Another thanks

[abenn]

Mark,
Recently, a famous Crossfit coach launched a website that charges money for coaching, assessments, programming, etc. and other bullshit you can do very well over the internet. Someone I know has a membership so I got the skinny on the website. At the time of launch it made 60k. 60 fucking thousand dollars from people paying memberships for the first month alone. For a fucking website. With 3 articles, blatantly ripping off Poloquin for the most part, and fucking internet coaching. I was stunned. People were telling me how amazing a database this was going to be. And I just am still fucking stunned at the price. Pardon the cursing, but you do this shit for free and there is more here. How do people not know this? I'm attempting to convert my rage to gratefulness. I don't post much here, but I read it daily because I learn a lot. So thanks, Rip – you have no idea how much I appreciate this site. It changed how I looked at training. I'm starting to wonder if the best coaches are those that cannot bear to watch the lifts be done incorrectly, regardless of the money involved.
Adam.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I appreciate your comments. You may have noticed that we're not really marketing people. We don't have a Donate button. If you like what we do here, buy our books, for you and for your friends, and come to our seminars.

Thanks again.

[f4thpathway]

Uh oh...looks like there's a new squirrel in town. Is there any room left to hang on?

This post = right on.

[Michael Wolf]

Could not agree more with abenn. You provide Q & A to hundreds of questions and great articles - whether your own, Starr's, or other great contributors - all for free. I've bought all the books (and wouldn't you know it, I've actually read them several times), and just put down the first deposit on the NYC seminar in April, which I am very much looking forward to attending. I still feel like I'm getting a bargain, considering how much I've learned from the books and content on this website.

[vineyardkite]

I don't post much here, but I read it daily because I learn a lot. So thanks, Rip – you have no idea how much I appreciate this site. It changed how I looked at training. I'm starting to wonder if the best coaches are those that cannot bear to watch the lifts be done incorrectly, regardless of the money involved

I don't wanna pick out curtains or anything with ya Ripp, but I second this.

Shawn

[peacerenity]

Yeah, it seems like Rippetoe doesn't do this for the money. I'm sure he could make similar money by offering some sort of internet coaching like that guy does or like Mehdi over at StrongLifts. Or even just including a Donate button, like he said. I know I would donate, as I'm sure many other people who've gotten results from his program would.

That being said, I don't think there's anything wrong with charging for a service like that. I teach test prep during the summers for pay and I've also tutored pro bono at various times in my life. They feel equally fulfilling to me, and one makes me money. My choice is clear.

You also find similar things with computer programming and other professions: essentially anything that doesn't cost the service provider much more than time is going to have somebody providing that service for free. That doesn't mean that those who do charge are immoral or greedy or anything.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I don't think there's anything wrong with charging for a service like that. I teach test prep during the summers for pay and I've also tutored pro bono at various times in my life. They feel equally fulfilling to me, and one makes me money. My choice is clear.

You also find similar things with computer programming and other professions: essentially anything that doesn't cost the service provider much more than time is going to have somebody providing that service for free. That doesn't mean that those who do charge are immoral or greedy or anything.

And I don't have a problem with it either -- if that's what a guy wants to do, and another guy wants to pay him money for it, and everybody is happy, it's fine with me. But I don't think it can be done well, or even correctly, at least not by me, so I'll just leave it to them.