If I were to write out directions, who would make a mini-kilt?

[ScottInNewHampshire]

My thought. There are plenty of people willing to buy kilt and plenty who could make a kilt and some (like me) who have done plenty of both. Let's not get petty or greedy. There are all sorts of readers on this forum, from a wide variety of economic abilities or lack there of.

Alan H has done a great thing to bring the kilt to the masses. I doubt that any vendor on this forum has suffered one bit. Kilt makers and company owners are members of this group as well, participants as well as providers of products.

Make a kilt. Buy a kilt. Do some of both. I didn't know that the advertisers had that much say here. Hmmm.

[Alan H]

The request came from one of the moderators, not from any of the advertisers.

[Mike1]

I contacted Alan and expressed my concerns over his actions. I explained that he doing much more than simply writing a D-I-Y manual. He was homing in on an individual that was already showing interest in the offerings of three different kiltmakers, two of whom support this forum through advertising. The third is a former partner that has expressed an interest in renewing that partnership.

I cannot seem to explain this enough times. The ads you see on this forum bring in the revenue to support this forum. No ads = no revenue = no forum. It's a simple fact. Turn on your television and if there are no pleas for you to send money to the broadcasting station, you are watching programming that is supported by advertising revenue. It is the same with radio programming and newspaper/magazine publishing. When was the last time you read a newspaper without ads? When was the last time you attended a sporting event without company advertising splashed everywhere?

ScottInNewHampshire, our sponsors can tell you they actually don't have much "say" here, forum policies are not subject to their review. However, we do want to keep reminding our members that our sponsors have a wide variety of products, in all price ranges. We want you to visit with these merchants and we hope you won't be shy and that you will tell them you saw their ads on this forum. While these companies don't have much 'say' about forum policy, their advertising dollars are what is allowing you to read these words. So these companies are actually saying a lot.

And the really wonderful part about each one of them is that they all conduct themselves with incredible professionalism. Have you ever given any thought to how well Rocky and Steve get along with one another? USA Kilts and Freedom Kilts are competitors, yet you would never know it to watch Steve and Rocky on this forum. And this is just one example, because there is never an air of competition amongst any of our sponsors. When was the last time one of our advertisers singled anyone out on this forum and challenged them to purchase something from them? I've never seen that happen, either.

For those uncomfortable with us developing partnerships with these merchants, there actually is a alternative available. Paid memberships and forum subscriptions. We can charge each one of the members an annual membership fee and then charge an additional amount for each forum's access. Pay the toll else you're on the outside, wishing you could look in.

Hey!! Why did it suddenly get so quiet in here, where did everyone go?

Hmmmm, maybe we not such bad guys for wanting to protect our sponsors after all...