Digital Charity

January 30, 2007 5:38 AM

Behind on your car payments? Need to pay rent? Digital Charity may be your answer. Digital Charity gives you a list (sorted by category) of people who are looking for donations via PayPal. Each person looking for a donation can create a page with their situation and a PayPal link. Anyone interested in giving them money can then click on that link.
posted by Jenesta (45 comments total)

I think the site is rather scary, in the sense there's no way to know who's trying to get free money and who's trying to pay their bills. I don't give money to beggars (only food), so I can't imagine giving something to a site like this. I wish there was a way to know which posts actually received money. I'll bet that would be a fascinating study.
posted by Jenesta at 5:41 AM on January 30, 2007

Or, someone trying to pay the bills because they bought a 62" plasma television with their last paycheck. Did you see that touchdown?
posted by four panels at 5:55 AM on January 30, 2007

I'm donating all the money I have to help them build a site that doesn't burn my eyes.

Also, digital begging? Isn't that so Web 1.9?
posted by veggieboy at 5:55 AM on January 30, 2007

Please help me out. Buried in debt, no heat, 3 kids, deadbeat ex-husband 9 months behind on child support. Need to pay high speed internet bill before I get shut off! Cash or money order. No checks.
posted by cmicali at 6:15 AM on January 30, 2007

I'm having a mixed frightened / sad reaction to this page. I couldn't look for more than about five seconds. There are so many honest ways to make the few bucks you "need" for that Wii. At least it was original when Karyn did it.
posted by knave at 6:15 AM on January 30, 2007

Similar?

Perhaps more effective. (US Version).
posted by mkb at 6:16 AM on January 30, 2007

Yeah this is too scary. I'll stick to Kiva for my charity needs.
posted by saraswati at 6:23 AM on January 30, 2007

I keep looking for a comment box at the bottom of stories so I can mock the beggars. What has Metafilter made me into?
posted by biffa at 6:40 AM on January 30, 2007

Here, I'll be honest. I am currently paid up on my rent, and I don't have a car payment. But I'd really like some extra cash. Anyone feeling generous? Paypal email's in my profile.
posted by knave at 6:43 AM on January 30, 2007

I am afflicted by a bald patch. Where do I sign up?
Actually the other day I gave serious thought to this type of thing when I read an article on some guy who was asking $1.00 donations via paypal to pay for his medical bills. Not that I have medical bills, but I developed this whole scheme to beg for hair implants. Just to see if I can get a rise out of anyone.
posted by Gungho at 6:43 AM on January 30, 2007

From the first page:
"My son, peter, has a hole in the heart and he has just but a little time to live unless we provide money for a heart operation which costs approximately $800. We want you to help us in donationg so we can pay for the operation as time is running out. Please nothing is too small. Even if it is just $1. U can send donation directly to me through my e-mail [e-mail] if u are using western union money transfer. God will surely bless you."

Country: Nigeria
posted by splatta at 6:54 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]

Dear Internet:

Less beggary, more buggery.

Yours, Mister_A
posted by Mister_A at 7:06 AM on January 30, 2007 [3 favorites]

Next time call a hooker.
posted by Mister_A at 7:12 AM on January 30, 2007

I keep looking for a comment box at the bottom of stories so I can mock the beggars. What has Metafilter made me into?

I am your Mini-Me.

The chances of me helping a random stranger who can cobble together a good beg on the internet, are mighty slim. I'll continue to reward those who do it the old fashioned way like I had to at one time in my life.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:14 AM on January 30, 2007

Harry Potter and the Phalanx of the Shameless.
posted by CynicalKnight at 7:26 AM on January 30, 2007

Last week ABC's '20/20' did a segment on Cyberbegging [video].
posted by ericb at 7:48 AM on January 30, 2007

Why hasn't this been truncated to "cybegging" yet?
posted by klangklangston at 8:18 AM on January 30, 2007

The whole 'cyber' prefix is awfully dated these days. I think it should be "iBegging."
posted by knave at 8:22 AM on January 30, 2007

Or perhaps "beggr."
posted by knave at 8:22 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]

I set one up. Let's see how charitable people REALLY are.
posted by klangklangston at 8:25 AM on January 30, 2007 [4 favorites]

iBum
posted by CynicalKnight at 8:34 AM on January 30, 2007

I sent you $100 klang. Let's see how much they take off the top.
posted by hal9k at 8:44 AM on January 30, 2007

Supposedly, the site takes nothing "off the top" and makes money from advertisers.

Thank you klangklangston and hal9k for testing this out, because I couldn't bring myself to do it myself! :)
posted by Jenesta at 8:51 AM on January 30, 2007

That's, uh, $1, right, Kent? Otherwise, we both got boned.
posted by klangklangston at 8:54 AM on January 30, 2007

Yes, klang. Just pulling your leg: I only sent a buck. Glad to see it worked.
I posted my own. Worth a shot.
posted by hal9k at 9:01 AM on January 30, 2007

This sounds like prosper.com except with the Scam knob turned up to 11.

I think that Karyn ruined it for everyone. "Give me money because I blew $30,000 on CRAP." And people did.

