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• 

  The State of the FR Union

  Anyone interested in an open, objective and candid discussion about issues related to FR?
  
  Performance
  Investors
  Customer Service
  Forum / Member fun
  Language
  Other intersting topics

  zippernek started this discussion 9 months ago.

• 

  NETTR 

  What a surprise to see the FR group at the top of my group list! It's sorta hard to take you seriously with that silly outfit though.
  
  It's difficult to comment without having all the facts .... who is CS? Is it Gene trying to do it all and most likely work a full time job? If that is the case, I can sort of understand the delay in response to a certain point. I think he is overwhelmed financially and he has said that nothing will change without an investor. I don't think there is much we can do about it, but I do think if we keep complaining about it, the site will be no more. Was just thinking about it and it does seem like it's the winter traffic that slows things down. I remember a long post in Share & Relate last year about "what else can you do while the FR pages are loading"
  
  I'm with you on the language and don't understand why he didn't just delete that post. Will be interesting to see if he does delete yours in CS.

  posted 9 months ago.

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  NETTR 

  Hmmm...just you and me I guess. I think your avatars are scaring the others away. This one is a little better, but you are almost too relaxed - have some coffee or something!
  So my FR experience today...not too bad, it seems between 4 and 6 pm are the slowest times. Maybe everyone getting home from work and trying to mark books rec'd??

  posted 8 months ago.

  show 2 replies

  • zippernek removed this reply 8 months ago.

  • 

    zippernek 

    I've wanted to add books to my wishlist but have been unable to do so because it times-out. That's about the only ongoing hassle I encounter, though I do get kicked-off and I do experience slowness in the forums from time to time.
    
    I got the feeling that there once was someone who responded to the Customer Service questions - someone other than Gene. It may have been him but for some reason I thought there was another person involved. And back then, at least someone from FR had the courtesy to respond to CS questions. Now it takes days for someone to respond...IF THEY RESPOND AT ALL. That really sucks.
    
    I understand when you say that if we keep complaining that it all might just go away. But it's not like this is a new problem. It's happened before and you'd think there would have been some contingency plan in place for the day when membership/activity neared the breaking point.
    
    Think I'll start collecting can tabs for the Save FrugalReader compaign

    posted 8 months ago.

• 

  Cleo798 

  I can't believe there are others finally having a discussion in here. It's getting old listening to everyone complain about FR in the forums. I'm beginning to tune out. I have limited issues with navigating the site, but I suppose I'm in the minority.
  
  It would be interesting to see a business plan for FR. Where does Gene see this going. What is the potential return on the investment for an investor? Unfortuantely, I'm not sure I see it. I love the site, but I can't see what would be in it for an investor. I suppose I'm thinking about this too much in terms of money, but that's really what it comes down to. I'm not sure if membership fees or some of the othe ideas will fly. We don't have to number of members to raise the capital needed I suspect. Also, there are other trading sites out there that are free and I'm sure there are members that aren't that committed to the site who would not be willing to pay the fees. New members would be unlikely to do so and the site would not grow.
  
  I've babbled enough for now. I'll be sticking around and I love the site. I just don't know what the answer is.

  posted 8 months ago.

  show 7 replies

  • 

    NETTR 

    Hey Kristen,
    I've wondered the same thing financially and asked Gene but didn't really get an answer. I suppose there has to be some money to be made, but I don't imagine it's much. The guy at bookmooch claims he makes his money just through the Amazon link. Really no forums over there at all and he does have many more members - wonder what he makes in a month??
    I agree, not many members will be willing to hand over a membership fee when there are so many free sites around.
    I haven't had as many problems as some. Usually if I have a problem logging in, I close the window and start over and it pops right up.
    Babble away ~ Richard gets tired of listening to me babble :-)

    posted 8 months ago.

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    kairilily 

    I wouldn't mind an Amazon link or two on the FR page. Wonder if Gene has looked into this at all?

    posted 8 months ago.

  • 

    NETTR 

    There is an Amazon link Jen... anytime you go to Amazon through FR (from the homepage or through book searches) the site gets a commission. I'd like to see more...B&N, etc. and have mentioned that on more than one occasion.

    posted 8 months ago.

  • 

    cathysdesigns 

    When I buy on Amazon I try to go through the FR site as I know they get a kickback. You just look up the book you want and then click on buy. I do get plenty mad when the site slows to a crawl, but I look at it as I get some great book finds through my trade groups - so I don't stand up in a rocking boat.

    posted 8 months ago.

  • 

    lakeylady 

    Well I for 1 have decided to stop griping .If it gets to bad I'll just go somewhere else .I do enjoy the site but there are other places to request of cause the forums aren't as lively as some we have on FR.If I was paying a membership fee then I would feel it was my place to complain but being free takes that from me.and no garage sales and bake sales are not going to solve Gene's money situation he should have seen this coming.
    

    posted 8 months ago.

  • 

    Cleo798 

    I think the links to Amazon generate a very small amount of money. I get the impression that Gene needs a much larger chunk of cash (at least several thousand dollars or more) at this point to make the upgrades necessary to make the site function better, but I don't know this for a fact. It might be hard to get investors if there isn't a decent return on the investment.

    posted 8 months ago.

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    kairilily 

    I knew you could get to Amazon by clicking on the "buy now" buttons, but would maybe an actual advertisement somewhere generate more money? I was just curious.

    posted 8 months ago.

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  zippernek (edited)

  Though all good ideas, I'm thinking that the bake sales and other ideas to help raise FR money will amount to pennies compared to what he's looking for. Had FR been upgrading regularly over the last 3 years then these ideas would probably have been welcomed by FR. But because the site is in crisis, only large sums of money are going to help.

  posted 8 months ago.

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  NETTR 

  Anyone else notice that FR seems faster now...but Shelfari has been real slowwwww the last couple of days.
  Also noticed on FR....takes longer to log in if I have a message or two waiting for me.

  posted 8 months ago.

• 

  Bri 

  I'm also having minimal performance issues with FR and I have no idea why. I do have my issues with FR, but I get really sick of hearing people like Maeve criticize every damn thing and break it down to the minutiae.
  
  So many people have good ideas or a love for a hobby, but no vision or business plan and I guess Gene happens to be one of them. I hope that he can pull a rabbit out of his hat, because I really do like FR. We'll see what happens.

  posted 8 months ago.

  show 3 replies

  • 

    NETTR 

    No kidding Bri! She drives me crazy too....I don't think anyone is as consistently negative about the situation as much as she is.
    I haven't had many problems with the site lately ~ slow at times, but usually picks up by my next log on.

    posted 8 months ago.

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    kairilily 

    I haven't been a member of FR as long as you guys, but I've always wondered when I read Maeve's responses to Bri if there was some kind of problem between the two of them. I have noticed the negativity about the site from her too, but her responses to things that Bri posts are always argumentative.

    posted 8 months ago.

  • 

    Bri 

    I'm not sure why she needs to contradict everything I say. There's been no bad trade(s) between us. In fact, early on, Maeve didn't understand the how the auto-request function operated and so one of her books set to auto-request happened to hit on my listing and I shipped it to her. She didn't really want it, evidently and posted in the CS thread about it. I responded to her that she could have the credit back and was welcome to keep the book. So no idea on my end why she's that way with me. But I've seen her try to break it down with others also, so I figured she's just like a dog with a bone and FR and all its failings just happen to be her bone. One of those people that sees everything as black and white and when something doesn't work "right" has very little patience.

    posted 8 months ago.

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