# Mods/Admins, seriously stop it with the "Pls help, I need money" threads. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 13, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333 "2012-08-13T01:57:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/161 "2012-08-15T17:10:48Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That’s simple alright, but an idea isn’t good just because it’s simple. Yeah, but in this case, it’s both good AND simple. You (collectively, not you in specific) still haven’t told us why “I wanna go to cart00n college” is a valid need and “I wanna go to Vienna to go to sex college” or “My dog shredded my carpets, pls hlp!” isn’t. Seriously–you ARE vetting them when you apply distinctions like this. So…help us out a little: what do you base them on? Why cart00n college and not new carpets? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/162 "2012-08-15T17:17:27Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > You (collectively, not you in specific) still haven’t told us why “I wanna go to cart00n college” is a valid need and “I wanna go to Vienna to go to sex college” or “My dog shredded my carpets, pls hlp!” isn’t. If that’s the full extent of your ability to comprehend the situation, I think you’re just going to have to keep wondering. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/163 "2012-08-15T17:46:02Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > If that’s the full extent of your ability to comprehend the situation, I think you’re just going to have to keep wondering. So personal insults (not about my post, but about me) are now ok in ATMB? Because, if so, I’d like my prior warning in this thread revisited. And despite that, you still didn’t answer the question about the distinction between cartoon college and new carpet. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/164 "2012-08-15T17:49:00Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > So personal insults (not about my post, but about me) are now ok in ATMB? Because, if so, I’d like my prior warning in this thread revisited. It wasn’t a personal insult, I won’t revisit your warning, and I’m not going to give your ridiculous question another answer. However I give you permission to complain about what I just said in some other ATMB thread eight years from now. You’ll have to make do with that. Does anybody have an actual question, or should I just close this thread? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/165 "2012-08-15T17:51:31Z")
You should answer the legitimate question of why wanting to go to cartoon college is a valid need. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/166 "2012-08-15T18:02:06Z")
It’s not cartoon college. It’s an adult education program and he’s looking for training in web development and making eBooks. The OP is long-term unemployed with a background in tech writing and wants some additional job skils, and decided on this idea after meetings with a career counselor. I have to ask: did you read the thread, or just this (much longer) complaint thread where everybody who discussed the idea tried to make it sound as childish and stupid as possible? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/167 "2012-08-15T18:09:55Z")
I read the opening post and thought, that’s an admirable goal but not appropriate for a donation thread. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/168 "2012-08-15T18:19:24Z")
“Then don’t give him your money,” everybody said again. I fail to see how the thread is inappropriate in some broader sense. The guy says he’s been out of work a long time and thinks this program will make him more employable, but he doesn’t have the money to make that happen. I don’t know if it’s the best way for **Sunspace** to get a job, but of course people are welcome to examine his idea and give him other career advice (and several have done so). But then again I also don’t see how calling it “cartoon college” over and over again is accurate or productive, so maybe I don’t have my finger on the pulse of America. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/169 "2012-08-15T18:27:58Z")
Let’s be honest, he probably received less than $50 total in donations. It probably won’t help him that much, but also nobody is losing their retirement on helping him out. ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/170 "2012-08-15T18:49:38Z")
Charles M. Schulz’s income during his lifetime totaled more than $1.1 billion and Forbes ranked Schulz as the third highest-earning deceased celebrity. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/171 "2012-08-15T20:03:06Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Let’s be honest, he probably received less than $50 total in donations. It probably won’t help him that much, but also nobody is losing their retirement on helping him out. Which underlines yet another problem. If one doesn’t meet their goal, then what? The generous Dopers on this board pretty much bought him dinner at The Outback steak house. Way to go guys! Don’t ya’ just feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside? ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/172 "2012-08-15T20:05:13Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Which underlines yet another problem. If one doesn’t meet their goal, then what? > > The generous Dopers on this board pretty much bought him dinner at The Outback steak house. > > Way to go guys! Don’t ya’ just feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside? The Outback Special steak is a really good value though, and they give you as much of that dark rye bread that you want. ---
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/173 "2012-08-15T20:18:21Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > The Outback Special steak is a really good value though, and they give you as much of that dark rye bread that you want. I’ve heard great things about that little Uighur barbecue place in the Village. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/174 "2012-08-15T21:29:56Z")
