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![[Penny for your click]](18lead.jpg)
Anita Bora
When Karyn, a 20-something from New York, started a cyber begging site called savekaryn.com, she had to deal with many reactions: Mostly disbelief, jokes and a lot of skepticism. Some decided she was trying to dupe people. Some believed it was irresponsible on her part to expect others to pay for her mistakes. And some turned vicious.
Yet Karyn stood steadfast to her mission: To collect enough money from visitors to help pay off $20,000 in credit card debts that she accumulated through her impulsive shopping habits.
The Internet seemed like the logical place to look for help because "it's accessible by almost everyone and reaches a worldwide audience," she explains in an email.
***
On November 10, Karyn declared on her Web site that she had, through the generosity of those who felt sorry for her, cleared off her debts and was accepting no more money.
When she started her site in June, she admitted to being unsure of whether she could pull it off. She elaborates, "I never believed all this would happen. But I really didn't have anything to lose. And I thought, if it worked -- great. If it didn't, I'd keep track of what happened and maybe write a book about the experience and then sell that, and that's how I'd make my money."
"I am kind of in disbelief. I don't really feel like my debt is paid off. It is, but it doesn't feel real yet," writes Karyn.
Disbelief is probably what all her detractors feel too. Like Bob and Ben, who retaliated with Don't Save Karyn to try and convince people to send money to them instead, so they could "waste it all on stupid stuff". She was also featured in the Weird Chronicles,The Smoking Gun and The Age.
Some 'not-so-complimentary' things about Karyn's attempt at cyber-begging are posted on MetaFilter, the discussion forum for the blogging community:
- "I still can't believe people gave her money."
- "I'm going to set up a Web site for my girlfriend so that she can beg for donations to build a better barn for her goats."
- "Thank god. Now I can sleep at night."
- "Karyn was the online equivalent of feeding the pigeons in the park while ignoring the guy on the bench asking for bread."
Karyn seems to have handled these barbs quite well. "I got and still get a lot of mean letters that I ignore. Some are really, really mean and threatening though. I have never responded to blog posts about me. Sometimes I read them, but if I respond, I'm sure it will just turn into an argument."
Karyn doesn't want to change people's minds. "They are taking what I did much more seriously than I am. To me, it was a funny creative way to get out of debt. They need to lighten up."
The publicity she received online actually seems to have done her more good than harm. By the 10th week of launching in September 2002, she cut her debts to $6,041.56. And she also received gifts. Karyn was flooded with subscriptions to beauty magazines, a pencil to 'erase' her debt, a 'squeezy star' to relieve tension, microwave popcorn and even lottery tickets.
***
Cyber begging isn't a new concept. Yahoo even has a whole category for it. In this article, the creator of Save me a Dollar, Bob Schmidt, reveals that he's received almost US$5,000 and claims that 95 per cent of the email he gets is positive.
It's an encouraging sign for those trying to follow suit. Like Penny who wants help to leave her husband; Robyn, a single struggling mother; Marty, who wants to open a factory in Mexico, Lisa who needs $30,000.
Of course, not all cyber beggars have met with the success that Karyn has. Bob Colladay of Spare Me A Dime, hasn't been able to garner much sympathy. Others like B-Fatt and Lazy try shock tactics but have been able to scam the world of only $700 so far.
***
While Karyn has been helped by people from USA, UK, Australia, Germany and Switzerland, she cautions that her success is not a guarantee. To others treading the same path, she advises, "It could work again, you never know. But it might not. Take what I did and improve on it."
She herself plans to sell inexpensive clothes and accessories on her next site: "Necklaces not above $30 for example. I'm also writing a book that's going to be published in September 2003 by HarperCollins."
But Karyn's not turning her back on her original site just yet. Through it, she'll try and promote the cause of others who need help. If she decides your cause is worth fighting for, she will put up a page with your story a link to your site, which she will also help you create.
After meeting with success in her endeavour, Karyn's helping hand might just be your best bet at cyber begging!
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