Jeff Bezos donates $33M to help DACA students attend college • Hacker News Board

Re: Jeff Bezos donates $33M to help DACA students attend college

#11

Post by codezero » Sat, Jan 13, 2018, 9:09 AM UTC

pvsukale3 wrote: post #3

codezero wrote: post #2

Great, but for context, if your net worth were $300,000, this would be the same as donating a dollar. Edit: my math is wrong as hell and I was being way too cynical. Sorry folks.

It would still be better than doing nothing with that money.

I don’t think it is. This comes across as a fickle gesture from someone to improve their public image with almost no effort or commitment due to the absolute contribution seeming so grand but in relative terms it is not. But as I said in another comment I appreciate that I am probably being way too cynical.

Re: Jeff Bezos donates $33M to help DACA students attend college

#12

Post by oxide » Sat, Jan 13, 2018, 9:11 AM UTC

yesenadam wrote: post #8

codezero wrote: post #2

Great, but for context, if your net worth were $300,000, this would be the same as donating a dollar. Edit: my math is wrong as hell and I was being way too cynical. Sorry folks.

I get a figure of $3000 instead of what you wrote. But I think you wanted to make the amount seem pathetic. Not sure why.

"If he has x billions of dollars he should give x billions of dollars" is what I get out of the comment.

33 million dollars is going to buy a truckload of TI calculators and other mandatory essentials.

Re: Jeff Bezos donates $33M to help DACA students attend college

#13

Post by codezero » Sat, Jan 13, 2018, 9:12 AM UTC

yesenadam wrote: post #8

codezero wrote: post #2

Great, but for context, if your net worth were $300,000, this would be the same as donating a dollar. Edit: my math is wrong as hell and I was being way too cynical. Sorry folks.

I get a figure of $3000 instead of what you wrote. But I think you wanted to make the amount seem pathetic. Not sure why.

You are right and I am being very grumpy for no good reason. Thanks for correcting me.

Re: Jeff Bezos donates $33M to help DACA students attend college

#14

Post by codezero » Sat, Jan 13, 2018, 9:12 AM UTC

oxide wrote: post #12

yesenadam wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get a figure of $3000 instead of what you wrote. But I think you wanted to make the amount seem pathetic. Not sure why.

"If he has x billions of dollars he should give x billions of dollars" is what I get out of the comment. 33 million dollars is going to buy a truckload of TI calculators and other mandatory essentials.

You and the other commenters are correct. I’m feeling quite guilty of being as cynical as I often accuse others on HN of being.

Re: Jeff Bezos donates $33M to help DACA students attend college

#15

Post by codezero » Sat, Jan 13, 2018, 9:13 AM UTC

jdoliner wrote: post #6

codezero wrote: post #2

Great, but for context, if your net worth were $300,000, this would be the same as donating a dollar. Edit: my math is wrong as hell and I was being way too cynical. Sorry folks.

Because as we all know: the important thing with charity is how much you suffer, not how much they benefit.

Not quite what I was going for but your point is taken and I accept that I was out of line.

Re: Jeff Bezos donates $33M to help DACA students attend college

#16

Post by oxide » Sat, Jan 13, 2018, 9:13 AM UTC

codezero wrote: post #11

pvsukale3 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would still be better than doing nothing with that money.

I don’t think it is. This comes across as a fickle gesture from someone to improve their public image with almost no effort or commitment due to the absolute contribution seeming so grand but in relative terms it is not. But as I said in another comment I appreciate that I am probably being way too cynical.

I think you're minimizing just how cynical you're being.

33 million dollars is not a fickle gesture, hand that money to MSF or EFF and watch things happen. Think of all the bullshit you have to buy to attend college, nevermind tuition. That'd buy you a truckload of books and calculators.

Just because he has x billions of dollars doesn't mean x millions of dollars is worth any less to others, especially charitable causes.

You're probably right though, but why not use the money to improve your public image after being crowned richest man on Earth? I can't think of a single good reason.

sincerely signed,

a cold, hardened cynic.

Re: Jeff Bezos donates $33M to help DACA students attend college

#17

Post by yesenadam » Sat, Jan 13, 2018, 9:14 AM UTC

oxide wrote: post #12

yesenadam wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get a figure of $3000 instead of what you wrote. But I think you wanted to make the amount seem pathetic. Not sure why.

"If he has x billions of dollars he should give x billions of dollars" is what I get out of the comment. 33 million dollars is going to buy a truckload of TI calculators and other mandatory essentials.

Yes :-) I was trying really hard not to say something negative. But the guy's calculations appear to be out by a factor of 100, was my point.

Re: Jeff Bezos donates $33M to help DACA students attend college

#18

Post by codezero » Sat, Jan 13, 2018, 9:16 AM UTC

oxide wrote: post #5

codezero wrote: post #2

Great, but for context, if your net worth were $300,000, this would be the same as donating a dollar. Edit: my math is wrong as hell and I was being way too cynical. Sorry folks.

33 million dollars buys more tuition than one dollar. What, he's worth billions so he's gotta give a cool bil or it's pocket change? 33 million dollars is a shitload of cash for a donation, I'm pretty sure MSF wouldn't mind a 33 million dollar donation. They basically cry every GDQ event and thank people for 10 minutes straight. That's for ~1 mil. 33 million dollars buys a lot of books, a lot of stupid TI calculators…

I don’t expect him to give anything, however what I was trying to convey (and I admit I was wrong and not thinking of the general positive impact, and therefore what I was trying to convey was pointless) was that this wasn’t newsworthy, and seemed to be a puff piece to make Bezos sound more altruistic than he is.

Re: Jeff Bezos donates $33M to help DACA students attend college

#19

Post by codezero » Sat, Jan 13, 2018, 9:17 AM UTC

oxide wrote: post #16

codezero wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think it is. This comes across as a fickle gesture from someone to improve their public image with almost no effort or commitment due to the absolute contribution seeming so grand but in relative terms it is not. But as I said in another comment I appreciate that I am probably being way too cynical.

I think you're minimizing just how cynical you're being. 33 million dollars is not a fickle gesture, hand that money to MSF or EFF and watch things happen. Think of all the bullshit you have to buy to attend college, nevermind tuition. That'd buy you a truckload of books and calculators. Just because he has x billions of dollars doesn't mean x millions of dollars is worth any less to others, especially charitable cau…

You’re not wrong.

Re: Jeff Bezos donates $33M to help DACA students attend college

#20

Post by oxide » Sat, Jan 13, 2018, 9:17 AM UTC

codezero wrote: post #14

oxide wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"If he has x billions of dollars he should give x billions of dollars" is what I get out of the comment. 33 million dollars is going to buy a truckload of TI calculators and other mandatory essentials.

You and the other commenters are correct. I’m feeling quite guilty of being as cynical as I often accuse others on HN of being.

You're strong enough to admit it, so feel less guilty. I'm as cynical as anyone else, but you do have to step back occasionally and see nice things for what they are: nice.