KIVAFriends have any impact on how much you loan?

[Guest]

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[Henry]

I'm curious if we  KIVAFriends would have placed as much money into KIVA Loans if KIVAFriends had not existed.  When I say KIVAFriends, i'm talking about any method of sharing our personal KIVA experiences, questions, and interest.

Thanks for your answers!

[Peter S]

Hey Henry..

I would probably have placed more money into Kiva loans by now if KivaFriends had not existed.

The time I spend here is part of a cunning strategy to reduce my monthly credit card bill...   

Peter

[Kay]

 

[Spartan]

KF has for me, in a way, filled the social return void caused by the lack of journal updates for this experiment we call Kiva. This is especially so for those people who are on their third or fourth loan. Speaking of which, I think the number of times to the troff should be clearly noted on the quick reference area of the borrower but I digress - again...

Anyway, I voted in the affirmative despite my lack of posting the past couple months.

[Peter S]

...Speaking of which, I think the number of times to the troff...

Try as I might, I can't find a satisfactory way of reconciling the image implicit in that remark, with our fundamental obligation as lenders to accord borrowers the basic human respect that we owe them.   If that sounds pompous or sanctimonious, my apologies, and put it down to my over-sensitivity to the nuances of language..

And by the way, if someone is coming back for a second or third or fourth loan, that's entirely fine by me. If it is flagged up by Kiva, so much the better.  Many Field Partners do in their loan write-ups draw attention to the fact that a borrower has built up a track record with them of successfully repaying previous loans.   Poverty isn't fixed by a $600 loan for 6 months...

[Spartan]

@Peter - Excuse my apparent poor use of words. I assure you I had no intention of explicitly or implicitly communicating any lack of common human decency or respect towards anyone. For what it is worth, I'm a city boy and to me "troff" functionally means "dinner table" or "feeding hand" or "a place of support".  What can I say, language is a living dynamic thing and meanings change with time, culture, generation and usage.     

[Peter S]

@Peter - Excuse my apparent poor use of words. I assure you I had no intention of explicitly or implicitly communicating any lack of common human decency or respect towards anyone. For what it is worth, I'm a city boy and "troff" to me functionally means "dinner table" or "feeding hand".  What can I say, language is a living thing and meanings change with time, culture and usage.     

Good, I'm glad we've got that clarified - and I never for one moment thought you meant it disrespectfully. 

Over here we tend to spell it "trough", and the primary meaning is a receptacle for animal food, particularly food for pigs or cattle.  It was that association of ideas I was putting a question mark against.  I tend to be vigilant about language, because I'm keenly aware of its power to hurt as well as to inform and delight...

Perhaps I take too seriously George Orwell's remark:
But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.

Peter

p.s. Henry - you can have your thread back now!

[Spartan]

Cool! by the way, your spelling is correct and the one we use in the USA as well. 
I used the colloquial or idiomatic version subconsciously I guess to denote the difference of intent. Additionally your position on Orwell's comment is very sound to say the least and puts me in mind of the old adage "The pen is mightier then the sword" coined by Mr. Lytton. Its nearly 4:00AM I hope that makes sense.

@Henry - sorry to hijack your thread.

[Dottie b]

And by the way, if someone is coming back for a second or third or fourth loan, that's entirely fine by me. If it is flagged up by Kiva, so much the better.  Many Field Partners do in their loan write-ups draw attention to the fact that a borrower has built up a track record with them of successfully repaying previous loans.   Poverty isn't fixed by a $600 loan for 6 months...

Fine by me, too. In fact many American businesses take out regular loans as a matter of course to buy materials, seeds, etc., and pay it back after the sales, harvest, etc. Many - maybe most - buesinesses wouldn't make it if if weren't for regular business loans. Doesn't mean their hurting, it's just good business.

Dottie B

[Henry]

no problem Spartan, it's the numbers above i'm interested in, also glad to see you back online with us.  Hijacking threads is usually my problem!!! 

I'm not one bit surprised at the outcome of the poll so far.  I'd also bet if everyone really thought about it, there would be no clicks on the bottom answer. 

Joe, I hope seeing this poll makes you feel good!   Now tell me what the gift is so I can decide if I want to add anymore pennies to your tip jar!