Random Acts of Kindness: A Social Site I’d Love to See

Corey - Simple Marriage Project Says:

August 29th, 2008, 23:45 pm

I’m in. When do you want to start?

Outdoorgrrl Says:

August 29th, 2008, 23:55 pm

I’m so in! As someone who wants to be able to do something nice, though, I should be able to search for a specific need. Say, I’m good at cooking…I should be able to search for someone near me who needs some meals cooked for their family occasionally. Or, if I’m good at tax prep, I should be able to search to find someone who needs help with taxes. That would be more efficient than looking at profiles and allow me to help more people.

MikeWhobikes Says:

August 29th, 2008, 23:58 pm

Sounds like a brilliant idea, Leo. Although if you do something in order to gain credits, recognition, reciprocal favours, etc. does that really count as kindness? At the very least it would be an interesting experiment to see how people make use of it.

pablo Says:

August 29th, 2008, 23:58 pm

Doesn’t that pretty much take away the point of doing something nice for someone as a genuine act and turn it into a scorecard of “look how nice a person I am”.

Leo Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:00 am

@Corey: I wasn’t actually planning on doing it myself. :) But I’d be willing to help. Also, if someone creates this site, not only will I feature it in a post, but they’ll have a permanent banner in my sidebar.

Does anyone know of a good social site engine that could be used? Something cool-looking, like this: http://www.dailymile.com?

@Outdoorgrrl: That’s an excellent idea!

I was also thinking that the site could have badges for people’s blogs or email — something like, “Wanna do something nice for me?” and then link to their user page.

Leo Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:01 am

@MikeWhobikes and pablo: It’s a good question … I think you should be able to do the acts without getting credit if you like … but I like the idea of a site that makes it a socially good thing to do kind acts to strangers.

Leo Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:03 am

Also, one selfish motivation is that I would like to put my wish list out there so that anyone who feels like being nice to me can buy me something. ;)

Allison Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:05 am

I’m intrigued. It sounds like something I might sign up for - I think kindness appears in many different forms & this could very well be one of them.

janehatesdick Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:06 am

I think it’s a great idea! Anything that promotes kindness in a fun and joyful way could only be a good thing, in my opinion. I would definitely participate if someone gets this going.

coke Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:08 am

what about http://www.needish.com?

Miles Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:08 am

Isn’t Help Others.org something like this already? No rewards, but the same concept it seems. HelpOthers.org.

Keep up the great work!

Derek Ralston Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:10 am

Great idea Leo- but I wonder how many people would join such as site just to do acts of kindness? I think it might be more effective as a plugin for an existing social network such as Facebook. Although if you make it easy for bloggers to link to their profile from it (ex. “If you enjoy this blog, here are ways you can help me out”), that might get other non-bloggers to sign up also.

As for @MikeWhobikes’s comment, I also agree that it should be optional to take credit for doing the act of kindness (allow anonymous acts of kindness).

Leo Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:15 am

@Miles: That’s a cool site! I didn’t know about it. It’s not exactly what I was thinking about, but not bad!

@coke: That’s very close! Except it’s more needs than kindness, but pretty much along the lines of what I was thinking. Also, every profile I found was in spanish!

@Derek: You might be right. I would join, but I don’t know how many others would. Maybe a Facebook app would be better. Still, I’d love if it were an entire site.

Clark Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:18 am

What a great idea.

My writing on my site(s) had been getting spotty lately, but this really piques my interest. I would start doing this asap. Any suggestions?

Also, I see integration with Facebook as an option, myself.

Mayur Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:20 am

Hi Leo,

I’ve been reading your work for some time now. And it has helped me a lot. I think its the time to give something back. I am an enterprise java developer (that is, a kind of web developer) and I think that I can do this easily. I will let you know my plan soon.

Leo Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:25 am

You guys are great. :)

If any of you would like to get together to work on this, you can contact me and I’ll try to connect you. I won’t give out your email without your permission, but I can contact you to see if you’d like to connect with others who’ve contacted me.

Please send an email to zenhabits [at] gmail [dot] com, with the word “randomkindness” in the subject line. One word. If it doesn’t have that word, I won’t see it very soon.

Hazel Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:27 am

The Greater Good Science center is the website you’re talking about. It’s at http://peacecenter.berkeley.edu/

I also love the Greater Good Magazine which is full of research based articles on happiness, compassion, and all the good stuff that make life wonderful. See http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/greatergood/archive/2004springsummer/ for their magazine dedicated to the topic of compassion

April Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:31 am

Check http://www.wishuponahero.com

I’ve granted wishes there and made my own requests as well.

Mike Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:40 am

I like the idea, I was inspired myself to create a website dedicated to Random Acts of Kindness, you can check it out at http://www.raktion.com . But that is beside the point, are you aware of Ning.com a place where you can set up your own social network with a specific idea in mind? It might not be exactly what your idea is, but it would be a step in the right direction, and I myself would be willing to help on said Ning Network, I am very passionate about Randoms Acts of Kindness.

The Daily Minder Says:

August 30th, 2008, 0:54 am

I love it. I just wrote about something very similar.

Would it take off though?

J.R. Garcia Says:

August 30th, 2008, 1:03 am

Leo, I’m totally up for this. I’m a developer. I actually to web design for a living and I’m familiar with the Facebook API. I’m totally up for working on this (open source and for free). Let me know if there is any way that I can help!

Juanita Says:

August 30th, 2008, 1:20 am

I think there are small sites, and groups around that do RAOK’s. I’m a member of a knitting RAOK, where we give treats to everyone in the group, send eCards, or what have you on a whim. Quite honestly, I haven’t done it lately, but it is a group specific to the craft of knitting. I think it’d be cool to get a site like that going, just like…for everyone.

