I’m donating three memberships. Let me know who’s interested and I’ll draw numbers…
In your mind, is it implied that the people submitting for the membership should be of limited finances?
Or, as worded above, do you take that to mean anyone who wants a membership?
Firstly, it’s a message board, so there’s really no way to tell. That said, ideally, I would hope only people of limited finances would enter. But then again, that wasn’t a qualifier in the original wording.
Poll to come…
Is that a fair comparison though? Is there no distinction between a multimillion dollar corporation give-away and a guy of lesser means donating out of his or her own pocket?
It’s almost as if you’re saying corporations are people my friend. (OK, I couldn’t resist that last line.)
I really don’t get the point of gift memberships. You can’t do anything as a paid member you can’t do as a guest except try to sell stuff in The Marketplace, and a couple of minor cosmetic perks–think it displays a location and post count or something.
That said, for people that care about being a member vs being a guest, I say leave the freebies for the needy.
As someone who’s been gifted a membership twice, I think it’s a sign of how universally loved and respected by the community the receiver of the gift is.
Means testing is frustratingly difficult. I used to volunteer for a group that helped out people of limited means. The group tried various methods to determine wether someone qualified, but there were cheats/workarounds for each. The last straw was when I recognized a guy who I knew grossed double what I did, and there I was giving up a Sunday for him.
If I am giving free memberships I would not put any constraints on who got them. There are many posters here who are fighting my ignorance and would be deserving of my gift of a free membership.
As worded its open to anyone with no implication of need. I would not take the offer because I can (and have in the past) afford it on my own. But I would not think bad of anyone taking the offer as worded.
I, personally, wouldn’t “apply” for a gift membership as long as I can easily afford to pay for my own. But it doesn’t bother me if other people would.
As stated above…membership here doesn’t really give you anything tangible (with minor exception). Donating a membership is really the equivalent of making a donation to the SDMB in someone else’s name.
Why not just make the donation to the board…or does it really make you feel better to do it in someone else’s name?
First of all, I actually think it was three times… I can’t remember. Second of all, no, because if $14 (or whatever it is) was trivial enough for me to drop it to get someone else a membership I’d probably get myself one first. As much as I like to shit on this place in jest I kind of like it here and wouldn’t mind supporting it.
My memberships were given by kind-hearted anonymous souls, btw. For example.
Anyone should enter. We’re not talking about food or medicine here; the benefits to a subscription to SDMB are so trivial that it’s hard to get upset that some impoverished person was “denied” them because a middle class guy got it instead.
(OK, I couldn’t resist that last line.)