If this site had an annual membership fee to curb expenses. Would you still use it?

[UREZ2PASS]

Raise funds through advertising and donations, fees will drive most people away.

[90car]

I’ve spoken with Jack twice on the phone about this site in the last couple months and volunteered to help straighten it out. We had a great conversation and I hope he’s feeling better and on the road to recovery. No reason this web site couldn’t make money to more than cover the expense’s if it where done in a professional manner.

I own, run three different forums with over 20,000 members, all three make money thru advertising and no reason this site couldn’t. The way it presently is laid out, the scripts you are using not only make it hard to maintain but it is not done in a manner potential advertisers are going to be impressed with.

After building web sites, running forums for about ten years I’ve never seen the donation method work.

I stand by my offer to Jack and will try and contact him this week to see if there is something I can do to help.

Jane if I can help you just drop me a PM.

[Bigbuck]

Yes. This site gives me people to chat with. Yes, you can get the info someplace else, but just think winger, without this site you wouldnt of been able to slam me, thats gotta be worth something!!! Where do I send the "donation"?

[carolwicks]

ok

well first of all let it be known that Jack didnt bring this subject up. he would never think of asking. i just know he is medical expense destitute and has nothing more left to give so i wanted to find ways to help. he doesnt have an ounce of energy anymore so we can help him by getting along and finding a way that works. i agree that donations periodically would help. its about $400 a month to keep up the site so in the scheme of things if we all donated a couple bucks once in awhile it would help. Like i said, none of us would even know each other, no frappalooza, no group prayer efforts to help those in troubled times, no promoting drivers, no radio show geared to our locals... i sure dont want to lose the site.. jack builds sites for people and many times he never gets paid. but he keeps on trucking...we will find a way... ;-) and i thank you all for your thoughts and opinions and keep the ideas coming... we dont have to agree... we just need to try and find something that works for all of us.
God bless...
you are really all nice people. sometimes we get out of line but in general when the chips are down...WE CARE!
carol aka oz

[Jane]

NO ONE, and I REPEAT, NO ONE is beiing asked to pay to use karnac. This would be a donation just to help karnac keep going while Jack is under the weather and we have little money coming in. I know Jack has had to depart with some things he loves to keep the site going just as I have had to pawn/sell things to pay my bills. This would strictly be a donation to help karnac stay on her feet.

I do have a pay pal account and so does Jack. Mine is racingjls@aol.com and I will check on Jack's and post it for you also. We are not begging or pleading for money, just a small donation to help us keep going and that is all.

The only thing that I do not do right now for karnac is take care of the message board unless someone personally asks me to do something for them. I post all the front page stories, race results, pit stop stories, Southern Short Track dirt and asphalt stories and add photos when they are sent to me. I do help people with getting their passwords alot but I don't ban or delete people on the board. If you need help, most people just e-mail me and ask me for my help.

When I don't get the results that I am suppose to be sent, I go looking for them and then post them. I post all the results and stories for Auburndale, Orlando, New Smyrna, Columbia, Citrus, Desoto, Punta Gorda, East Bay, Hendry County, North Florida, Putnam (when they are running), Volusia, and on my dirt website Southern Raceway and Northwest Florida Speedway. I amy try and put an album together later on when I have the time of some of the great racing shots that have been sent to me. I do try and probably work at least 4 hours or more everyday on karnac.

If someone asks me to come cover a race for karnac, I do. I try and do whatever is needed. We do not advertise any race track anymore but we will be happy to advertise any huge race for a small fee on karnac. To be honest, it was way too hard to collect money owed for track advertising so we stop doing it. Although we do have some other companies that do advertise their products on karnac.

Jack has put his life's blood into karnac and when he got so sick, he asked me to take over and I have. I have tried to do my very best and have not played favorites to any one track. To get your story on the front page, all I ask are a few photos for the story which Auburhndale, Ocala, Volusia usually send. I always try and make sure the photographers get credit for their photos but every now and then I goof and forget to do it. But I am thinking of putting up a new album for action shots of 2010.

Up until June, Jack was paying me (not alot of money but some money) to do all this. Since June he has not been able to pay me anything which I completely understand. But personally, I think it is a great idea if someone would like to donate a few dollars towards karnac and her growth.

And again, this is only my two cents worth.

Hope everyone has a good evening and can't wait for that cooler weather they say is coming. Turned off my a/c last week because I can't pay the bill so I do need alittle more cooler air.

