I think I can safely answer that, Charvie.
This site will never ever charge the users. Any moneys made off this site will be put back into improving the site, maintenance costs, giving away more knives, doing more for the members, etc.
Unlike previous boards, since we do not sell knives retail, we have no interest in pushing one brand over another. We don't need to discourage competition, because we aren't competing for customer dollars.
While being non commercial isn't a requirement for having a successful site, it does allow us more leeway because we aren't obligated to push product lines or philosophies.
Because of this, the better a job we can do for the knife community, the more knife interest we generate, which turns into more success for the industry as a whole. We are looking at this in terms of the long view, sacrificing a relative pittance to help everyone get ahead, rather than trying to make a quick buck right now, and hurting others in the process.
Anyhow, in regards to your other comments, if the site is run right to begin with, then there is a minimum of "damage control" that actually has to be performed, period. We prefer for people to make their own decisions about things, and won't shove our opinions down their throats.
Me, personally, I like letting someone's actions speak for themselves. We've created a pretty relaxed atmosphere here, and the members of the forums have not only shown themselves to be self policing, but more than willing to help out each other. The moderators all know what we are doing, and they help out immeasurably.
In the end though, it all falls back to the members. I've said it since the first time I got into the forums scene: you can have the best software in the world, and the best moderators, but in the end it's the people who frequent them, asking the questions, making the posts, and lending their knowledge that make the site a success.
And I'm happy that I have the opportunity to do my part in making it a good place for them.
Spark
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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com
Insert witty quip here
