September 14, 2013

As a DU member, how do YOU want to handle this going forward? (need more input, please!)

EDIT TO SUMMARIZE/CLARIFY: After a few comments were shared below, I was able to see that a third option should be added. I had viewed this way forward as either/or: either fundraising posts are created here within DU only, preferably within a new subgroup, or the Wishadoo Wishlist would continue to be used and shared as I've been doing.

I've added another option, which is a combination of a new subgroup and Wishadoo. The Wishlist posts would still be created at Wishadoo but are then shared regularly at a dedicated subgroup here at DU, with periodic OPs in GD (and maybe other groups as well) as is already done.

In previous years, fundraisers required admin permission, which is precisely why I offered the tools at Wishadoo, and got Skinner's blanket permission to post periodically, in order to expedite things. If the admins have any concern still about having fundraising posts being directly created here at DU, this may be the best way to go. And, having a host(s) of a new subgroup dedicated to this could be a HUGE help to me as it concerns DUers' needs/offerings.

So, if the community wants a new subgroup, the form and function of this new subgroup needs to be clear, and hosts need to step forward and propose such a group to AtA. A new subgroup in and of itself requires permission, of course; if the new subgroup is going to be dedicated to fundraising posts, that adds another layer to that permission.

The background, plus more FYI info, is laid out below. But, for those who don't have time to read further, this should summarize this OP/poll.

As always, thanks!

* * * * *

"This" being helping DUers, member to member.

Please see this thread for background:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023652112#post133

As I've now said repeatedly, I appreciate the replies and thoughtful suggestions and feedback SO VERY MUCH!!! It's this type of interaction that makes DU a true community, imho.




a2liberal's suggestion in that thread is one that has been posed from time to time, and prompts this OP/poll:




As I replied, that approach may be something for this community to consider. In fact, it feels like now is the time for DU, as a community, to decide on the way forward regarding how we, as a community, want to handle such interactions and requests.

Having a group within DU, as a2liberal and others have suggested over the years (and as some other online communities do), takes Wishadoo out of the equation. And that's okay!!! If there are people willing to host such a group, and if they approach the admins with it and they give permission, that is definitely one way to go.

I want to make it clear here that I would not volunteer to host such a group. I want to work WITH all existing communities, including DU as I have done over the years, but I don't want to confine my Wishadoo-related efforts. I want to expand connections and expand community, not isolate or limit it in any way, so I need to keep my focus in this regard on Wishadoo. Hope that makes sense.

Please see my full reply to a2liberal HERE.



Assuming people want to have a way to help one another as a community, here are the options as I see them. (If you don't want to see such posts here at DU, click ignore!)


1. Create a group within DU where needs/offerings are posted, as a2liberals and others have suggested.

First and foremost, of course, this would require permission from admins, as well as DUers offering to host such a group. It would also entail hosts doing what I do behind the scenes before sharing such posts, including finding a way for electronic payments to be made (which makes it so much easier for most, not all, people). If there isn't a PayPal donate button included (or the widget that I try to include in Wishlist posts), it greatly decreases contributions; simply providing a PayPal address isn't enough, as I've discovered that many people don't understand how to send money unless a donate button is provided. Keeping people updated regarding the process of a fundraiser is another task. There are quite a few elements to consider, but all certainly doable.


2. Continue to use Wishadoo's Wishlist to post needs/offerings, with me creating regular Help a DUer OPs.

Basically, continue as is but work to implement some of the great ideas shared in that Heart-to-Heart thread to make this easier and more effective for all concerned.

The benefit of doing this (for DU and other communities) is that it expands the reach and potential for connections beyond one's existing community.


(BTW, one thing I haven't mentioned in any of my OPs, but is a key part of my bigger vision, is one of the spin-off projects I hope to develop. The focus at Wishadoo is to always try, first and foremost, to find existing resources. DUers are really knowledgeable in this regard, and offering resource suggestions is a HUGE aspect of how I hope you use Wishadoo as you reply to Wishlist posts. In fact, DUers are usually so well-informed in this regard that they have indeed exhausted all avenues (though sometimes others are able to suggest something they weren't aware of) before coming to Wishadoo to create a fundraiser; others outside of DU who come to Wishadoo, however, are often not as knowledgeable about what may be available, or they're simply too tired and beaten down to keep looking. I'm often able to find help for people without a Wishlist post ever being created, and I see that is a key service to provide, along with simply acknowledging others. Being SEEN and acknowledged is, quite frankly, priceless. I need help in doing that, of course. To me, THAT is community.