Eric C Says:

August 30th, 2008, 1:20 am

What scares me is that most people would rather post shallow comments on myspace…

Ki Says:

August 30th, 2008, 1:26 am

I do like the sound of it–but I would personally have no rewards for doing the acts of kindness. The act of doing something nice for strangers is reward enough. I also think it’d be great if instead of the act of kindness being removed once it’s been fulfilled, it remained up with a line through it to show it’s completion. Then you could ruminate on all the good things you’ve been blessed with.

Leo Says:

August 30th, 2008, 1:29 am

I’ve already got emails from a few people. In a day or two I’ll link you all up, and will also help create this if it gets off the ground. I’m no good at website development/design but I’m good with ideas and with writing. :)

Thanks everyone for sharing some great sites related to this idea, and for your excellent comments and ideas!

Scramblejam Says:

August 30th, 2008, 2:01 am

Count me in too…

I’ve been working on a “gratitude” focussed website, powered by the social sites like Twitter, Flickr etc. for people to share tweets, links and images that make them feel happy and thankful.

I’d be happy to build some of this work into a larger project…

Isabel Says:

August 30th, 2008, 2:26 am

>>Also, one selfish motivation is that I would like to put my wish list out there so that anyone who feels like being nice to me can buy me something. ;)

This strikes me as weird. Maybe it’s just me. But why not just sign up for an Amazon wishlist? Or heck, if you don’t mind being totally crass about it, post your wishlist on the blog somewhere.

I like the idea of supporting random acts of kindness; but I really DON’T like the idea of promoting rewards for kindness or the “hey, buy me something” mentality. So this doesn’t sound like anything I’d be a part of.

That said, to each his own. Apparently there are others who feel differently….

Leo Says:

August 30th, 2008, 3:04 am

@Isabel: Sorry, I was just joking. My humor doesn’t always come across too well in text.

Writer Dad Says:

August 30th, 2008, 3:11 am

It’s a fantastic idea, Leo. Like the best ideas, it’s shocking no one’s thought of it before.

I’m sure will see it soon. Your voice has a long reach.

Frank Manziano Says:

August 30th, 2008, 3:13 am

Good starting idea, which i think could be made much better with this twist: don’t have a user say we he/she’d like for themselves…have them say what they’d like to see somebody else do for somebody else, unrelated to them, but whom THEY know. That puts the act at least one step behind a direct chain, much better karma! AND doers don’t accumulate points…just tally total acts reported in after…

Kate Davis Says:

August 30th, 2008, 3:23 am

For an example of passing on books you can look at Bookcrossing. Although the original point of the site was to enable people to track books they left in the open, users of the site have developed associated sites.

One of these is Random Acts of Bookcrossing Kindness (RABCK). Where address details are shared between bookcrossers enabling them to post books to people without having to ask them for their address first.

Canary Says:

August 30th, 2008, 3:49 am

The basic structure of your proposed site sounds perfect. Too many Facebook apps get ignored, the best I do is use Li’l Green Patch to save the rainforest. But if your site were to be separate, I would join in an instant. It could be like freecycle.org but wit happiness instead of recycling. I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Elliot Says:

August 30th, 2008, 3:51 am

Razoo.com

Miss Lucy Says:

August 30th, 2008, 4:12 am

Not exactly the same, but a similar idea: the Karma Army of Danny Wallace at http://www.join-me.co.uk.

The story behind it is a funny and interesting one..

Kate England Says:

August 30th, 2008, 4:15 am

I really love this idea!! :)

Gerard Gustilo Says:

August 30th, 2008, 4:28 am

Hey Leo, I immediately saw this and just wanted to let you know my friend made a website devoted to Random Acts of Kindness. It can be found over at http://www.raktion.com (Random-Acts-of-Kindness; put into Action) It’s a project he’s barely starting but I thought it would be of some help. Enjoy!

Andrea Says:

August 30th, 2008, 5:18 am

That’s a good idea Leo.. but I fear someone will use it for its own advantage. I don’t know, it’s a great idea, I’m sure about that.. but make some kindness to anyone else should be less “organized” than a social network.. should be more spontaneous: it’s not a game where you win if you add some karma point, it should be an attitude. You should make kindness because you FEEL IT, not for a damn point or because you expect something back…

The idea is great.. but some elements you pointed out could be terribly wrong.

Hilary Says:

August 30th, 2008, 5:37 am

For an incredibly thought-provoking read about the entire concept of “rewards,” read Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn. You may not agree with him 100% that, for example, pizza coupons which reward books read result in “fat kids who hate to read,” but it is worth reflecting whether anything that changes an internal motivation to an external one is worth the cost. Even if it only “adds” to the levels of motivation, there’s an argument to be made that the external dilutes or taints the internal. I’m not saying any of this definitely applies in this case; it’s just what sprang to mind when I read the post & comments…

Roy Says:

August 30th, 2008, 6:03 am

Really it would be great innitiative.

Because ..

Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns.

It also makes me remember the ending of the movie “The Bruce Almighty,” where Mr. Morgan said, “ARK — Act of Random Kindness.”

Have you had a kindness shown?
Pass it on;
‘Twas not given for thee alone,
Pass it on;
~ Henry Burton, “Pass It On”

Mike Says:

August 30th, 2008, 6:15 am

Great idea, I’ll send you an email :)
I’m fairly good with PHP and MySQL, and am always looking for something new to work on.

