Have a look and make your statement. I think this should not be allowed and PO's should not send them. Or am I wrong and is this acceptable?
Please tell me what you think

ooh ooh! me next

let me see...

my bfs a bum who plays far to many computer games, I'm recovering from depression/anxiety/stress disorder with borderline obsessive compulsive disorder.

I came off the sickness benefit because I didn't want to be considered a bludger, went back to work to try and support us both, recently "lost it again" and had to quit my job due to my boss abusing me and the fact I couldn't handle being there.

To make things worse I have over $1000 credit card debt and no income at all. I can't get government help because bless their merry souls they are all busy till the second week of january.

But wait theres more! The landlord is selling the house, the people who want to buy it want another $40 a week which we can't possibly meet, with my hoard of animals and internet addict bf moving is hardly an option

and to top things off my lovely old piece of junk car has pretty much given up the ghost and can't seem to push itself over 70k when the speed limit is 100k on the open road

I've got RSI due to overclicking and we can't get a christmas tree because my cat likes to climb it and play with the decorations.

My parents recently moved overseas and now my dad has gone into a major state of depression losing over 14kg in 2 months.. I don't have enough to money to go to see them.

the debts are rising, the hope is dwindling but do I share my problems with the whole getpaid world!

I think not!


seriously though I don't think this is acceptable.. its a form of emotional blackmail.

If it offends you, just hit the delete key. There is actually a lot worse advertising on TV, it's just done more deviously, like through kids.

I was on my way back to bed, but no I don't have a problem with these (except maybe Juliets reply) you can do what kouta said and delete. It did state you can donate OR look at her PTC's, so she wasn't flat out asking for money. Personally, I take these as they come, if I want to join a site listed I do, I just don't outright donate anymore.
Hugs,
Kim

I have to agree with ya there. Typically people that do this are just trying to get a decent click ratio on a search or whatever they are advertising by preying on the sympathy of others.
I mean who in there right mind would air there dirty laundry in a paid email? Or in any email for that matter other than to try and gain sympathy to catch some random money. I most deffinately would not broadcast my misfortune across the web and embarrass myself in the process.
We are seeing this far too often in paid mails lately. Dont get me wrong, im not cold hearted but isnt it funny how the charity cases always seem to run rampant during the holidays? My experience dealing with people is that there are many people that will sink to any deapths in order to make a buck, I can guarantee if my financial situation became overwhelming I would not be spending money on advertising and would probably get rid of the internet connection and sell my computer and quietly contact the united way or something else to see what kind of assistance I would qualify for.
If I make a donation I will never under any circumstance give away money to an individual because of a sympathy story. I do donate to the United Way and the March of Dimes but those are legitimate charities but falling victim to the multitude of sob stories on the web is something im certainly not ready to do cause most of them are just plain fake. Im not a harsh person but this is something that has gotten pretty old.

I dont like it...but that may be because I have some money issues - never mind a car that keeps on breaking, I dont and never have had a car! - etc etc blah blah blah - I honestly dont like these emails from wm's. We all have money needs or we wouldnt be here!

Obviously she can afford a computer and internet bills! Maybe she should sell that for some money lol

I guess I am more of a realist when it comes to these things. I support the charities the best that I can and my sites even make donations in the name of the site and its members but I just do not have much sympathy pain for beggers. I guess its kind of like what my grandmother always said "Never give money straight to the homeless because the way they got that way is because they cant handle money, so what do ya think they will do with money you give them as a hand out? Certainly not go and use the money wisely" even though it may not be true to every person its still a fact that, How do we know that this persons idea of poverty is missing out on a day without T Bone steak for dinner, or running behind on paying for there maid or gardner and heaven forbid that the BMW payment fall a few days behind. Sounds kinda funny but I have met so many people that think they are doing without in a major way when that check from the stock market is a few thousand short of that 50,000 they normally get.

In Australia a family like that would be well looked after by the government. I cant give you the exact figure but a single disability pension is around $540 a fortnight and ther is a lot more for wife and kids. But its not utopia, a lot of unnecessary hospital deaths have just come to light. It might be free but it seems you were often lucky to get out alive. People come on hard times, it happens. All ads are paid to be read arent they?

Sometimes life plays such tricks on us that it might seem unbelievable to others. I know all about it, and I guess we all had our misfortunes. But I don't think you can use that to try to get the money out of the pockets of others.

