It seems to me that a great deal of this supposed ‘problem’ is simply the unsurprising and totally human response to feeling that an organization you have invested in (monetarily, emotionally or temporally) is under attack and that the good work it does is in danger of being undermined. EVERYONE on facebook engages in crazy justificatory dances when their people are threatened.
It’s a nice ideal that we should all nod and say ‘yes that’s a valid criticism’ when our baby is attacked but it’s not going to happen. There is nothing we can do about this aspect so let’s instead simply focus on avoiding the kind of unjustified claims that generated the trouble.
Of course, it is entirely possible that some level of deception is necessary to run a successful charity. I’m sure a degree of at least moral coercion is, e.g., asking people for money in circumstances it would look bad not to give. However, I’m confident this can be done in the same way traditional companies deceive, i.e. by merely creating positive associations and downplaying negative ones rather than outright lying.
It seems to me that a great deal of this supposed ‘problem’ is simply the unsurprising and totally human response to feeling that an organization you have invested in (monetarily, emotionally or temporally) is under attack and that the good work it does is in danger of being undermined. EVERYONE on facebook engages in crazy justificatory dances when their people are threatened.
It’s a nice ideal that we should all nod and say ‘yes that’s a valid criticism’ when our baby is attacked but it’s not going to happen. There is nothing we can do about this aspect so let’s instead simply focus on avoiding the kind of unjustified claims that generated the trouble.
Of course, it is entirely possible that some level of deception is necessary to run a successful charity. I’m sure a degree of at least moral coercion is, e.g., asking people for money in circumstances it would look bad not to give. However, I’m confident this can be done in the same way traditional companies deceive, i.e. by merely creating positive associations and downplaying negative ones rather than outright lying.