This as they say is the last nail in the coffin.
When this site started 10 plus years ago there were no membership fees and no advertising. As time passed membership fees were introduced, for these fees you received something tangible and worthwhile.
Then the site was upgraded and made much better, several times, and each time the membership protested that it wasn’t necessary, they didn’t like the results, and things didn’t work but damn the torpedoes full upgrade ahead, patches/fixes applied as necessary.
Next was the introduction of the advertising. The membership revolted, the ads were relegated to the non-members pages and things simmered down. Everybody thought Shad should make a little money for running this site, and I think he should, but things continued to degrade. “We will get these problems fixed soon and all will be well”, but it never really quite happens.
Now we have ads popping out of the speakers at television ad decibel levels, ads that we have paid to avoid, I might add. I wonder where the line will be drawn or even if it will.
It has become abundantly clear, at least to me, that Shad has not had any real interest in this site and or garden trains, in quite some time. This is just my opinion, based on his participation in the forums in the past few years.
I have read this thread and several people are condemning Wal-Mart for placing their ad on this forum. Are you serious? Wal-Mart is not spamming this site, they paid to place an ad here. Wal-Mart is doing what they do best, selling. And Shad is doing what he now seems to determine as his best course of action, the selling of advertising space. That is his choice. You also have a choice.
My choice is; my membership is up for renewal in January, I won’t be renewing it.
It has been a great decade, bye guys.
Rick