I dont understand what the problem is with Juliet's reply?

i do have a very strong problem with these ads

i perosnally never had parents that struggled to make ends meet

but i did have friends that did

and believe me if that ment picking up dog ###### they did it

they didnt sit around and beg

to me its just appauling

and its always around the holidays

so for 6 months with no work she did alright but now she has ato ask total starngers

she dosent have 1 friend or family member that can help her out

cough bullshit cough

hmm...

everyone has their fair share of sob stories...why arent we sending our search ads and pour out the tears there? i guess we still hv some pride and dignity not to go begging.

and i second that notion of wanting Wm to verify these type of 'emotional blackmail' ads before letting them out.

juz my 0.025 cents

Miciowillys gave me a free ad for spending on the Help the Cats bubble.
I got a thank you letter from her and the cats.

Than I remembered Mikki and her kitties and sent her the link in reply:

http://www.fveap.org.cnchost.com/sys-tmpl/...desperateneed3/

She sent it to her members as a "charity-link" and that was a verry nice thing to do.

Maybe all po's should decide if they want to send a link like that and not accepting begging-advertising.

And name it a charity link.

Marian

I was thinking that if all these folks could pour out their life stories in an email, perhaps I could run an ad stating that I'm getting married and need help paying for a wedding dress or I'll be married in blue jeans...think it'd work?

Ok, after a couple PM's and the reaction to what I said here, I'll tell you why Juilette's reply bothers me. I have 2 kids with my first marriage and 7 with my second. I fight and scrimp every single day for food, rent utilities. etc. I use my home business to pay for the internet. My hubby is self employed also, with his own business for 19 years. Yes, we are poor, that was OUR choice, and we do not ask for help ever. But there are many out there poorer than we are, that we help every chance we can, when we know for a fact they need it. I don't like anyone making fun of them, you don't know for sure their lying do you?. What would it hurt any one of you to click a link? I am sorry I sound so cold, I have a huge number of friends on here I do not want to lose, and I really do love you all and wish you all the most Blessed of Christmas's
Kim

I hope your hubby helps to raise all the children, Kim.
I had to raise 3 on my own and now I want my life back.
And I don't want all the begging in my mails.
I get sick of it. I'm poor too, I didn't choose to be, nobody does, it happens to a lot of people.
I don't want the scams and I don't want the real bad cases, there are just to much of them.

Marian

Hi Miss {{{{{{Marion}}}}}}}
Yes he does. And yes, I agree there can be to many sob stories, but how do we know for sure?
{{{{{{{{Big Hugs}}}}}}}
Love,
Kim
*edited to add* Marion you always have my prayers

In my experience she should forget the internet to make money. Thers too many people after HER money, what little she has and its only a very few who succeed on the internet. I have an offline business and student money to fall back on, thats why I have been able to spend so much time on the net. But its very hard to make money here.

I took my little granddoughter and her mother in ,about a month ago (I will never get my life back,lol).
They were kicked out of their home.
I will never say that anyone should sell their computer, she can use it for free with us, we have a network, anyone should be able to do something besides all the work and responcebilities, otherwise you take it out on the kids!

thanks Kim.

Marian

What still amazes me are certain webmasters out there who send out emails to their members with sob stories, and yes some of these webmasters have asked their members for donations!

"Last month my dog was runover, last week my child was diagnosed with a brain tumour, yesterday I died on the operating table, and next week we're being kicked out of our home. Can you please donate some money so I can pay the members of this site? But only if you really really want to of course"

Actually I can think of one webmaster who didn't even pretend that she was begging for the cash to pay members.

Get some dignity and get some ethics!

Well, speaking from experience, I've been on both sides of the fence. I've had a good respectable job and a nice place to live and a reliable car and I did it all on my own most of my life but then I suffered a major clinical depression and ended up (illegaly) losing my job which consequently left me with no insurance which basically left me at the mercy of the state. That resulted in losing my apartment and my car getting repossesed. At that point I was homeless. It had nothing to do with not being able to handle money. Some family members helped me through but it was apparent that I was a burden and that contributed even further to my depression. That was a few years ago and since then I've gradually gotten better although not cured. A little better one day at a time. I've read a lot about severe depression and the myths surrounding it contributed even more to it since most people think you can control it. Medical research indicates it has more to do with altered brain chemistry. Without getting into the nitty gritty details, it is an illness that infiltrates people from all walks of life. It is insidious and debilititating. There were times when I was completely homeless, sitting outside at night wondering where my next meal was coming from and wondering how on earth I ever got to that low point in my life. It is hard to ask friends and family for help when you know they are strapped, too and you feel like you're a burden to them. Once you've lost everything, it's very very difficult to get things back.

