The whole point is that sponsors pay the way of operating a forum. Our brief time with Google adds paid for a couple of years....in other words, there is not a legitimate reason to even ask for donations from members if there is paid advertising on a site or forum, ever.
To misrepresent costs and obtain money from members is stealing, and stealing represents the character qualities of someone that honest men avoid. We have beat this to the ground, and it is a moot point for us. We are not in the forum business to pay for hunting cabins, "crashed" servers
, 4 wheelers, unemployment, laziness, or whatever reasons are given for the fund raising....we are simply here to have a group of like minded members sharing a love of sawdust, for free. The registered owners of the forum are Frank, Kirk, and I....and we actually work, and pay our way...same for the forum...paid in full.
There will NEVER be a request for funds from our members. There is no "hidden" agenda, no bullying, no harassing, no accusations, and no tales that are not in the open. There are no secret rooms, or restricted ass kisser areas for members in good standing....here is what you get....a forum of information and idea exchanges.
Some view this is "hostile" or "negative" to even present one side of an issue....well, if the truth hurts, so be it. There are probably a few good guys who have signed up and avoid this forum simply because they don't like the controversy. I don't like it either, but what I am not about is being afraid to take a stand. I stand for integrity and honesty, not backroom BS...and the spineless cowards of the internet can find me, via phone, or address, anytime they choose...I am a public person, as is Kirk, and Frank. And guess what? Not a whisper.....but that is what cowards and bullies do, and what they cannot abide is anyone who stands up to them...they have to hide their thoughts in a boardroom or woodshed to keep the flock from knowing what they are really like.
So my last word on this is thus: If you are a member on other forums, we welcome you....but if you are going to sign up, and then cave in to a bully or guilt trip and vanish, why bother? We are not concerned with numbers, only quality of information and members that make it happen...the true owners of the forum.