*etherspirit Says:

August 30th, 2008, 6:15 am

This is a not a great idea. If you wish to spread good karma and make a long-lasting impact on your and others’ happiness, turn off your computer, go outside, and do something nice for someone in person. The internet is not a substitute for real life.

CG Walters Says:

August 30th, 2008, 6:38 am

Great idea, Leo
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~ Maya Angelou
many blessings to you and all you hold dear,
CG

"Motivate Thyself" Says:

August 30th, 2008, 6:45 am

I have to agree with Ki on this one. This seems so backward to have a place where you go to do ‘random acts of kindness’ and then be put up on a pedestal and shown how great you are. True kindness to others should be done purely for the sake of your concern for their well being. Once you add ‘prizes’ to the scenario you take away from what makes the act truly great.

MsNice Says:

August 30th, 2008, 7:39 am

From my experience in “time banks” I know that random acts of kindness, work better when they are actually random, and you don’t expect anything in return. (There is many people that is craving for affection in the wrong places)
I let my smile be my karma.
( THAT sounded cheesy…)

John Smith Says:

August 30th, 2008, 7:43 am

Great idea!

I am a software developer and i would be more than happy to devote some time to building this and share the workload.

Nice

Miguel de Luis Says:

August 30th, 2008, 7:52 am

Whatever you do, could you consider include a multi-lingual enviroment. It would be a pity if only English speaking people could join.

(And yes, I can help with some translation)

Billy Says:

August 30th, 2008, 8:36 am

That’s cool!!!! There are my ideas about this site around, I see some of are developers or designers, LEO why don’t we create a mail list and start working in a draft, we can work as an open source project sharing the code and docs in a central repository, Personally, I wouldn’t like to show my karma points but we can set this as a user defined behavoir… we can link facebook, amazon wish lists, you tube (some body would be happy if receive a short flick of a place or a person who miss), I can help you even with a iPhone application…. and of course we need marketing to make it successfull…

I’m ready to start.

J. Says:

August 30th, 2008, 8:47 am

Some interesting points raised above (some of them valid, I think), but I still think it’s a good idea. So: I’m in :)
(I dislike Facebook, though).

Corey Freeman Says:

August 30th, 2008, 8:58 am

This idea is totally awesome. I would love the chance to work on something that would, you know, promote kindness and charity and some honesty around all this “trying to beat out the competition” kind of atmosphere. (did that sentence even make sense?)

Email sent. Keep me updated!

Del Says:

August 30th, 2008, 9:25 am

I love this idea! It would be great to add a couple section just dealing with actual random acts of kindness that you witness, too. Like platewire.com or isawyou, but for things you notice. Like the guy who held the door open the other day for far longer than necessary, or the woman who grabbed the money clip and ran half a block to return it. It’s nice to just be reminded that these people are out there. We complain so much about the opposite end.

I don’t think rewards would be needed, though collecting karma points would be fun. Personally, I wouldn’t need to know how I was doing about someone else, but trying to collect a certain number of karma points a month might motivate me to help someone.

And it’d be fun to get orgs involved, the way they’ll occasionally ask freecycle for specific donations…. You could really help out some local organizations.

So, yes, I’m all in. Would be more than happy to help with the design side of things…

Del Says:

August 30th, 2008, 9:27 am

Oooh, oooh ooh! And you could choose, if you were to list the top hundred…whether you wanted your page listed or if you wanted to point out someone else’s page, someone you thought needed the help more…

Lin Says:

August 30th, 2008, 9:29 am

In December of ‘07, BlogCatalog did a Random Acts of Kindness blogathon, where bloggers agreed to do various acts of kindness towards others and then were to post about it on their blogs. It just felt wrong so I didn’t participate.

This feels much the same way, as a few others have commented above. The idea to get Karma points or be rewarded in some way on a website for doing kindnesses to others is backwards. Random Acts of Kindness is just that, random and kind. Not with the idea or motive of racking up brownie points or Karma points like bragging rights to say “Look at what I did!”, “See how great I am?!”, “Aren’t I Da Bomb?”

I agree with others who’ve said, help those in need by physically going out and helping them. Give to worthwhile charities. Volunteer in soup kitchens, remember needy children and families before, during and after holidays with kind gifts or food. Donate to food banks, etc.

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Lynoure Braakman Says:

August 30th, 2008, 9:41 am

Have you tried 43things already? You list what you want (to do, get, give, whatever) and your goals put you in contact with other people, who then cheer you on and sometimes even help you.

Brice Says:

August 30th, 2008, 10:11 am

The idea sounds selfish. It makes kindness a competition (accumulating karma points) and is full of shameless self-promotion (listing needs). I laughed, but hey scratching a person’s back on the condition that they get theirs scratched too is not a random act of kindness.

deepali Says:

August 30th, 2008, 10:33 am

It works, and it doesn’t. It’s not random anymore if people get to decide how others should be kind to them.
On the other hand, kindness might go further if it were more useful…

What about a tweak - instead of saying what *you* want, make a list of kindnesses people in your life could benefit from. Some stranger fulfills a “wish”, and you forward it to your friend as a nice surprise. This of course, doesn’t get you off the hook for doing something nice for your friend yourself!

Or, promote it in a different way. Accept that it’s a place that people will go to feel better about themselves, and market it in that way. Research shows that to be genuinely happy, you have to include altruism in your life. But many people don’t know how to go about doing it (or need some sort of interface that makes it easy). Well here you go. Need a pick-me-up? Feeling stressed? Overwhelmed? Disconnected? Visit Social Kindness and do something nice for someone else, and you are guaranteed an instant mood elevator.
There is an added benefit - the more often you do it, the more easily it integrates into your life. Pretty soon, you can go out and do it on your own.