I met some of the kindest people who had nothing at all to give but was still able to offer a morsel...to share what they had with others and I've done the same. I've met some of the worst people, too who feed on the down and out. Maybe we don't know if the person's sob story is the truth but just for a moment take the time to realize there are educated people who, by some chain of events beyond their control...ended up on the street. Would you want people to kick your mother if that happened to her? Or would you want people to find it in their kind hearts to offer a hot meal and a warm, safe place to sleep....?

I am not going to fall for every sob story out there but I do like to give people the benefit of the doubt. It's so easy to criticize and say we would do things differently but one never really knows how one would react when everything they know is taken away from them in the blink of an eye.

To think anyone is above being stricken with a major illness that can render you helpless is a grave mistake. You know the old saying, "There....but for the grace of God...go I." Always remember that and stay safe.

Jypsy,

For a little green duck with a flat butt - you make the most awesome posts!! I have tears in my eyes after reading this one. I know too well how your life can change in the blink of an eye - and try to keep that in mind every day. Thanks

{{{{{hugs}}}}

Lisa

I usually go with my gut on these. I figure a great majority are playing on our emotions. ...And my gut got me out of Gypsydad, Jays, and Nilecash before they got in the messes they got into.

yes, most people online have sob stories, that is why they are here.
I understand why everyone is so cynical, there are a lot of scammers out there.
I wouldnt send these people money, however I will click on a search or a link or if I want to sign up for a program I will sign under them. To do that doesnt cost me a dime.
If everyone who has sob stories would help everyone else out, and put cynicism aside, then the world would be a better place. Not just in here but everywhere.
After all, while most may not be true, some are, and if i can help keep a mother and her 3 kids from being homeless by taking a minute to click a search then I dont see anything wrong with that, and I would hope that people would be willing to do the same for me should the situation ever arise.
My family and I do ok now, but there was a time after my husband and I first got married that he wouldnt work! So I know what it is like to be desperate, luckily he has matured and now works 55 hours a week (THANK GOD!!!)
but I'm just saying people get into situations, and it doesnt hurt to help them if at all possible.
JMO

What a load of pitiful smoulch!!
I am sorry but this industry has no room for this kind of emotional back mail!
I am a quadriplegic, I got debt, I got to work everyday, I gotcha problems!!
hehe, as far as I am concerned, 99.9# of these people are just janking our collective chains.
I found one of these sites no so long ago, that on a page it had a sob story, but if you went to the index these people had their own online store, not an affiliate, but THEIR OWN STORE!!
and yet their story clearly stated that they had no form of income, whatsoever!

grrrrr!

OK sorry, I'll take my pills now I've had my little outburst.

Awww...thank you guys for your hugs and words of encouragement and support. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to understand for you to get through the day, huh?

I also wanted to say that for those who know that feeling of hopelessness all too well, never lose faith in yourself because after all, when everything and everyone else is taken away, you always have yourself. Love yourself. Treat yourself kindly. Forgive yourself, too. Let people love you. Let people in. Know that God loves you even when you don't.

{{{{{{{Hugs Back}}}}}}}}

Look. I'm no grinch but i have had members email me a sob story asking for payout,etc. It seems that they only seem to have "hard times" around christmas.Let's think about that.... the one time of the year when people are nicer and more compassionate. If you ask me it is disgraceful. I feel kinda used.

I don't know if they are telling the truth or not. I don't mind giving a member a helping hand. I have done this on a few occassions. BUT I am not going to donate to every cause I see out there. I have a family also. THEY come first.


Shane

RSI= Repetitive stress injury

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh .......

ls that why my hands hurt? And l can't hold a spoon to stir my coffee in the mornings when l wake up (let alone pour it!!)

Thankyou, Helen


Fay

Angi !!


l'll write if you pour - deal ???

Sure!!! LOL

Well, I hate sob stories that ask for donations. I don't mind sob stories that ask just for a search or a sign up.
I have my problems..
I wish I had the guts to share them in a public forum like some have.... but I don't.
I never think it hurts to remember though --- what goes around comes around.
If they ask for a search because they need help.. (even if it isn't true) that small act of kindness will be returned.
You just never know who's life you touch by showing a little kindness.