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Malto
05-03-2016, 17:54
Brillant blog about the increasing common begging of people to pay for their vacation. Enjoy, I know I did.

http://www.thehikinglife.com/2016/05/oliver-twist-vs-donate-button-hikers/

rafe
05-03-2016, 18:12
If people are generous or foolish enough to fund such hikers, who are we to say no? Free market, and all that?

I'm more concerned about people having to beg for funds to get over medical emergencies. Nobody should have to do that.

Greenlight
05-03-2016, 18:13
Love it. I replied. Ha ha

Southeast
05-03-2016, 21:10
Football players, musicians, video game players, etc all beg for my entertainment dollar thru their own gofundme pages called TV, Ticketmaster and Twitch. Many chose to pay this price. I hold no ill will towards a hiker asking, especially if they provide something in return, like knowledge or some entertainment.

Busky2
05-03-2016, 21:27
Some folks may be just shameless or lazy or perhaps smarter than those that give as the takers of this world can be.

SWODaddy
05-03-2016, 21:35
Good read, thanks. The lack of personal responsibility (and self-respect for that matter) by some folks is astounding. With that said, I don't judge the people supporting them (some people like to dump their social security checks into slot machines, some like to dump them into middle-class college students on vacation).

Scooter2
05-03-2016, 22:10
Saw the title of this thread and thought "give me a break". Say the author of the thread and thought "ok I'll see what this is about". Too many these days feel entitled to what they want just because they exist, not because they're willing to work for it. If people want paid me-ternity leave (I wish i made that term up---look it up (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/meternity-leave_us_57277507e4b0f309baf158b6), it's unbelievable what people think they deserve), join the military and do a tour oversees then when you get out and are on paid terminal leave you can spend a summer hiking before using your GI Bill to pay for college. That's called earning your keep. Or take the easy way out and just ask for handouts because you deserve whatever you want without having to give anything in return.

mattjv89
05-03-2016, 22:35
I think this gets a disproportionate amount of attention for the amount of people who are actually doing it. A quick search on GoFundMe for 2016 Appalachian Trail is returning a total of 99 results, and on the first page three out of ten have nothing to do with thru-hiking the AT.

I didn't seek any donations for my hike nor will I be donating to anyone else's. But really who am I to say how anyone else should spend their money.

mandolindave
05-03-2016, 22:58
I think the article painted one picture, about lazy mooches. I have been asked to help fund a hiker that has produced about a hundred hours of videos. The thing is I learned so much from them. I enjoyed them, I was entertained, and they were well done. I felt like, " Why should I get something for free." I was also asked to fund a friends ministry trip. I felt the the money they spent for their trip would have gone much further to help, if they had just sent money to the people they went to help. The time spent working ( and preaching ) would have been better spent working in the states, and sent the money earned to the people they were trying to help. Not all fund me folks are lazy people that want a free vacation. Not all money is well spent. Not all money received is earned. Case by case.

Uncle Joe
05-03-2016, 23:08
I didn't seek any donations for my hike nor will I be donating to anyone else's. But really who am I to say how anyone else should spend their money.

That's the crux. I cringe every time I hear, "No one should be able to <insert something here>" especially when it has to do with money. Wealth belongs to the earner. It's up to them to do what they will with it.

rafe
05-03-2016, 23:11
Televangelists sucker helpless old people for millions, year after year. All perfectly legal. They build big mansions and buy fancy cars and airplanes with the proceeds. And the suckers keep sending money in, hoping for... what? Salvation?

shelb
05-03-2016, 23:12
Brillant blog about the increasing common begging of people to pay for their vacation. Enjoy, I know I did.

http://www.thehikinglife.com/2016/05/oliver-twist-vs-donate-button-hikers/

This was great! (Not what I expected!!!)

rocketsocks
05-03-2016, 23:50
Go fund yur self.