I want to organize the existing resources into a comprehensive directory which is updated on a regular basis. The bare-bones basics are shown here: http://findhelpdirectory.info/ It's not only to find social services-type, but to find various types of "good" manifesting in the world. I need programming changes to make the creation of the listings easier on my end; right now it's too cumbersome. I have a huge list of excellent resources and stumble upon new ones each day, but obviously this is a tremendous, ongoing task, yet it could be invaluable in the processing of helping one another.)



Lastly, and this is more of an FYI, if it's decided that a group should be created here within DU (#1), another option is to use one of the many existing dedicated fundraising platforms, like gofundme.com, and post a link to those gofundme individual fundraising pages.

I've considered doing this at Wishadoo myself, since I did not set it up to be a fundraising platform and thus it's more labor intensive to make it work as such unless I make programming modifications.

While the benefits of using these fundraising platforms include expanding the reach and streamlined fundraising tools, there are potential drawbacks to using these third-party fundraising platforms:

A. Privacy. More and more I see they are requiring you to create an account using Facebook, for example (for verification purposes, to avoid scamming), or they don't make your fundraising page public unless you DO use your real name (you can keep the page and share with people, but the larger community doesn't see it, taking away the "reach" benefit). While I greatly appreciate how much easier it makes it for the fundraising platform itself to avoid scammers, I'm also sensitive to the various legitimate reasons why people don't want to give their real name on a public platform for the world to see when they're sharing something so personal. (When using a screen name, they can always share more about themselves when people reach out to connect, privately.)

B. There are fees (5% on average) on top of the PayPal fees. And, I believe gofundme is the only one right now which enables you to get funds quickly, whereas other fundraising platforms generate a check at the end of the fundraising period.

Those two aspects are the reasons why I, personally, am hesitant to go that route regarding people at Wishadoo who need to raise funds, but I offer it as a viable option to be implemented here at DU if a group dedicated to helping one another is created.


So, what say you?

Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for adding your opinion!

September 12, 2013

Time for a heart-to-heart, DUers (w/update)

[font color="green"]UPDATE: I just want to thank you all SO VERY MUCH for the thoughtful replies and all the K&Rs!!!!!!!! You have me in tears this Friday morning...in a good way. There are excellent, actionable suggestions below, with truly thoughtful insights that are priceless. (You should read through if you have time!)

I am going to really sit with these replies and see what I can implement sooner rather than later. I may do a poll to get specific input from the community about the way forward based on info shared below. I'll keep you all posted.

THANK YOU![/font]


EDIT TO ADD, to those of you who have written to me, asking for help in any way: PLEASE DON'T FEEL BAD!!!!!!! I just need to get others (DUers and beyond) involved. They probably assume I have a lot of help and that I don't struggle myself, and that if they don't K&R or help in any way, plenty of other people are. But that's just not the case.



* * * * *

CLIFFSNOTES VERSION of my missive below: As more and more people here (and beyond DU) need help, I need more people TO help. Wishadoo is just me, and I struggle. I'm having a hard time of late getting views and K&Rs on the "Help a DUer" OPs, so I'm asking for recommendations and suggestions regarding how to keep doing this effectively here at DU. I'm also asking for your help to spread the word about Wishadoo in general. The more who gather...

(Adding a shout-out to Thom Hartmann's team, Big Ed, or any of the other media personalities I've been wanting to contact forever, to explore collaborating in some way to DO GOOD.)

* * * * *

Listen, I need your help, and I really hope people will read this and reply with their thoughts and feelings on the matter.

As many of you know, I've been posting "Help a DUer" OPs periodically for a few years now. Here is the latest:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023623242


For those of you who are new, I've been a member of DU since 2004. When I created Wishadoo years ago, I naturally wanted this community to be involved -- to lead the way and show other communities (online and our local, physical communities) how the tools there can be used to connect and help one another in a variety of ways. My BIG dream was to have Wishadoo be the first member-owned cooperative social network; I still have that dream. (My dream has also involved, somehow -- via the various tools and spin-off projects I'm trying to develop -- sustaining myself financially via these efforts. I do work; I've been self-employed for 20 years, though my income was cut in half 18 months ago and I haven't been able to supplement it. My time and attention are constantly torn between doing my existing work, looking for more work, dealing with Wishadoo-related needs, and trying to expand Wishadoo and develop related projects, as well as the whole "basic survival" tasks each day, which those of us who struggle financially understand all too well. It's amazing how much more energy it takes to be poor...lol. Oy.

