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BS: Hunger Site question

19 Apr 08 - 02:23 PM (#2320164)
Subject: BS: Hunger Site question
From: GUEST,Mike in DC

I assume that many of you are familiar with The Hunger Site where, by clicking on a button, you can “contributeâ€쳌 to providing staple foods for the hungry. The actual contributions come from the site sponsors, who have display ads on the site. The more people click, the more money gets sent to America’s Second Harvest and Mercy Corps. Seems like a good idea. Can’t do any harm anyway, right? Since the site went up in 1999, five other ones have been established using the same model â€" Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, Rainforest Protection, and Animal Rescue. The sites are all linked and, with a high speed connection, you can click on all six in less than a minute.

But here’s what I don’t understand. Each of the sites provides daily and monthly statistics on the number of clicks. I assumed that they would all be more or less the same, since they’re all good causes and it’s easy to go from one to the next. But no. Last August, when I looked into this, the two most popular sites were the Breast Cancer and Animal Rescue, with around 166, 000 clicks per day. The Hunger Site was a distant third at 109,000. Even further back were Rainforest (77,000), and Child Health and Literacy (71,000 each).

What’s going on here? I know some people are crazy about animals. I like them myself. But couldn’t any more than half of them click on Child Health or Literacy while they were in the neighborhood? I don’t want to tell people what issues should concern them, but I sure would like to know what accounts for these differences.

Mike


19 Apr 08 - 02:26 PM (#2320166)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: GUEST,Mike in DC

Sorry about all those funny characters in the last post. I guess it's because I cut and pasted from Word. Won't do that again.

Mike


19 Apr 08 - 02:38 PM (#2320179)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: Terreblanche

Why why why is it whenever these countries request the right to self govern they never forget to ask the world to look after their people ?

I see their military four wheel drives loaded with guys with the latest weapons, if they can buy them, they can buy food.

Aim your plea at the governments of such countries.


19 Apr 08 - 02:43 PM (#2320183)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: GUEST,Mike in DC

So can I mark you down as an "Animal Rescue only" clicker? As far as I can tell, they only rescue American animals.

Mike


19 Apr 08 - 02:55 PM (#2320198)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: Georgiansilver

Forget making the odd donation...get in there and DO SOMETHING yourself. Amazing the feeling of self worth it gives you!


19 Apr 08 - 03:38 PM (#2320221)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: GUEST,Mike in DC

I agree. But there's no reason you can't do both. Not that clicking at the Hunger Site counts as a donation.

Mike


19 Apr 08 - 03:41 PM (#2320223)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: Jean(eanjay)

I can see that some causes attract more support than others and I have been guilty of that myself. When I first started clicking on these sites I did only click on certain ones but now I just do the whole lot; as you say it takes no time at all.

I also try to fill most of the charity bags that are posted through my letter box. However, I don't fill the ones that I think may be involved in animal experiments. If I give to an animal charity I do try to give the same to a charity for children. To try to answer your question, I think that we do what makes us feel good and that is an individual thing. I also think that charities that appear to relieve suffering are more popular than those where the suffering is less obvious. Also, helplessness is popular - if you can understand what I mean.

get in there and DO SOMETHING yourself

It isn't always possible for people to do something themselves and if they make the odd donation or click the odd site then it will always be welcome. I have to say that I have stood in the centre of Harrogate collecting for HADA (Harrogate Alcohol and Drug Agency), I have collected door to door for Christian Aid and I have baked cakes and done sponsored walks etc. I'm at the point where I feel that donating is all that I am willing (and sometimes able) to do but for those people who do DO SOMETHING there is a great deal of satisfaction - it is worth it.


19 Apr 08 - 03:48 PM (#2320228)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: Georgiansilver

Been to Romania with Humanitarian aid several times....done two Firewalks"....yep walking over hot coals for two different Hospices.....done a bungee jump and a Five peaks challenge...(Ie climbed the five highest peaks in the British Isles in 48.5 hours)
Did a 2 hour Aerobothon.....(ie 2 hours of Aerobics) for a local Hospice...etc etc etc etc....get into it yourselves...DO SOMETHING directly not by donation..........Raise money from your friends by being sponsored.......some of my friends sponsored me at £10 to £20 a go for doing some of the things I did and it so helps others who are less fortunate than ourselves.....GO FOR IT!!!!!!... I am just some ordinary guy who wants to make a difference...so can YOU!!!!!