"Motivate Thyself" Says:

August 30th, 2008, 10:39 am

I agree with Brice. Once you add things like ‘Karma Points’ and top 100 lists you are completely throwing out all of what makes kindness so great: Selflessness.

Merovingian Says:

August 30th, 2008, 10:44 am

pay it forward, brothaman……

Julie Says:

August 30th, 2008, 10:52 am

Leo, I don’t have time to read through all the comments, but if you make (or find) something like this, please count me in!

Ben Says:

August 30th, 2008, 11:13 am

I am an experienced web developer and can provide hosting, so I’d love to work with anyone who can spend time on concept/design. My email’s on my site if you want to contact me.

Outdoorgrrl’s idea of finding people nearby who need acts of kindness sounds promising. It could be a way to find people in real life who are in need.

Beth Patterson Says:

August 30th, 2008, 11:28 am

Great idea and great dialogue!

Community Server might also be a platform for this kind of site. I use it for the Virtual Tea House, and don’t utilize half of the capacity that it has. It’s not free, though…

I think on this site there should be a way for people who want to be anonymous could do so but still participate–there’s a lot of that going around too!

As for the whole idea of points, etc, I think that concept fits into the more traditional structure of give something/get something.

I’d be more inclined to participat in a counter-cultural approach: give something–and you’ll receive something, but it’s not immediate, and not tied directly to the giving. Random-like. Otherwise, it perpetuates the ‘gift economy’ (check out Dave Pollard’s article on the Virtuous Cycles of the Gift Economy on his site: How to Save the World: http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/2008/08/29.html#a2231

I will send you an email, Leo, offering whatever I can do to help.

Susan Brassfield Cogan Says:

August 30th, 2008, 12:11 pm

“I agree with Brice. Once you add things like ‘Karma Points’ and top 100 lists you are completely throwing out all of what makes kindness so great: Selflessness.”

Emannuel Kant Lives!

Look, reciprocal altruism is part of what makes us human beings. There is no more utterly human thing to do than to rub your back so I can get a back rub or to pay you back for a back rub.

“Selflessness” is an evil concept–or it can quickly lead to evil. Being kind to others makes people feel good, almost as good as having someone be kind to you. That interesting set of emotions is part of our inborn nature. There is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong at all being kind for selfish reasons. It doesn’t stop being kindness because you get a little vaporware reward or a good feeling.

Leo, this is a brilliant idea and SO like how I have come to know you! Do it! Do it!

Oh, and just to let you know I read one of your blog posts as a sermon (with full attribution) one Sunday morning at church. You do great work.

Beth Patterson Says:

August 30th, 2008, 12:18 pm

Oh, and we have talked about it here on these comments, but I don’t think we’ve labeled it–’enlightened self-interest’…

Carolyn Winter Says:

August 30th, 2008, 12:21 pm

What is so wonderful about this idea is that it contributes to a refocusing of society to become one based on giving rather than getting or having. I read a blog sometime ago (i wish i could find again!) about the emergence of a ‘Giving Society’.

In our current society, our ego needs are met (for the majority of the population) by measuring how much we have or our stuff. i.e. I have more stuff than you, my stuff is better than yours, and i am more than you because of my stuff. The consequences is before our eyes and is the society we live in.

But what if our society was base on our ego needs being met by how much we help or give away? We get brownie points for being nice as your website idea suggests. We also have to learn to be good receivers - as in receiving we help the other person meet their own ego needs.

An example of this kind of giving I remember from that other blog, was that of Open Source software developers who get a lot of their ego needs met by contributing modules to free ‘open source’ software that anyone can use.

Well …. come to think of it … ARE THERE ANY OPEN SOURCE guys out there that would like to tackle this project?

All the best,

Hope this manifest!

Carolyn

"Motivate Thyself" Says:

August 30th, 2008, 12:24 pm

@Susan Brassfield Cogan: I’ve never heard someone call selflessness an evil concept before. I understand that it is human nature to do something for someone else and, at least, hope that good things come in return. That, in itself is not a bad thing. But try to look at it this way: If someone gives a portion of their time to someone else and refuses to take payment for their actions, they are acting in kindness. But if someone gives that same amount of time and then expects payment in return, can you still look at this as an act of kindness?

Niles Gibbs Says:

August 30th, 2008, 12:54 pm

Drop the karma points and the top 100.

“There is no greater injury to one’s character than practicing virtue with motivation.” - Zhuangzi

“The first sign of the fester was when our chivalry turned into Games-Mania - all that nonsense about who had the best tilting average and so forth.” - The Once and Future King

Just some thoughts.

Ian Says:

August 30th, 2008, 13:00 pm

This is actually something I have already been working on at http://KindnessAnonymous.com

It’s still i the infancy as I launched it about a month ago, the only thing that is up and running is the newsletter signup - while I wrap my head around Rails to build the social network.

Zen Whitebelt Says:

August 30th, 2008, 13:01 pm

I have been a subscriber for a little while, and your blog & feed has helped me a lot, which I appreciate. I apologize I haven’t taken the time until now to let you know my appreciation and gratitude.

I would like to do something kind as you mentioned - for you, although it is something you haven’t explicitly asked for.

