Sunday, September 28, 2014

Gullibility? or Generosity?

I remember, from years ago before the internet became the center of the universe, seeing a little news story about someone who placed a small notice in the Want Ads section of a newpaper, saying:   "Send $1 to P. O. Box -----."    That was it.   Nothing in return, no promises, nothing.  And people did send money.

But the internet expands the possibilities.   Now it's called "crowd-sourcing," and it can be anything from raising capital for a start-up business, which then conveys shares in the company, to outright preying on the gullible.

In today's news is a story of an Ohio man who tried out the crowd-sourcing method as a joke.   Using the web site Kickstarter, he asked for $10 to be sent to help him buy ingredients for his first attempt to make potato salad.   Instead of getting joking replies, he actually raised $50,000 from people who sent him money.

What to do now?  He decided to throw a huge public party that promised "peace, love and potato salad."   Held in downtown Columbus, Ohio, it featured bands, food trucks, beer and, of course, plenty of potato salad.    He also has partnered with a charity to turn the fund into a fight against poverty and hunger.

Of this method of fund-raising, he said, "You never know what's going to take off." 

Ralph

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