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So essentially you're proud of stealing huge amounts of money from a fund set up by people for a specific purpose, and then you channel this money to suit your

by Udo 15y ago

So essentially you're proud of stealing huge amounts of money from a fund set up by people for a specific purpose, and then you channel this money to suit your own needs while claiming moral superiority? You know, even if the money you stole for "the little children OMG think of the children" really reaches the intended recipients, which it probably won't if this is a typical 3rd world development fund, you still betrayed everybody's trust and you're actually proud of it. Sam Odio is either the worst kind of stealing hypocrite out there, or he's genuinely living in a cardboard box under a bridge giving all his money away to charity. I think I can guess which one is the case. I apologize for the tone of this post, but the sheer amount of arrogant jerkiness on display here actually makes me angry; and that's saying something. On the plus side, I suppose now we know who kept on abusing the card (people were wondering in other threads).

deleted 15y ago
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sequoia 15y ago
>On the plus side, I suppose now we know who kept on abusing the card (people were wondering in other threads). I'm betting most of the people abusing the card aren't sending the proceeds to charity...
- Udo 15y ago
  Well, if he stole enough to buy an iPad, that's a large chunk of the missing money from the card right there. I'm willing to bet most of the other people stealing from the card aren't rich and successful YC graduate entrepreneurs either but somehow that makes what he did much worse in my opinion. He's also a rich guy lecturing people on how they should be donating every little bit of their excess money to charity. I'm sorry but something about this whole constellation is making my blood boil.
  - randallsquared 15y ago
    You aren't the only one. Stomping on other people's fun because you'd prefer they donate is deeply irritating. I haven't been able to read the article, yet, due to a 500 error, but whatever charity is receiving this should be upset that they're being associated with this asininity.
  - ay 15y ago
    Now the community should do a social experiment of encouraging Sam to return the same amount of money onto the card as he stole and see if it works.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
    - keidian 15y ago
      Or a social experiment of avoiding his new YC startup Freshplum http://allthingsd.com/20110621/sam-odio-i-left-facebook-to-rejoin-y-combinator-with-a-new-start-up-video/ http://allthingsd.com/20110621/sam-odio-i-left-facebook-to-r...
      - ay 15y ago
        That'd be way disproportional. And there could be a totally unrelated people who might suffer from the result of that experiment. Just get the money back on the card. As a side effect he can claim the karma points for the entire good deed he described, on his own account. Then his experiment would get a much nicer feel.
        burgerbrain 15y ago
        No, I really don't think that it is disproportional. Sam Odio hasn't apologized let alone returned the money. In fact, he just tries to justify his actions. I would say it is likely that this is symptomatic of his ethical and moral attitude in general.
        sequoia 15y ago
        I say we hang 'im... then we kill 'im! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVKsd8z6scw#t=102 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVKsd8z6scw#t=102 Seriously tho, it seems like this backlash is getting a bit out of hand. There was a silly, whimsical social experiment, and this guy had a silly, whimsical hack on it, now people are calling to destroy his business and run him out of town on a rail. So it wasn't the best decision, so what? Let's keep things in perspective here, friends.
MatthewPhillips 15y ago
Jonathan said it was a social experiment. This, and people's reaction to it, is part of that.
- burgerbrain 15y ago
  The social experiment revealed that there are in fact people miserable enough in this world to senselessly steal from such a good will fund. In fact, so miserable that they see fit to even brag about it and pretend to themselves their actions were noble. The experiment revealed that the name of one such miserable person is Sam Odio.
  - kennywinker 15y ago
    yuppies buying each other coffee: a goodwill fund.
    - burgerbrain 15y ago
      Why not? Care to give your definition of goodwill? Or are you just going to repeat things and not justify your apparent condescension?
      - kennywinker 15y ago
        Sure, it's goodwill... just the really empty kind of goodwill that makes everyone feel good but nobody actually better off. Sorry, I probably came off more condescending than I intended. I'm only trying to inject a measure of perspective. People (yourself included) are acting like this was a "miserable" and "disgusting" thing to do. He could have stolen the money and never said a word (which would have been lame), but he played within the bounds of the experiment by reporting his contribution.
        burgerbrain 15y ago
        "People (yourself included) are acting like this was a "miserable" and "disgusting" thing to do." I am not acting like it is, I am saying that it is. And yes, I know that I am doing that... since I am doing it. Regardless of wither or not it was within the bounds of the experiment it was an asshat thing to do.
gegegege 15y ago
It was stated that this was a social experiment. Given the fact that everyone knew what would happen, I hardly think this constitutes abuse. Diverting the money to a more worthy (in his view) cause, as some people were using it to buy food for the homeless, should have been an expected outcome.
- Udo 15y ago
  Yes, this is a social experiment. And as such I find this guy's moral code - as revealed by the experiment - severely lacking.
- raganwald 15y ago
  As a social experiment, if I leave my bike on my front lawn over night for weeks, eventually it will be stolen. Everybody expects this to happen eventually. Does this excuse the thief?
  - kennywinker 15y ago
    Nope, but if you say "here is my bike, anyone can use it for whatever they want. Really, whatever. Go nuts." and then having someone say "I know, I'll send this bike to kids in Africa who don't have a bike!" doesn't count as theft.
    - raganwald 15y ago
      We’re speaking to different arguments. Your point appears to be that Jonathan setting up the experiment and the people paying into the experiment did so with the understanding that other people could do whatever they wanted with the money, and the OP has done whatever he wanted with the money. My point was simply that given any situation, the fact that we expect something to happen doesn’t automatically excuse any of the participants of responsibility for their choice. I am not judging the OP, merely pointing out that “everyone’s expectation of outcome” is not a valid defence if he has done something wrong. If you believe he hasn’t done anything wrong for other reasons, that’s fine, carry on.
dotBen 15y ago
I'm also appalled at Sam Odio's behavior - the fact that the money is going to charity (albeit indirectly) doesn't make this ok.

by Udo 15y ago

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

sequoia 15y ago

>On the plus side, I suppose now we know who kept on abusing the card (people were wondering in other threads). I'm betting most of the people abusing the card aren't sending the proceeds to charity...