I’m curious what will happen next, when OSAP says nay, and he’s already moved cities, and paid cash to reserve a spot in a course he now has no funding for, not to mention living expenses. Who changes cities for college, without first securing the funding to attend? Assuming the mods all attended college, how did that pass the sniff test? And based on what, do you think he only got $50? I’d really like to know. I’d wager he did better than that, based solely on the number of people who have been previously helped, and are keen to repay that kindness. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but I would imagine attempts to repay such kindnesses could be met with a lot of, ‘No matter, pay it forward to someone else in need, and we’re all good!’ ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/175 "2012-08-15T21:37:53Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > And based on what, do you think he only got $50? I’d really like to know. I’d wager he did better than that, based solely on the number of people who have been previously helped, and are keen to repay that kindness. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but I would imagine attempts to repay such kindnesses could be met with a lot of, ‘No matter, pay it forward to someone else in need, and we’re all good!’ Just based on the idea that if people give at all, it’s likely a trivially small amount like a $5-10. A few people claimed to have donated, so obviously they’d like to get credit for being “Good People” but they can donate $5 and still pat themselves on the back about it. I picked $50 arbitrarily. It could be $100, or $200 (but no way it’s more than that) - and it’s still nowhere near what he needs. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/176 "2012-08-15T21:43:46Z")
**elbows** , if you’re interested in **Sunspace** ’s plans, you could ask him by PM or in his thread. I don’t think you’re going to get an answer by wondering aloud in a thread **Sunspace** has not participated in. I agree it’s unlikely he raised a whole bunch of money since the thread didn’t receive that many replies. The thread was posted Sunday and nobody has posted to it since Monday night. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/177 "2012-08-15T22:13:16Z")
Marley, I would just like to express my appreciation for your moderation, which is nearly always calm and cool-headed even when you are dealing with obnoxious users who are yelling in all caps. Like me. (I mean, in preceding posts. Not this one.) Anyway, sorry for the digression, carry on. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/178 "2012-08-15T22:38:34Z")
I want to re-suggest my Marketplace idea. I think it would solve a lot of the complaints. One, the “alms threads” would all be in one place where they fit a little better than MPSIMS and, two, only members could start threads which would cut down on most scam artists because they wouldn’t want to pay the membership fee. Just make it a policy: If the thread involves money changing hands - it goes in Marketplace. Guests such as myself can’t post, but it doesn’t stop guests from reading the thread and then PM’ing the poster if they want to. It’s simple, it will work, and I think it will silence most\* of the complaints. \*Not all the complaints, of course. I don’t think that will _ever_ happen around here ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/179 "2012-08-15T22:43:44Z")
Maybe I am missing something but this all seems pretty simple and reasonable to me. Correct me if I’m wrong: -If anyone wants financial help for a cause, they have to run it by the Staff first so email or PM the request to your favorite Moderator. The cause could be a charity or direct help for the requester of maybe even something else. -The Staff will review each request. They will make their best subjective decision based on the nature of the request and the history of the requester. They will not do much, if any, work to verify the veracity of the facts of the request. (Define the word “vet” here however you like.) -If approved, the request may be posted. -Other posters are free to donate or not but should be aware, like with anything else in life, that, while unlikely, it may not be on the up and up. -Like in any non-Pit thread, people are free to disagree and post contrary information but not to be dicks or threadshitters about it. If you feel that you must be more vehement in your disagreement, start a Pit thread and link to it in the main thread. Does that make sense? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333/180 "2012-08-15T23:04:00Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Maybe I am missing something but this all seems pretty simple and reasonable to me. > > Correct me if I’m wrong: > > -If anyone wants financial help for a cause, they have to run it by the Staff first so email or PM the request to your favorite Moderator. The cause could be a charity or direct help for the requester of maybe even something else. > -The Staff will review each request. They will make their best subjective decision based on the nature of the request and the history of the requester. They will not do much, if any, work to verify the veracity of the facts of the request. (Define the word “vet” here however you like.) > -If approved, the request may be posted. > -Other posters are free to donate or not but should be aware, like with anything else in life, that, while unlikely, it may not be on the up and up. > -Like in any non-Pit thread, people are free to disagree and post contrary information but not to be dicks or threadshitters about it. If you feel that you must be more vehement in your disagreement, start a Pit thread and link to it in the main thread. > > Does that make sense? I think that’s a good summary of the basic policy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mods-admins-seriously-stop-it-with-the-pls-help-i-need-money-threads/631333.md?page=10)