- Joined
- Oct 1, 2007
- Messages
- 7,331
- Location
- Texas
- Vessel Name
- Floatsome & Jetsome
- Vessel Make
- Meridian 411
Jeffrey goes out of his way to assure his freebee advocates that he will never impose a user fee. There's a reason for that. He wants outside funding so he can make that claim and at the same time spread the cost around over the entire boating community. Everybody thereby pays a little bit...whether they use the site or not. AC is not free...you just don't pay a direct fee for access. The tens of thousands of other boaters along with you are picking up the tab for advertising on his site....again whether they want to or not....and unbeknownst to most of them. You know it because you use the site. Obviously a similar marketing/funding methodology as used on this site.
When you buy a hard copy cruisers guide, you offset a chunk of the company's cost....the rest is picked up by their own advertisers. But you, the end user are absorbing a fair piece of the product cost as opposed to letting fellow boaters who have no interest in the product pick up that portion of the tab. Seems more fair and honest to me. Of course, there's no way of following the money trail. Jeffrey says show me proof that there's any cost to anyone anywhere. I'd say show me proof that there's not. Nobody is going to show you their books.
With all due respect.....who cares!!!! It is a valuable resource. If I am paying a little bit to use it, so be it.