Udo 15y ago
Well, if he stole enough to buy an iPad, that's a large chunk of the missing money from the card right there. I'm willing to bet most of the other people stealing from the card aren't rich and successful YC graduate entrepreneurs either but somehow that makes what he did much worse in my opinion. He's also a rich guy lecturing people on how they should be donating every little bit of their excess money to charity. I'm sorry but something about this whole constellation is making my blood boil.
- randallsquared 15y ago
  You aren't the only one. Stomping on other people's fun because you'd prefer they donate is deeply irritating. I haven't been able to read the article, yet, due to a 500 error, but whatever charity is receiving this should be upset that they're being associated with this asininity.
- ay 15y ago
  Now the community should do a social experiment of encouraging Sam to return the same amount of money onto the card as he stole and see if it works.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
  - keidian 15y ago
    Or a social experiment of avoiding his new YC startup Freshplum http://allthingsd.com/20110621/sam-odio-i-left-facebook-to-rejoin-y-combinator-with-a-new-start-up-video/ http://allthingsd.com/20110621/sam-odio-i-left-facebook-to-r...
    - ay 15y ago
      That'd be way disproportional. And there could be a totally unrelated people who might suffer from the result of that experiment. Just get the money back on the card. As a side effect he can claim the karma points for the entire good deed he described, on his own account. Then his experiment would get a much nicer feel.
      - burgerbrain 15y ago
        No, I really don't think that it is disproportional. Sam Odio hasn't apologized let alone returned the money. In fact, he just tries to justify his actions. I would say it is likely that this is symptomatic of his ethical and moral attitude in general.
        sequoia 15y ago
        I say we hang 'im... then we kill 'im! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVKsd8z6scw#t=102 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVKsd8z6scw#t=102 Seriously tho, it seems like this backlash is getting a bit out of hand. There was a silly, whimsical social experiment, and this guy had a silly, whimsical hack on it, now people are calling to destroy his business and run him out of town on a rail. So it wasn't the best decision, so what? Let's keep things in perspective here, friends.

MatthewPhillips 15y ago

Jonathan said it was a social experiment. This, and people's reaction to it, is part of that.

burgerbrain 15y ago
The social experiment revealed that there are in fact people miserable enough in this world to senselessly steal from such a good will fund. In fact, so miserable that they see fit to even brag about it and pretend to themselves their actions were noble. The experiment revealed that the name of one such miserable person is Sam Odio.
- kennywinker 15y ago
  yuppies buying each other coffee: a goodwill fund.
  - burgerbrain 15y ago
    Why not? Care to give your definition of goodwill? Or are you just going to repeat things and not justify your apparent condescension?
    - kennywinker 15y ago
      Sure, it's goodwill... just the really empty kind of goodwill that makes everyone feel good but nobody actually better off. Sorry, I probably came off more condescending than I intended. I'm only trying to inject a measure of perspective. People (yourself included) are acting like this was a "miserable" and "disgusting" thing to do. He could have stolen the money and never said a word (which would have been lame), but he played within the bounds of the experiment by reporting his contribution.
      - burgerbrain 15y ago
        "People (yourself included) are acting like this was a "miserable" and "disgusting" thing to do." I am not acting like it is, I am saying that it is. And yes, I know that I am doing that... since I am doing it. Regardless of wither or not it was within the bounds of the experiment it was an asshat thing to do.

gegegege 15y ago

It was stated that this was a social experiment. Given the fact that everyone knew what would happen, I hardly think this constitutes abuse. Diverting the money to a more worthy (in his view) cause, as some people were using it to buy food for the homeless, should have been an expected outcome.

Udo 15y ago
Yes, this is a social experiment. And as such I find this guy's moral code - as revealed by the experiment - severely lacking.
raganwald 15y ago
As a social experiment, if I leave my bike on my front lawn over night for weeks, eventually it will be stolen. Everybody expects this to happen eventually. Does this excuse the thief?
- kennywinker 15y ago
  Nope, but if you say "here is my bike, anyone can use it for whatever they want. Really, whatever. Go nuts." and then having someone say "I know, I'll send this bike to kids in Africa who don't have a bike!" doesn't count as theft.
  - raganwald 15y ago
    We’re speaking to different arguments. Your point appears to be that Jonathan setting up the experiment and the people paying into the experiment did so with the understanding that other people could do whatever they wanted with the money, and the OP has done whatever he wanted with the money. My point was simply that given any situation, the fact that we expect something to happen doesn’t automatically excuse any of the participants of responsibility for their choice. I am not judging the OP, merely pointing out that “everyone’s expectation of outcome” is not a valid defence if he has done something wrong. If you believe he hasn’t done anything wrong for other reasons, that’s fine, carry on.

dotBen 15y ago

I'm also appalled at Sam Odio's behavior - the fact that the money is going to charity (albeit indirectly) doesn't make this ok.