[JackTripper]

I agree with 90car as I too have built some websites in my time and there's no reason this one can't make more money, it just needs a bit of an overhaul. I'm not 100% sure what kind of CMS this website is running but it looks painful to do upkeep judging by the homepage.

There are plenty of racing forums out there that have tons of small ads on them, most of them racing companies, and there's no reason that with some technical tweaks, this website can't do the same.

Click here for a prime example of a good setup that can handle a ton of ads.

[carolwicks]

well you guys just dont understand......

Jack is very ill. he doesnt have the strength to get the sponsors etc. theres alot he could do if he was feeling better and always has. this site has been up for over a decade. medical care has wiped out his savings , and pain has taken his energy. we will find a way and yes, we will try to get some donations which will be sent to Jack. if anyone's interested please email me or call and i can get the ball rolling. Thank you for caring.
carolwicks@comcast.net or 941-629-7451

[Edm]

I agree with Chris, I think a fee would do more harm than good. I think everyone including myself would be more generous with donations over fees.

Good luck Jack, we are pulling for you, our thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.

[ronabneysr]

i would donate -pay or what ever you call it

i get a lot out of being able to come in to my office when we have had a bad night . and have done a bad crash were some young person was killed by drunk and i can just shut the door and get on karnac and chill out

i just wish ever one would use there real name and not hide behind something when you are talking trashhhhhhhhhhhhhh thanks ron abney sr

[carolwicks]

ron

when a person comes on here and uses a fake name to talk trashhhhhhh it just means they dont have the nads to "come out"... they thrive on starting trouble and then sit back and gloat over the way we all chide in and chastise them...;-) the best thing we can do is just ignore them because that is what ticks them off...
you are one of the reasons i love this board... you are honest and caring and even tho you are sensitive, you are not ever afraid to speak out and tell the truth. i am happy we bring you some comfort. i know your job can cause you a great deal of emotional pain ... we are always here for you..
much love
carolwicks aka oz

[UREZ2PASS]

As a person with no nads, I would be more than willing to use my real name if it was a requirement. Otherwise, I'll keep my family and myself safe from the sexual offenders and other criminals that are allowed to be anonymous.

Just my perspective from learning the identity of some of the regulars.

If there is a problem with anonymous names and keeping ones identity secure, I'll be glad to go hang out on other free message boards.

$400 a month to keep the site operational ? Someone has their hand in the cookie jar. I'm all about helping someone in need, but it would be best to just have fund raisers.

[Frasson118]

I think the original question was worded wrong.

"Would you donate to help Jack Smith" would have worked a lot better than "Would you pay to view Karnac".

Personally, I would hand over a $20 to help Jack long before I would pay $5for ANY web-site, this one included.

If this idea is to help Jack personally, it should have been asked that way.

[carolwicks]

I stand corrected...

I agree... donations is a much better way to ask... if anyone is interested please mail checks directly to Jack. My main concern is Jacks health but we can't control that. But we can help him keep his site alive while hes going thru all of his issues.
even thru his pain and personal suffering, he wants us to have a site and a show.
i know there are alot of people who enjoy this site in spite of problems... we cant deny that those of us who have become close friends built that friendship on Karnac. ;-) i am all for keeping it alive. thank you all again.
email me if you are interested...
carolwicks@comcast.net.
i will send you jacks address...
God bless you for having such kind hearts....i mean that.
carol

[carolwicks]

Jacko

check your private messages. ;-) thank you
carol

[Osmosis Jones]

Once again....

A question is posed where people are asked their opinions and encouraged to respond....only to be chastised and scolded by the self-appointed Mother Teresa of the Message Boards because they didn't share her perverse and close-minded slant on things.

Then....after pissing everyone off and trying to shame them into sending in their $$....a half-assed retraction is offered.

Utterly and sadly....all too predictable.

I think everyone who uses this board or any portion of KARNACland is aware of Jack's illness and his financial troubles that these things inherently bring with them. I also think and hope that everyone that uses and enjoys the boards and sites that Jack brought to the web would VOLUNTARILY help out if they could WITHOUT being beaten over the head about it day after day.

This could have been done without ANY OF THE DRAMA that certain posters seem to need to include in every post they make. In fact, it could have probably been a very beneficial show of support for Jack without people feeling they were being forced to fund one thing only to find out that their money was going somewhere else.

Forget the stupid November elections. The only policy I want to see enacted is to:

STOP THE DRAMA!
MAKE THIS A RACING SITE ONCE AGAIN!