left52side
05-04-2016, 07:01
I like many people have mixed reviews on such situations as what I would like to say organized begging.
I do believe there are people out there say that hold the cardboard will work for food signs and etc you see scattered all over towns in america that truly need it and are appreciative of anything you give them or help them out with,unfortunately I think there are far more people that take advantage of A situation for monetary gain that isn't really needed.
I myself am planning for my thru hike and saving every extra penny I have to be able to fund my thru hike next year as the majority of people I would like to think does,unless you are blessed to have say 6,000 laying around and 5 months to take off work etc.
I however do believe there are certain situations where certain people have the desire,bucket list,passion,heart etc to thru hike but unfortunately lack the funds to do such A thing whether it be A financial issue or A family,family,time or disability issue which they cannot complete it.
If in a case it is because of something hypothetically say I individual has A burning desire to complete A thru hike but cannot afford it because of medical expenses or that they have A family at home that they need to support on say A wal mart,convenience store wage and just don't have the extra income to save for A thru hike.
In that case A few bucks of my money that I will most likely blow at A said wal mart or convenience store is no sweat off my back,knowing that I could help someone do something so amazing that they will remember there whole life.
The problem lies separating the two differences from each other,the people who really need it and the people who are just trying to gain monetary wealth from A situation they can extort.
There of course is a lot of say grey area in this and at times like this is when I follow my gut instinct on the matter and hope it leads me in the right direction,and if not then i'm out A few bucks,but knowing that I might have helped someone do something so wonderful is priceless for the night of sleep you get :p.

DuneElliot
05-04-2016, 08:54
I personally have no issues with people using GoFundMe for life-changing events, no matter what they are from a thru-hike to cancer treatment. It is when people do stupid crap (like blowing their savings on lottery tickets) and then asking others to bail them out by using GoFundMe.

I'm personally going to have to suck up my pride and set up a GFM page this year. It's humiliating to ask for money, but I need to go see my family, and my grandparents before they die (they are in their 90s and this might be the last chance I get) and I just can't afford a plane ticket to go to London from Wyoming. It's not something I'm happy about doing.

Southeast
05-04-2016, 10:39
The same bloggers having a laugh about this are the ones indirectly making money off us as we read the article on their sites and click on their affiliate links while being sponsored by gear companies.

Does this mean they are dropping their affiliate links and gear sponsors so hikers aren't paying for their vacation (directly or indirectly)?

Miel
05-04-2016, 14:29
I personally have no issues with people using GoFundMe for life-changing events, no matter what they are from a thru-hike to cancer treatment. It is when people do stupid crap (like blowing their savings on lottery tickets) and then asking others to bail them out by using GoFundMe.

I'm personally going to have to suck up my pride and set up a GFM page this year. It's humiliating to ask for money, but I need to go see my family, and my grandparents before they die (they are in their 90s and this might be the last chance I get) and I just can't afford a plane ticket to go to London from Wyoming. It's not something I'm happy about doing.

+1

Eh, I have found some questionable requests for money, and others, like DuneElliot's idea, to be worthy. I've given to documentary filmmakers, and to those on a quest to raise money for certain illnesses.

Read the GFM requests carefully; ask questions; research. As posted earlier, if someone wants to donate to a hike, why not? It's their money. (Unless they are spending irrationally, in which case a family or professional intervention may be needed.) As with any charity, check it out as much as you can (since GFMs typically tend not to be registered charities; some are). Through indiegogo dot com, I donated to the making of the film "Shackles," and don't regret. Of course, I can rarely afford to donate more than $25 to any good cause! :-? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4501588/

DuneElliot - Please think about being happy with your GFM plan. You will be doing something so meaningful and everlasting for your family and yourself.

DuneElliot
05-04-2016, 15:04
+1

Eh, I have found some questionable requests for money, and others, like DuneElliot's idea, to be worthy. I've given to documentary filmmakers, and to those on a quest to raise money for certain illnesses.

Read the GFM requests carefully; ask questions; research. As posted earlier, if someone wants to donate to a hike, why not? It's their money. (Unless they are spending irrationally, in which case a family or professional intervention may be needed.) As with any charity, check it out as much as you can (since GFMs typically tend not to be registered charities; some are). Through indiegogo dot com, I donated to the making of the film "Shackles," and don't regret. Of course, I can rarely afford to donate more than $25 to any good cause! :-? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4501588/

DuneElliot - Please think about being happy with your GFM plan. You will be doing something so meaningful and everlasting for your family and yourself.

Thanks for the support. It's just humbling to ask for money since I am so independent and never relied on anyone, financially and otherwise.

CamelMan
05-04-2016, 15:54
The same bloggers having a laugh about this are the ones indirectly making money off us as we read the article on their sites and click on their affiliate links while being sponsored by gear companies.

Sounds right. In one case, the social relationship is direct, but in the other it's hidden behind some kind of commodity relationship (gear or information). People seem to be complaining that there isn't any value exchange going on.

