Why is it "hatred and lies" when someone points out the obvious - that you openly have made, and continue to attempt to make money from www.farealert.net? I do not understand where the "lies" are you are railing about? It is surely a FACT. And where is the "hatred"?

A novel business idea - but it is hopefully also a money making business there seems little doubt about it. It has been promoted heavily in the user details of FT members. And still is today by one of the co-owners. Would someone running a travel agency or dating service, or golf store be able to do that, run the website name in every post for many months, and not breach the TOS re commercial sites?

A website that sourced its own claim of 24,000 email addresses on file almost entirely from being promoted to Flyertalkers and then via the media - also via Flyertalk? Nice work.

Isn't there still a large "begging bowl" link for donations on the front page of that site urging folks to donate money to your personal PayPal account? There was 2 minutes ago anyway - the text is below. There are subtle ways to seek money and payments - and overt ways. I'll let others make a judgment on which one you are using. ANDREWCX approach is subtle is all I will say on that.

It may be "hard work" - but it also appears to be "paid work". I'd be very interested to hear Randy agree it was an attempt at anything else to be honest, if you'd kindly ask him to explain it to me also.

The easiest method to donate is via PayPal. Just click the PayPal link below.

If you'd like to donate something non-monetary (we love DVDs, electronics, and beer) or if you don't feel comfortable using PayPal (or don't have a PayPal account) and would like to donate via check or cash, we'll gladly accommodate you. Please email [email protected] and we'll work out the details.

Are you prepared to divulge here how much has entered your PayPal account in the past 6 months? And outline the "goods in kind" received as well - beers, DVD's, cash, checks, etc you also actively seek?

I imagine a current list of 24,000 email addresses from keen travellers is a very difficult list to assemble.

Setting up a useful website or service to benefit FT'er is a great idea. Randy highlights KVS as an example. Many FT'ers can't access that info anywhere else.

But ScottC, your website was not only promoted to FT'ers as a great benefit to them all, it was promoted to a STICKY in the Mileage Run Forum - where folks regularly reading that do not really need FareAlert anyway - right?

If none of that bothers Randy, so be it - indeed he may not even be aware of it - but I mention it as it is a fact, and that thread eventually vanished without trace after a lot of FT'ers voiced the same concerns.

Farealert.net does NOT offer a benefit to all interested Flyertalkers as was heavily promoted to Flyertalkers - allowing the commercial side of the operation to slide by perhaps as borderline? I signed up with 3 email addresses as you personally know, and I made that clear - you urged me to do so as "mysteriously" my previous email sign-ups had been deleted "accidentally". And all three were by magic signed up again late April.

THEN without notice you and/or your publicly un-named partners on the website deleted all 3 email addresses from your data base with no comment, or courtesy of any advice to me. I have received no FareAlerts emails since, for several months. How many other FT'ers have been deleted without advice from your "List", may I ask?

Please add me back onto the data base if you are genuine about your claim this is a wonderful free service you offer ALL FlyerTalkers.

Right now you have a SELECTIVE base of FT'ers of your choosing on Farealert.net - it most certainly is not the claimed benefit you offered to all Flyertalkers during its inception, as these actions prove.

You surely can't have it both ways? "A free benefit for all interested FT'ers" - allowing it to slide under the wire and be promoted heavily on FT when list was being formed - with smiles all round, and then reneging on that when the desired size objective is reached.

I for one look forward to receiving the next alert. Heck, I'll make it easier, and re-enter my addresses, just in case they "accidentally" got lost all over again.

Thank you in advance. ^