thought long and hard about this before i put it up..................

[JenniBugInPink]

I agree the Dis is free. But it has become an advertising site for Dreams Unlimited travel as well as for their sponsors...
Don't kid yourself people they do not do everything out of the kindness of their hearts. They are a business first...So there is no mistake I am not saying there is anything wrong with that I am just saying they are a business first. Like any business they need to make a profit to survive.

This still somehow sounds like "they're going to get their money out of you eventually". That mat not be at all what you're trying to say - it's probably just my interpretation. Either way, I just feel compelled to point out that using a travel agent is FREE. It costs the customer nothing out of pocket. So it's not like the folks who own this site are ever going to actually charge the users for using the site or listening to the podcast. Yes, they will make money from Dreams Unlimited (I hope!!), and any other venture they undertake (go, guys, go!), but your post made it seem so underhanded. Pete and Kevin and John, et. al. are more than capable of defending their business, not that they need to, but as someone who's been quite grateful to learn all I have from this site, I get defensive.

I don't want to get into a micro-economics discussion about how the cost of services goes into the the cost of airline tickets, etc., etc., ad nauseum. I am only talking about direct consumer cost here.

 

[FireDancer]

Not true.

You are not charged one red cent to view, post or participate in this site or partake of the information contained.

Nada...zip ...zilch...zero.

The podcast is also absolutely free. You need a device to hear it....but the podcast itself costs you nothing.

I think the poster meant things given to us by the government are never actually free, they are paid for by someone, somewhere via taxes.

In the private sector, there are plenty of free things, especially on the Internets. Google for example offers many free services.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Granted you nor the team do not charge me to listen or participate in the boards but we all do pay out in some way. My comment was not a jab at anyone. Just a statement agreeing with the pp saying that the library is not free. If I listen to the podcast or read the boards I have to pay for my internet service to have access to that information as well as electricity to run my computer/phone or whatever device I use to connect. Indirectly nothing is ever really free.

Thus is life.

This point could certainly be extrapolated out to it's most bizarre conclusion.

A little ice cream stand nearby celebrated an anniversary lately and gave away free ice cream cones as part of the celebration.

If I follow your point...they werent really free because I needed to buy shoes to walk to the ice cream stand

If you have a computer, then I'm guessing you bought it for a reason other than reading the Dis. If that is the reason...then I'm flattered.

Also...there is free internet in many places.

The Dis and the Dis Unplugged Podcast are free of charge.

 

[DisneyKevin]

I think the poster meant things given to us by the government are never actually free, they are paid for by someone, somewhere via taxes.

In the private sector, there are plenty of free things, especially on the Internets. Google for example offers many free services.

Not according to her example that you need to buy a computer and pay for internet access to get the free stuff.

 

[FireDancer]

Not according to her example that you need to buy a computer and pay for internet access to get the free stuff.

Yeah, I posted this based on their library post before seeing the follow up.

If the DIS made a special computer that was only able to access the DIS site while blocking all non DIS computers from access the same site the second part would make sense. If the DIS was subsidized by buy the government that analogy would hold. As it stands I don't think it does.

 

[dalt01]

This point could certainly be extrapolated out to it's most bizarre conclusion.

A little ice cream stand nearby celebrated an anniversary lately and gave away free ice cream cones as part of the celebration.

If I follow your point...they werent really free because I needed to buy shoes to walk to the ice cream stand

If you have a computer, then I'm guessing you bought it for a reason other than reading the Dis. If that is the reason...then I'm flattered.

Also...there is free internet in many places.

The Dis and the Dis Unplugged Podcast are free of charge.

free on the front end........not so much on the back........the advertisers would most likely agree with me there, result?, the Dis is free, zilch, nadda and any other word you choose to use to SOME but not all, dont forget the advertisers are users to. they use it to get their message across. so is the Dis free? nothing is free!!!

 

[Halbleib1]

This still somehow sounds like "they're going to get their money out of you eventually". That mat not be at all what you're trying to say - it's probably just my interpretation. Either way, I just feel compelled to point out that using a travel agent is FREE. It costs the customer nothing out of pocket. So it's not like the folks who own this site are ever going to actually charge the users for using the site or listening to the podcast. Yes, they will make money from Dreams Unlimited (I hope!!), and any other venture they undertake (go, guys, go!), but your post made it seem so underhanded. Pete and Kevin and John, et. al. are more than capable of defending their business, not that they need to, but as someone who's been quite grateful to learn all I have from this site, I get defensive.

I don't want to get into a micro-economics discussion about how the cost of services goes into the the cost of airline tickets, etc., etc., ad nauseum. I am only talking about direct consumer cost here.

You did misinterpret what I was saying. I did not say that they were going to get money out of me eventually. I was just reminding those on these boards that seem to forget that they are not doing all this out of the kindness of their hearts. That they are in fact a business and here for a reason. That reason being to make money so that the business can succeed. Which Pete himself agrees with. If everyone were to stop coming to these boards they would lose money from advertising. So yes indirectly we all help to keep their business going even if we do not pay them directly for a service. Just as we keep shows on tv by tuning in. We do not have to pay for local channels but indirectly everytime we tune in to that channel we are making them money.

 

[mainegal]

I am going to go home and bake some brownies!

 

[luke]

With regards to adverts, I really don't get how adverts on sites like the Dis could seriously bother anyone?
Seeing as how we get adverts in pretty much every walk of life (and us Brits are luckier than the US users as the likes of tv shows here have FAR less ads than in America) and it's not like they're 'forcing' us to buy anything.