OkeefenokeeJoe
05-05-2016, 00:17
Sadly, GO FUND ME is all too common among today's young millennials. They are poorly educated (even those coming out of college), spoiled, lazy, entitled, and ungrateful brats. Be it student loans, a nice place to live, or electronic crap, they all the time want someone to take care of them and give them things at the expense of others. Again, ENTITLED is the operative word here. It is an ignorant, lazy-ass generation that can't-work-don't-work-won't-work and lives with mommy and daddy until they are middle-aged. Oh, and the ones that do work seem to be under the impression that it's okay to NOT show up for work on Fridays. Oh, and under any circumstances, DO NOT criticize them or otherwise speak the truth or they will get their "wittle feewings" hurt and retreat to their safe zones.

Sad sad sad.

OkeefenokeeJoe

Miel
05-05-2016, 05:54
Sadly, GO FUND ME is all too common among today's young millennials. They are poorly educated (even those coming out of college), spoiled, lazy, entitled, and ungrateful brats. Be it student loans, a nice place to live, or electronic crap, they all the time want someone to take care of them and give them things at the expense of others. Again, ENTITLED is the operative word here. It is an ignorant, lazy-ass generation that can't-work-don't-work-won't-work and lives with mommy and daddy until they are middle-aged. Oh, and the ones that do work seem to be under the impression that it's okay to NOT show up for work on Fridays. Oh, and under any circumstances, DO NOT criticize them or otherwise speak the truth or they will get their "wittle feewings" hurt and retreat to their safe zones.

Sad sad sad.

OkeefenokeeJoe

Second post within 24 hours that you made flaming millennials. What gives? Mine is in school FT; has a PT job teaching in an after-school program to inner-city kids; runs three clubs, and yet finds time to give her parents quality time each week. Although I encourage her to rest when she is sick, she is loathe to take a day off from anything, unless instructor or boss demand that. She is work-oriented.

I dated a man born in the last year of the baby boom, who lived with his mommy rent-free. So, middle-aged.

So, what gives? Something personal? It can all be dealt with in family counseling,.

Be well. I hope things get better, truly I do.

Miel
05-05-2016, 05:56
There are many, many older people asking for money on GFM, OJ.

Also, GFM and like sites take 8% off the top.

Tuckahoe
05-05-2016, 05:59
Sadly, GO FUND ME is all too common among today's young millennials. They are poorly educated (even those coming out of college), spoiled, lazy, entitled, and ungrateful brats. Be it student loans, a nice place to live, or electronic crap, they all the time want someone to take care of them and give them things at the expense of others. Again, ENTITLED is the operative word here. It is an ignorant, lazy-ass generation that can't-work-don't-work-won't-work and lives with mommy and daddy until they are middle-aged. Oh, and the ones that do work seem to be under the impression that it's okay to NOT show up for work on Fridays. Oh, and under any circumstances, DO NOT criticize them or otherwise speak the truth or they will get their "wittle feewings" hurt and retreat to their safe zones.

Sad sad sad.

OkeefenokeeJoe

And as one that works closely and professionally with teens to olds farts, I can say that you are completely and utterly full of sh#t. You've described a few boomers I know, but go ahead and keep painting broad strokes.

4shot
05-05-2016, 07:21
The problem lies separating the two differences from each other,the people who really need it and the people who are just trying to gain monetary wealth from A situation they can extort.
.


here is a tip I use to separate the fly crap from the pepper: I never give money away. You say you need $ to get a meal, ok...then I will offer to take you to a restaurant. Need gas money to get home to see your mom in the hospital? OK, I will follow you to the gas station and pay after the gas is pumped. Baby needs shoes and milk? Good, let's go to the store and I'll pay. Your car broke down and you need a motel room while your transmission is fixed? C'mon over, I have a spare bedroom.

I have tried this for a number of years....I can count on one hand the number of times where the people accepted my offer. The rest get mad because you won't give them money. I like it because I am not turning my back on those truly in need. Nor am I financing some moron's drug habit or gambling addiction or thru hike or whatever.

Miel
05-05-2016, 07:29
here is a tip I use to separate the fly crap from the pepper: I never give money away. You say you need $ to get a meal, ok...then I will offer to take you to a restaurant. Need gas money to get home to see your mom in the hospital? OK, I will follow you to the gas station and pay after the gas is pumped. Baby needs shoes and milk? Good, let's go to the store and I'll pay. Your car broke down and you need a motel room while your transmission is fixed? C'mon over, I have a spare bedroom.

