VenomFangX begs for money

[diagoras54]

VenomFangX is now asking for his viewers to support him by sending a dollar through PayPal. It costs him $0.33 for every donation he receives, so he's actually asking for $1.33. If we donate $0.01 and it costs him 33 times that much for each transaction, we could make this entirely unprofitable. Pass this around to everyone you know.

 

[Aught3]

Isn't there a minimum donation for paypal, or some rule that they won't charge you for more than the donation?

 

[diagoras54]

Isn't there a minimum donation for paypal, or some rule that they won't charge you for more than the donation?

No, I did it last night. Only charged one cent.

 

[TheSelfishMeme]

Sorry, but isn't this overstepping the mark a little?
Its all well and good bashing him for his errors in science/everything else but actually costing him money is a little too far in my opinion...
Still, your choice

 

[Tomo]

Well...its his fault for having a faulty business model. :mrgreen:

Personally its far too much work to donate a dollar so he loses 32 cents...In fact, I'm pretty sure there's bound to be something hicky here....

 

[boonw]

VenomFangX is now asking for his viewers to support him by sending a dollar through PayPal. It costs him $0.33 for every donation he receives, so he's actually asking for $1.33. If we donate $0.01 and it costs him 33 times that much for each transaction, we could make this entirely unprofitable. Pass this around to everyone you know.

Thats not how it works with paypal. What It does is charge a base fee of 30 cents and then charge about 3%. If the amount is lower then the minimum fee then the entire payment is considered the fee with no extra charge to vfx. Its not like the mail where you can do this (*cough* PP *cough*)
Put simply, the fee that will be charged will not be more then the amount you send.

 

[Moky]

I agree with TheSelfishMeme, this is over stepping the boundary a bit.

 

[King Tyrant Lizard]

I see nothing wrong with or objectionable about this plan... except that it wont work.

Guys, we're just going to have to pool our funds together, buy a plane ticket, and delegate someone to pay PCS a visit.

 

[GoodKat]

I see nothing wrong with or objectionable about this plan... except that it wont work.

Guys, we're just going to have to pool our funds together, buy a plane ticket, and delegate someone to pay PCS a visit.

Unless you're talking about violence, it wouldn't help. The only way to completely stop him would be to have undeniable evidence of him doing something that his followers would find reprehensible, like a hi-res video of him masturbating.

 

[King Tyrant Lizard]

Good call, we'll have to spring for a camera too. It's only a matter of time. No one can "hold off" forever.

 

[GoodKat]

Good call, we'll have to spring for a camera too. It's only a matter of time. No one can "hold off" forever.

That would be so incredibly satisfying, as would catching Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron with some hooker.

 

[Tomo]

Great...just what I want to subject myself to, PCS masterbating to "Lemon Party" or Goatse...this is a plan that will do us more mental damage than the fundies...

 

[mknorman]

Not funny nor productive in the least.

A moment's thought would show why this tactic would immediately backfire. The worst creationist scum are the ones who resort to these sort of tactics and thereby ruin the creationist's credibility as seekers of truth. The same will apply to non-theists and rationalists if a tactic like this were to succeed.

It is vitally important to note the difference between an activity like this hypothetically directed at VFX and one hypothetically directed at the likes of Peter Popoff. Popoff's activities, in my opinion, result in physical and financial harm to his victims. It therefore might be appropriate to hit him in the pocketbook. VFX's activities result in harm to intellectual discourse. Directing these tactics at him will enable him to cry foul and (rightfully, in this case) mock the hypocrisy of we who have been so quick to rally behind the banner of free speech and free debate.

True champions of free speech might even point this weakness out to VFX and offer a fix, if only to demonstrate our commitment to the ideals we espouse even if it means enabling the spread of VFX's filth.

Two final notes. 1) I would be exceedingly disappointed if I found that the votebot shenanigans were perpetrated by anyone on our side of the divide as a misguided attempt to inflame sentiment against the creationists, and 2) I have to go on record with my disappointment in those in this thread who are advocating gaming VFX's finances in order to silence him.

Our team is supposed to be the one with the moral high ground.

 

[GoodKat]

Re: Not funny nor productive in the least.

A moment's thought would show why this tactic would immediately backfire. The worst creationist scum are the ones who resort to these sort of tactics and thereby ruin the creationist's credibility as seekers of truth. The same will apply to non-theists and rationalists if a tactic like this were to succeed.

