Too Much Free Time

Too Much Free Time

by Mike Masnick




More Cyberbeggars

from the please,-make-it-stop dept

Adam Barr writes "Hard on the heels of Karyn Bosnak, who put up a website asking for money to pay off her credit card debt, comes this article about people begging for money for all sorts of reasons, including paying for in-vitro fertilization. One e-panhandling site even rates the others."

11 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
 

Reader Comments

(Flattened / Threaded)

    Jan 17th, 2003 @ 4:31am
  • cyberbeggars

    I have this one site which has been on the web for three months. This is my personal site moneywaster.com Then I own another website, which will be opening up soon. And it should have over 100 links to cyberbeggars. It should have the most ever complete links ever to actual cyberbeggars on the internet, or this is what I hope for. cyberbeggar.biz One of my friends reached her goal. help4heather.com. I took down my site hatesavekaryn.com. I didn't like picking on people. Karyn pushed cyberbegging into the news, inspired people to make websites, and help each other.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Mar 14th, 2003 @ 2:04pm
    • Re: cyberbeggars

      Could you advertise our non-profit site to raise money for people with developmental disablities who need medical supplies.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Mar 20th, 2003 @ 11:39am
    • Re: cyberbeggars

      by mike

      Hi. I'm Mike. Come to my site. Give me your money. Make me rich. Get nothing in return.

      http://www.makemikeamillionaire.com

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Dec 4th, 2003 @ 6:27am
    • Re: cyberbeggars from UA

      by Eugene

      I live on Ukraine (UA). Recently to me in hands clause about appeared in western network the Internet so-called CYBERBEGGARS has got which place in the Internet the requests for the help. And most interesting, that help them. But why? What is it - compassion or charity? Whether the truth is spoken by those who asks or they have found variant of an easy profit? I live in the country, where it is difficult to itself to present, that who that so can help the unfamiliar man, and through the Internet. By read clause, money endows in the basic inhabitants USA and advanced countries of Europe. That you had desire to help, you should know why asking to be in such situation and to accept close to heart his request. Ok. I shall say to you the truth. My name is Eugene. I live on Ukraine. I take off an apartment, in which I live with the girlfriend. I work six days per one week till 12-14 of hours. I earn 150 $ per one month. As you see on this money it is possible only to exist, instead of to live. I study martial arts and I like to read the books. For what reason I ask about the help? To tell the truth, I have thought and has come to a conclusion, that the most important reason of my request to help by money, is mine the girlfriend. To her 20 years. She the student of faculty of the international attitudes. We need to pay for study, and also for additional training to foreign languages. She is very talented also she dreams to realize itself in job connected with knowledge of foreign languages. To visit in USA, western Europe and other countries of the world. We consider a minimum on 200 $ per one month

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    Mar 29th, 2003 @ 1:48am
  • How should One Beg Appropriately

    Charitable organizations have long been majority approved recipients of donation and I would never seek to imply this should change. However, I would like to point out that it may be a lack of assistance from one of those intended to help the public organizations that leads people to create their own "Save me" sites.
    While one may assume that a dollar added to a utility bill or a donation to a local second-hand store will benefit a person in need, I've seen first hand this is not always the case. I have witnessed local second-hand employees stake claim to large numbers of donated items. Only after they’ve picked the donations over are the unwanted items added to the store shelf for a needing public to buy.
    I have also witnessed items being offered from second-hand stores in online sales rather than the store where the donating party may have intended it to be a contribution to that particular area. I am also aware that, while one expects the charity funded to assist in help with a utility bill actually does, they will/may instead call and obtain an extension on the bill rather than assist in its payment with those funds (regardless of the likelihood your finances will improve enough to take care of the bill on the new date). The same charity will walk you into a room full of donated gifts for children at Christmas time and all but slap your hand if you touch anything, because they decide what gift your child is worthy of, if any.
    I have called to question the validity of telephone calls requesting donations only to be informed that the party I would have thought I donated to receives a very small percentage of the donation made and the unknown caller is employed by the company that keeps the rest. There are always going to be those considered worthy legitimate claims and those considered non-worthy non-legitimate claims where helping is concerned. Obviously, I would suggest the person able or willing to donate determine how likely their donation is to serve the purpose intended but I would not suggest they assume the method of obtaining the donation be the proof of it's need.
    I'm not asking for more than some have to give and I'm not claiming to be the most deserving of that giving either. You have the same option to ignore as I have to ask. Happy to be heard!
    Fivehook the not yet famous cyberbeggar

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Mar 29th, 2003 @ 11:23pm
    • Re: How should One Beg Appropriately

      this is a good approximation of a situation. yeah, i agree you should donate money to serve the purpose. you can't really judge someone. you take it at face value.

      you're faceless on the internet. if you ask someone for proof... i don't know, it's good to give someone the benefit of the doubt. and some organizations can take all of the money and not really give it to the people intended. so it's a double edged sword.

      it would be nice to have a honor system. the kid in you would love to trust people (black and white), but unforunately the real world works in grey

      cyberbegging is definitely a learn as you go experience. so fivehook really brought up a good point.

      so if someone has a certain purpose and they put up a website for it, help them out (if you agree with their purpose) if you're able to. if you don't agree, then it doesn't cost nothing to be nice.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    Jan 16th, 2008 @ 7:06pm
  • internet panhandling

    See how much I have collected so far

    I'm not asking to get rich, just begging for a little help retiring! I can achieve early retirement with your non-TAX DEDUCTIBLE contribution!


    I don't need a mansion I don't need a Porsche

    What I do need is a dollar, your dollar!

    THATS RIGHT, I am begging you to send me a dollar (just one, more is accepted)! THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE U.S.dollars EITHER.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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