• 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.

Is This a Direction Fauna Should Go?

coyote

coyote

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In light of recent events and Rich's efforts made last year to elevate the standards of the site and insure quality dialog, I would like to know if this is a direction that Fauna should go.

RE two recent threads that many of us found troubling and in poor taste.

In Lonely Hearts: Couple Looking for FWB in MD/DE/PA/NJ
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80719

In Photography: Whatcha Like Shooting (besides your load)?
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78082

I think it is better if interested parties read the threads for themselves and come to their own conclusions.
Is this the type of subject material that will serve the ideals of FaunaClassifieds?

There is real potential that this discussion will include strong opinions. Please, maintain a posture of decorum.
 
I'll go first.

Whether I am truely a prude or not is of little consequence.
I was and remain behind Rich's efforts to establish, insure and maintain high standards on this site. IMO subject matter and language as exhibited in the threads referenced above will undermine those efforts and the intent of this site.

I do believe that opening up the site to sexual topics and language is one way for increasing traffic and membership. It's risky though. And personally, I won't find much use for such increased content. I also believe that it will soil the stellar reputation of Fauna. I don't want to see this site become one more internet vehicle for the sexual exhibitionism of those with boundry issues.

It may happen that I am alone in my opinion and desires on this issue. If so it will be a great disappointment to me.

Is it, "just what this forum needs to give it that jump start"?
Please, add your thoughts.
 
I think both of those examples are vile. I'm no prude, either. At one time I actually put a dating profile on some dating site. I don't remember the exact site, as it was just a "whim" thing and I decided I really didn't feel comfortable meeting people like that. I've also looked at pics of nude women on occassion, so I'm not some bible thumping, righteous prude. I just don't think those two examples, belong on this site, especially when it can be viewed by anybody. I made my opinion on one of the actual threads, but it's apparently of no consequence.
 
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the direction of one or two forums, and in particular one or two lone threads, does not lead this entire site by the nose. To even suggest such a thing defies rationality. Actually no one here even has to go into that forum or read any particular thread unless they specifically choose to do so. So exercise your own free will to move on to somewhere else other then THAT thread,or THAT forum. Threads do not open themselves up and tackle you as a reader. YOU have to specifically click on it to open it up and read it. So if you see the title of some thread that looks like it may contain something offensive to you, please don't let it twist your arm or wrestle you to the ground in order to make you read it. Resist it, as impossible as that may seem to do.

But that being said, I did make a concession in that I have changed the permissions for that forum so that only registered members can even see the Lonely Hearts forum, much less read anything in it. I have the registration (and have for a long time) set to refuse to allow registration of anyone 13 years old or younger. But if "little Johnnie" lies in order to get registered and then can read that forum, then that's just the breaks. There is no way to verify that information. I have no intention of trying to rubber baby buggy bumpering this site to try to please everyone's opinion of every thing they can think to complain about. So as for those children within the tender years of 14 thru 17, well I don't know what your children are like at that age, but when I was that age, I doubt anything being talked about in any forum here would have gotten my hormones torqued up much. And I do believe that things are considerable different now then they were back in those days.

As for the threads and forums in question, I gave the moderators of those forums the authority and discretion to treat posts within them as they see fit.

Oh, and please note that the way this system is designed, if you report a post, that report ONLY goes to the moderator(s) of that forum. No where else and to no one else. This is known as "division of labor", and quite frankly, I prefer it that way. I don't want to have to micro manage every aspect of this site. So I delegate whatever I can.
 
coyote said:
I'll go first.

Whether I am truely a prude or not is of little consequence.
I was and remain behind Rich's efforts to establish, insure and maintain high standards on this site. IMO subject matter and language as exhibited in the threads referenced above will undermine those efforts and the intent of this site.

I do believe that opening up the site to sexual topics and language is one way for increasing traffic and membership. It's risky though. And personally, I won't find much use for such increased content. I also believe that it will soil the stellar reputation of Fauna. I don't want to see this site become one more internet vehicle for the sexual exhibitionism of those with boundry issues.

It may happen that I am alone in my opinion and desires on this issue. If so it will be a great disappointment to me.

Is it, "just what this forum needs to give it that jump start"?
Please, add your thoughts.
Click to expand...