It used to be that, here on DU, for anyone to post about any need they have which involves raising $$ -- or for another DUer to do so on their behalf -- permission from admins was required. That could take a while. Plus, as the economic situation worsened, the number of requests was bound to increase and become overwhelming.

I wrote the admins and offered the tools at Wishadoo for this purpose, and Skinner kindly agreed. Instead of DUers creating separate posts regarding their situation and their needs, DUers would instead create a post in the Wishlist and I would create what are now known as a "Help a DUer" OP to bring these needs to the attention of the DU Community.

At first, when there were just a few DUers asking for help, these OPs (and the requests) got a rousing response.

Over time, however, as this community itself has changed, these OPs get fewer and fewer recs and are seen by fewer and fewer people.

Unfortunately, the number of community members in need increases daily.

[font color="blue"](I must inject my profound gratitude for those of you who DO support the OPs and the other DUers, and me. You really, really are human angels. You are appreciated!!!)[/font color]

Please understand that 1) I never intended for Wishadoo! to be all about raising $$; I still firmly believe we can help one another in other ways, such as finding existing resources that may have been overlooked; 2) I never intended to be so involved as I have become.

I created the safe, compassionate space for people to be supported in "putting it out there" (asking for help is the hardest part for most of us). Everything is supposed to be one-on-one, no middle person.

And the "no middle person" is supposed to include me.

Since nearly every single need that DUers are posting in the Wishlist involves raising funds, it has become very time consuming on my end to help set up a PayPal button, keeping the fundraising widgets updated, etc. To create the OPs on a regular basis to bring attention to these needs is also very time consuming.

A lot more goes on behind the scenes than people realize; often a need doesn't even make it to the Wishlist because I'm able to find help for the person's need right away. But as more people find Wishadoo (which is great), it gets more overwhelming for me to do all on my own, especially as those with resources (time, money, recommendations, whatever) are NOT finding their way there.

There must be more of a balance. I need help finding people who CAN help others, and that help can come in surprising ways. Sometimes knowing the perfect resource or having the perfect suggestion based on personal experience can help another person get beyond a seemingly insurmountable hurdle. People find their way to Wishadoo after they've exhausted the application process at social service agencies, etc. They often feel hopeless and beaten down. When someone is a member of a community such as here at DU, there can be a level of familiarity and thus trust, rather than feeling like complete strangers. Still, if before someone helps they require proof or more information, that is their right. It is between the individuals; that's where personal responsibility comes in. Unlike agencies and other nonprofits, people aren't screened (beyond basics) or required to prove their worth in any way; in fact, Wishadoo was created to fill that gap and allow our basic humanity to come through for one another, as individuals. It's a social experiment of sorts and, I must admit, I do feel it's failing, mainly because I haven't succeeded in engaging more people to help me spread the word.

As I mentioned in my latest "Help a DUer" OP, I'm having a really hard time with a personal crisis (this one doesn't involve money) myself right now. Granted, I've been having a hard time for years right along with many of you, living on the edge financially myself. Keeping my utilities on is often an issue; keeping the website going becomes secondary. But, thanks to a handful of kind souls, somehow the hosting fees have always been paid each month. Upgrading the site and adding features to make life easier is always put on hold, waiting for something positive to happen with my personal situation.

The events of the last week have brought me to the point of posting this plea.

Nearly every day I get heart-breaking requests from DUers who need help, yet the number of people engaged in these "Help a DUer" OPs decreases. [font color="blue"](There is a wonderful group I call "DU Angels," who asked to be put on an email list, to be notified whenever I create a new OP; if you would like to be added to that list, please message me.)[/font]

I'm not bitching at anyone at all; I am sorry that this comes off as whining (I hate that, but, oh well...). I'm spilling my guts and asking for some feedback and suggestions regarding this situation.

I don't know if the lack of attention (even views, let alone K&Rs) is because I suck at creating attention-getting subject lines or what.

I FULLY realize that perhaps most of us here struggle financially and thus even $5 is difficult.

I also FULLY realize that compassion fatigue is real; sometimes seeing the suffering up close and personal via our various communities (online and in the "real" world) is just too much and we close off.

But month after month, as I see the types of OPs that get recommended through the roof and see the OPs I create go unnoticed, it's disheartening -- not only for me but for those who had the courage to share their struggle so publicly.

