Since my blogging beginnings, I have always been very outspoken about my disdain for bloggers who hold out their hat, as if they were homeless, and beg for donations.
Blogging is a choice. Many of the problems you SHOULD be donating to are not. Not to mention, expensive hosting and bandwidth costs are pretty much a thing of the past.
Now there’s a sorta middle ground. TipJoy, a new Y Combinator startup, makes it painlessly easy to leave a “tip” for bloggers. While I am against the practice, this tool gives bloggers the option to donate all of their “tips” to charity, making it tolerable.
When you leave a tip for a blogger, it is added to your tab. What makes TipJoy unique is that you have time to change your mind. Make a payment when you feel like it, or simply take back your pledge.
A tip can be made to any e-mail address or URL. Payments are made through Paypal. Another cash-out option is to select an Amazon gift card in lieu of donating the money.
TipJoy keeps 2% on paid debts and tips start as low as 10 cents.
I have never used a tip jar, but I’m wondering, how do you feel about buskers — those folks playing their guitar or whatever on the street hoping ofor tips from passersby. I mean, like bloggers, they *chose* to do that — but there is some noion that if people pass by and enjoy what they do, they’re getting something of value, right?
Dustin, excellent point. Personally, I’ve always found street musicians intrusive. If it’s 8am and I’m rushing to work, the last thing I need in my way are six South American flautists drawing a crowd in Penn Station. However, I fully recognize I might not be holding the majority opinion here.
For example, I have no sweat tipping a waitperson, delivery person, etc. – their job depends on the generosity of others. However, when the counter person at Dunkin’ Donuts hands me a donut, they are being compensated by their employer. Therefore, I find the tip cup ridiculous. They are simply doing their job. Of course, it’s up to employers to pay people fairly. But I come from the school of not rewarding people for doing what they are supposed to be doing.
There are definitely two sides to the debate here. And when you compare bloggers to street musicians, you have certainly caused me to give this some more thought…
Hello,
We make a tipping service called Tipit.to, which you may want to check out. Tips made with Tipit.to are cancellable unlike those at Tipjoy.
Added to that our service is completely free of charge and tipjar owners can have their money paid out to them.
The discussion about how to make an online tipping service analogous to the practice and ritual of tipping offline is something which keeps us busy as well. We think publication of tips given and received creates transparency and social incentive to get people tipping.