Too Much To Dream

It's a STORM OF CONTROVERSY!!

I dunno... I don't go to where Lyz works and tug the dollar bills out of her g-string, do I? People just get so worked up.

Lyz is right, you know. You shouldn't ask for money.

That's why I publish my wishlist, so I can get exactly what I want.

But I don't know what I want. I just know how to get it.

"Lyz" attends a private college that costs $25,620 per freakin' year ($19,945 in tuition alone).

Yes, way to show your solidarity with the working class, "Lyz". As for "sense of entitlement", that's just plain rich. As is "Lyz", apparently. And other words that rhyme with rich.

The little point Machiavelli has just made is faulty on so many levels. First of all, it's out of context. Second of all, it is meant to disprove all of lyz's arguments by undermining her. "Lookee, Lyz goes to a rich girl school! She must be rich and therefore a hypocrite! Now put money in mah belly!" Third, I cannot speak for lyz, since she wouldn't like that, but I can speak for me, another student at said college. I come from a middle class family in the midwest. I have scholarships, grants, student loans, and outside loans to get me through that college. I work during the summer to cover other expenses at college. And I'm not the only person at any private college to do so. So the point is moot, anyway.
It is annoying for Blogs to put the donation button out so obviously. It does come off as a demand for cash merely because I happened upon a certain page. And I'd agree with Lyz that it seems like whoring whether I went to a private college or a community college. Learn how to argue without bringing in contraversial, character marring points such as the cost of one's college.

And lay off the quotation marks, would ya?

These days it seems like everyone is putting up donation buttons. I ignore them like I ignore tip jars at coffee shops - if I'm not being served then I feel no obligation to tip someone earning an hourly wage. Why can't Liz and you just ignore them as well?

By the way, it seemed to me that Jim was suggesting a donation for the use of the image he created. In this case, it is his intellectual property, albeit uncopyrighted. The polite request for a donation for using it on another site was not offensive to me.

What IS offensive to me is boring-ass sites like the one "Lyz" writes. I should charge her for wasting my time. Jeff smart too. Think me write big word good too. She should bend her vaunted "intelligence" to actually find a topic that might interest someone like me, who kicks ass.

And since I am so "fond" of "quotes," I have a controversial, character marring point for you. Get off your "high horse", hippy.

I don't know, I just figured if somebody likes what I'm doing and keeps coming back, maybe they could toss me a buck now and then. If they don't, oh well. I don't see where the word "demand" enters into it.

Not sure about your copyright point, Jeff. Again, just figured if somebody liked it and could maybe help me out...

P.S. I agree that it's not really cool to throw where people go to school into it. I've made some jokes about the whole thing, but that right there just seems... not good. So, okay, somebody doesn't like me and is being pretty silly about it, so what. Let's just try to remain calm.

feh...

fact: the only reason Lyz went to Gustavus was because she is smart and earned a hell of a good score on all her standardized tests

fact: Lyz's parents have seven other children and they are not donating a dime to her college education because recently Lyz's dad was out of a job for 2 years

fact: Lyz got a job this summer and is doing some hard work to pay for what she does not get in scholarships and loans

bottom line: shut up people, if all she is is another rich girl whining, than why does it bother you so much?

Who's bothered?

Oh. Right. Lyz is bothered.

I mean, she's the one who complained, right?

Well, now people are just flaming without even making a point. Nice way to express opinions.

The difference between a tip jar at a coffee shop and a button begging for pledges is that the coffee shop workers are (ideally) doing just that -- working. I'm not saying that putting your opinions into words articulately doesn't take some amount of mental , but it isn't the same as standing for eight hours a day doing a job that you may not like at all and still trying to be pleasant about it. Face it, people would rather sit around and express their opinions all day than work in a coffee shop. Not every opinionated person deserves donation for their voice.

I'll get off my high horse, now, because I have to go to my job.

"I'm not saying that putting your opinions into words articulately doesn't take some amount of mental"

That's what the doctors tell me! ;)

Well, exactly one person made it an issue where Lyz goes to school. I'm a college student too, up to my ass in loans, and my parents aren't poor, they're dead. I work full time too.

