Season's Givings? 238
DevanJedi asks: "Many people around the world plan their charitable giving around this time of the year, for religious, tax or other similarly benevolent reasons. As a geek who spends an inordinate amount of time around his computer, I have compiled a list of entities that have made my geek life easier, in the past year. Which other projects does Slashdot believe to be worthy of praise, money, recognition, developer time or general applause?"
Re:here's an idea . . . (Score:3, Interesting)
How about the OpenBSD Project? I know, some folks have issues with Theo deRaadt himself -- and I must admit to some mutterings, myself.
But in the realm of technical computing, they've raised the bar higher for everybody. Kudos to them.
http://www.openbsd.org/donations.html [openbsd.org]
Re:Charitable giving (Score:5, Interesting)
Its great to give money around Christmas to the poor and infirm, but if you don't have the extra cash (like me), another option is volunteering (and not just around the holidays).
I spend 4-8 hours a week helping students with math and science at the "poor" high school in my city. I also play guitar in a band that goes to the local hospitals a few times a month.
Giving money is good but its not your only option.
Documentation projects (Score:3, Interesting)
An area, often forgotten, that has a huge impact on whether open source products are easily useable is documentation. In this respect, kudos to the OOo documentation project [openoffice.org] who have done a great job this year.
Useful to a smaller group, but very useful to me this year, has been the excellent Linux Terminal Server Project Wiki [ltsp.org].
The usefulness of the above resources is in sad contrast to the documentation available for most open source application software. I am very keen to make more use of some of these products, but a lack of good documentation is pretty much a show stopper.
My son's soccer coach (Score:4, Interesting)
Sorry, he deserves it [vancourier.com] .
Details here [hopeforthenations.com].
Self-Sufficiency (Score:4, Interesting)
If it helps build their credibility, Heifer has been a Motley Fool choise philanthopy for at least two years now.
Another Idea (Score:5, Interesting)
These are the faceless people who keep our society running. We all depend on them.
No, you cannot deduct these donations from your taxes, but fuck it. Do it anyway.
Re:Glad to see... (Score:3, Interesting)
Yes, but the point is that the motivation behind your donation isn't all that benevolent if you're doing it just for the tax break.
Uncle Sam needs to figure out how to do more with less.
Good news! Uncle Sam is doing more and more, and has less in the bank than ever before!
Re:Be unselfish (Score:1, Interesting)
I was too stunned to act, and I really wish I did. I should have jumped in and offered to buy whatever that kid wanted and gave them a ride home. I just had my little "ivory bubble" burst in that incident and it shocked me. I came up in poverty myself and moved to an affluent area. I have a very healthy income now and like many who came up poor, I don't like to think back to those days because memories of going to bed hungry and being called white trash by yuppies aren't pleasant ones. While that mother and son didn't look as poor as I had been at one period of my life, they still looked like they could have used a blessing from someone.
Anyway, my point is, if anyone knows a family that's hurting, help them out. If they're too proud, put an envelope with money in their mailbox, or anonymously mail them a money order. I'm not saying don't write a check to an organization with a solid track record of helping those who need it(like the Salvation Army), but being able to impact a family in your area who needs it is powerful more direct stuff.
I'm really kicking myself for not helping them out. I honestly was just too shocked at what I heard and was confused by a rush of memories. By the time it even crossed my mind to help them they were gone. The next time I witness that, I'm going to take action.
Re:Be unselfish (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm frightened of those who are ashamed to admit that they enjoy helping others or feel that somehow enjoying benevolent acts degrades those acts into not being 'true altruism.'
By that definition, only someone with mental or emotional issues could commit acts of altruism (without regard to their own happiness).
Please admit that it does make your life better by adding some value, be it pleasure, or purpose, or just a warm fuzzy feeling.
Re:Food banks (Score:4, Interesting)
Where I live, there are 2 food banks: one is staffed by volunteers, with a part-time (4hx5d/wk) co-ordinator. They will accept food happily, but have volume discounts with local retailers and wholesalers for cash donations. The cash helps tho, because they still have rent to pay, and lights to keep on.
Then, there's a food "bank", where the execuitve director and manager are husband and wife, and between them get $120,000/yr salary. If you try to donate food to them, they freak out, but if there's a nickle of charity money to be had, they will literally knock you down to get it (they knocked a fireman over one time who was involved in a fundraising effort for the other food-bank, because he wouldn't give up 1/2 the money).
Choose your favorite.
Re:Vim/Ugandan Orphans (Score:3, Interesting)
-h-