Facebook Announces Crowdfunding Service To Back Causes Such As Medical Needs (androidandme.com) 67
Facebook said today it is introducing a crowdfunding feature to help users back causes such as education, medical needs, pet medical, crisis relief, personal emergencies and funerals. The new tool, which appears to offer similar features as GoFundMe, allows users 18 or older to "raise money for themselves, a friend or someone or something not on Facebook." From a report: Personal Fundraisers are available in several specific categories, and require a 24-hour review process. Here are the covered categories for now:
Education: such as tuition, books or classroom supplies.
Medical: such as medical procedures, treatments or injuries.
Pet Medical: such as veterinary procedures, treatments or injuries.
Crisis Relief: such as public crises or natural disasters.
Personal Emergency: such as a house fire, theft or car accident.
Funeral and Loss: such as burial expenses or living costs after losing a loved one.
Education: such as tuition, books or classroom supplies.
Medical: such as medical procedures, treatments or injuries.
Pet Medical: such as veterinary procedures, treatments or injuries.
Crisis Relief: such as public crises or natural disasters.
Personal Emergency: such as a house fire, theft or car accident.
Funeral and Loss: such as burial expenses or living costs after losing a loved one.
Please donate today (Score:3, Funny)
I need money to buy Bitcoins.
Please send funds to my Bitcoin wallet 18awryFxpSG2C1PRHWCteoak94HfdFbnfD
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Not really. [blockchain.info]
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
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Even countries with universal healthcare systems don't always cover everything. In Canada, dental isn't covered by the governments.
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And a lot of Canadian people seek cancer treatments in NY state or even Cuba. Same for dental, east Europe is cheap as well as south america. India too.
Canada is not a panacea, especially Québec where you can wait 2 days in ER and die there waiting.
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http://www.journaldemontreal.c... [journaldemontreal.com]
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-nouv... [lapresse.ca]
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-sole... [lapresse.ca]
etc
spare change? (Score:3)
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Are they taking a piece of the donation, you know processing fee or whatever?
You mean on top of the data they're harvesting from you and your donors?
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Really this can be profitable for Facebook simply by tracking who donates, and selling that info to advertisers. There's nothing more valuable to an advertisers than knowing that someone is easily manipulated into spending money.
Everone for themselves (Score:5, Insightful)
I think what really bothers me about this is we're happily tearing down any support nets in the US and instead relying on the goodwill of strangers. This really leans more towards "the rich get richer" because they continue to hoard their money as rather than their tax dollars working towards the welfare of all people for basic needs, people now have to rely on others' post tax dollars if they're lucky.
This is the march towards a pure capitalist society which I think it's going to have it's own host of issues and really pushes the "I got mine, screw you" mentality, rather than trying to help all people in times of need.
Re:Everone for themselves (Score:5, Insightful)
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What this kind of begging does is help people who come from rich backgrounds but are currently less rich. They have wealthy friends and family who will donate to their pet's surgery, whereas people from poor backgrounds are unlikely to have anyone on their friends list who can help out with that.
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This really leans more towards "the rich get richer" because they continue to hoard their money as rather than their tax dollars working towards the welfare of all people for basic needs
People say this yet they ignore, or even outright oppose, radical tax reform such as House Bill 25 [congress.gov] where consumption is taxed rather than income, and since the rich obviously consume far more they'll be putting more much into the system than the working class.
Regardless I don't ever expect any real tax reform in the US; the current system has been in place for over a hundred years now and it's a gold mine for special interests because of its absurd complexity.
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I hope you posted that sarcastically. Consumption taxes are by their very nature highly regressive. The rich as a percentage of their income spend very little. Worse, as New York discovered, the rich buy things like expensive art from other places to avoid sales tax(consumption tax). That yacht/jet/island/Van Gogh will be purchased outside the realm of a US consumption tax. Meanwhile, the diapers from amazon are going to get taxed.
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The rich actually don't consume all that much, especially compared to their earnings. That is why they are "rich" and not poor... they have kept at least some of their money and not spent it. Unless you consider "investing" consumption, which it is currently not considered consumption by any proposed or existing taxes. Wealthy, and even upper middle class, on average save a shit ton of money (that currently gets taxed because it is income). That money would no longer be taxed because it is save. This wi
I see scammers lining up (Score:2)
That'll be a boon to the usual scam brigade. What better mix than Facebook instant gratification and follow the crowd culture mixed with low-information vain customer base. I guess FB will keep a small percentage ;)
sign of the times (Score:2)
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are there no prisons?
are there no workhouses?
President Zuckerberg scares me (Score:2)
You think things are scary now? Just let Zuckerberg follow his plan and watch what happens. Polarizing pundits like to call the other side (whichever side) "fascist", but this could be the real deal if we don't keep Facebook in check.
To all FB'rs that think this is a nice gesture... (Score:5, Insightful)
Remember how selfish these types of services actually are. They exploit tragedies to make a % of the money donated.
Every time I've had a friend or family member ask for money through similar means (and I actually cared enough to donate), I pull out the old checkbook and spend a few cents on a stamp or give them cash in person. Done, no tracking, no skimming 5% off the top, and its much more personal.
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I love the way companies get to profit (Score:2)
5-year-old broke his leg, this mom raised $0. (Score:5, Insightful)
When her 5-year-old broke his leg, this mom raised $0. It's actually inspiring. [upworthy.com]
Freddie Teer is a normal 7-year-old boy. He loves Legos, skateboarding, and horsing around with his older brother Ollie. But two years ago, his mother faced every parent's worst nightmare. ...
While Freddie's injury required major treatment, none of Ashley's friends raised any money for him.
No one from their town took up a collection or held a bake sale.
No GoFundMe page was started to help cover his bills.
Instead, Ashley and Freddie walked out of the hospital owing nothing. Because they live in Canada.
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yep, but in QC for instance, 50% of my taxes go to healthcare and service is so-so... hospital may be free but someone has to pay the exorbitant millionaires doctors we have here (and the PM is himself a millionaire doctor).
But I agree it's like an insurance we have in case of.
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50% of my taxes go to the military, but I suppose it's pretty effective at blowing up any given location. We have millionaire doctors.too, our bills are just highly variable.
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So in other words... (Score:4, Insightful)
Facebook Question (Score:2)
Translation (Score:3)
Oh I see (Score:2)
This is the Republicans new healthcare plan right?
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Of course not. The Republican plan makes begging a crime, duh.
Thanks, Facebook (Score:1)
I thought e-begging was on its way out. Sadly, I was wrong.
The most millenial feature yet... (Score:2)
Wow, so Facebook really is serious about the millennial demographic!
Seriously, do people have no shame? Freeloading used to have a stigma.
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Disgusting (Score:2)
Whoa, not so fast (Score:2)
People seem to forget that euphemisms like 'raise money', invesment' and '...-funding' cover variations over the theme of borrowing money, which in the end is going to have to be paid back - and the expectation, when it comes to investment is the equivalent of significantly more than normal loan interest. This is like the infamous 'pay-day loans' that market themselves as your bestest pal ever, who will help you out - but at the cost of what may be equivalent to >100% pa. The normal term for this kind of