But this isn't a pity party. This is about rudeness, and about butting in with your unsolicited opinion about an activity that is harming no one. I can only put your "annoyance" with donation buttons down to some sort of free-floating guilt. They aren't in-your-face flash ads like the ones on Salon.com, or those teaser snippets they and other online webmagazines put up with a "to read this you have to pay!" message. For the record I don't feel guilty not putting a quarter in the tip jar at a coffee shop when I don't have money to spare either, because at least the employees there are getting their paycheck. And when I do have a little extra cash and have gotten good service I put a few coins in the jar. That's my choice.

And it's so nice of you to admit that the act of writing ("putting your opinions into words") takes mental effort. I can actually tell that neither you nor Lyz come from a rich, privileged background -- you have the usual lower-middle-class aversion to the idea that "sitting around reading and writing" is an activity people deserve to get paid for. Unless they have a college degree: then they get a pass. And I guarantee you, after a few years of research papers, theses, and in-class essays, you'll be good and ready to get paid for hitting those keys. Though you'll probably still look down your nose at people who freelance it or write on a webpage instead of turning typed double-spaced mss. to a dead-tree publisher. It's how the pros protect their turf, by indoctrinating people like you to think of personal webpages as nothing more than the equivalent of teenage diaries.

Wow. I was going to reply to Lyn's post on BCs, but it was so terrible, I couldn't even decide where to start.

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go hit Treacher's tip jar.

Returning to the tip jar issue, I don't find it in any way offensive. If he tried to FORCE a donation out of his readers by demanding money for access, (are you listening, Salon, you bloated extortionist?)that would be offensive.
I prefer to have a wishlist, since the random factor is really entertaining, and it lists stupid stuff I would never pay money for myself.
But it's stupid stuff I WANT whine.

Hey! Gustavus! I earned a BA in Tuition Check Cashing just down the road from there in Mankato at the state school. A ternayder unleashed the wrath of God near Gustavus just before I escaped the area. It must be a fine school if it teaches you to use phrases like "strike a note of truth in the untuned pianos of your heart", which I hope to God was used jokingly.

I'm so pissed at this "lyz lamer" I'm gonna tip Treacher - It's a good thing he's not asking for blowjobs...

Sayyyy...

Andrea, I'm sorry if my words upset you. I don't know you. You don't know me, either. Perhaps I missed a point in trying to get an ire out of NM/Jeff/whoever he wishes to be today. I don't know anyone here except Lyz. I was sticking up for my good friend lyz and our college, because I care about both. But I can see that anything I say will be met with antipathy merely because I'm friends with a girl you all hate for doing the one thing you all do everyday -- expressing her opinion. So life goes.

haha, i just realized i said you all expressed her opinion. whoops. scratch that, change it to expressing AN opinion, and I'll do the whole leaving in a huff thing again. Oh hell, I can't . You all seem like you could be a decent bunch, give another one of your opinionated cohorts a break. Lyz talks like that a lot, she has flat out told me my favorite band is overrated and I still love her because he's honest about her point-of-view... no matter how wrong i find it in that case.

haha, i just realized i said you all expressed her opinion. whoops. scratch that, change it to expressing AN opinion, and I'll do the whole leaving in a huff thing again. Oh hell, I can't . You all seem like you could be a decent bunch, give another one of your opinionated cohorts a break. Lyz talks like that a lot, she has flat out told me my favorite band is overrated and I still love her because he's honest about her point-of-view... no matter how wrong i find it in that case.

"Hate?"

Or strongly disagree with. Poor choice of wording, my bad. And I didn't intend to double-post, but I like how it just doubles my lack-of-gracefulness in ending my argument. Good thing I didn't try to make a point by banging my hand down, otherwise it would have been it for my keybord.

I think the appropriate response to this "non-issue" is I choose "no thanks" to giving you money. Other than that, shut the fuck up. Tips are optional, and people have the right to ask for one, and you as the giver have the right to say no.

Jeebus, aren't babies being killed and women being raped somewhere that can get us all worked up about something REALLY important.