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Dagfinn
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« Reply To This #240 on: July 10, 2009, 01:11:45 PM » |
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No, It would not take the fun out of some of the discussions here on KF. It would add transparency. And transparency is important and beneficial when an organization is dealing with a voluntary donor base that participates mainly if it is satisfied and happy with the organization and how that organization operates. Being more transparent would also decrease the amount of guessing going on as well as decrease the aggravation, the frustration, the annoyance, and the disillusionment (and probably several other feelings I have not mentioned) felt by many of the lenders, especially here on KF.
Think about it, how many of us enjoy being around people, working with people or working for people/businesses who are not forthcoming and transparent and who seem to enjoy keeping everyone guessing (or at least do not seem to realize how detrimental it is to the organization/business to keep everyone guessing). I don't enjoy it at all and I think most other adults do not enjoy it either.
I would welcome more transparency.
Judy
 often a lesson fully learned only when you have lost your donor base - so tramsparancy now! -- Dagfinn A |
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DoubleR
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« Reply To This #241 on: July 10, 2009, 02:28:48 PM » |
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No, It would not take the fun out of some of the discussions here on KF. It would add transparency. And transparency is important and beneficial when an organization is dealing with a voluntary donor base that participates mainly if it is satisfied and happy with the organization and how that organization operates. Being more transparent would also decrease the amount of guessing going on as well as decrease the aggravation, the frustration, the annoyance, and the disillusionment (and probably several other feelings I have not mentioned) felt by many of the lenders, especially here on KF.
Think about it, how many of us enjoy being around people, working with people or working for people/businesses who are not forthcoming and transparent and who seem to enjoy keeping everyone guessing (or at least do not seem to realize how detrimental it is to the organization/business to keep everyone guessing). I don't enjoy it at all and I think most other adults do not enjoy it either.
I would welcome more transparency.
Judy
My lighthearted response to Richard was strictly in the context of demystifying the various factors that determine the number of available loans. I did not mean for it to be interpreted outside of that context. I totally agree with you on the transparency issue. I think Kiva has learned (and will continue to learn) from its mistakes when it has not been forthcoming with the lending community. They have made great strides in providing more information and timely information through the community calls, the appointment of the KF Liaison (kudos to Diane), redesigned profile pages, and more information on the Kiva/KivaFellows blogs. There is still more information that they could be providing, and the lending community will continue to press for it. You referenced the importance of dealing with a voluntary donor base that is "satisfied and happy with the organization...". I apologize if you stated your views in a previous post, but I'm curious to get your take on how Kiva should deal with such a diverse constituency. Whose advice should they follow? To stay on this thread of US loans, Kiva responded to the request of one subset of lenders only to infuriate another. I'm not going to play armchair quarterback and dwell on what Kiva should have done, but I would like to focus on next steps. How do we resolve this divide among the lending community so that the borrowers win when it's all said and done? Regards, Ronan |
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Dagfinn
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« Reply To This #242 on: July 10, 2009, 02:45:17 PM » |
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How do we resolve this divide among the lending community so that the borrowers win when it's all said and done?
Regards,
Ronan
It has been commented on quite a few times Ronan, as per my take on it. To start with one must define what alleviating the poverty means - is it everywhere or only in select geographies. I hold that view that if we can put that definition in place we have a starting point. It is not easily defined though as poverty is not a mathematical expression or a fixed figure. I would welcome such a debate on here; it would be a great fruit from all these tensions uncovered by those US loans. From what I have seen here the last two years there is a lot of sincere and qualified brainpower available and lots of learned knowledge available. I would see such an outcome as a worthwhile undertaking and contribution towards Kiva from us here on KF. -- Dagfinn A |
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wthepoo
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« Reply To This #243 on: July 10, 2009, 03:02:23 PM » |
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I totally agree with you on the transparency issue. I think Kiva has learned (and will continue to learn) from its mistakes when it has not been forthcoming with the lending community. They have made great strides in providing more information and timely information through the community calls, the appointment of the KF Liaison (kudos to Diane), redesigned profile pages, and more information on the Kiva/KivaFellows blogs. There is still more information that they could be providing, and the lending community will continue to press for it.
Certain things have (massively, even) improved (particularly the ones you mentioned) - that's right, and I applauded and continue to applaud Kiva for these improvements. I do hope, though, that Kiva will continue to learn and improve their efforts at communication and transparency. There is still a lot to learn and to do IMHO - release notes, (further) advance warning, communication in more prominent places, use of the newsletter or another e-mail format to broadcast certain site/system developments to all lenders (or those that didn't decide to opt out specifically), archives of ToUs, Field Partner Ratings, Newsletters etc., something like a place to find all recent partner developments, ... (and of course: transparency regarding interest rates and currency risk). How do we resolve this divide among the lending community so that the borrowers win when it's all said and done?
Just one idea: I don't know if it's true for many of the US-loans-critics or whether it's a question of principle for the majority of them, but Marilyn's earlier post - the one Kerry responded to, today - shows that at least some of them seem to fear a "flood" of US loans as compared to the relatively few we saw over this last month (especially after the first batch had been funded). Like Kerry, I don't share that fear - I am pretty sure the two US Field Partners are on quotas like the other Field Partners, and with the high individual amount of US loans, I don't think they can actually post so many more requests per month. And I doubt that there will be many more US Field Partners or Field Partners from other "developed" countries soon. Kiva should IMHO consider disclosing these figures and plans (quotas of US Field Partners? predicted development? new US, Canadian, European, Australian, ... Field Partners in sight? ...) and might thus placate some lenders and show that their focus is still and will remain on "developing" and transition countries. Best wishes, Wolfgang. |
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DoubleR
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« Reply To This #244 on: July 10, 2009, 03:31:50 PM » |
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Just one idea: I don't know if it's true for many of the US-loans-critics or whether it's a question of principle for the majority of them, but Marilyn's earlier post - the one Kerry responded to, today - shows that at least some of them seem to fear a "flood" of US loans as compared to the relatively few we saw over this last month (especially after the first batch had been funded). Like Kerry, I don't share that fear - I am pretty sure the two US Field Partners are on quotas like the other Field Partners, and with the high individual amount of US loans, I don't think they can actually post so many more requests per month. And I doubt that there will be many more US Field Partners or Field Partners from other "developed" countries soon.
