> even if it's just by voting this up.
Voting is cheap :)
As a rule I don't like these 'help my friend in need' posts, on HN there are relatively few of them but they're there all the same.
It's happened 3 times or so over the last two months, one was a guy that couldn't get his money out of the Apple app store (but it wasn't really Apples fault, the other a direct plea for money. I can't find the links right now but if you've been here for this long then I'm sure you recall the threads.
I'm going to try to explain why I don't like these threads without coming across as a cold-hearted bastard (which I probably am anyway).
Over the last two decades I've been in a position to help people plenty of times, and for the most part I've done what I could when I could, with a few exceptions because I thought that the parties involved were creating their own misery.
But I've never even thought of asking others to pitch in as well.
My friends are my problem first.
Using the six degrees of freedom principle anybody would have a great reason to pitch their friends troubles on HN.
So kudos to you for trying to help, but why involve HN?
Do you think I should ask you to pitch in to help my friends too?
We all probably know of at least one person that could use some help. For instance, my friends X and Y from Ontario, living in a house where it's -40 outside and barely able to pay their taxes and their heating bill.
I wouldn't dream of asking you to help them, not because I think that that would be wrong, but simply because you are too far removed from them, both physically and on a more human level.
I'd encourage everybody to help those in their circle of friends to the maximum of their abilities, rather than to start petitions like these to help people on the other end of the planet.
If you can do both, then of course more power to you.
I hope that makes sense.