Website Regenration

This message is for the site owners/administrators and current active members. I have been a member of FOAL since 2007 when we actually had to pay a membership fee, as small as it was. I still have the cap. I visit the forum at least once a day because of the valuable information posted by other long time members. However, everything beyond the forum has not been updated for years. I know there are financial implication and administrative cost issues with maintaining the site and I appreciate those sacrifices by the owners to keep the forum. However, I hate to see all the valuable information accumulated over the years not be updated and just die. Do any of you smart members/administrators have any ideas for regenerating the site. (Membership dues/membership drive/donations, etc.) There are sooo many young people out there who need the type information on this site that is not available as concisely as needed in other places. Maybe it's not possible/practical, but wishful thinking and willing to contribute for the sake of all those who went before us and developed the vast amount of original information and spirit of FAOL. Comments?

John,
The idea of a "membership fee" has been suggested before and scrapped due to the majority ( those who posted) opinion that it would be counterproductive. Being a member since 04, I don't recall a "had to pay" membership fee. There were several voluntary options, one was the FAOL hat program suggested and "operated" by Betty. I bought FIVE. There was/is also a "Friends of FAOL" option that foe a $25 contribution one would get a FAOL sew-on patch and name posted on a main page list. There was also a "pass the hat" (literally) drive where ONE hat was passed (mailed) around to members who would autograph the hat and send it on including some sort of gift. The intent was to subsequently AUCTION the resultant package , hat and "stuff" to the highest bidder. I don'r recall the exact high bid but I'm thinking about $4000. These/such drives could be re-initiated . It seems though that the easiest/NOW route would be the VOLUNTARY donation to the "Friends of FAOL" list providing that the administration still had or could get the FAOL sew-on patches as a premium for the donation.
Defense rests.

Mark

Great memory Mark! Now that you mention them, I remember those activities.

I also joined in 04 and Mark is spot on ....except for the Wyoming thing...I'd rather be in Oregon.

Ducksterman,
I know, to avoid possibly offending ANYONE, I should have written " I'd rather be in a state on earth" That should have covered the PC agenda. Oh well........ :>)

I have been a member since 08 and also sent in $25. and received a sew on patch, (still stuck to my favorite hoodie), an FAOL car window sticker, (gone when I traded my car off) and a few other items. We had at one time a good number of sponsors, but their numbers have dwindled.
I'd Like to thank Neal and the other administrators for continuing FAOL after the loss of Ladyfisher. Jim

Marco ... good memories!! The cap campaign was so much fun! We "sold" around 250-300 caps, worldwide, at at least $25 each. Some caps brought in $100, many amounts between the asked price and the 100. I was privileged to "meet" hundreds of FAOL'ers. It was such great fun to hear the surprise in Dee and Jim's voices when the box with their hats arrived at their home. I was delighted to present them a check from all of us, at the Michigan fish-in.

Betty.
And I recall complicating the issue by asking to modify my order to include FAOL in BOLD letters instead of the FAOL logo on a three of the five I ordered. I will also note that my "wishes" were granted by the "Queen". In any case, I gifted four of them and lost the one I kept so.....................

Mark

I'm certainly touched by the comments about FAOL but as a practical matter the dollars do not exist to "revitalize" the site. This was a mom and pop operation from the start, I have kept it going since Deanna and I were married. Due to health issues she was unable to fish after 2011 and she simply lost interest in the site. Advertisers created their own websites or were lured away by the newer and slicker websites, many of them modeling there pages and content after FAOL. Like the pay phone, the VCR and super 8 movies, FAOL served its purpose and the content that is still available is still valuable, however, like Marco said "Don't look back, we ain't going that way."

LOL ... Chronicler ... not to be nit-picky ... the signature, " Don't look back, we ain't goin' that way", is one of my lines, added to my posts after being diagnosed with PV, a blood cancer. At that time, I knew I couldn't ever look back wistfully. Still moving forward daily. Not often an easy road, but we're doing!
Thank you, Trav, for stepping to the plate.
.

OK, understand. FOAL is a fond memory and valuable learning experience. Thanks for the memories. Signing off and looking forward. Thanks.

Lots of changes over the years, can't stop them. Betty hang in there.