Asking for payment for moderating a Facebook group?!

[MotherOfHouseplants]

In today’s fresh hell, a prominent post on a moderately useful Facebook group from the admin, asking users to click on a ‘buy me a coffee’ link and make a contribution towards the ‘running’ of the group.

I am almost impressed by the absolute brass neck. I am generally happy to pay for content but there are no hosting costs and all of the useful content on the group comes from the users.

Is this a thing now? AIBU to think that there are limits to what can be monetised?!

Well, for what it’s worth the sponsored content posts are photos of the admin’s children, and I’m afraid that for me monetising children, outside of the protections of child performance licences, is an ethical red line. I do appreciate that this is a drip feed (sorry) and rather shifts the focus of my original post but on reflection I think this is partly behind my irritation.

I’d agree with you there certainly. It’s a big no no for me when SM influences use their children for income.

I have not seen this yet but I used to be a moderator in another group and it was a lot of work. At least one hour a day and often more. I gave up after 2 years

There is a gentle parenting group that does this. Im no longer on it but I did find it strange most of the advice came from other members. I am sure the admins do a lot behind the scenes but i thought the coffee thing was a bit strange.

I’m waiting for the admin of my local community group to do this. She’s already quite shady, she posts a lot, always on behalf of “someone that has contacted me wanting to remain anonymous” asking for kitchen appliances, furniture, food, clothes, etc and shoots down or deletes any comments that guide the “anonymous poster” to official charities or local community facilities that could help them out.

I can imagine her next natural step will be to start rattling a tip jar. She’s doesn’t work and is always going on about how much time and effort it takes to moderate the group. She won’t accept any offers of free help though.

Interestingly I’m in another FB group she’s in, and she’s like a meek little mouse in that, often talking about how shy and lonely she is and her terrible mental health.

Yet in the group she moderates she’s vile, the epitome of that saying about giving someone some power to see their true character.

Shw reminds me a bit of that Jack Monroe.

I’d of left the second they crossed my errr ethical red line in that case, not over the coffee fund.

I think I'm in this one too, there was a big spat today which I'm annoyed I've missed. I'm only still in it for how horrible one particular admin is to people.

I wouldn't dream of asking for a donation of any kind for being an admin on a FB group, nor for running a forum.
Both of which I do. I would be less than impressed if any of the mods of my group and forum asked for donations too.

I am admin on one FB group and a moderator (one of several) on two others.

All are fairly busy but no way am I going to die of overwork running them. To ask for cash for doing the job is CF of the first water.