Newsflash: Some people actually give money to beggars
by Elizabeth Wachowski 
Mar 23rd 2007 at 3:27PM
At least that's what Metaphoric of Kalecgos found out. In a "controlled experiment", she spent just shy of an hour begging with pre-set macros in Orgrimmar. After 55 minutes, her 38 troll rogue received 101 gold in donations and items towards her mount, including one highly generous 35g gift.
Forumgoers point out that this is probably due to her nice, well-spelled macros: "Excuse me, I was wondering if you had a gold or two to spare. I've been trying to save up for my mount by selling any grey or green items I find but all the gold I get goes back to skills or repairing" and "I've been able to save up 58g so far, but I don't think I can make the rest before I hit 40. :-( I'll take anything you can spare!" The good grammar may have shocked them into parting with their cash. And of course, Metaphoric was using a female troll toon, so the givers may have just been looking for some ... uh ... hot female troll action?
Several other people questioned the ethics of Metaphoric's experiment, but she responded that she had sent back anything over 5g and planned to give the rest away in small contests. She also reported that no one had given her any crazy instructions or put 100g in the trade window and gone AFK.
Sidie of Kul Tiras recommended that someone level up a male toon to 12 and have him run around spamming "hay can i have some gold plz i need money for skillz lol," so as to recreate the usual begging experience. Like Metaphoric's "victims", I usually give small amounts of money to intelligent, well-reasoned beggars and ignore those that are being jerks. What do you do with beggars -- or has this inspired you to start begging yourself?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Economy
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BaboonNL Mar 23rd 2007 3:42PM
The only begger I've ever gave money to was a Gnome (don't remember the level).
He walked into the AH in IF and said something like "Freeze, this is a hold-up! Put the money in the bag! DO IT!".
James Mar 23rd 2007 3:49PM
I had a level 15 or so gnome one time very politely ask for 1g. Very politely. Shocked me so much I asked them what they were going to use it for, and they said they were trying to buy a specific (blue) staff on the AH. I went and checked it out and it had like a 18g buyout, and I knew they weren't going to make it, so I bought the thing out and flat gave it to them. That gnome, in a 9 months of playing is the first person to both apologize for bothering me, and to actually spell 'please' with all the vowels intact.
So, yeah, that test mentioned above is flawed. I would have given her money too, or anyone for that matter, who is polite enough to ask properly. What someone needs to do, as has been suggested, is roll a level 5 human warrior, strip him down naked, run him into SW, then start spamming people. To make it even more realistic, I suggest drinking heavily beforehand, or, if no alcohol is available, repeatedly slamming your head in a car door for 10 minutes then commence to begging. This will thoroughly fool anyone who might suspect you're just testing them. Then report back the results. I doubt you'll get much. At least I hope not.
Vogen The D0rf Hunter Mar 23rd 2007 4:00PM
Gold for female Troll action? Sounds feasable. Female Trolls posess a very high "sex-ay" factor.
Thijz Mar 23rd 2007 4:06PM
Oh god, I love that picture :P
priest Mar 23rd 2007 4:10PM
If I ever met a gold begger who was eloquent and grammatically able, I'd probably give them some gold as well. But, in all fairness, I never have met one.
Scruffy Mar 26th 2007 10:33AM
@3
I concur!
Anyway, all this shows is that, yes, asking nicely in good English and/or using a female character that isn't a Gnome or a Dwarf (sorry, honey; you got to be this * tall for a ride) will get you favors.
I've run into a couple beggars recently. One /t'd me out of nowhere on my way out of SW. It sounded like he needed help so I stopped to hear him out. What did he want? Help kill Hogger? Do some other tough quest? No, he wanted money. Didn't say for what either.
Another was some dink in IF AH. Had he pulled what James saw, I might have thrown him a little something. Instead, he was just asking everyone in there. "i need money!" or something to that degree. I told him to fucking play the game.
Crooth Mar 23rd 2007 4:14PM
If somebody sent me an intelligent tell that was clearly looking for something like a mount or a specific item, I might consider it. I honestly probably wouldn't give them any gold though. You don't *need* a blue weapon at 12 to level up easily to a point where the weapon no longer has value (20 at best.) And frankly, mount money isn't all that hard to come by if you are willing to work for it. It is a surprise at 40 to need that much gold, I do remember that. But if you aren't obsessed with having one and willing to farm something, it's well within reach.
