Viadeo/LinkedIn/Facebook/Plaxo fundraising

[Dave Neary <dneary gnome org>]

Hi all,

This week, something happened to me for the first time. And like most
things that happened to me for the first time, it made me stand up &
take notice.

I thought it was a really nice, simple idea, executed well. And while I
can't testify to its success, I'm sure it had some.

The email I got was from someone I know and am connected to on Facebook.
I've enclosed it here in full.


> Subject: Want to celebrate my birthday? 
> -----------------------------------------------
>
> It's my birthday on March 3. This year, instead of gifts, I'm asking
> my friends to donate $30 to my favorite cause, Free Software
> Foundation. $30 from each of you would make a big impact on this
> cause I really care about. Anything you can contribute will help and,
> not only will Free Software Foundation, Inc. really appreciate it,
> but so will I!
> -----------------------------------------------
>
> Grant ********.'s Birthday Wish [link to custom FSF Cause page with ****'s fundraising goal and total so 
> far]
> or Learn More [link]

Since we are more & more in a social network world, we get more & more
reminders about people we know. I know that Plaxo & Facebook remind me
regularly when people's birthdays are coming up, and I usually get a few
emails, wall posts and the like from people I know. It's a low-cost,
low-maintenance way for people to let me know I'm in their thoughts.

Anyway - I saw this feature on causes, and thought it was interesting
enough to share, before we start getting 5 of these a week, perhaps
GNOME can get a foot up off this Purple Cow.

Cheers,
Dave.


-- 
Dave Neary
GNOME Foundation member
dneary gnome org