Support what you believe in.

I am not a moderator or a anything like that.

I just wanted to take a second to speak to the people who roll through here vacuuming up information and advice. That is what this forum is for!

Please consider joining the forum. When you believe in something, be it and organization or group, it is worth your money to support it. Membership here is very inexpensive and affordable. I live in the same broke world you do. I AM NOT RICH by anyone's calculations, but I am far better off for having been a member here.

Let me share a couple things with you. I drove out to Ohio a couple times and met a guy from there named Mario. He shared information that has made me a better ewaste scrapper and it was a wonderful experience meeting him. Seeing how his business works was nothing short of AMAZING as well as educational. Then there was simply having met just a good person. I will be seeing him again. I met a fellow up north of me named Donnie. He is a great guy and a small ewaste scrapper. We spent the better part of a day visiting and I was able to pass some things along to him I did not have time to work with. I believe we were both better for it. I met another guy that was looking to get into ewaste on the west side of the state. I shared with him about my ewaste operation and the he shared with me about metal recycling. He totally changed how I recycle my metal and cut it up. I share this site with a guy that was doing ewaste not even 10 miles from me. Through that we have become very good friends.

Some of what I have learned here is what I was doing that was taking me in the totally wrong direction. Because of the mistakes some others made, I was not forced to go through the same thing.

This forum has been a life changing resource for me.

I would urge you to become a member if you have not done so yet. Running this type of site is not cheap! Believe me when I tell you that your membership is important to me as a fellow member. I want this site up and running for a long time to come. I would like for my Grandkids to be able to come here for information when I step back and let them run things.

Please support the things you believe in. I, as a simple member will be grateful as will many other members I am sure.

Somehow they have managed to keep this affordable. Could you imagine what a book would cost with this amount of information in it?

Please support the forum, we need you as much as you need us.

This is just my 2 cents.

Mike totally agree with you on this one and thanks for the kind words and the stuff that day was a great meeting and i learned alot just as i have on this great forum even after all this time. What mike says folks comes from the heart there is no .bs about this guy. I just bought a house so havent been on much as I like but read the forum all the time and will continue to support it 110 percent and I hope others will too as this forum has been a major blessing to me.

Thank You Danny.

Hey guys, I will introduce myself in a min. But thought I should stop on this tread first.

I have been reading this forum a lot lately, and of course I have been meaning to sign up. But after reading this thread, I had to sign up right away. Thank you guys, everyone, for the great information.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by msearl3244

I am not a moderator or a anything like that.

I just wanted to take a second to speak to the people who roll through here vacuuming up information and advice. That is what this forum is for!

Please consider joining the forum. When you believe in something, be it and organization or group, it is worth your money to support it. Membership here is very inexpensive and affordable. I live in the same broke world you do. I AM NOT RICH by anyone's calculations, but I am far better off for having been a member here.

Let me share a couple things with you. I drove out to Ohio a couple times and met a guy from there named Mario. He shared information that has made me a better ewaste scrapper and it was a wonderful experience meeting him. Seeing how his business works was nothing short of AMAZING as well as educational. Then there was simply having met just a good person. I will be seeing him again. I met a fellow up north of me named Donnie. He is a great guy and a small ewaste scrapper. We spent the better part of a day visiting and I was able to pass some things along to him I did not have time to work with. I believe we were both better for it. I met another guy that was looking to get into ewaste on the west side of the state. I shared with him about my ewaste operation and the he shared with me about metal recycling. He totally changed how I recycle my metal and cut it up. I share this site with a guy that was doing ewaste not even 10 miles from me. Through that we have become very good friends.

Some of what I have learned here is what I was doing that was taking me in the totally wrong direction. Because of the mistakes some others made, I was not forced to go through the same thing.

This forum has been a life changing resource for me.

I would urge you to become a member if you have not done so yet. Running this type of site is not cheap! Believe me when I tell you that your membership is important to me as a fellow member. I want this site up and running for a long time to come. I would like for my Grandkids to be able to come here for information when I step back and let them run things.

Please support the things you believe in. I, as a simple member will be grateful as will many other members I am sure.

Somehow they have managed to keep this affordable. Could you imagine what a book would cost with this amount of information in it?

Please support the forum, we need you as much as you need us.

This is just my 2 cents.

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I strongly agree with you and that's why I became a member. And this is why I get annoyed with guys who come on the forum and contribute pure horse manure.

I paid for the membership on this forum, but don't in many other ones on other topics. People put their money where their interests are, no use badgering them. If becoming a member is worth the cash, people do it. If not, they don't.

