My wife just did hers herself and it really takes some force to break it apart. It only takes a second to put on now, compared to both of us clumsily spending 20 minutes and finally leaving it at home. She recently got hooked on beading, I think she's made a few hundred pair of earrings and necklaces. Funny how these topics swish around here in the Gulch.

How original.

gun control, abortion and add energy and web control, both of which he is working on and it's not to benefit the public,

I've been a "producer" since the Kickstarter start, and I think of it as being an "investor". The actual work of producing value is done by others, in whom I am happy to invest because I want to see those values come into the world, for my own pleasure.

Not having to see ads makes this forum superior and worth the club dues, so to speak. I pay dues on several other sites, like FreeThoughtBlogs and http://dictionary.com, to avoid being targeted by ads. Ads disrupt my concentration and clutter up the place, wasting my time and eating up bandwidth. I am not categorically opposed to entrepreneurs trying to get my business. I just don't want them trespassing in my intellectual spaces.

There have been many conversations here by disruptive individuals, and while banishing them would be a relief, it helps the rest of us to see first-hand what we are up against in the world, and maybe to improve our persuasive powers to get rational ideas into the main culture.

The logical way to reduce the trolls or excessively hostile participants, I think, is to make visible the names of all upvotes and downvotes, the way Facebook does.

Each individual is unique in life experiences and internalized values. A decent respect for other individuals would make us withhold instant judgment and not take an all-or-nothing approach at the slightest nuance of disagreement and condemn the other person as evil. Judge and be judged, yes, but get the whole story, all the evidence, before passing sentence. People do learn, and people can change their minds.

Anyone engaging in reasonable, civil exchanges of ideas and open to intelligently considering others' views contributes value. Name-calling and emotional tirades are not productive. But then, that's the admins' task to keep a bouncer at the door.

Well, I am unemployed at this time. I have been
a supporter of Objectivism many years. I have been signing in and typing on this library computer.
I did not know about having to send money any-
where to use this site. I do not know where to send
the money order and it would, for me, depend on
the amount. In any case, I do not send money
over the Internet, to any one, at any time, for
any cause or reason whatever. Some organi-
zations have wanted me to contribute to causes,
and when I have requested a "snail mail" ad-
dress, have failed to provide me with one. And
that's their fault, not mine.

Hello, Mamaemma,

I voluntarily pay the "producer" fee, once a year, to make it simple, because I dislike vehemently the "free" ride that actually someone else pays. I do not know who covers the bulk of the costs of running the Gulch, but I suspect it is the true producer of the AS movies. If I can save him pennies so that he can put together a production of an AS TV series, I am more than glad to do it.

I enjoy the Gulch, except for devious trolls who come here to expound half baked ideas and theories, sometime to a point very close to dishonesty. For the part that I enjoy, the fee is a low price.

Just my opinions.

obamacare light introduced into the gulch?

When I purchased mine, it came with a magnetic catch. I just have to be careful because it sometimes comes open and falls off.

I did not want to make anybody feel bad. For me it was do I want to spend my time reading about stuff or living the gulch. They did not consider me a moocher when I bought all the gear and blue ray set.

+10 unearned guilt leads to sanction of the victim

I love your reference to "super intellects". It has occurred to me that some come in and post just to impress people with big words. For myself I am not impressed with the show offs. I know the words, I could use them, but I feel that imparting information is more important than using a dictionary.

Thanks for your membership in the VFW. Mine is in the AL, but both help the vets. Thanks again.

Some of us can't afford the fees or just don't want to pay them. If we are blocked from this site, so be it. The site needs us more than we need it.

You got my motive right. After reading all the comments, I realize my suggestion would be the wrong way to weed those people out.

I didn't know about the advertising. The fee is worth it just to avoid that!

Thanks for your comment. I bought the Rearden bracelet for myself and one for my daughter, and I almost never wear it because it's impossible to put it on by myself. I never thought of a magnetic catch

Sweat equity counts. If someone contributes, then they are producing.

We could make this a really exclusive club...of dwindling numbers. One of the great things about this list is that it has - due to the movies produced! - become a general venue for free thought.

It still delights me that because the AS movies were made a real world AS movement has gained momentum.

Jan

The webmasters can see the value provided in content and posting from those who are not 'producers.'
(Disclaimer: I am not a 'producer'. I am a striker to the extent that is possible.)

Thats about the best reason I have heard for paying for this forum

don't worry about scott. This site represents lots of value to Atlas Productions. You forget, if you aren't a producer you are seeing advertising. You are a defined audience to market to in the future, this is also about building a brand. Guests offer value to all of those things when they contribute regularly

I agree with Mimi. I bought my wife the Rearden Bracelet, we had it modified with a magnetic catch. I bought one of the film canisters just for fun and mostly to contribute to the cause (more to come I was told). I made a donation to support the movies, the programs. I bought AS I, II, and III DVDs, a couple of them were personalized. I loan them out to people I want to convert to see if they agree with the concepts. I am not on the producers (fee) list. At this time I feel there is not any particular benefit for me to join. I think once I almost joined because I wanted to contact someone privately, but it still was not important enough for me to join. Maybe later. I really enjoy the Gulch. I toss in my feelings on occasion and really enjoy the responses. I enjoy most of the peoples comments most of the time. If you feel I should go, just let me know, please put it to a vote first.. I tend more to join if it's a lifetime membership. I got a discount (for my age) lifetime membership at the VFW. I have not joined the Eagles because they do not have a lifetime membership. Just my two-cents worth.

As far as expense to maintain the website, how about Scott's time? I figure he's getting about .0001
cent per hour. If that

I know its hard and expensive to maintain a website, even though from the user's experience it looks totally like nothing at all. Just a few clicks and you are there !!

I have resisted doing the "producer" thing. It sounded a bit corny, and I couldnt figure out what I got by being one that would mean something to me. I can tell you that I enjoy the articles that are posted here, and commenting on them and receiving replies (very important) from like minded people who actually think. When I was at Stanford we had a objectivist club meetings where people could discuss ideas- I miss that now, since the best we get is Fox News (which isnt that great really), and misguided nonsense from the governmental powers that be. I have pretty much given up on Atlas Shrugged convincing enough people to scale back government that it would actually happen in my lifetime. BUT, I do want to live the rest of my life in a Galts Gulch environment to the extent possible. Maybe that involves a dude ranch or something where its run by sane people who understand freedom and guests come to have some time away from the craziness of socialism. I dont know. I am starved to have better interactions with people than I get now. I am tired of all this socialism, money debasing, and having to be concerned about how to evade (basically) as much governmental control as I can.

+1. :-)

You are not here to contribute, you are here to disrupt or take over the gulch.