program is nearly a total failure.
Yes, we have some staunch supporters; yes, some of the past Patrons have been very generous, for which the rest who don't contribute benefit.
The ratio of visitors to participants is about 1000:1.
The ratio of participants is about 100:1
Yes, that means that we have about 1 (ONE) Patron to every 100,000 visitors.
That also means that the VAST majority of the costs associated with this site (it is FAR more than just the server space and bandwidth) are still being footed by me, personally, so ably and generously assisted by volunteer moderators and administrators who are paid nothing for their efforts, despite many of them having some VERY valuable insights and special knowledge or experience or expertise.
This forum in particular - the independent PP discussion forum - is not supported in any way, directly or indirectly, by PP. We do have good relations with them - at least, I think so, even if many of my emails or phone calls often go unreplied or unreturned.
Suitbert is a volunteer moderator. He is also an incredible resource for historical and technical knowledge; any of us would be lucky to PAY him (if he were for hire) to be our personal advisor. Yet he generously donates his time and energy to help where he can, on matters ranging from the interesting and arcane, to the most inane, lazy, mindless questions. In all cases I have known him to be nothing but helpful and polite.
There seem to be an increasing number of people who drop in here, thinking it is like any other internet resource - it's free, it's a free for all, and somehow, by their very presence, they are somehow "gracing us" with their eyeballs, their comments, their whines.
Thank you, but no thank you.
We do not sell advertising. We do not, as a matter of course, sell anything.
I frankly wouldn't care if there were only 5 regular visitors, if these 5 are interesting, polite, and really care and are interested in the subjects under discussion.
That we have more visitors and participants is fine, but it is of no interest to me whatsoever to have more.
I started this site, because I saw a need to be filled - a place where seriously interested, like minded, polite, civil, and considerate individuals can get together and discuss things of common interest on a level simply not available anywhere else.
Discussions about price, what will speculatively appreciate, incessant whining about service or quality issues (yes, we DO allow these comments; we only have a problem when they become repetitive. One only has to look to see that many, if not most, such posts, which have not clearly gotten out of hand, are still extant and publically visible) have many, far more active venues elsewhere.
Jeff, you have been around long enough to know all this. Your areas of interest show clear patterns; I have never, until today, called you out on your demonstrated obvious obssession with price, discounts, and speculative considerations. But when you ask, and don't get any response, about retail price on a particular piece, then decide to repeat again, with exclamation point ! a question which can JUST AS EASILY BE ANSWERED WITH A PHONE CALL TO A LOCAL AD, then slam me snidely for suggesting just this, I have to wonder - what is it you or I are missing?
Or the repetitive threads about quality and poor service, even when the initial comments are allowed to stay on the board, and polite reminders are made to suggest such matters are best handled in private, and that public wailings are not really apropos here. To have such threads degenerate into snide accusations that somehow, we must be on the payroll of PP are not only offensive, but frankly, force me to make clear that those that are behaving so boorishly have done NOTHING for this site or community, and if they don't like it here, are welcome to seek refuge elsewhere.
Have bad service, or bad experiences, so bad you are turned off to the brand? Then sell all your PP's and stop buying them! Gee, rocket science...
And if you did that, I frankly don't care. Even if I am saddened a bit...
This is a private resource, privately funded.
You are uninvited, but still welcome, guests. So long as you respect our standards of behaviour, conduct, and appropriateness.
Even if you forget to thank your gracious host/moderator, to whom you pay nothing, and who frequently derives nothing but aggravation or grief for his efforts.
Thank you, Suitbert, for all you do.
TM