If you want to talk about transparency, how about being open about the fact that you have an axe to grind given our previous interactions here. Unfortunately you went back and deleted your posts, so it's not possible in retrospect for people to see the enmity which you have previously expressed (and obviously still harbor). Generally the model here seems to be to disparage me at any opportunity, and then if I respond you pretend that you don't care and I'm being over-sensitive. So I have two unsavory choices: I can either ignore libelous remarks, and let others define me for people who might be new to bikeforums, or else I can attempt to respond, and get labeled as whatever. I know I should just ignore the trolls, but occasionally I feel like I need to make clear that this isn't some vague, distant entity that is being casually slandered here. It's a real person.

As for transparency with my funding tactics, I don't really see how I could be any more transparent. I make support of the site entirely voluntary, so there isn't any requirement for people to pay anything in order to use any of the features. I also post the donation totals right on the front page of the site for all to see. I guess some people feel that I should only accept donations for what can be strictly interpreted as "website expenses", which would seem to devalue my own time, skill and effort running the thing to zero, but unfortunately I don't exist suspended in a vaccuum. I guess some people also resent the fact that I'm making some sort of living through running a website like crazyguyonabike, but I can't help that. I do fundraisers, and ask people for donations... if you want to help, then great, if you don't, then don't. It's pretty simple, the only people who seem to have an issue are those who, like I said, have an axe to grind. They tend to come back and try to slander me with certain characterizations that I think are both untrue and unfair - calling me "less than transparent" would be laughable if it wasn't so offensive. It's pretty funny the flack you get for running a free service.

For people who aren't aware, I am a developer who develops and runs crazyguyonabike.com: Bicycle Touring: A place for bicycle tourists and their journals. With forums, classifieds, resources, journals and articles, it has a wide range of services relevant to tourists. It was developed from scratch by me, and I have been running it solo since 2000, so over 17 years now. The site now has over 12,000 bicycle touring journals and articles, and more than 2,300,000 pics. Despite some comments here, I am actively developing the site and regularly make updates and tweaks. Unlike other websites, I don't like doing complete site redesigns every year, and the interface has remained fairly constant over the last decade. I personally like some consistency in a website - you spend time getting to know the ins and outs, and it's frustrating for the user to have that constantly changing just to satisfy the ego of some designer. I know I never like it when websites completely rewrite all their code, because it always seems to end up with crappy new versions that look flashy but don't have all the features of the old version. So my development strategy is to try to keep the main interface as constant as possible, but there have been a lot of changes under the covers as the years have passed. I am working constantly to keep the site content relevant and up to date, both in terms of blocking spammers and other abusers, and also keeping the underlying software functional. The site is backed up to multiple geographical locations and backup servers.

In terms of functionality, you can email updates to your journal, and construct route maps on-site (this uses Google's Maps API). There are far too many little features to list here, but the main function of the site is the journals, and I try to make it easy to post, and easy to read. Most people find it intuitive, though as always there are some vocal detractors who try to make it sound like the site is "old" and out of date. I consciously keep the interface simple and non-flashy, since this appeals to me personally, and it also serves to keep the site fast and responsive even on slow connections and devices. It works even on old browsers.

I have big plans to expand the site's functionality, including a site-wide map browser and revamping the 'resources' section to be more like a wiki in terms of the community being able to keep individual fact-based entries up-to-date. Beyond that, I am also developing the site code to allow me to express topics beyond bicycle touring, via sister sites called topicwise.com, townwise.com and profilewise.com.

I have been called "polarizing", and I will allow that I can be opinionated and don't beat around the bush when dealing with people who I feel are being obnoxious. I have thrown people off the site, and some of those people end up here on bikeforums, which is why you'll see the odd disparaging remark from users here whenever crazyguyonabike comes up. These comments almost always come from people who are either disgruntled former users, or else they are failed bloggers or developers who somehow resent the fact that I am independent and run my own site on my own terms and make some kind of income from it, or else they just dislike the website design and try to run it down at any opportunity. This is the price of doing business on the internet, I guess, and while I try to generally ignore it, I find it necessary sometimes to try to "correct the record" (to use a term that has become somewhat tainted recently).

Anyway, for anyone who is unfamiliar with the site, I am just a regular guy who works from home developing a website that is free for all to use, and many thousands of people have found it useful over the years, and continue to do so. Please don't take the disparaging comments from a few vindictive people as any indication of what's really going on over there. I'm a real person and generally very approachable and responsive if you have questions or problems. Given my previous experiences here on bikeforums with the previously mentioned individuals, who tend to try to derail any such discussion (and then later blame me), I'll try to leave it there.

Neil