However, nobody has ever sent me a tell like that. Instead I get tells like 'hi', followed by 'plz give me gold' or some other poorly worded nonsense.
I did have a low level character ask me for advice recently. Questions like 'what class is best', 'what race is best for a mage', etc. It was clearly somebody trying to figure out what combo was uber, but I tried to be honest and get them to pick something they would have the most fun with.
Burning Adrenaline Mar 23rd 2007 4:40PM
I've played both factions, and the only time I've given money to a stranger was about a year ago in Ironforge. A gnome asked me for 20s, and I told him that I would if he jumped into the lava/molten metal around the forge. Well he did, and I even gave him a little extra for the laugh he gave my friend and I.
Karmakin Mar 23rd 2007 4:48PM
People give me money everyday...when I sell my Arcanite Bar. Well at least it FEELS that way.
Although in all honesty, the one time I've seen someone who used proper english to ask for money with a specific purpose to ask for a gold, I gave them one. Please note they were not shouting, or /telling, they were just saying it in white text in the local area.
jess Mar 24th 2007 5:21PM
I never give my gold away but if poeple beg me for power leveling them through instances I have occasionally tried to give them some advice about how to find similiar-level people since I know that can at times be a tough sell.
Or if they are begging me to run them through Gnomergon I will englighten them as to why Gnomergon is one of the most vile instances in the game.
Rich Mar 23rd 2007 5:45PM
People intelligent enough to spell are intelligent enough to earn their own gold.
rabbitsnake Mar 23rd 2007 6:34PM
That picture of the beggar on the post is a guy in downtown chicago who was at the corner of State and Lake everyday for a long time. He is mentally ill and used to have a sign the size of a small barn telling his whole life story. While it is a funny picture, his story is not. Homeless urban dwellers are not all that funny, especially ones who live in Chicago during the winter.
Sorry for the derail.
MindTrigger Mar 23rd 2007 7:08PM
I don't think there is an excuse for begging at all, and they go right on my ignore list if them message me. I loan money to guildies when they are in a bind, and I give money to noobs when I run them through instances if they don't ask, because they show the will to earn it. The beggars are probably making as much or more than an active player by doing nothing. They may be farming it too.
mewyn Mar 23rd 2007 7:07PM
I dislike beggars, although the one time I did give money was to someone who asked politely, when I turned him away, he was still polite so I mailed him a few gold.
What I hate more than gold beggars is those people who beg me for instance runs. I don't like those for several reasons, first off you don't get anything of value from the Stockades or Deadmines, you don't get crap for money from them, a higher level escorting you through will get you barely any XP, and you don't learn anything about the game. My time is way too valuable to me, I'm not going to be escorting someone, who is likely not even going to do what I say.
Does anyone run random newbs through these low-level instances?
uncaringbear Mar 23rd 2007 7:38PM
If someone asks very politely, and gives a good reason, I'm likely to help them with a small donation. If they're able to build a small fortune doing this on a regular basis, who is to say that this is hurting the game? On the other hand, if a level 5 n00b runs up and PSTs me with horrible grammar and spelling, I usually respond with "Sorry, I'd like to give you some gold, but you'd just spend it on alchohol".
JJ Mar 24th 2007 3:39AM
I give out money on 3 conditions:
1) If they ask politely
2) They ask for a small amount (i.e. 20s)
3) They want it for good reason--they've got 30 copper to their name and can't afford a gryphon flight, for example.
I'd be curious to see a 4-step test, each time recording just how much money you get:
1) Go out and just play for an hour
2) Go to a major city and send polite, grammatically-correct tells
3) Pester people individually in a rude fashion--"PLZ PLZ gimme 30g!!", opening trade windows while people are at the AH and mailbox, etc.
4) Spam in general, trade, and 'yell'
Of course, I reserve the right to give out money for totally stupid reasons too. I'm a total sucker if they want it for a non-combat pet. I also once gave a hunter what he asked for just because his pet was a Durotar Tiger (NOT an STV tiger)--my first hunter pet was a Durotar Tiger, and I still have her. Wow, virtual money is fun :D
len Mar 25th 2007 10:48PM
Damn it, people, don't encourage them!
These kids will end up on welfare because *you* taught them not to work.