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So recently I gave to the band Megan Jean and the KFB via Kickstarter (amazing band, you should look them up), and before that I was talking with my mother about Kickstarter generally. She basically kept asking "how do you know it's for real?" and "how do you guarantee you get the rewards you sign up for?" and other questions, some of which related to generic internet commerce (or any commerce where you use credit - security concerns), and some of which were specific to Kickstarter. She was not even satisfied on the security front when I told her that money changes hands through Kickstarter, not through the individual trying to raise money. It wasn't until I said it was done through Paypal (which was wrong, it's through Amazon) that she was happy. Which was a little confusing, because why should Paypal be more trustworthy than Kickstarter? Because she's heard of it, I suppose. And how do you know your rewards will actually be sent to you?
Well, I am a pretty trusting person. I have, so far, only given through Kickstarter twice, and both times were to musicians I had met personally, but I've considered giving to other projects - such as one for modular solar powered electronics and one for a card game based on Jabberwocky (until I realized it was just a lame-ified version of Crazy Eights with an unnecessarily complicated scoring system). Kickstarter's been around long enough now that I'm not worried about it. And I suppose I figure most people have easier ways to make money dishonestly than making up fake information to give to Kickstarter (since I imagine, for the sake of KS's reputation, KS makes people setting up projects contractually agree to provide their rewards, giving them legal recourse if backers complain), thinking up a fake project and fake rewards, and making a video and info page. If I'd been burned badly in the past I might feel differently, but I prefer to trust people. I am happier that way.
On a related note, I was pretty uncomfortable with the way my co-teacher and at least one of the grad students operated when we were grading - always writing, say, 04 instead of 4 so the student couldn't add a 1 to the front on a problem out of 14 points, xing out blank parts of the page so the student couldn't add work and claim it was overlooked, etc. I've never had a problem with cheating, and I don't think it's because I am naive and just missing it. I think the students can tell when you trust them and tell when you care about them as human beings and about their progress, and when that's true they aren't inclined to cheat. Besides the fact that our students in particular tend to be honest to a fault. I don't like the message it sends when they get back an exam that has clearly been treated with cheating-prevention.
How do you feel about such things?
Well, I am a pretty trusting person. I have, so far, only given through Kickstarter twice, and both times were to musicians I had met personally, but I've considered giving to other projects - such as one for modular solar powered electronics and one for a card game based on Jabberwocky (until I realized it was just a lame-ified version of Crazy Eights with an unnecessarily complicated scoring system). Kickstarter's been around long enough now that I'm not worried about it. And I suppose I figure most people have easier ways to make money dishonestly than making up fake information to give to Kickstarter (since I imagine, for the sake of KS's reputation, KS makes people setting up projects contractually agree to provide their rewards, giving them legal recourse if backers complain), thinking up a fake project and fake rewards, and making a video and info page. If I'd been burned badly in the past I might feel differently, but I prefer to trust people. I am happier that way.
On a related note, I was pretty uncomfortable with the way my co-teacher and at least one of the grad students operated when we were grading - always writing, say, 04 instead of 4 so the student couldn't add a 1 to the front on a problem out of 14 points, xing out blank parts of the page so the student couldn't add work and claim it was overlooked, etc. I've never had a problem with cheating, and I don't think it's because I am naive and just missing it. I think the students can tell when you trust them and tell when you care about them as human beings and about their progress, and when that's true they aren't inclined to cheat. Besides the fact that our students in particular tend to be honest to a fault. I don't like the message it sends when they get back an exam that has clearly been treated with cheating-prevention.
How do you feel about such things?
