to think that freerice.com is ...horrid.

[onebatmother]

For each word you define correctly, the site's sponsors donate 10 free grains of rice for distribution to the world\s hungry through the UN. Sponsors' banners are displayed prominently.

Am I the only one who thinks this is yuk?

Firstly - so smug! I secretly pride myself on my Enooormous vocab - but somehow this in the context of people who don't actually have enough to EAT revolts me!

Secondly - why don't the sponsors just give the freaking rice for nothing! If all it that's stopping them from doing so is that I got the definition of discombobulate wrong, well ffs!

Thirdly - so trivial!! No mention of global politics etc. So insulting! Come, World's Poor. With my extensive vocabulary, I will feed you.

I know, I know, that it's 'light-heartedness' is probably deliberate, aiming for an unreached demographic etc. And what's the diff between this and an equally pointless sponsored walk.
And at least it's doing something..

But, oh, yuck, yuck.

Haven't looked at it but sounds horrible. Ten free grains? whoop di doo

had to look to see what you menat, and yes it is smug

I still got suckered in and am now the porud donor of 400 grains of rice. Get me

yes IntergalacticWalrus - brain crack.

And you know, 400 grains of rice is something. Maybe IABU?
Is this a first?

I donated several thousand last week when I first saw the site - the longest I stayed on 50 for was 3 words.

I suppose they are getting the money from the advertisers on the site to enable them to donate the rice. And the longer you play the game, the more you see the advertising, so the more rice they donate. (I know you know that anyway....)Though of course I can't remember any of the advertisers at all.

But it is all a bit strange. I feel the same way about that clicking for mammograms site.

Some of the definitions on Freerice are pants, too.

Just got this freerice.com email last night and thought it was brilliant. Have spent masses of time on it already and learnt a few words and therefore donated nearly 1000 grains. How can either of those things be bad?
Maybe I am just shallow. I sent it to just about everyone in my directory. Now i am wondering what others will think.
I was of the view that:

• 10 grains of rice better than nothing
• ANYTHING that makes peoplethink about others is good and this is something i will show to my kids and talk about with them.
• It has to be a million times better than one of those awful chain mails promising good fortune etc. FOR SELF which even my most 'intelligent' friends sometimes forward to me.

But you HAVE made me think....

so how much is 1000 grains of rice? more or less than 2 tablespoons? and how many grains of rice in a bag? 1000's? and how much does a bag of rice cost? Can you donate a £1 instead,i bet they'd get a lot more rice that way than if all the mumsnetters went on

I don't think it's so bad. Witness the horror that will be Children in Need this week. There are still people sitting in baked beans or men dressing up as schoolgirls (what's that about?) in the name of fundraising. The option to donate is always there but hey, they need more donations so this was set up. Donate cash if you prefer, no-one is stopping you!!!

and is it basmati or long grain? just tried to count out the basmati, but my scales got bored and switched themselves off by the time i'd got to 100 (about one level teaspoon full) which is the equivalent to 1/2 oz ish and a standard bag of rice is 1kg = 2.2lbs / 2 = 1.1lb. there are 16 oz in a lb so i reckon there must be at least 3200 grains of rice in a bag... possibly more

sorry beansprout wasn't having a pop at you or the idea particularly, just seems that 10 grains per word is an infinately (sp) small amount

so no yanbu, they should be donating at least 100 grains per word.....

Have you seen the amounts of rice this is generating though?

we have probably created a bag of rice and fed a family a meal in this thread already so cant be all bad, but i see your point

i am of the school of thought that sometimes doing something is better than nothing

it is a more inventive/innovative way of encouraging people to donate

and it works on viral marketing so it reaches a huge number of people so they will gets lots of rice donated

I'm a little concerned about where the rice is coming from. The whole thing about 3rd world crops being bought for a pittance by foreigners, then having cheap American excess rice or whatever dumped so native farmers can't sell their crops... I dunno.

totally agree with you onebatmother. Saw it on Facebook yesterday and had exactly the same reaction.

I thought it was a bit sick tbh...

I agree with beansprout and rubyslippers. 1,519,627,180 grains donated to date and growing cumulatively (think that is right - still need help with the vocab!).

clairevoiant you could probably have donated another 100 at least in the time it took you to measure out grains in your kitchen, which has helped no-one! Or emailed the organisers with your suggestion for 100 per word with which I agree.

I don't think it's the answer to very much but I think we should consider in the context of the problems charities face when trying to raise funds. It's a fairly innovative idea that is proving successful in an increasingly difficult market.

I work for a charity and new ideas for fundraising are always welcome!!

Would you think it was sick if it was just a site for testing your vocabulary, with no benefit to anyone but the advertisers? What's wrong with adding a little extra giving? Every penny - or grain - counts. Yes, I'd like to know a bit more about the provenance of the rice, but apart from that, what's the problem?

ooh beansprout - i also work for a charity
and agree with always needing new ideas ...

agree with ruby , beansprout and Prettycandles. i have donated 400 grains and learnt 4 new words

bit churlish i think , to get so het up about it

a lot of people have compassion fatigue, so an attention grabbing interesting way to give is a good thing

My problem is that it encourages people to think they have done their 'bit' by getting to 1000 grains or whatever (which would, what, keep an eight-year-old going for one hour?), and in doing so might make people less likely to donate more significant sums to organizations that are really making a difference, or (even better) lobby their governments to do more about the obscenity of developing-country poverty.

Obviously this doesn't apply to everyone, but I suspect that quite a few people will think like this.

but if the alternative for those people was doing nothing at all , then they would not have donated a bigger sum, and 1000 grains is better than none