• Posted 12/19/2024.
    =====================

    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • 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.

Dating an older man?

I am of the opinion that as long as you are happy, so be it. Trying to live up to the "normal standard" is not always what it is cracked up to be. It is all about connecting with someone who you can love and be friends with.

My wife and I got married when she was 19 and I was 22. We celebrated our 13th anniversary on the 15th of this month. Many friends and family had told us that we were too young and this would not last... I think we proved them wrong.

As long as you are happy and treated right in a relationship, other people can go fly a kite.
 
I was 26 and dating a 50 yr old. Probably the best 5 years of my life until she mentioned to her kids that I'd like to date her (no one knew but the inner circle). They said... ewwww mommma and shortly after the best years ended.

As for the rest of the original post.. I'll keep my opinions to myself.
 
I know yall don't know me but I say go for it. If the dude makes you happy then hell yeah. I saw the thread n thought it was interesting. But as long as the 2 of you click and both are over 18. Then who gives a shit as long as you make each other happy. But as for your new man. He's my new hero. Lol
 
I've dated a slightly younger woman, a slightly older woman and a slightly younger guy who were all a massive waste of time. I found myself pouring money into them as projects that were supposed to make 'our' future together better but wised up to the fact that they were essentially not worth the effort. All the time I seemed to be sticking my neck out and putting myself 2nd and getting nothing back. The first lass wouldn't come out of the closet to be with me despite the fact that I had for her (then a couple of months after we split up her new girlfriend proposed to her and THEN she came out of the closet to her parents in the same breath as asking for wedding funds, damn cheeky if you ask me). The second lass didn't know what she wanted and broke it off to sleep with the male captain of her ultimate frisbee team. The younger lad turned out to be certifiably insane, I tried to get him to talk to therapist and take his meds (UK so it was all free healthcare but he still wouldn't accept it) who then cheated on me with a barely legal lad whilst I was working two jobs to keep us afloat.

I now live with my partner of 2yrs who is a guy 20yrs older. What a relief! He works an actual, proper full-time job so we pay our fare share of the bills, then I get to spend my surplus income on whatever I like. I get on great with his parents. We both ride motorbikes together (though he is a much faster rider than me) and go touring together. We did the Isle of Man TT and the Normandy coastline this year. For my birthday we did our first track day and his son from a previous relationship came too on his racebike, it was great to have a family event. Here is a photo of us at a local bike show after winning an assault course challenge (I'm the lass on the floor, he's the bloke in the hat).

People have been most judgemental about me dating other women and about me dating a guy 20 yrs my senior. They were least judgemental when I was with the slightly younger but completely insane guy. Ignore people's opinions, they presume too much and know nothing about your circumstances. :thumbsup:
 

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