It is vitally important to note the difference between an activity like this hypothetically directed at VFX and one hypothetically directed at the likes of Peter Popoff. Popoff's activities, in my opinion, result in physical and financial harm to his victims. It therefore might be appropriate to hit him in the pocketbook. VFX's activities result in harm to intellectual discourse. Directing these tactics at him will enable him to cry foul and (rightfully, in this case) mock the hypocrisy of we who have been so quick to rally behind the banner of free speech and free debate.

True champions of free speech might even point this weakness out to VFX and offer a fix, if only to demonstrate our commitment to the ideals we espouse even if it means enabling the spread of VFX's filth.

Two final notes. 1) I would be exceedingly disappointed if I found that the votebot shenanigans were perpetrated by anyone on our side of the divide as a misguided attempt to inflame sentiment against the creationists, and 2) I have to go on record with my disappointment in those in this thread who are advocating gaming VFX's finances in order to silence him.

Our team is supposed to be the one with the moral high ground.

What about my proposal?

 

[Cryogeneric]

In my opinion this would basically bring us down to VFX's level. At which point he'd win by experience. He's allowed to ask for donations all he wants, it just makes him a hypocrite and all the better when he gets called on it.

 

[mknorman]

Re: Not funny nor productive in the least.

What about my proposal?

I think history and psychology are working against it.

Historically: Time and again obnoxious preachers have been caught with their pants down and have merely begged forgiveness, noted their own weakness and humility before the Lord, vowed repentance, and then continued in their reprehensible activities and messages.

Psychologically: ProfMTH has a wonderful series on failed prophecies and their effects on believers. Cialdini (Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion) contains a telling anecdote in a similar vein. The summary is that as soon as there is a devastating blow to a group's core beliefs, mechanisms kick in to reduce the cognitive dissonance. What's worse, these mechanisms often result in even more fervent belief than existed before the disappointment.

No, I'm afraid the battle will have to be won one mind at a time and that we will have to be realistic about those who are truly lost forever.

 

[diagoras54]

Re: Not funny nor productive in the least.

A moment's thought would show why this tactic would immediately backfire. The worst creationist scum are the ones who resort to these sort of tactics and thereby ruin the creationist's credibility as seekers of truth. The same will apply to non-theists and rationalists if a tactic like this were to succeed.

It is vitally important to note the difference between an activity like this hypothetically directed at VFX and one hypothetically directed at the likes of Peter Popoff. Popoff's activities, in my opinion, result in physical and financial harm to his victims. It therefore might be appropriate to hit him in the pocketbook. VFX's activities result in harm to intellectual discourse. Directing these tactics at him will enable him to cry foul and (rightfully, in this case) mock the hypocrisy of we who have been so quick to rally behind the banner of free speech and free debate.

True champions of free speech might even point this weakness out to VFX and offer a fix, if only to demonstrate our commitment to the ideals we espouse even if it means enabling the spread of VFX's filth.

Two final notes. 1) I would be exceedingly disappointed if I found that the votebot shenanigans were perpetrated by anyone on our side of the divide as a misguided attempt to inflame sentiment against the creationists, and 2) I have to go on record with my disappointment in those in this thread who are advocating gaming VFX's finances in order to silence him.

Our team is supposed to be the one with the moral high ground.

I apologize. You're absolutely right; this is beneath us. I was so appalled by what PCS is doing that when someone suggested this I jumped on it, without considering the ramifications. I have also made a recommendation to the Canada Revenue Agency to look into his actions and investigate whether anything illicit is occuring.

 

[mknorman]

Re: Not funny nor productive in the least.

I apologize. You're absolutely right; this is beneath us. I was so appalled by what PCS is doing that when someone suggested this I jumped on it, without considering the ramifications. I have also made a recommendation to the Canada Revenue Agency to look into his actions and investigate whether anything illicit is occuring.

And we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and head back into the fray! I could not have hoped for a better response to my post.

At the risk of sounding condescending: You've made me proud of our team!

 

[GoodKat]

Re: Not funny nor productive in the least.

Psychologically: ProfMTH has a wonderful series on failed prophecies and their effects on believers.

Is it the Jesus was wrong series?

 

[mknorman]

Re: Not funny nor productive in the least.

Is it the Jesus was wrong series?

Haha! I found it! (I think.) It was indeed in the Jesus was Wrong series. The third part: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k90CJ4WDPo8

I misremembered the whole series being about failed prophecy.