charity, pledges, donations in signature... really?

[lazy river road]

I am not responding to Redwood Guy or Mr Clean, but to everyone else who posted. Simply put, your posts sum up the reasons why I love and why I am so involved in this forum. Lets not waste to much time on this thread when other threads, more important threads (IMHO) about hammocks are going on. Just MYHO. We are not here to change peoples minds or feelings but to only

"elevate their perspective"

Hope I did not come off as smug, wasent trying to,
LRR

[tiredhiker]

+1 on this...

We are not obliged to help, nor to watch it.....
And personally i'm not offended by this...

Edit: If my kids was sick and i didn't live in a place with "free" health care - i would reach out for help to....
And if we can't reach out for help among friends..... then where?
__________________
/Bomber, the thread ender...
__________________
Well said. This is a big family so I don't mind if people ask for help....

[Bat]

I'm sorry to see this thread come up but let's be respectful and listen to all sides. We all may learn from the perspective of others.
I haven't been offended by the charity links in the sig lines, instead I've been proud that we stick together and help our electron neighbors out.

[Red Wing]

Even if I was visiting someone elses house, and I had a lapel pin.. say for breat cancer or some other charity or cause I'm a part of, so people can come to me for info or theyre interested in donating.. I wouldn't be interested in hearing the opinion of someone telling me that my pin is getting out of hand or that it's begging for a handout. You need to fix reason firmly in her seat before you begin the debate. I don't think it is reasonable debating why asking your community QUIETLY in your sig, or on your lapel or on your pack is out of hand or that it is begging and I think it's a little looney or nit picky to suggest such. We're not making posts for it, putting a spotlight on it.. I don't even have one! But it's crazy to get on someone else about theirs.

[neo]

all i can say is right now i am suffering from intense depression worrying about my son.i sure will be glad when he is cured,i love my 2 sons more than my own life.i would glady take his place if it were possibleneo

[graciious]

I have been homeless, I have begged for money to feed myself. I have slept in homeless shelters, and been the recipient of a great deal of charity in my life. Even though this difficult time was when depression overwhelmed me and in my opinion I had nobody to turn to. There is no question that a request (as seen in several signatures) can or should be considered
"begging".

I see a donation as a voluntary gift of money, service or ideas made to some worthwhile cause and in that respect I have to ask myself... Does not every question asked in the forums constitute a request for charity and every answer a "donation"?

[G.L.P.]

wow calm down folks... you all are going ballistic on me/us here... I was not venting in my post. I was not attacking anybody. Sorry if it came out that way.

ref: http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=25509



Just wondering where that falls into things.

How is someone having a charity in there signature a requests for charitable donations???

I don't see anyone forcing me to donate to there charity ....do you ?
if so...please show us
and you can't say that you didn't think your post would turn into this...come on..."Really" i'm starting to think you post some of the things you do just to rattle ppl's cages .... or to get attention
there is a respectful way of posting your opinion ...and i'm sorry...this was not a respectful way ... i won't even say how i really feel about this
this thread should be deleted ....

[angrysparrow]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Redwood Guy. And thanks for the impassioned responses, everyone.

Yes, there is a rule disallowing charitable solicitation in threads. The moderators felt that necessary to curb the increasing number of times it was happening on the forum. While there are many great reasons for someone to support a charitable organization or situation, this forum simply isn't the right place to discuss those charities. This is a place that we can all gather and talk about hammocks, free of as much other distraction and rancor as possible.

Yes, that rule was stretched by the off-topic section thread updating the situation with Neo's son. But JackRabbit is a member of this community, and is personally known by many members. That simple update thread was a reasonable way to share information and concern.

And yes, the moderators have refrained from 'policing' signature lines. A short personal line or link, even if a religious verse or charitable link, doesn't detract majorly from the forum as long as it is done reasonably and with thoughtfulness. We want to give everyone the room to express themselves as long as it isn't abused....

But enough is enough.

So, I say to all the forum members...be reasonable and thoughtful. It is only when the boundaries are pushed too far that we have to make restrictive rules. If you make a link to your charity, don't make it big, bold and red..or post about it. Consider not making it at all. And if you have a complaint, make it as a suggestion, politely and without sarcasm or name calling.

This forum has a great community of members that have a lot to share. Everyone needs to do their part to keep it that way...even if sometimes that means dialing back on the sharing....