Explain how dangerous & misleading this post on a social site for kindness is. I’m sure it will be or has been implemented either way, but here’s why it is a horrible idea:

A lot of people are already nice to strangers. A lot of people aren’t as nice as they should/could be to strangers. A lot of people aren’t too nice at all. Doing something nice for a stranger is nice as a standalone act. But no one lives in a standalone world. We have parents and kids and sisters and brothers and aunts and uncles and cousins and co-workers and bosses and employees. The web is good for a lot of things. So is social networking. A lot of people will make themselves feel better by taking your advice and doing something good for “a stranger” (who they may then become friends with online or offline). Unfortunately, many will also then get off from their computer and get right back into the fight they were having with their spouse or go to work the next day and yell at their employee or complain to their boss. They’ll think they’re not doing something bad to someone they know well - even were best friends with - because they did some virtual stranger a random act of kindness, so that makes them a good person.

It’s certainly good for people to practice random acts of kindness. But that should only come after you spend the energy and effort to make sure your own circle around you is receiving regular kindnesses from you. Otherwise your “random acts” to strangers reinforce in you that you’re “a good person” when you might be abominable to those closest to you.

It would be somehow overkill or otherwise not feasible to do a “framework” for kindness that you show. But unless you focus on making sure you are kind to “the most important people” in your life, this proposed site is in huge conflict with the rocks/pebbles/sand focus of priorities. If a random act of kindness from/to a stranger helps someone be kinder to their own family, friends, co-workers, etc. consistently, then this would be great. I think in practice though, it will reinforce good habits to those that are already practicing good habits to their closest people and make worse the bad habits people practice to their closest people, while justifying their behavior because they did something good for someone random on the site.
Think pretty carefully about different people in your life - not just people who are already good souls doing good things for a lot of people already - but rather the middle majority that are challenged with life and don’t always have the presence of mind to be nice (especially to their loved ones) and sometimes justify what they do to make themselves feel better. This site (as outlined) will help them perpetuate focusing on the sand and not the rocks.
http://zenhabits.net/2007/04/big-rocks-first-double-your-productivity-this-week/

knitterr Says:

August 30th, 2008, 13:11 pm

Agreeing with MikeWhoBikes and with Brice. Seems to me that a Random Act Of Kindness has to be ————–
Random! / For a Person’s Need that is Noticed “in the moment” someone needs money at the cashier or a dry shirt right now or a leash for a loose dog right NOW / Not an attempt to earn some sort of currency, that’s not how Karma works / has to Involve the face-to-face reality of human interaction::::
Virtual is virtual, it’s almost real, it’s like television which is not actually an experience. I love the internet and have internet friends, but humans need a dose of real live interaction at some regular points in their journeys through life and days. That is the POINT of kindness. Kindness is an interaction that is a “two-way street”.
I have a lot of experience with this whole random acts of kindness concept. It works like crazy, except probably not with the proposed mechanism…How can I gently say that there are people who will take and take and take and take: these folks need professional help. That is what professional charity, the welfare system, and medicaid were established for… Thanks for the forum.

Sheri Says:

August 30th, 2008, 13:16 pm

Here is a site that is devoted to this but does not have all the “extras” you discussed.

http://www.daymakermovement.com/

Sheri

Sheri Says:

August 30th, 2008, 13:17 pm

One more thing! I think you should do a post of all the sites that you end up getting. I would be interested in checking them all out.

Sheri

knitterr Says:

August 30th, 2008, 13:19 pm

I should clarify that “take and take…” can be a sign of a personal problem OR simply a human in great need.
The various systems we have set up in this country, public and private, are professional “helpers” and are there for everyone, whatever their Need and whatever the causes of that need.

Daniel Richard Says:

August 30th, 2008, 13:47 pm

Maybe the karma points system is only displayed on the user’s own dashboard. Not one who’s into the bragging own karma points thingy.

How bout that?

It does challenge our own to out-do our personal achievements of doing good onto others for the day even without the affirmation of having our own points displayed on the public pages.

In the meantime: What Will You Do To Make This World A Better Place? :)

Daniel

Adam Says:

August 30th, 2008, 13:59 pm

Interesting idea but i agree with some of the concerns above i.e. drop the karma points and top 100! Also, please let’s not have a Facebook app… they own enough data already!

Otherwise, I await developments with much anticipation :)

Thanks Leo. Keep going…

barbara Says:

August 30th, 2008, 14:30 pm

Try this site for sending good karma. http://www.karmaex.com/

My husband developed this site a year ago in order to create a nice place on the internet. A place where you could do daily random acts of kindness through words. It came about from a time when things were not going so well and we were feeling like the world wasn’t such a nice place. At the time there were no such places to be found on the internet. It was his answer to keeping his faith in human kindness.

It follows the pay it forward principle. When you send someone a good karma they receive a token. The idea is that the receiver will be inspired to then send that good karma on to someone else but not back to the original sender. The token can even be tracked to see how many times it exchanges hands and even how many countries it travels through.

Might be interesting to see some of the other ideas suggested in your original post incorporated into this site.

Andre Kibbe Says:

August 30th, 2008, 14:31 pm

Here’s a simpler idea. Have a forum where people journal what they’ve done today for others, and have members assign points. The combination of virtue and vanity would probably obviate the need for a reward.

Morne Says:

August 30th, 2008, 14:46 pm

Wow! What a lot of comments and such mixed feelings!! I really like the idea and I think Leo’s heart is in the right place. I do agree with a lot of you that kindness and reward dont go hand in hand. One thing I can say and does support a website like this is that it is sometimes hard to find “causes”. We all know the red crosses and salvation armies of the world but sometimes something more direct is needed… and somehow kinder. “Seeding” an act of kindness like letting everyone on the site know of say a school that needs books or a granny that would like reading to etc so that everyone that can, can join in and help. We all have different skills and different things to offer. I do also think that there might be a danger of misuse when asking for monetary kindness but it may not be an issue. I think a facebook plugin is a great idea! Count me in!