Also over the years I have begged for help in spreading the word about Wishadoo to your other networks: work, school, neighborhood, faith-based, etc. I have never had a marketing budget or any help (Wishadoo is me, myself and I still), so I admit that I'm nearly devastated that I've never had any BIG help in growing the community over the years.

And in order for people to find help, the Wishadoo Community must grow. Wishadoo wasn't created to be strictly for DUers. At all. But what little time and energy I have of late as it concerns Wishadoo is devoted to helping DUers, and that's not even working out to their benefit lately. Not in a reliable way.

IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THIS WAY, AND I CAN'T CONTINUE THIS WAY.

I really thought DU and the members here so devoted to the progressive concepts of community and The Common Good would help me spread the word so more individuals and other communities could come together to make use of the tools I created there, which I feel can still be of tremendous value.

There are now more names here at DU that I don't recognize than names I DO recognize. I don't have a feel for how much of a community really exists at DU any longer, to be honest. Obviously there are wonderful, wonderful people here who help one another in amazing ways; there is certainly still a sense of community, but I do feel it has diminished over the years, which is natural, I suppose.


With every single OP I create I ask people to please spread the word about Wishadoo so that community can grow. After all, the more who gather...

I fairly recently posted an OP with an activist idea I had to help citizens:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023385076


But, as I type this, I don't know what else to do to help DUers and/or get the attention of more community members here at DU to help one another. Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome.

Options as I see it are people creating separate posts here on DU with their needs; I'm not sure if that still requires admin permission or not. The problem with that is that if the site becomes more flooded with individual OPs, attention paid to such posts will wane just as they have for my Help a DUer OPs. I don't know. There are a ton of fundraising platforms nowadays (like gofundme.com, for example) which make personal fundraisers easier; of course, they charge a fee, on top of PayPal's fees, and -- like everything else online nowadays -- there are sooooooo many people using them that individual needs, unless they become viral in some way, get lost in the midst of the hundreds of thousands of other requests.


(Before anyone asks, I need to get updates from the DUers who do have Wishlist posts so I can manually update the widget that shows the progress. That's time consuming for me, too. In a perfect world, Wishadoo would have it's own built-in tools available there, that work properly. But that takes money. And, again, I did not set Wishadoo up as a fundraising site -- nor do I charge anything as fundraising sites do -- and I DO NOT INTEND for Wishadoo to become strictly a fundraising site. There is so much more to Wishadoo -- a marketplace, a business directory, ecards, a forum, groups, etc), and there's so much more we can do to help one another.)


Below is the content I include with every Help a DUer OP, in case you've never really read it.

Thanks for reading.





[font color="blue"][font size="3"]PLEASE: [/font size][/font color]

* Recommend this thread and keep it kicked for visibility.

* Please scan the Wishlist in general on a regular basis; some posts are simply asking for information. It's not always about money.

* ACKNOWLEDGE these courageous people who have made themselves vulnerable by asking for help. Please offer whatever support you can (information, advice, well wishes, financial or other support, etc.).

* Share Wishadoo! with others (online and in person)...your friends, loved ones, neighbors, co-workers, other networks and organizations; after all, the more who gather...[/font color]



[center][font color=green]* * * * *

ABOUT WISHADOO!: Anyone is welcome to use the tools at Wishadoo, so long as the Terms of Service are adhered to (basically "play nice" and don't lie). Wishadoo! is a comprehensive portal providing tools, resources and inspiration to connect, help/be helped, and cultivate compassion, cooperation and authentic community in myriad ways, online and in our own "backyards." Wishadoo!'s tools have been designed to integrate and be of service to all sectors of community: individuals, neighborhoods, schools, organizations and businesses.

Any contributions to Wishadoo! itself go toward the cost of maintaining the site, NOT toward any Wishlist posts. That takes place one on one, between Wishadoo! members. If you are able to help with costs to keep the site going, I'd appreciate your generosity tremendously and will be forever indebted.
http://www.wishadoo.org/support-wishadoo/

MANY, MANY thanks to those who have already
helped support Wishadoo! in various ways!



[/center]

September 8, 2013

*** Help a DUer *** Sunday, 9/8/13 (9/13 UPDATE)

[font color="red"]9/13/13[/font color]

PLEASE VISIT THE INDIVIDUAL WISHLIST POSTS (links are given below), WHERE THERE ARE FUNDRAISING "WIDGETS" INSERTED. The widgets show the progress of the fundraisers.

