Go Fund Me has a spam problem. Who is policing it?

YouTube insists it can't police itself because it is too big. Twitter is also a giant company but insists it can police everyone and remove a blue check mark from a verified account based on how the account holder behaves offline. So where does that leave companies like Go Fund Me who make their living (and take a percentage of) other peoples' generosity? Full disclosure: at my first job in advertising in the early 00's, there was a beloved IT guy who worked there for a very long time. When his illness got the better of him, I started a Go Fund Me account that raised more than six thousand dollars for him, and I would like to believe in his final few months on Earth he knew just how much people cared about him as it should be. I did think Go Fund Me's 5% plus a 2.9% + $0.30 fee from WePay for each payment you request is borderline exorbitant. Still, people use it because it's there everyone's heard of it and it's "convenient." What I have noticed lately, which seems to be rampant on every last site, is spam. If you look at the above image, there's only one comment there that is from someone who donated. All the others are spam directing you to another Go Fund Me site. Bearing in mind this is coming on the page to help raise money for a musician who had a severe stroke. It upsets me greatly that there is no way for me, a person who donated to the cause, to report this or flag it. Perhaps Go Fund Me leaves that in the hands of the person running the account. I have no idea as I was lucky enough not to have to deal with spam when I ran my campaign. But really, who wants to be in charge of dealing with spam on top of everything else? The question Go Fund Me needs to answer is what are they doing to mitigate spam and why aren't they doing more? It's one thing for YouTube to hide behind the "too big to police," excuse. It's quite another when you're a cause marketing site built on the backs of people who are using your site when they and their families are at their most vulnerable. As for this cause, Scott McCaughey, lead singer and guitarist of the Young Fresh Fellows among other bands, and touring member of R.E.M. had a stroke the other day. They've raised a decent amount of money to cover his expenses but it's important to remember most musicians don't have a lot of insurance and don't make money any more thanks to these very same Silicon Valley "disruption," companies. So if you've got some extra dosh to spare, considering donating to a fellow content creator who could use some help. In light of today's news about the C3, it's obvious fans will have to take care of it.

src="adland.tv/witter-will-determine-verification-status-your-offline-behavior-too/26768162">offline. So where does that leave companies like Go Fund Me who make their living (and take a percentage of) other peoples' generosity? Full disclosure: at my first job in advertising in the early 00's, there was a beloved IT guy who worked there for a very long time. When his illness got the better of him, I started a Go Fund Me account that raised more than six thousand dollars for him, and I would like to believe in his final few months on Earth he knew just how much people cared about him as it should be. I did think Go Fund Me's 5% plus a 2.9% + $0.30 fee from WePay for each payment you request is borderline exorbitant. Still, people use it because it's there everyone's heard of it and it's "convenient." What I have noticed lately, which seems to be rampant on every last site, is spam. If you look at the above image, there's only one comment there that is from someone who donated. All the others are spam directing you to another Go Fund Me site. Bearing in mind this is coming on the page to help raise money for a musician who had a severe stroke. It upsets me greatly that there is no way for me, a person who donated to the cause, to report this or flag it. Perhaps Go Fund Me leaves that in the hands of the person running the account. I have no idea as I was lucky enough not to have to deal with spam when I ran my campaign. But really, who wants to be in charge of dealing with spam on top of everything else? The question Go Fund Me needs to answer is what are they doing to mitigate spam and why aren't they doing more? It's one thing for YouTube to hide behind the "too big to police," excuse. It's quite another when you're a cause marketing site built on the backs of people who are using your site when they and their families are at their most vulnerable. As for this cause, Scott McCaughey, lead singer and guitarist of the Young Fresh Fellows among other bands, and touring member of R.E.M. had a stroke the other day. They've raised a decent amount of money to cover his expenses but it's important to remember most musicians don't have a lot of insurance and don't make money any more thanks to these very same Silicon Valley "disruption," companies. So if you've got some extra dosh to spare, considering donating to a fellow content creator who could use some help. In light of today's news about the C3, it's obvious fans will have to take care of it.