Nicole Says:

August 30th, 2008, 15:12 pm

I love the idea of having a facebook app that could help me figure out some nice things to do for the people I know. For example - I love to write letters, so if I knew someone had just moved or was feeling lonely, it might help me decide who to write my next letter to. It would also be fun to be able to do things for people I don’t know, but who are living near me - a great way to contribute to the community and perhaps meet a few new people.

Evert Says:

August 30th, 2008, 15:24 pm

There is a Dutch website (www.clubvan100.nl) and tv-program called Club van 100. Quite similar to your idea.

Ian Says:

August 30th, 2008, 15:26 pm

“The most practical and immediate way to begin sharing with others and working for their benefit is to work with your own domestic situation and to expand from there” - Chogyam Trungpa, Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior

When I read the above, it completely changed my life. I used to look for ways to help out total strangers, and still do to some extent, whilst my own personal life was not exactly great. I think I did this because it feels far better to CHOOSE to do something rather than feel obliged to do it.

Responsibilities and obligations take the joy out of life, so it’s no wonder people try to escape from them and do a random act of kindness instead. I fear this site will encourage people to do less for those they love and more for strangers because it feels better to choose to do things for strangers.

Other reasons I don’t like this idea are:

1) keeping a tally and high score table adds to ego, which is so not Zen, and encourages people to spend even more time on strangers and less on loved ones

2) you don’t need karma points, karma itself keeps track of your good acts

3) what about all the people without computers, surely they need more help than us lucky net users?

4) listing the things you want others to do for you is incredibly lazy and goes completely against one of the main messages of this site, which is to take control of your life and make things happen, not wait for others to help you. if you really need help with something, ask a friend or family member for help.

5) if you need a site to give you an idea of what random act to perform then either you aren’t very perceptive of what’s going on around you or you need to learn to listen better because your time is the greatest gift you can give to others and there are always people out there who just want someone to talk to - and you are bound to uncover a few kind acts you can do if you listen.

Menay Says:

August 30th, 2008, 15:30 pm

I love this idea. For it helps us remember that we don’t have to do something huge, but just doing some small act of kindness can change the world. Imagine we the world would be like if we all did one small thing each day.

AP Says:

August 30th, 2008, 15:47 pm

Here’s something I thought was interesting. Have a look at this model. It sounds similar to what you’re proposing, but it’s more of a face-to-face format, rather than social networking-based.

Here’s the quote from the website:
“Time Banks Weave Community One Hour at a TimeFor every hour you spend doing something for someone in your community, you earn one Time Dollar. Then you have a Time Dollar to spend on having someone do something for you. It’s that simple. Yet it also has profound effects. Time Banks change neighborhoods and whole communities. Time Banking is a social change movement in 22 countries and six continents.”

Just an idea to take into consideration.

AP Says:

August 30th, 2008, 15:48 pm

http://www.timebanks.org/

Amalgam Says:

August 30th, 2008, 16:20 pm

What a great idea! A site that promotes kindness and rewards you for it…Genius! Leo your a freakin’ genius man!

Teresa A Says:

August 30th, 2008, 16:45 pm

First, I am not “blasting” anyone here. Just thinking about things and wondering what we have brought ourselves to.

The bigger part of me says we should not expect to be rewarded or recognized for acts of kindness. True acts of kindness are very rare because true acts of kindness are completely selfless. It is dificult to do something nice without a hidden agenda, even if it is just making yourself feel good.

I also worry about the message we would be sending to our kids. They already think they should be rewarded for everything. What happened to doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do?

That said, if this is what it takes to make the world a better place, then so be it. The bottom line I suppose is that people who need help would get the help they need, whatever the motivation.

Dread Knight Says:

August 30th, 2008, 16:56 pm

There is a site pretty much like this in my point of view:

http://www.launchpad.net

You can help out open source projects and receive karma points :P

People can help them selfs out using good free applications and make a living, just like i do :P

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”—Author unknown

Tri Nguyen Says:

August 30th, 2008, 19:04 pm

Great idea Leo. while still an undergraduate, I created a simple website http://www.aboutkindness.org dedicated to the value of “random act of kindness” while as human beings we cannot avoid the Darwin’s “survival of the fittest”….

the website did not last more than a year because I didn’t have the resources and energy to keep up with it….. i am looking forward to see if someone is able to come up with a site to bring forth the idea to create a community centered by kindness.

Anon Anon Says:

August 30th, 2008, 19:20 pm

Nice idea but its just not realistic, people are generally not kind and will just team up with their friends to get the most karma points so that people are nice to them since they are in the top 100.

You might say that this is just my lack of faith in humanity but i would say that hoping people wont do this shows your lack of grasp on reality.

Susan Brassfield Cogan Says:

August 30th, 2008, 19:53 pm

@Teresa A says:
“True acts of kindness are very rare because true acts of kindness are completely selfless.”

I totally don’t get this. What on earth is wrong with both parties benefiting? Mutual benefit is sort of foundational to all culture.

@Tri Nguyen Says:
“as human beings we cannot avoid the Darwin’s “survival of the fittest”….”

“fittest” for humans IS kindness. Cultures which don’t take care of their own don’t last very long. Compassion, kindness and “fellow feeling” is what humans have instead of fangs and claws. It’s our evolutionary survival mechanism.

@For Leo:

I LOVE the idea of “karma points.” Anybody who’s too selfless to put up with them, should avoid the website.