Especially on the DIS, a little advert or two at the top, and the bottom - it's not like they're being put into posts or anything!!

 

[Gav N Becx]

I am going to go home and bake some brownies!

Peanut butter brownies?

 

[DVCsince02]

Add this

and I bet you would like it

NOW your talkin'!!!

Gosh, me too!! I'm addicted to that raspberry iced tea from Celestial Seasonings and I'm usually such a tea snob! It's just ground up tea and fake flavor, but it tastes good! Sorry...wadering...

English Breakfast in the Keurig =

Wow, in the original post i went to great pains to say how Pro Dis i am. i explained on page one somewhere that i was just playing devils advocate. and i am not backpeddleing, i will and always have stood behind anything i say, but, there was blood in the water almost immediatly and the frenzy was on, and that happens sometimes, i get that. what does not sit well is the fact that i have been an active member of the boards for over ten years and 2500 posts, most of them acceptable conversion fodder, i have stuck around longer than most likely 75% of these fine folks have even been here. and i get called a Troll????????????

Dalton, I have noticed you have become more verbal in your posts here on the Unplugged board recently. I have also noticed that some of your posts seem a bit off color and stir the pot.

Many of us come to the boards to have a happy place to post about all things Disney, heck here we post about everything from new babies to prayer requests. But in the end, it's a happy place. Please try to keep it that way.

 

[jcb]

A little ice cream stand nearby celebrated an anniversary lately and gave away free ice cream cones as part of the celebration.

My state prohibits giving away ice cream.

 

[Halbleib1]

Not according to her example that you need to buy a computer and pay for internet access to get the free stuff.

No I did not buy my computer just for the Dis. I owned a computer for many years before I even knew about the Dis. Sorry.

I was just pointing out that nothing is truely 100% free. There are underlying costs associated with everything.


Even that ice cream stand is not giving away the ice cream out of the kindness of their hearts. They are hoping by getting people to come down for some free ice cream that they will come back again and again to purchase more ice cream. Those that do are paying for the ice cream that was given away for free.

So yes I guess in your example some people may get something for nothing. However if you are a taxpayer you are indirectly paying for that ice cream even if you do not get one because they are going to write it off on their taxes as a business expense.

Firedancer explained it well as far as the government is concerned though nothing is ever free to those that pay taxes.

 

[Halbleib1]

With regards to adverts, I really don't get how adverts on sites like the Dis could seriously bother anyone?
Seeing as how we get adverts in pretty much every walk of life (and us Brits are luckier than the US users as the likes of tv shows here have FAR less ads than in America) and it's not like they're 'forcing' us to buy anything.

Especially on the DIS, a little advert or two at the top, and the bottom - it's not like they're being put into posts or anything!!

I didn't say they did bother me. I ignore them for the most part. Sometimes there are some in the middle of a board of posts but not often.

 

[wildfan1473]

Is there any of that champagne, strawberries and Kahlua cake from breakfast left?

 

[dalt01]

Wow, in the original post i went to great pains to say how Pro Dis i am. i explained on page one somewhere that i was just playing devils advocate. and i am not backpeddleing, i will and always have stood behind anything i say, but, there was blood in the water almost immediatly and the frenzy was on, and that happens sometimes, i get that. what does not sit well is the fact that i have been an active member of the boards for over ten years and 2500 posts, most of them acceptable conversion fodder, i have stuck around longer than most likely 75% of these fine folks have even been here. and i get called a Troll????????????

Dalton, I have noticed you have become more verbal in your posts here on the Unplugged board recently. I have also noticed that some of your posts seem a bit off color and stir the pot.

Many of us come to the boards to have a happy place to post about all things Disney, heck here we post about everything from new babies to prayer requests. But in the end, it's a happy place. Please try to keep it that way.

how you got that comment out of that post i will never figure out but whatever........more verbal in my posts? first of all verbal is usually aligned with oral. but, it is nice to know that you have taken a personal interest in the way i express myself.

 

[Launchpad11B]

There seems to be a lot of unhappy people splitting hairs over a subject that isn't all that important today. Interesting viewpoints though. The OP's 1st post was for sure going to get a big reaction. Maybe that's what he wanted. Some of the side conversations are hilarious, nothing is free, butt kissing, trolls, donations, cake, This thread is great!!

 

[rotlex]

Can we please get back to the cake? I just finished dinner!

 

[WaltD4Me]

free on the front end........not so much on the back........the advertisers would most likely agree with me there, result?, the Dis is free, zilch, nadda and any other word you choose to use to SOME but not all, dont forget the advertisers are users to. they use it to get their message across. so is the Dis free? nothing is free!!!

No, DIS usage is free. (other than buying the computer, paying for the electricity to run it ect...) Advertisers use the site for free like the rest of us do, if they choose to put up an ad that is completely different. You probably won't think so, but it is. If an advertiser pulls out tomorrow, they still can use the site...for free...just like they did before advertising on it.

 

[Launchpad11B]

how you got that comment out of that post i will never figure out but whatever........more verbal in my posts? first of all verbal is usually aligned with oral. but, it is nice to know that you have taken a personal interest in the way i express myself.

This type of post is exactly what Jen meant when she said you like to stir the pot. This is a rude reply. Jen wasn't mean in her post yet you try to belittle her in your response. I'm curious to know if you are this way when you are face to face with someone. I don't know you, but you're coming off as a bitter guy.