I was going to write an article today about how much it sucks that I have to wait a month to get my Tivo hooked up. Time Warner Cable needs to book appointments a month out to be able to come to my house and plug in a CableCARD for me (something, apparently, I would just not be able to handle without a technician). However, after complaining about this for a week some of the sting has worn off and I started to think that maybe, just maybe, there are people in the world with problems bigger than mine.
If you're like me, you probably waste a lot of time mindlessly surfing the internet. If you're like me you also waste a lot of time mindlessly posting things on the internet. Well, some smart and generous people out there have found a way to turn your mindless web-surfing into helping those that are less fortunate than ourselves.
The most unfortunate of you reading this are having to access this web page through a public computer in an internet cafe or university computer. Any lack of comfort you are experiencing may be limited to the chair you are sitting in to use your fancy computer and read my drivel. I know I'm pretty uncomfortable in my chair as I write my drivel.
So I figured I'd make a short list of a few sites I've visited, and contributed to, recently that have some great and interesting ways to turn a little of our time or money into something big for someone in need.
FreeRice
http://www.freerice.com/
This was on the front page of Digg this morning (and got me thinking to putting together this small list). It's actually a very fun vocabulary quiz. For every question you get right you donate 10 grains of rice to hungry people in the world. It starts on a fairly easy level then seems to have an algorithm that learns your vocabulary level and adjusts it up or down as necessary to continue to challenge you.
The algorithm itself is fascinating enough to hold your interest and while you're being fascinated you fan feed people! Hooray!
Kiva
http://www.kiva.org
Kiva.org is a site that allows you to lend money to entrepreneurs in the developing nations of the world. While the money you donate is real -- not fake vocabulary rice money -- it doesn't take a lot to be able to aid someone in a developing country to start a business. Through small loans of $25 you can help someone finance a developing business. You get the money paid back and can choose to reinvest it in another business as you choose. You can click through and see people's profile, information on the business they are looking to start, and decide how much you want to loan.
A really small amount of money can go a long way into jump-starting a local economy somewhere on the planet.
The Hunger Site
http://www.thehunger....faces?siteId=1
Simply by clicking link on the site you supposedly donate 1.1 cups of food to the hungry. You can click through on the tabs at the top of the site to click to give to any causes that you are passionate about including Breast Cancer, children's health, literacy, the rainforests, and animal rescue.
How do you prove your click does anything? I'm not sure. But what's the worst that could happen?
If anyone has any additional sites they use online to donate to anyone, please post them!