Melbourne Girl Says:

August 30th, 2008, 19:53 pm

Aw, Anon Anon…you do lack faith in humanity. I doubt the superficial, self-interested people you describe would even bother visiting a website about kindness, especially when there are so many social networks available for them to amass as many friends as possible and make themselves look good.

I think it’s a fantastic idea and Leo’s grasp on reality is pretty sound in my opinion. I hope someone runs with it.

Lisa | Holistic-Treatment-for-Depression Says:

August 30th, 2008, 21:09 pm

I think it’s a great idea — so what if it rewards people for doing kind things? It appeals to the self-serving nature of social sites but by rewarding good behavior encourages decency. Perhaps part of the reason people are so self centered today is that there’s no tangible, immediate reward for kindness.

Whatever the method, it would teach people the value of being kind to another, which is sorely needed in this world.

Meg Says:

August 30th, 2008, 21:17 pm

Ladder to Heaven (http://laddertoheaven.com) is kind of what you are talking about.

Here’s the blurb from their front page:
Every day, people are doing great things for each other. We are performing incredible acts of kindness, selflessness, and generosity, whether these actions are planned or completely random. But often these deeds go unnoticed; we are too easily preoccupied with all the bad to see all the good in our world. Ladder to Heaven is the first place on the web for users to post their own good deeds and the deeds of others, bringing the righteousness of human nature to the foreground of society.

Worth checking out when you are getting overwhelmed by all the bad news!!

Disheartened Says:

August 30th, 2008, 21:38 pm

I saw a link to this on Digg and this post, I’m sorry to say, runs in the opposite direction of everything zen. An admitted selfish desire for a gift as partial motivation? Leaves a sour taste.

Good deeds are noticed by those who are the recipient and those are paying attention, they don’t need to be broadcast. A shout out might be nice *for the ego* but that’s hardly zen.

Johnny Q Says:

August 30th, 2008, 21:40 pm

I could Provide the Hosting and System Maintance, we just need a programmer to Program the Social site.

Abs Says:

August 30th, 2008, 21:43 pm

Good idea.
You should keep the names and photo provided to make the act of kindness more random. Otherwise people would be more likely to help ones who look good or they know.

Alison Wiley Says:

August 30th, 2008, 21:47 pm

I’m on board with acts of kindness. But drawing on my advanced degree in counseling psychology, I’d have to say it’s a child’s stage of moral development that needs external rewards for kindness — and I see our culture as stuck in this kind of self-gratification pattern, not just individuals.

How about embracing psychological adulthood and the full measures of social responsibility that go with that, while also retaining the ability to be playful and joyous? This is the focus of my blog Diamond-Cut Life http://www.diamondcutlife.org/.

Brian2314 Says:

August 30th, 2008, 21:51 pm

I did not have time to read all of these comments but if there are no objections I will get started on building this site in the next month. I would love to have as much input as possible from all of you. Let me know what you think

chris Says:

August 30th, 2008, 21:54 pm

Thank you for this post. I wasn’t aware of all the sites devoted to help people. I checked out all the sites and they are all pretty good.

*shameless plug*

I’m trying to raise money to start a school in the Philippines and I’ve discussed it at length on my blog. If you’re interested in helping please go to http://watdawat.com.

Leo, I apologize for using your site for self-promotion. Feel free to remove this comment if you wish.

Thanks.

Brian2314 Says:

August 30th, 2008, 21:54 pm

Email any suggestions that you might have and ideas you think would or would not work to themessage101@live.com. This is a wonderful idea that should be made into reality. Great idea Leo, the credit is all yours and i look foward to getting as much input from you possible.

Angeladtao Says:

August 30th, 2008, 22:08 pm

I think this is a great idea. I practice this in my daily life and find that it changes me inside gradually. At this point in my life, I no longer need the kudos of the world to do the things I do. In fact, when I do things for people, I tell them my only rule is that they never tell who did it and that they do something for someone else some day when they are in the position to do so. I am completely committed with my time at this point, but if someone would like to do this, they can easily do it at squidoo.com. This site provides a platform for novices to create web pages, which they call lenses, very easily. They have lists of modules that contain text, picture uploads, lists, comments, and many other handy types of devices which you can use to put together a lens very quickly. The people on this site are great about providing guidance to the newbies if they have problems. Someone should really try this because a link to a site like ZenHabits is something that doesn’t come along every day!

darren macintyre Says:

August 30th, 2008, 22:12 pm

The idea of an artificial karma system that encouraged random acts of kindness was explored in a short story by Bruce Stirling. What was interesting is you didn’t know what your karma bank was or get thanks for what you did.

http://tqft.net/wiki/Maneki_Neko

daniel Says:

August 30th, 2008, 22:18 pm

That’s a great idea, I’d participate, but there may be some people who just do nice things in hopes to get others to do nice things for them.

Eugenia Says:

August 30th, 2008, 22:19 pm

I like the idea of it. It reminds me vaguely of timeshare sites, where people exchange non-$ services of expertise they have for something they need.

Perhaps, instead of gaining Karma points automatically, you could gain karma points by reputation? E.g., If somebody does something nice, you send some points in their direction. In a way that becomes more of an accountable system, and you really have to earn those points and engage in the community. Just a possibility! Thanks for writing about this!

spartan Says:

August 30th, 2008, 22:23 pm

Ranking people defeats the whole point…

Leave it up to genuine generosity, keep the karma points hidden (or not tracked) and offer friend matches to users who are in their local area… since people who help strangers need a little help to do so.

Brenda Says:

August 30th, 2008, 22:39 pm

I would be interested in this and I wouldn’t even want or need any recognition for anything nice I did. I’m just looking for some good Karma… What can I do to help?