I have tried this for a number of years....I can count on one hand the number of times where the people accepted my offer. The rest get mad because you won't give them money. I like it because I am not turning my back on those truly in need. Nor am I financing some moron's drug habit or gambling addiction or thru hike or whatever.

So if someone is raising money, say, for an Alzheimer's trial drug, if you're not a chemist by trade, you are willing to somehow will yourself into the disease, and become a test subject?

If someone is raising money to combat hunger in your city, you are willing to go the supermarket and buy and distribute those products to feed thousands who go to bed hungry every night?

Oh, I think you can distinguish between feeding an addiction on the street and helping to prevent a disease on GFM.

Frankly, I hope these sites proliferate. Some people have completely exhausted resources and ideas, and GFM, indiegogo, et. al. are their last hope.

DuneElliot
05-05-2016, 09:12
here is a tip I use to separate the fly crap from the pepper: I never give money away. You say you need $ to get a meal, ok...then I will offer to take you to a restaurant. Need gas money to get home to see your mom in the hospital? OK, I will follow you to the gas station and pay after the gas is pumped. Baby needs shoes and milk? Good, let's go to the store and I'll pay. Your car broke down and you need a motel room while your transmission is fixed? C'mon over, I have a spare bedroom.

I have tried this for a number of years....I can count on one hand the number of times where the people accepted my offer. The rest get mad because you won't give them money. I like it because I am not turning my back on those truly in need. Nor am I financing some moron's drug habit or gambling addiction or thru hike or whatever.

I'm pretty much the same way. If you'd read my post earlier regarding the GFM request I'm dreading setting, I'd be happy to accept air miles instead. I'm happy to provide someone a meal, a coat, a pair of shoes, food for their dog (if I can afford it). I don't think I've ever given money to anyone that was not in my immediate family or friend circle.

SouthMark
05-05-2016, 09:28
I just saw a GoFundMe page and a Facebook post to donate to buy a young woman a new bicycle because hers was stolen and she is moving.

Mags
05-05-2016, 11:36
And as one that works closely and professionally with teens to olds farts, I can say that you are completely and utterly full of sh#t. You've described a few boomers I know, but go ahead and keep painting broad strokes.

I agree. It is not an age thing. I know people in this town who do "charity" climbs or similar. Turns out most of the money went towards their vacation. They are in there 40s or 50s.

OTOH, I am one of 16 grandchildren on mom's side. We range in age from 21 - 44. My under 30 cousins are hard working, intelligent, motivated and wonderful people. Proud to call them my family. (Not sure if they feel the same about me. ;) )

Being a Gen Xer, the older generations said similar things about how lazy and unmotivated my peers were 20 years ago. It's a typical cycle that has no basis in reality.

4shot
05-05-2016, 13:41
So if someone is raising money, say, for an Alzheimer's trial drug, if you're not a chemist by trade, you are willing to somehow will yourself into the disease, and become a test subject?

If someone is raising money to combat hunger in your city, you are willing to go the supermarket and buy and distribute those products to feed thousands who go to bed hungry every night?

Oh, I think you can distinguish between feeding an addiction on the street and helping to prevent a disease on GFM.

Frankly, I hope these sites proliferate. Some people have completely exhausted resources and ideas, and GFM, indiegogo, et. al. are their last hope.

Miel, I cannot fathom searching around on the internet for ways to give away (or invest if you will) my money. why would a person bother to look at these sites? In my neck of the woods, there is enough poverty, drug addiction, mental health issues, child abuse, etc. such that i could give every last cent I have to these causes and not make a noticeable ripple. And I'm sure the same is true for every one who looks at this website.

I do not mind (and support) charity to recognizable and trustworthy organizations. i handle contributions to individuals in the way I outlined above. that way I know how my hard earned $ are spent.

Wyoming
05-05-2016, 14:05
here is a tip I use to separate the fly crap from the pepper: I never give money away. You say you need $ to get a meal, ok...then I will offer to take you to a restaurant. Need gas money to get home to see your mom in the hospital? OK, I will follow you to the gas station and pay after the gas is pumped. Baby needs shoes and milk? Good, let's go to the store and I'll pay. Your car broke down and you need a motel room while your transmission is fixed? C'mon over, I have a spare bedroom.

I have tried this for a number of years....I can count on one hand the number of times where the people accepted my offer. The rest get mad because you won't give them money. I like it because I am not turning my back on those truly in need. Nor am I financing some moron's drug habit or gambling addiction or thru hike or whatever.

Dead on.