Kiva should IMHO consider disclosing these figures and plans (quotas of US Field Partners? predicted development? new US, Canadian, European, Australian, ... Field Partners in sight? ...) and might thus placate some lenders and show that their focus is still and will remain on "developing" and transition countries.
I agree that getting answers to Marilyn's questions would quell some (but not all) of the concerns regarding the US loans, as well as disclosing any plans to expand the US program or introduce it to other developed countries. I would speculate the number of new US Kiva loans to increase at a slower rate for another reason -- borrowers' reluctance to have their profile on the Internet. Those living in developed countries are more likely to be aware of the dangers that can result from Internet exposure (such as identity theft). I think the media attention has increased activity for the US field partners, but that doesn't automatically translate to more US Kiva loans. The clients must still consent to having their loans posted online. (Fortunately, that doesn't prevent those clients from getting a loan -- the funding just comes from another source.) Regards, Ronan |
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Mona
Kiva Supporter
Berlin
Gender: 
Posts: 2255
Dawn at 3.069 m on La Reunion's Piton de Neige
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« Reply To This #246 on: July 10, 2009, 04:08:08 PM » |
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I am getting really angry now. They have started to spam all team message boards with this message. Grrrrrrr  P.s.: Joining teams for just spamming them with messages is against the Kiva's ToU. I encourage each team captain who has been bothered by this to delete posters like this and their messages. |
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« Last Edit: July 10, 2009, 04:17:42 PM by Mona »
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YowieFreak
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« Reply To This #247 on: July 10, 2009, 04:19:48 PM » |
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"Sverre has left the following message for the none of the above Lending Team:
..."
I must admit, the message got me agitated enough that I sent him the following reply: Sverre, Firstly, welcome to our team and we look forward to your loans adding towards our target.  Secondly, the message you sent the team contained a link to a poll, but that was just a copy of the poll being undertaken by Kiva - it would probably be more appropriate to send people directly to Kiva's poll. Thirdly, you left out the best action that could be undertaken by people unhappy with Kiva - "Send an email to contactus asking Kiva to close your account" - that then achieves all the other actions much more simply. Fourthly - your comment to the PRO people makes mention of 25% of people leaving Kiva (although you don't seem to be advocating that step yourself or you would have included the action in my third point) but at the moment there is only about 0.25% of lenders indicating their unhappiness with the decision to allow loans to the USA. Did you put the decimal point in the wrong place in your calculations? Regards, Ian |
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Jan & John
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« Reply To This #248 on: July 10, 2009, 04:25:01 PM » |
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I am getting really angry now. They have started to spam all team message boards with this message. Grrrrrrr We've had him on quite a few team messages here - I know Sandy deleted him from the Agriculture team - I just checked the Single Parents team and the Three Cups of Tea and the Let's Lend $40000. He has been a Kiva member since March but I don't know how to tell if he is just joining teams to spam. Kerry has sent a message to Kiva to report him but I think each team captain must dump him if he spams them and then tell the team what and why they did it. Sheer arrogance to think your message is so all-important.... I see Ian has posted - good on you - answering him is fuel to his fire - but it's also good to discredit him in the eyes of those he has contacted. Lynda lashed back at him on the Agriculture Team I'll GRRRrrrr with you Ramona... jan |
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"The place God calls you to is the place where your deepest gladness and the world's deepest hunger meet" - Fredrick Buechner (in Wishful Thinking). "Every child should be well born, well fed, well taught, well housed and well treated." Maude Riley, Alberta Council on Child and Family Welfare 1923 "Each of us feels that we are just a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be less without that missing drop." --Mother Teresa 1 click per person per day on this link means 1 additional cent for the Fistula Foundation - thanks! |
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waywardcats
Kiva Supporter
SF Bay Area
Gender:
Posts: 1934
Xania, Crete
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« Reply To This #249 on: July 10, 2009, 04:27:19 PM » |
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I am getting really angry now. They have started to spam all team message boards with this message. Grrrrrrr P.s.: Joining teams for just spamming them with messages is against the Kiva's ToU. I encourage each team captain who has been bothered by this to delete posters like this and their messages. Hi Mona, I have also reported him to Kiva customer service with an email to contactus@kiva.org. This is the second round of spam emails from this lender. I would recommend that others do the same so that his messaging privileges are revoked. The applicable section of the TOu is : Although Kiva assumes no obligation to monitor the conduct of any User off the Website, it is a violation of this Agreement to use the Website or any information obtained from the Website in order to harass, abuse, or harm another person (including, but not limited to, using profanity in lender messages or joining lending teams in bad faith), or in order to contact, advertise to, solicit, or sell to any User, Field Partner, Borrower or other Person without their prior explicit consent. In order to protect such persons from such advertising or solicitation, Kiva reserves the right to remove content from the Website that violates acceptable use in Kiva's sole discretion and restrict the number of emails or messages that a User may send to others through the Website in any 24-hour or other period to a number that Kiva deems appropriate, in Kiva's sole and absolute discretion. -Kerry- |
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"Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons, and our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity - men and women - to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice. That is why the United States will partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls, and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams." - President Barack Obama, June 4, 2009
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Poll