A bunch of us scrappers in my area get together and talk about our hauls. But this takes that idea to a whole new level.

I believe the price is well worth the membership (would have paid it already if I weren't too lazy to grab my wallet out my back pocket.)

If more people privately supported the collection, storage and access of information, it would put at least some of the power back in the hands of "the people" after all, knowledge is power.

But this forum, and a few others I belong to, in their respective fields are incredibly important for people who not only wish to know, but are willing to put forth the effort, use this information, and either create a solid fall back plan, or a viable business. There is one thing I have noticed that is not really talked about on this forum, it's unemployment. And I believe this is because the people of this forum have created their own employment, or supplemental income, utilizing the information they have posted, or have read here.

I have said this before, but it's proper to say yet again in this thread. I believe this forum is the most important repository of information pertaining to this particular industry, anywhere in the world, the internet or in any existing library or college.

This is why I became a member.

And while I'm at it, I would also like to say, that this forum is one of the best administered and moderated I have ever been involved with. It takes an incredible amount of work to keep a forum of this size and scope in line and operating in the way it does. For that reason alone I would have become a member.

Just my two cents!

Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by InsertUserNameHere

I paid for the membership on this forum, but don't in many other ones on other topics. People put their money where their interests are, no use badgering them. If becoming a member is worth the cash, people do it. If not, they don't.

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I did not think i was badgering anyone. I was just putting my own 2 cents out there. When I believe in something I tend to show my support with more than just money. I like to tell people why i believe in it. I apologize if I offend anyone, but I like my DeWalt impact driver and tell people about that also. I show my support to DeWalt with my money and my words to others about their impact driver.

By telling people they need to join the forum you are gonna offend some people, its just the way it is, i support anyone that says and stands behind what they believe in right or wrong. I am with you 100% on this one.

I have learned a ton of information and gladly share the information i have learned. Hope to keep putting informative posts here for a long time.

As a mod and member, we don't pressure anyone to become a member, everyone is welcome here right down the the casual visitor.

There are really good people also that frequent this forum, who post on a regular basis adding to the value, that have not purchased a membership. There are a few I can think of right off the top of my head I have a huge amount of respect for. But they are contributing, adding to the value, and thus the value that other people find in reading their posts who decide to donate or purchase a membership. These particular people are assets in that way, and should be afforded similar respect. For many of these people they are on a very tight budget and attempting to grow their business. I feel fairly confident that these same people would donate if they were able. So while I am in a position to be able to support this forum by purchasing a membership, I still have a grave amount of respect for those that cannot or for some other reason do not but still add value in the form of the information they share.

In my opinion, and this is strictly my own personal belief, the people I would call into question are the ones that do not contribute in the form of posting information that adds value, and do not purchase a membership but instead only take the information and use it for their own benefit and/or profit, without returning any compensation, intellectual, humorous or monetary.

On a side note, I have never ever seen any mod, nor the admin, or anyone associated with this forum in a administrative function ever ask for donations or for people to purchase a membership. I have seen members who believe as I do, that this forum is a very valuable asset go further still and suggest others should donate or buy a membership, and for those particular posts I don't see any issue unless they are demeaning those that are not in a position to donate or buy a membership but add value anyway in the form of their posts.

This is strictly what I personally believe, my humble opinion, I am not intending to insult anyone.

Scott

Ok,let me add my 2 cents worth as a member who has not paid yet. I sure took no offense to the post by msearl3244. i took it as just what he said it was. And i agree with all he said. I respect anyone who says whats on their mind as a honest opinion, and is willing to converse about it. Now u may ask. When will i join, or will i ever join? The answer is yes, i'll join. When u now ask--, as soon as i can. In honestly, i hope that will be the 17th of this month when the next social security check comes in. But if the wife or i find we must pay for something we can not get by without, such as meds, food etc--that requires some of that 37 bucks, then it will be next month, or the next, i honestly don't know. I do know this, it will be no later than my next run to the yard. Even tho im not sure when that will be. I know that because in the short time i have been here, i have learned enough additional info and skill to make 37 bucks more, than i would have b4 i found this site. NOW, One last thing,and maybe im out of line, for saying (or suggesting) this, but perhaps we (meaning us folks regardless of income who use the site daily) should also consider a way to send a donation to this site from time to time. Or does this exist, and im unaware of it? LAST BUT NOT LEAST-- I'd like to say thanks to both msearl3244 for his post,and the founders of this site for providing both discussion and information for this old mans soul. Not to mention adding a few bucks more (I hope) to my monthly income.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

As a mod and member, we don't pressure anyone to become a member, everyone is welcome here right down the the casual visitor.

