Yeeaaah! I remembered my damn password!

Anyway, so here’s the idea:

DontBuyAnIpod.com

Thousands of confused middle-class white teens have $300 to spare.
Apple sells iPods for $300.
This works out conveniently for Apple.

However, at Heifer Project International, you can donate a water buffalo or two llamas to a hungry family.
Through CARE, which states that as little as 28c can provide a meal for a hungry child, your $300 could buy… 1071 meals.
Through the Nature Conservancy, you could save 4 acres of endangered forests in the East Kalimantan province in Borneo, Indonesia.
And think of what that $300 could do for the Red Cross, Boys and Girls Club, Wildlife Conservation Society, or tons of other organizations.

So here’s the idea: a website that encourages people to take that $300 that they saved for an iPod, and donate it instead. Instead of continuing to be slaves to a corporate propaganda society that has pushed the iPod for its “coolness” as much as for its usefulness, they could do something huge (like feeding a kid for 3 years). Plus I’d send you a cool little jpg or something else… maybe I could make stickers or something and send them in real life.

And the best part is, it’s really easy. Donors don’t have to work countless hours, etc… they just have to do without an iPod. Like they have been doing for their entire lives. Or worst case, they could buy an iPod mini and donate the saved $100. If someone got really inspired, he/she could sell his iPod (they still go for about $250 at least on eBay).

But I’m not doing this to look down on people who own iPods (I know most of the readers of this blog do; and that’s cool) … this will be an entirely “soft-sell” website. It won’t guilt or pressure you into not buying that iPod that you really really want; it won’t make you feel bad for owning one; it’ll just give you some ideas.

Please let me know what you think. I want to start making this site right away, get it up before I get back to school. I figure I can just buy a domain for a year (www.dontbuyanipod.com is still open), pretty low initial costs… and go from there. Do you think anyone would consider not buying an iPod after seeing a site like this? I mean, odds are it’d flop, but what if it became the next Internet cult hit? How cool would that be… using the internet to get donations pouring in to some worthwhile charity instead of Steve Jobs’s pockets?

… leave thoughts!
Your resident idealist,
Dan

Comments:

Anonymous - Jul 1, 2005

This sounds interesting . . .

chicken - Jul 2, 2005

Tasse-

I admire your determination and well, idealism. I suck and have an iPod. It was very difficult for me to part with the $$, especially with the corporate hooplah that I would be supporting. But it was solely for its efficiency, and somehow I thought the $$ was worth it after I’ve worked so fucking much.

NOW– let me say that this idea IS perfect for maybe the suburban Dick or Sally (?), or their parents who want to raise their children without spoilage and will appreciate one day that their rents forked out $300 in their name to a wonderful cause instead of a small, materialistic, breakable device– especially if they are reminded of exactly what their money went to help. I mean, in many cases, they’ll grow up with such better ideals and those virtues that Rick Santorum thinks he embraces. This is a good crowd to advertise towards. But for me (this is similar to Yin’s comment)– the college student who can’t afford dick but occasionally splurges because she’s stupid (on say, iPods)– I donate to things I believe in as often as possible, but really in $2-$50 increments as I am able to. So the point is finally fucking emerging!!!

My suggestion is that you add a section that might say, for instance, “Don’t even have $300 for the iPod?” or “Already own an iPod but still want to help?” kind of a thing, and add a spot that allows them to donate their own figure. Cuz I would totally put some dough in, but alas, cannot return my iPod. Though it is more tempting to ask just for the $300, I think you’ll still get generous people and better results/ feedback/ word of mouth this way.

Also, you could choose several different charities (I guess you’re already thinking like that with your examples…) and put all of their info/ icons/ etc. on your site. So people can conveniently scroll through one website to choose where they would like their money to go. I don’t know if you would need/ want to correspond with the different charities to be like an official collector, but I assume that it doesn’t matter. However, they may help you get stickers, etc.
P.S. Stickers rock.

I would totally help you research and such, Tass. Whatever you need.

Being the smart Tasse that you are, I assume you’re already anticipating the “It’s a good idea but…“s. Just don’t let them discourage you. It’s awesome, Tass.

-your favorite daughter.

Dan - Jul 2, 2005

Hey Chicken-
This is true… most don’t have $300 but might help anyway, especially if they think they’re fighting the Evil Corporate Empire (tm), which in a way, they are.

I don’t think you suck for having an iPod- see, you’re the kind of person who should have one, someone who works hard for the money, thinks about it, decides it’s useful for its efficiency, and buys it. I’m more going after the “buy it on a whim” sort of folks. And you’re right (as is Mike), I would probably have more luck with the Young-Professional crowd (someone told me that’s what “yuppie” stood for. ohhh, now the word makes sense! who knew?) or the parent-searching-for-Christmas-gift crowd.

And thanks much for your support- I think I’ll give it a try on a small scale, and if even a couple people show any interest, go from there.

-Da"See, an iPod is a luxury item. Do you know what a luxury item is?“d

Anonymous - Jul 6, 2005

awesome idea. i would definitely love more info on how to donate my money!