The widget updates automatically if it is used for the donation, but the DUers who created the Wishlist posts are giving me periodic updates (sometimes people mail donations or don't use the widget) of total amount received, and I manually update the widget to reflect it as often as I can.

If Wishadoo is going to continue to have so many individual fundraisers (remember, I didn't set it up to be a fundraising site), I'm going to see if I can get a quote on modifying the Wishlist section of the site to have tools and features similar to fundraising platforms, to make this process easier on all concerned.

* * * *


[font color="brown"](I was previously given permission by Skinner to post periodically about http://www.wishadoo.org, especially when it involves DUers, with this required disclaimer: "The administrators of Democratic Underground have given permission for one discussion thread on this topic. The administrators of Democratic Underground make no claims regarding the legitimacy or illegitimacy of this fundraising effort. Permission was granted by Skinner on 8/6/2010, and the moderators have been notified.&quot [/font]

If you're not familiar with Wishadoo, please see my journal for previous posts. I respectfully ask that if you have concerns about the veracity of a DUer's request that you contact me privately. If you disagree with and dislike a DUer for any number of reasons and feel they may not be worthy of others' attention or assistance, please keep that to yourself. It has no place in these OPs. Thanks in advance for honoring that request.

* * * * *


I'm in the middle of a personal crisis of my own and don't have the time or energy to do a proper post with background info on each person's needs, but DUers are writing, expressing how they're in dire straits, so I'm doing the best I can with this OP. Please forgive my brevity.

I'd really appreciate it if you'd recommend and help keep this kicked. Write the DUer in question, here at DU or at Wishadoo if you have questions, recommendations/suggestions, want verification of some sort (remember, Wishadoo is about one-on-one, I'm just providing the platform), etc.

They're listed below in order of the most recent Wishlist post, with their DU name given; not every post at Wishadoo is from a DUer. If/when I can, I may figure out a way to flag Wishlist posts that are from DUers, rather than have to do these OPs which break it down; instead, I can post simply to remind people to please visit and view Wishadoo's Wishlist.


* * * * *

Are Grits Groceries

http://www.wishadoo.org/wishlist/199/money-for-repairing-my-car-new-glasses-other/


stewert

http://www.wishadoo.org/wishlist/196/money-to-help-me-pay-my-bills-until-november/


Lady Freedom Returns

http://www.wishadoo.org/wishlist/197/money-to-help-till-i-get-back-up-on-my-feet/



PLEASE SEE OTHERS' WISHLIST POSTS (w/more info) IN THIS 8/27/13 "HELP A DUER" OP:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023542813


Sorry if this is messy or inconvenient. I won't have time to help keep it kicked much. I'll ask the DUers to please keep me updated so I can try to update their Wishlist posts and fundraising widget accordingly.

If I've missed anyone not listed in this 9/8 post or the 8/27 post, please message me.




* * * * *


[font color="blue"][font size="3"]PLEASE ALSO: [/font size][/font color]

* Recommend this thread and keep it kicked for visibility.

* Please scan the Wishlist in general on a regular basis; some posts are simply asking for information. It's not always about money.

* ACKNOWLEDGE these courageous people who have made themselves vulnerable by asking for help. Please offer whatever support you can (information, advice, well wishes, financial or other support, etc.)

* Share Wishadoo! with others (online and in person)...your friends, loved ones, neighbors, co-workers, other networks and organizations; after all, the more who gather...

THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE IN NEED, HERE AT DU ALONE, THAN PEOPLE WITH RESOURCES TO HELP. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO EXPAND THE WISHADOO COMMUNITY.[/font color]




[center][font color=green]* * * * *

ABOUT WISHADOO!: Anyone is welcome to use the tools at Wishadoo, so long as the Terms of Service are adhered to (basically "play nice" and don't lie). Wishadoo! is a comprehensive portal providing tools, resources and inspiration to connect, help/be helped, and cultivate compassion, cooperation and authentic community in myriad ways, online and in our own "backyards." Wishadoo!'s tools have been designed to integrate and be of service to all sectors of community: individuals, neighborhoods, schools, organizations and businesses.

Any contributions to Wishadoo! itself go toward the cost of maintaining the site, NOT toward any Wishlist posts. That takes place one on one, between Wishadoo! members. If you are able to help with costs to keep the site going, I'd appreciate your generosity tremendously and will be forever indebted.
http://www.wishadoo.org/support-wishadoo/

MANY, MANY thanks to those who have already
helped support Wishadoo! in various ways!




[/center]