The brilliant Helen Lederer is crowdfunding! Page 4

I really don't think it's worthy of writing to your MP. And anyone internet savvy enough to be using forums and twitter and have a paypal account would presumably not be vulnerable enough to need a law protecting them from crowd funding websites. They'd have given all their cash to a Nigerian prince already.

I notice that Lederer has extended her deadline to allow for the slow flow of donations to actually reach the necessary amount to allow it to sail into her bank account. Anyone want to bankroll my next holiday?

What bonuses on offer
?

For £10 I will say Thank you (not in person, I'll just type your name in a list)
For £50 I will type your name in bold
For £100 you can have my 25m swimming certificate
For £500 I'll send you a takeaway of my choice

Will the cerificate entitle me to swim 25meters?

Will the cerificate entitle me to swim 25meters?

Quote: Harridan @ October 22 2013, 12:46 AM BST

I really don't think it's worthy of writing to your MP.

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I think it's reasonable to seek to regulate this method of funding, to the extent that HR has suggested. In general though, I think it's OK (and possibly even a good thing) that people such as Lederer, who apparently have no lack of funding, consider crowdfunding as an alternative to traditional funding methods; just so long as they don't try to deceive us in any way.

A lot of people getting their knickers in a twist here.

Good luck to her, she's only trying to earn a living.
What would you want her to do, sell her million pound house so she can earn a crust - would you?

What about the BBC's crowd funding; ie the license fee where you don't have a choice of stumping up nearly £150.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ October 22 2013, 8:32 AM BST

A lot of people getting their knickers in a twist here.

Good luck to her, she's only trying to earn a living.
What would you want her to do, sell her million pound house so she can earn a crust - would you?

What about the BBC's crowd funding; ie the license fee where you don't have a choice of stumping up nearly £150.

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Well, I think it's a question of values.

I had uncles - working class cockneys really - who did real work and lived in tower blocks. Mainly Southwark Council. When they retired, they had a very small amount of savings. They could never have afforded a private home. Not even a studio flat. They were outraged by the introduction of the bus pass. It suggested to them that they were being told that they were in need of charity handouts. They didn't feel that they were and considered it was demeaning to them. So they insisted on paying for bus journeys themselves.

These were people who had fought in WW2. One was in the Burma jungle. One went into Auschwitz after the war to arrange a dignified burial to the victims. It gave them stoicism and grit. Obviously they were relatively poor. They weren't luvvies living on an entirely different planet and weren't spoilt grasping brats.

One was Labour. He showed me just by being himself that the media portrayal of ordinary people is the propaganda of the filthy rich. Another was an old style Tory - the kind who had slightly more money than the rest of the family and gave cash to family members who couldn't afford to eat. They never asked him for it - they were too dignified - and of course it meant he did without. That was working class Conservatism. A thing which was truly to be respected, just as was old style Socialism. People have no moral compass now.

Quote: Horseradish @ October 22 2013, 9:14 AM BST

I had uncles - working class cockneys really - who did real work and lived in tower blocks. Mainly Southwark Council. When they retired, they had a very small amount of savings. They could never have afforded a private home. Not even a studio flat. They were outraged by the introduction of the bus pass. It suggested to them that they were being told that they were in need of charity handouts. They didn't feel that they were and considered it was demeaning to them. So they insisted on paying for bus journeys themselves.

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Sound slike they should have accepted the bus pass to me, saved themselves a bit of money.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ October 22 2013, 9:25 AM BST

Sound slike they should have accepted the bus pass to me, saved themselves a bit of money.

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We used to say that to them - and that they had contributed to the system and deserved it - but they wouldn't accept it. There was a lot of masculinity attached to it actually. They didn't mind if their wives accepted the help.

Bringing this up to date - I was referring to the 1980s - I keep a watchful, caring eye on elderly neighbours. They are on the ball mentally. Some at 85 and 87 even surf the net. But they are from a trusting generation and can have surprising blank moments. For example, I just managed to stop one woman handing over £5000 to a bloke who convinced her in no more than five minutes she needed waterproof paint on her roof.

He had visited me first and I'd checked them out quickly on the net. It was a scam. They had been taken to court umpteen times. She thought he was pleasant, was half persuaded under pressure and felt it would somehow not be very nice not to give. I think he gave her some old spiel about not having much money. Now celebs are doing the same thing. These people would look at those requests and think they were poor.

I know it's going off topic but that same scam was set up by the BBC Rouge Traders. (not set up by them - but a trap if you know what I mean)

It was 4 houses away from me and the crew all parked outside my house. When I saw the cameras and recording equipment I was out to see what was going on. It aired the week after.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ October 22 2013, 9:38 AM BST

I know it's going off topic but that same scam was set up by the BBC Rouge Traders. (not set up by them - but a trap if you know what I mean)

It was 4 houses away from me and the crew all parked outside my house. When I saw the cameras and recording equipment I was out to see what was going on. It aired the week after.

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Yeah, 'fraid so. We've had people who could hardly speak a word of English with great big paintings under their arms to sell. We've had ex-offenders at the door with bags of garden pliers at £12.50 a throw. Every time there's a minor crisis with the need to do the friendly neighbourhood watch thing. "Mrs so and so - is everything alright?" etc. My parents are in a different house in this road. Though in their 80s, they do that for the 80-something singles too but can also show their own vulnerability so it all gets confusing and ironic.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ October 22 2013, 9:38 AM BST

BBC Rouge Traders

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I bet Boy George was one of their best customers during the 80s.

Don't really understand this...Just watched her clip on the crowd fund site and thought she was quite funny...So why does she need to crowd fund? The show is either viable or its not.

Quote: playfull @ October 22 2013, 11:57 PM BST

Don't really understand this...Just watched her clip on the crowd fund site and thought she was quite funny...So why does she need to crowd fund? The show is either viable or its not.

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It seems that she doesn't need to, particularly as the shows are already arranged and presumably paid for. Somebody convinced her it was a great way to recoup the costs.

Quote: Harridan @ October 22 2013, 12:54 AM BST

For £100 you can have my 25m swimming certificate

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That is a huge certificate just for swimming, where do you keep a 25m certificate?