The other day my wife comes home from her weaving guild meeting and tells me a story about the 'homeless' guy who always sits on the highway corner near our house almost every day. One of the women in her guild is getting into her car in the parking lot and see the guy walking back from the corner. She notices him get in a very nice late model mid size car and he heads out of the parking lot right in front of her. Crazy, but she follows him....right to a very nice house in the development next to ours. So she (did I mention she must be crazy) parks in front of his house and confronts him. She wants to know why he is out begging if he can afford such a car and house. He laughs and tells her he makes $2000+ a month and pays no taxes.

Miel
05-08-2016, 11:32
Beacon Point was a kickstarter project, yes? So why is that OK?

Obiwan
05-09-2016, 07:58
Regardless of where you come down on cyber-panhandling The best part of this whole deal was on FB where some guy accused Swami of not being a REAL HIKER :-)

Apparently, th eOliver Twist post was the only one he read !

JC13
05-11-2016, 15:01
Here's one on this very own site with 2 posts.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/118745-Student-Nurse-section-hiking-the-Appalachian-trail

capehiker
05-11-2016, 21:06
As a whole, I've seen fewer gofundme AT pages this year than in the past. There is a certain hiker who makes "documentaries" every year with a gofundme page. It's amazing what people will pay to watch.

Theosus
05-11-2016, 21:25
Seen on Facebook:

"When did GoFundMe become GoFund My Poor Life Choices"?

Lnj
05-12-2016, 18:25
I have to laugh at this. A great many of the really solid hikers here, the sage advisers, the ones who have done it to death and could impart untold wisdom here, when asked even a question, might just tell you to "google it", or "look it up, don't ask me to do your research for you!" and the like.... Hilarious to think hikers might pay for someone's hike, if they all but want to charge for information that is just sitting in their brains, waiting to be released. :)

Lnj
05-12-2016, 18:31
here is a tip I use to separate the fly crap from the pepper: I never give money away. You say you need $ to get a meal, ok...then I will offer to take you to a restaurant. Need gas money to get home to see your mom in the hospital? OK, I will follow you to the gas station and pay after the gas is pumped. Baby needs shoes and milk? Good, let's go to the store and I'll pay. Your car broke down and you need a motel room while your transmission is fixed? C'mon over, I have a spare bedroom.

I have tried this for a number of years....I can count on one hand the number of times where the people accepted my offer. The rest get mad because you won't give them money. I like it because I am not turning my back on those truly in need. Nor am I financing some moron's drug habit or gambling addiction or thru hike or whatever.

+1 Agree wholeheartedly.

MuddyWaters
05-13-2016, 03:39
The vast majority of people of all ages are the same.

While I think it shows lack of character to beg for money to go on vacation, the person doing the begging isnt the fool....thats the one donating. You cant fix stupid.

rocketsocks
05-13-2016, 07:14
One would say co-dependent relationship...whole things pretty damn silly.

rocketsocks
05-13-2016, 07:20
And not fer nuthin' but if ya wanna find yourself, fund yurself, right in thee ol fund whole.

"Help me reach my dream" "let my dream be your dream" "together we can be the dream team" "I'll send ya some some poop I carried out when I LNT"
what croc a shyte!

Shutterbug
05-13-2016, 14:14
Brillant blog about the increasing common begging of people to pay for their vacation. Enjoy, I know I did.

http://www.thehikinglife.com/2016/05/oliver-twist-vs-donate-button-hikers/

For those who want to fund other people's projects, I much prefer http://www.kiva.org. Just like GoFundMe, there are requests that I would never fund, but there are also a lot of very worthwhile requests. What I like about Kiva is that the money provided is a loan not a gift. The ones receiving the funding pay it back. For many of those who borrow, learning the discipline of repaying the loan is an important life lesson. I have made more than 1,000 Kiva loans and my repayment rate is better than 94%. When a loan I have made gets repaid, I just roll the repayment over to make another loan.

Southeast
05-13-2016, 16:11
Let me fix that for him:

Donate Button/Buy me a Meal hiker/Click on my affiliate links/Visit my gear sponsors" – They haven’t saved enough money to fund their trip themselves, so for the price of posting the occasional paragraph and photo on social media, they decide to ask complete strangers to chip in and help pay for their holiday.

The irony of somebody who disavows strangers paying for others vacation driving up their own site visits so we can pay for his vacation. It is a work of art if you ask me.

imscotty
06-15-2016, 13:19
Found this great video that pretty much sums up my feelings on the subject...

https://vimeo.com/41152287