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I for one can certainly appreciate that Mech, because judging from some of the comments made by Scrap Room Members on the open forum pertaining to regular members, sometimes just makes one wonder what more is being said behind the private door, although I've seen positive comments about that as well, you know what they say about when ya see a roach on the cabinet, there's 500 more in it.
I believe anyone that registers is a member, and those who choose to become Scrap Room Members, although having access to further information, are no better, and those that haven't, are no worse. Sadly enough though, some others don't feel this way about it, and spend the rest of their time looking down on regular members. All are SMF Members, all came through the same door they did, and read the same welcome message they read, "100% Free To Join!", which made them a member, same as it does for anybody else.
Anyone on this forum, no matter what color print your ID is in, IS a Member here.

I'm not offended, I understand where the OP is coming from. I've seen worse on this..lol.

I'll just say..What Mech, Bear, Scott/Noble, and Namvet said..x2.

Thanks to everyone who contributes in some way..!

Sirscrapalot - The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits - Albert Einstien

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NamVet

i have learned enough additional info and skill to make 37 bucks more, than i would have b4 i found this site. NOW, One last thing,and maybe im out of line, for saying (or suggesting) this, but perhaps we (meaning us folks regardless of income who use the site daily) should also consider a way to send a donation to this site from time to time. Or does this exist, and im unaware of it? LAST BUT NOT LEAST-- I'd like to say thanks to both msearl3244 for his post,and the founders of this site for providing both discussion and information for this old mans soul. Not to mention adding a few bucks more (I hope) to my monthly income.

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First off, I also never saw anything offensive in msearls post, although I really haven't looked back at it much, I think it's a good thread.
NamVet has a point, one which most in our shoes don't much brag of, discuss, try to explain, or make excuses for. Fact is, barely a week ago I had a rare opportunity to send my admission to the Scrap Room, and went looking for a place to send it, but there wasn't one, and the window quickly closed.
Also, in an ancient thread I recall seeing a now very well known member suggesting a "support" button( this post was made before "Scrap Room" existed). I've seen this done on other forums, and those who are "mere"(haha) "supporters", are some way noted as such

dang! The sleep Admin must lose while we're having such discussions. Poor fella, hahaha ; )

Quote:

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Originally Posted by msearl3244

I did not think i was badgering anyone. I was just putting my own 2 cents out there. When I believe in something I tend to show my support with more than just money. I like to tell people why i believe in it. I apologize if I offend anyone, but I like my DeWalt impact driver and tell people about that also. I show my support to DeWalt with my money and my words to others about their impact driver.

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I don't care if you offend people. Heck, offending people is sort of fun sometimes. Maybe "badgering" is not the right word. I just have in mind how this thought comes up in all the other forums I participate in, both as a member and as not a member. Most people who get a lot out of a forum will pay for it, especially this one where the membership is rather inexpensive.

All forums gain from everyone who join in conversation, even the non-paying folks. There is always a central core who contribute the most. But then there are tons more who check in from time to time. There's a lot of wisdom to be gained from these people as well. All contribute in their own way. I just like to recognize their contributions.

--although I have to admit, I almost didn't become a member on this forum because of all the forums I am on, this one is the least friendly to newbies. That might be some the reason, not just people not taking responsibility. Now that I have been around here for a while, I'm used to it and know who to ignore and who to take seriously. But it was something that I was thinking about when I decided to pay for a membership.

It took me quite a while to scrape up the money for membership - there are always so many places for your cash to go! But I know I have and hopefully will continue to have at least a little more moola than I would have if I had never found this website, I am very grateful for the forum's existence.

However, I don't appreciate the way some people who have membership continually try to guilt out those who don't. It is a reoccuring theme on here.

Everyone who touches the forum enriches it.

When you merely lurk on the site you add to its traffic. Traffic is what attracts advertisers and determines the rates . When you post on the forum you contribute content for free. Content is what draws traffic and on many places on the web, people are paid to supply content. The few bucks people pay for membership is probably much less valuable in the long run than the archive of posts that have been given to the forum for free over the years and the generous willingness of some on here (Mechanic and others - you know who you are) to mentor new scrappers.

Making people feel like free-loaders is probably more of a deterrent to the forum's bottom line than just accepting that everyone who visits here adds value.