19 Apr 08 - 03:51 PM (#2320229)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: Jean(eanjay)

Wow!


19 Apr 08 - 04:16 PM (#2320245)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: Georgiansilver

And I guess I will be 60 onthe 1st of May.....what is my next challenge?


19 Apr 08 - 04:59 PM (#2320275)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: McGrath of Harlow

I've got a link to the Huger site on my home page. Click on hat, and open a tab for each of the good causes, and click on them all.   Just now I timed it and it took 24 seconds. Anyone manage to beat that time?


19 Apr 08 - 05:38 PM (#2320292)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: autolycus

I found the Hunger site via here and haven't gone looking for others.

On the assumption that many others are in the same boat, that would help account for the different figs for different sites.


Ivor


19 Apr 08 - 07:05 PM (#2320356)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: McGrath of Harlow

They're all really the same site - I mean open up any of them and tabs are displayed for all six of them. If people don't open and click any of them it means they have made a decision not to help that one. Which feels rather mean.


20 Apr 08 - 03:28 AM (#2320535)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: autolycus

No McGrath, it can mean other things, like lacking curiosity and being poor at "reading" web-sites. Got it now.

What happens with me is, once I've got the hang of a particular web pathway, I stick to ir crab-like, and look no further.

Thank goodness the aproach of others to the world is different. I think I've just learnt something very significant about myself.

And it is the fact that we're actual different from one another, which makes 'knowing' what's going on for someone else usually impossible.



BTW, does everybody click just once, I click anything from 5 to a dozen times at each visit. Took me a while for that to occur to me.


   Ivor


20 Apr 08 - 08:31 AM (#2320614)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: Jean(eanjay)

Which feels rather mean.

Certainly on that site I am happy to "help" all of those charities but there are some charities that, for my own personal reasons, I prefer not to help ..... doesn't mean I'm mean.


20 Apr 08 - 12:29 PM (#2320735)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: McGrath of Harlow

Some charities, true enough - but for all the ones on that site I can't imagine any other reason to leave them out in the cold. That doesn't necessarily mean I'd see them all as equally high priority, but that is quite another matter.


20 Apr 08 - 12:41 PM (#2320744)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: autolycus

to leave them out in the cold.

Not to notice them another (I hope you took in my last)

Tho the outcome is the same.

The error is give only one reason as possible for the outcome when there are evidently others.


Ivor


20 Apr 08 - 05:39 PM (#2320976)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: GUEST,Mike in DC

"BTW, does everybody click just once, I click anything from 5 to a dozen times at each visit. Took me a while for that to occur to me."

I believe each site limits you to one click from a given computer. After that, they don't count, even though the screen says your click has been counted. I imagine the site sponsors would object to paying for hundreds or more clicks from the same person.

Mike


20 Apr 08 - 06:36 PM (#2321028)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: McGrath of Harlow

You can click once a day for each of the tabs, and it counts. And as for not noticing them - they are all there in a row at the top of the screen, left to right... Though I accept, that doesn't mean everyone is going notice them.


21 Apr 08 - 01:41 AM (#2321213)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: autolycus

Thanks Mike, another case where, as is the opposite of what it says in a Btitish ad,"It doesn't do what it says on the tin."

Ivor


21 Apr 08 - 07:54 AM (#2321384)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: Jean(eanjay)

I hadn't realised either that you couldn't do multiple clicks each visit and I've been happily clicking away!


21 Apr 08 - 10:08 AM (#2321481)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: Donuel

That is mighty nice of you MIKE, thanks.


21 Apr 08 - 10:11 AM (#2321483)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: Donuel

The Bush administration has donated $200 million toward this recent food crises.

What if the candidates pledged half of thier donations to food relief?
Hey there is no harm in asking.


21 Apr 08 - 04:05 PM (#2321838)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: McGrath of Harlow

This blog has an entry giving an enormous list of other similar sites, with links - just scroll   down to Donating Money Without Spending A Rupee.

I make it 53 links of all sorts (but I may have lost count). I haven''t yet timed how long it takes to get through them all. Sort of finger charity marathon...


21 Apr 08 - 04:12 PM (#2321847)
Subject: RE: BS: Hunger Site question
From: autolycus

What if the candidates pledged half of thier donations to food relief?

Or international investors, hedge funds, banks, billionaires, arms dealers, metals magnates, oil conglomerates - you know, people and orgs (list incomplete) who could lose a bundle and not even notice; like that pop singer for whom £6 million went awol, and they didn't notice.

Ivor