Umm...your scenario.....as stated by you..was "I worked for a Charitible Organization" and therefore was in a position to criticize my idea.....which you did. I'm cool with that, just don't agree with your apparent stance.
You've misunderstood me: I wasn't saying that having worked for a charitable organization put me in a position to criticize your idea; I only mentioned it to show that I'm not naive as to how those kind of organizations work, and where the donations go, etc., etc.
What puts me in a position to criticize your idea is everything I've outlined above: Namely, your initial post's disproportionate focus on how all of this benefits the organizer. Your later assertion that, well, the organizer could always pay more than two or three dollars (...if they wanted to) or could always take the records that they skimmed and sell them on eBay and then donate that money (...if they wanted to) feels a little tacked-on and feeble. I feel like your overarching attitude is: "Hey, if you've spent the time and effort organizing this whole big charity event, what's handpicking two or three heavy records for your own collection? Is that not fair compensation?" My attitude, though, is: "Who the fuck goes into this kind of thing expecting to be compensated?" I fully understand that all kinds of shit goes on that undermines this ideal--volunteers skim, the host organization lets you take some stuff as a sign of gratitude, etc.--but like I said, your idea seems to have it built in, which, to me, puts it a little beyond the pale. You're absolutely right that most operations would be more crooked than this one, but I'm not convinced that that makes this one straight.
And as far as "everybody hates me" goes.....I don't know or care if this is true....I do know however that some of the more elequent posters use the very endearing "Rock-A-Logic" tag when they don't agree with what I have to say.
Fair enough, but when you come with that stuff ("...but I have been accused here of having a malady called 'Rock-A-Logic' so it's very possible most strutters agree with you") preemptively, before anybody in the thread has made any sort of comment on your character or alluding to past behavior, it sounds self-pitying and deflective, like "I know you're just arguing with me because of my difficult reputation, but--sigh--everyone will probably be on your side anyway." This has a way of making things seem personal when they really aren't. I'm just saying.
James, I think the noblest of selfless men might do the Records For Rover idea with no compensation.
I don't think many of those people exist.
When pitching this idea to the Humane Society I would of course tell them all the ways that they would benefit from it.
When pitching it to the average record collector I would give them motivation as to what they may realize from their efforts aside from just knowing thay had done a good thing.
At the end of the day a Charity will receive money that they otherwise would not have by having people donate things they no longer use.
And the record geek does all the work, spends his gas money picking the records up, and gets some records for his efforts.
I don't see a negative and I think it's actually a more profitable idea percentage wise than any other Charity Fundraising I'm aware of.
As far as your last comments I see your point. And I certainly am not comfortable with, or intend to put forth a "woe is me" attitude.
I didn't invent or promote the "Rock-A-Logic" bullshit but if I got a nickel for everytime someone here repeated it I could honestly say "I get paid to post here".
The end result of this thread is that I am now so interested in how this would actually work out that I am going to approach the local Humane Society and see if they would be interested in doing this in the Summer of '08.
Yeah, it's important to get folks motivated to organize, but in the course of doing so, in the course of "selling it" (to record collectors or to anybody), it's real easy for a good cause to come off looking a little like a hustle. It's a tough line to navigate.
...
I am going to approach the local Humane Society and see if they would be interested in doing this in the Summer of '08.
Let me know when you do. I love animals, and--with too few exceptions--I f*cking hate my records. I'll send you a box.
it's real easy for a good cause to come off looking a little like a hustle. It's a tough line to navigate.
Of course it's a hustle. What isn't? But this is a hustle that everyone could potentially benefit from. Do you think the ALS Mammoth Music Mart wasn't getting skimmed every year? I know former canvassers/van drivers that could tell stories. Even with the skim, there was a considerable amount of previously unavailable monies raised for ALS. And it worked for twenty plus years.
it's real easy for a good cause to come off looking a little like a hustle. It's a tough line to navigate.
Of course it's a hustle. What isn't? But this is a hustle that everyone could potentially benefit from. Do you think the ALS Mammoth Music Mart wasn't getting skimmed every year? I know former canvassers/van drivers that could tell stories. Even with the skim, there was a considerable amount of previously unavailable monies raised for ALS. And it worked for twenty plus years.
And even after the skim there was tons of heat to be had.
Comments
What puts me in a position to criticize your idea is everything I've outlined above: Namely, your initial post's disproportionate focus on how all of this benefits the organizer. Your later assertion that, well, the organizer could always pay more than two or three dollars (...if they wanted to) or could always take the records that they skimmed and sell them on eBay and then donate that money (...if they wanted to) feels a little tacked-on and feeble. I feel like your overarching attitude is: "Hey, if you've spent the time and effort organizing this whole big charity event, what's handpicking two or three heavy records for your own collection? Is that not fair compensation?" My attitude, though, is: "Who the fuck goes into this kind of thing expecting to be compensated?" I fully understand that all kinds of shit goes on that undermines this ideal--volunteers skim, the host organization lets you take some stuff as a sign of gratitude, etc.--but like I said, your idea seems to have it built in, which, to me, puts it a little beyond the pale. You're absolutely right that most operations would be more crooked than this one, but I'm not convinced that that makes this one straight.
Fair enough, but when you come with that stuff ("...but I have been accused here of having a malady called 'Rock-A-Logic' so it's very possible most strutters agree with you") preemptively, before anybody in the thread has made any sort of comment on your character or alluding to past behavior, it sounds self-pitying and deflective, like "I know you're just arguing with me because of my difficult reputation, but--sigh--everyone will probably be on your side anyway." This has a way of making things seem personal when they really aren't. I'm just saying.
I think the noblest of selfless men might do the Records For Rover idea with no compensation.
I don't think many of those people exist.
When pitching this idea to the Humane Society I would of course tell them all the ways that they would benefit from it.
When pitching it to the average record collector I would give them motivation as to what they may realize from their efforts aside from just knowing thay had done a good thing.
At the end of the day a Charity will receive money that they otherwise would not have by having people donate things they no longer use.
And the record geek does all the work, spends his gas money picking the records up, and gets some records for his efforts.
I don't see a negative and I think it's actually a more profitable idea percentage wise than any other Charity Fundraising I'm aware of.
As far as your last comments I see your point. And I certainly am not comfortable with, or intend to put forth a "woe is me" attitude.
I didn't invent or promote the "Rock-A-Logic" bullshit but if I got a nickel for everytime someone here repeated it I could honestly say "I get paid to post here".
The end result of this thread is that I am now so interested in how this would actually work out that I am going to approach the local Humane Society and see if they would be interested in doing this in the Summer of '08.
If so, I'll be happy to report the results here.
...
Let me know when you do. I love animals, and--with too few exceptions--I f*cking hate my records. I'll send you a box.
The only thing funnier is you waiting almost 10 months just to say that.
See you in September.
To quote your one and only other post....
How many whale's you save since then???
Sounds good....but let me warn you up front...I might pull your Leo Sayer LP and keep it.
what a wonderful way to /thread!
Of course it's a hustle. What isn't?
But this is a hustle that everyone could potentially benefit from.
Do you think the ALS Mammoth Music Mart wasn't getting skimmed every year?
I know former canvassers/van drivers that could tell stories.
Even with the skim, there was a considerable amount of previously unavailable monies raised for ALS.
And it worked for twenty plus years.
And even after the skim there was tons of heat to be had.