The thread in "Lonely Hearts" is absolutely ridiculous.

The thread in Photography is okay but the title is not appropriate.

I don't really see the point in having a thread like "Lonely Hearts" on a reptile related website, it just begs for posts like the one made recently.
 
Scott Ashton said:
I don't really see the point in having a thread like "Lonely Hearts" on a reptile related website, it just begs for posts like the one made recently.
Click to expand...

Personally I don't see that forum "begging" for anything of the sort. The few times I checked in there, it appeared that the people participating within it were having a lot of fun there.

I strongly suspect that it would be quite possible to find someone who could find each and every aspect of this site something with which they could not see the point of having here. Everyone is different. Everyone has their own opinions. It is quite impossible to cater to all of them.

As for the Lonely Hearts Club Forum, there are 4,668 posts in that one forum alone. So obviously some people have found reason enough for it to be there.

coyote said:
Thanks Rich. I wanted to know where you stood.
Click to expand...

Now you do. I am not swayed by a vocal minority voice. I have long ago given up any idea whatsoever of pleasing everyone.
 
The downside to posts like the one referenced above in Lonely Hearts as well as the inappropriateness of the thread title in Photography is that they will quickly get your site filtered as "Adult Content".
 
WebSlave said:
Oh, and please note that the way this system is designed, if you report a post, that report ONLY goes to the moderator(s) of that forum. No where else and to no one else. This is known as "division of labor", and quite frankly, I prefer it that way. I don't want to have to micro manage every aspect of this site. So I delegate whatever I can.
Click to expand...
What if there is a post that a mod feels needs to be given points, as you said if wer report it it comes back to us so we have to PM you to decide, that seems to be a PITA for you to have to do.

I know that I have sent you some and have found that I am a lot more hard assed that you are but what if.... there is one and even if I am more hard assed and would give points when you would not. Will that be something a mod can do at some point.
 
I am really undecided about giving the forum mods the power to assess warning points. I get quite enough nasty grams myself from them, so something tells me that doing so would greatly increase the hate mail I would be getting trying to convince me to overrule the mod's decision. This could cause a lot of feathers to get ruffled, especially if the mod is much more "hard assed" then I am and I find myself disagreeing with the mod's opinion.

Assessing warning points is rather easy to do. Rolling them back is a real pain in the butt for me to have to do. And honestly, I just am not looking for more work to have to be doing......
 
Scott Ashton said:
The downside to posts like the one referenced above in Lonely Hearts as well as the inappropriateness of the thread title in Photography is that they will quickly get your site filtered as "Adult Content".
Click to expand...

Well is those keywords themselves will trigger a censor's filter, this site is lost anyway if people happen to be talking about their female dogs in the Dog Forum. :ack2:
 
WebSlave said:
Well is those keywords themselves will trigger a censor's filter, this site is lost anyway if people happen to be talking about their female dogs in the Dog Forum. :ack2:
Click to expand...

The filters we use are contextual so a single term wouldn't bias a score and thus generate a false positive.

But the phrase "shoot your load" would more than likely be an issue. Aside from the fact that any "personal ad" type posts would seal the deal.
 
No. You are not alone in your opinion, and I would wager a bet that most of the members here would feel the same way; I do. I don't think either are appropriate but I understand now that my personal feelings on a topic like this and some others do not matter anymore. And that's ok.
 
Yeah, right. I'm supposed to jump at everyone's suggestions and complaints upon demand..... A handfull of people say "YES" and another group says "NO" about every issue that has ever taken place here. No matter which way I jump, one group is going to get pissed and believe they were wronged.

That's just the way it goes. I know I can't please everyone, so no, it is not realistic, much less sane, for me to think that I must. If that attitude bothers you, and you take it as personally ignoring YOU, then I am sorry, but you have a misunderstanding about how things run here. I've been on this road far too many times to not know where it leads.

So when you all find that perfect website that can and does please everyone, PLEASE do me a favor and let me know where it is. I'd like to join up there myself.....
 
