Sorry if I am speaking out of turn, but recently I have noticed a rash of cash crisis threads. I know that times are hard for many, but I do worry where the line is drawn on MN between venting, asking for budgeting advice, and begging. Lovely MNetters do step in to help out I know. But I really, really think we need to have some rules on this. ie it is maybe it is fine to donate clothes/school uniform etc and help out where we can. Otherwise people should seriously be discouraged from sending cash/shopping to people they don't know from Adam.
If these posters are on benefits, they might even get into trouble for receiving cash payments. Or, posters can have threads deleted so you might not realise they have already had several threads asking for similar. If people get a whiff that there is profit to made, there will only be more and more of these threads. I hate the idea that kind hearted MNetters get taken advantage of.
I have no issue with donations to genuine charities ie via Just Giving, or collections for Woolly Hugs, but I really do think that MN should not be about handing over cold hard cash to people on the internet. I am sure that this kind of thing was never intended when MN was set up...