Some of these are kind of strange. A few are asking for only $10. I bet they could sell the computer for more than that.
posted by drstein at 9:21 AM on January 30, 2007

And then there is the Moron Knob. It's up to 50.

"Click on the Pay Pal link
**Please visit my website [e-mail]
for pictures."

Someone needs to explain to Mimi that an email address is not a website.
posted by drstein at 9:22 AM on January 30, 2007

Oh, and klangklangston for the win.

I should post one saying that I need a new monitor. I spit coffee all over my current one after reading klangklangston's post.
posted by drstein at 9:26 AM on January 30, 2007

I love this country.
I am going to start raising money for a sock puppet account.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:40 AM on January 30, 2007

108 pages and counting... unless there's a ranking system, that pyramid is down in 3, 2, 1...
posted by creeptick at 10:03 AM on January 30, 2007

Here's mine, I decided to call it like it is.
My favorite is Klang's Robot, I sent you 5 bucks before I even read these comments. lol
posted by RenMan at 10:33 AM on January 30, 2007

I just got this email:

GOOD OPPORTUNIST Inbox

Alex Brown
to jsteichma3

show details
1:11 pm (16 minutes ago)
I read your tourchy story with keen interest and resolved that the world will be a better place if we can be of help to one another. I have helped so many people like you financially online without asking for anything or requesting any favour although I still have hundreds in my list yet to benefit due to one reason or the other, Right now i am in the hospital suffering from easophageal cancer, i do not consider myself leaving again so i should help those whose cases are better than mine to survive with my vast financial resources.
I want you to remove your advert on the internet after i might have given you what you want. I will also help you secure employment in one of my companies in the united state,united kingdom or canada. If you have friends who have the same problems just like you do not hesistate to forward my email address to him/her to get back to me for urgent help.Kindly,get back to me as soon as possible for further details.
Thanks
Alexander Brown Snr


So this may be a spam sink. Torchy story indeed! I will torch your towns and villages and hamlets!

(Plus, thanks for the $5, whoever that was from Ohio. Now if I could only figure out how to get paypal to gimme the $6. Or maybe I'll finally buy a sockpuppet...)
posted by klangklangston at 10:34 AM on January 30, 2007

Last week ABC's '20/20' did a segment on Cyberbegging [video].

Just FYI, the 20/20 story is 90% Dustin Diamond and 10% Save Karyn.
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 11:13 AM on January 30, 2007

batshitindebt
posted by pruner at 11:13 AM on January 30, 2007

Oh yeah, and everyone send me $5.
posted by Nathanial Hörnblowér at 11:22 AM on January 30, 2007

Here's mine, I decided to call it like it is.

Your appeal is akin to the beggar on the sidewalk saying: "Spare in these instances, as a result of the honesty and inherent humor.
posted by ericb at 11:25 AM on January 30, 2007

Whoa (something happened between preview and post). I meant to say: When a street beggar asks: "Spare some change, so I can get some beer or weed?" -- in these instances, as a result of the honesty and inherent humor, I give 'em a buck.
posted by ericb at 12:06 PM on January 30, 2007

Cool, where's my buck?
posted by RenMan at 12:16 PM on January 30, 2007

It's in the mail. ;)
posted by ericb at 12:39 PM on January 30, 2007

I think I'll start a site where I gather up my spare change every day and offer it to the best sob story received by midnight. Just think of the misery that will fill my inbox!
posted by davejay at 3:35 PM on January 30, 2007

Yeah, I just got a note from "Dave" at the "World Bank" saying that he was so moved by my cry for charity that they're going to underwrite it (I just have to give them my bank account number, because they can't go through paypal, since they're based in England).

Finally, aid agencies have realized the vast philanthropic potential of death-ray robodrones.
posted by klangklangston at 7:09 PM on January 30, 2007

Andre Torrez's dropcash.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:31 PM on January 30, 2007

ericb, if I saw a bum carrying a sign that said "Spare in these instances, as a result of the honesty and inherent humor," I would totally give him some cash.
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:02 AM on January 31, 2007

My campaign for a $76 MetroCard, at DigitalCharity.com and at dropcash. I would really appreciate the help.
posted by dagarrat at 11:01 AM on January 31, 2007

Unfortunately, DigitalCharity appears to be down already. So, dagarrat, you win a mini-lottery through dropcash, or at least a third of a card goal.

The backstory here is PayPal has been screwing with me since I foolishly decided to let them verify my existence via new CC. Consequently for the past week I don't know if my PayPals charge what to where or if it's stuck in halfway-between-cards hell of decline charges mode (plus their godawful support can't seem to get back to me with a good answer). I don't want to chance toasting a vendor on eBay or elsewhere, given the negative consequence.

So, we have a rare win-win situation. I send you money. If it shows up, I know PayPal still works. You get money. Or we have lose-lose. PayPal is hosed for me and you don't get money. But I figure you've lost nothing at worst and I'll have gained at least fresh outrage for their support line.

And...it's looking good so far. Not to be childish or anything, but man, PayPal sucks [something horrible goes here].
posted by mdevore at 2:08 PM on February 3, 2007