I have to say I agree with Rich, in that WE are the ones that click on a thread and opt to read its contents. I saw the FWB thread before there were any subsequent posts. I may have been a touch brainfried because it didn't click what it stood for, and I clicked on it...read enough to know I wasn't interested in reading more and closed it. Totally forgot about it, in fact, until some hours later when I received the first of several notices from members that I should check it out. I was not offended by it in the least (I don't offend easily, as a rule). I will admit that I was surprised to see such a thread, but since the language was not explicit I didn't think it was worthy of all the fuss...though once the next post was made, I knew it would rapidly degrade. (For the record, I feel it probably would have been best if the originator had simply closed the thread after posting it; thereby forcing any and all responses to go directly to him, whether it be hate mail or interested parties. It would not have stopped the controversy, but it would have significantly cut back on the frenzy that followed...well, until it showed up here, lol). Now that the forum is only visible to registered members, and there IS an age block, I think the administrative job there is done.
 
I have to agree with what someone else posted on the original thread......I find it confusing that a person can be fined and suspended for calling someone a thief or scumbag, even when it's a proven fact, but yet it's OK to advertise for sex. It just seems to be totally backwards from the direction I thought this site was supposed to be going. Not to mention that it "inspired" another member to say he was going to post something similar. I guess I thought cleaning up the site meant just that.

I guess that's what I get for thinking. :shrug01:
 
You took the words right out of my mouth Cat_72. I'm glad you beat me to it..it might have been considered "nastiness toward fauna" had I said it.
 
I guess this is where I am lost

WebSlave said:
Yeah, right. I'm supposed to jump at everyone's suggestions and complaints upon demand..... A handfull of people say "YES" and another group says "NO" about every issue that has ever taken place here. No matter which way I jump, one group is going to get pissed and believe they were wronged.

That's just the way it goes. I know I can't please everyone, so no, it is not realistic, much less sane, for me to think that I must. If that attitude bothers you, and you take it as personally ignoring YOU, then I am sorry, but you have a misunderstanding about how things run here. I've been on this road far too many times to not know where it leads.

So when you all find that perfect website that can and does please everyone, PLEASE do me a favor and let me know where it is. I'd like to join up there myself.....
Click to expand...
This is what you need mods for, sol you do not have to jump at every suggestion and complaint and deal with it so that you do not have to micro manage.

It does't really matter "which" group jumps on you as long as you stand on your decision and or that or your mods.

If I am too hard assed maybe I should be removed befoer it becomes a problem.

I really do not think that anyone expected you alone to please everyone all of the time, that would be foolish to t hink of at the least. BUT you did put mods in place that can do NOTHING more thanADD to the post counts and move/copy a thread to where it shoudl be.

As a Mod I am simply a no name member who can only reply to messages and try to spark attention to the forum, that being said, there are only so manty questions you can ask and not be flamed as I have on the cham forum and get a reply!
 
hhmoore said:
...... Totally forgot about it, in fact, until some hours later when I received the first of several notices from members that I should check it out.
Click to expand...

So obviously a few people here are trying hard to make that molehill into a mountain, eh? :rofl: Man, you guys really crack me up. That thread would have fallen to the bottom of the pile if you hadn't kept bringing it to the surface and calling everyone's attention to it. Gasp! Hey! Look at that post! People shouldn't have to look at something like that so take a look at it yourself! But I suppose that irony is lost on those people. :rofl:

So cut the flak, please. I have already stated that the Lonely Hearts Club forum is Lucille's and she makes the decisions there. You can either like it or not, but you do have to accept that fact concerning what may be allowed there. If you don't like it, then don't go there. It is quite a simple concept to grasp. If you believe the sky will be falling shortly because of it, well start digging that shelter for yourself and make your own preparations. Personally I doubt that will be the case at all.
 
WebSlave said:
Yeah, right. I'm supposed to jump at everyone's suggestions and complaints upon demand..... A handfull of people say "YES" and another group says "NO" about every issue that has ever taken place here. No matter which way I jump, one group is going to get pissed and believe they were wronged.

That's just the way it goes. I know I can't please everyone, so no, it is not realistic, much less sane, for me to think that I must. If that attitude bothers you, and you take it as personally ignoring YOU, then I am sorry, but you have a misunderstanding about how things run here. I've been on this road far too many times to not know where it leads.

So when you all find that perfect website that can and does please everyone, PLEASE do me a favor and let me know where it is. I'd like to join up there myself.....
Click to expand...


Ok, but what I don't understand is, why is there a Feedback forum if you don't want feedback?
 
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