Will is GALVANIZD Says:

August 30th, 2008, 22:43 pm

This sounds like a great idea!

Now only if you can document this in the style akin to the funny folk over at improveverywhere.com ;)

M DeWitt Says:

August 30th, 2008, 22:59 pm

The place I work has something like this set up…It’s called Potential Point. When we see someone doing something above & beyond we “report” it. Both people get points & in this system the points earn $$ at Amazon.com.
I’ve seen the good from it mostly from people being recognized for good works. It makes them feel appreciated for goodness that in today’s world would just be a fleeting moment.

Bobby Rio Says:

August 30th, 2008, 23:04 pm

I sort of agree with some of the other commentors… i love the concept… but if it is reward based… its not really random acts of kindness. its more of a bartering system.

not that is bad

Sonicsuns Says:

August 30th, 2008, 23:05 pm

I’ve been thinking about this sort of stuff for awhile. (see my video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMkWGSMCHho

Let’s see about actually making this stuff work.

Terry Says:

August 30th, 2008, 23:09 pm

I think it`s a great idea you have! I don`t have anything as elaborate as what you`ve described but I did come up with a site that allows people to put a thank you to a stranger who has helped them in some way.

What is different about my site is that it doesn`t make anybody sign up, you can post anonymously. And to combat bad comments removal of a post can be done by anyone up to 12 hours after it was made. The site isn`t finished yet, I still have to fix some bugs, but I intend to finish it. When it is done it should be called KarmaPost.

Thanks!

Jane Says:

August 30th, 2008, 23:15 pm

as a matter of fact, I just set one up this morning. Must have been a global consciousness thing….. and within minutes I had two members. While I realize it’s a holiday weekend, and people aren’t exactly in their email mode, I’ve grown to 10 folks today (all good friends from different directions).

It’s not exactly what you envisioned. It is not anonymous. This is a circle of friends. You are welcome to join. The interesting thing is how people are filling out the questions on the site.

I did not set it up for a kudos thing. I don’t want people posting what they’ve done and looking for accolades for their good deeds. That defeats the purpose of doing the deed. It is rather a circle of people who care, people who want to make a difference, in any way they can. Hopefully this will make a lot of my friends pay attention to what really makes the world work.

it’s a work in progress. My sites always are. And things will change as the site requires.

feel free to come join us.

Joseph Says:

August 30th, 2008, 23:31 pm

I love it! Why no one has thought of this before, I’ll never know, but we have now. So let’s make it happen!

joe sardone Says:

August 30th, 2008, 23:56 pm

Hey bud…

I’d be glad to share my reference design for the Karma Bank. It’s an iphone app design for such a thing… but it also is meant to capture moments of beauty - and uses a ‘bank’ metaphor to build a positive karma balance that you can actually ‘cash in’ with local vendors. like your gifting concept. People donate Karmak’s but it’s transparent. It’s tied in with our love application.

-joe sardone

Leo Says:

August 31st, 2008, 0:08 am

Wow. I’m kinda speechless. This post has drawn so many more reactions than I expected. But it’s a fascinating discussion, and I thank you all for contributing your thoughts.

I obviously can’t react to all of them, but a few points to make:

1. I hear everyone who has objections to this. I totally understand why giving points and listing a top 100 seems counter to the idea of random acts of kindness … I guess what I was thinking is that so many social sites reward people for doing certain things — submitting interesting news stories, for example — that it would be cool if they rewarded something nicer instead.

My thinking is that we could put the power of social networking to do some good — people would benefit from having nice things done for them, and others would be a little happier for having done something nice.

I really didn’t think I’d get such strong negative reactions! I was hoping to spread a little kindness and happiness in the world.

But your objections are noted, and I find them interesting.

2. Many people have expressed interest in doing something like this. I have your emails and I’ll send out a group email tomorrow. I can’t lead the project myself, but I’d be happy to help out and publicize it here on Zen Habits. I’m overwhelmed by the generosity of so many people who want to contribute their time and talents! So thank you all!

3. I don’t know what a perfect site would be. My ideas in the post were just initial thoughts. I’m sure we could take everyone’s ideas into consideration and come up with something awesome.

4. I’m AMAZED at all the sites that have been given in the comments. Someone said I should compile them in a post, and that’s exactly what I was thinking. Maybe in the next few days. Thanks everyone! I really didn’t know about all these great sites.

G.Taylor Says:

August 31st, 2008, 0:08 am

Hey randomact.com is available for register:)

Houston Kraft Says:

August 31st, 2008, 0:11 am

This is brilliant. And something I have been working on in a different way - but I would love to integrate the two. I am sophomore in College and started a program called Random Acts of Kindness, Etc. [RAKE] my Senior year of high school in Washington state. The program has spread to a number of high schools across the state and I have started it at Bowdoin College. A few friends are starting it in other states as well.

The concept is simple: each week, the group goes out among the student body and/or the community and meets someone new, has a random act of kindness handy (a candy bar, a flower, holding a door open, a note, etc.), and tells them to have a great day. Those are the three fundamental steps. And while a few people are neutral or ignore you, the results are overwhelming positive individually and, more importantly, on the community atmosphere.

My very makeshift site is at http://www.OurKindness.com and is still just barebones at this point. But I would love help and would love TO help with this project in any way possible.

“People never remember what you do, people never remember what you say, but people always remember how you make them feel.”

-Houston Kraft

Jim Says:

August 31st, 2008, 0:38 am

Ive spent 3 years researching a way to compete against My Space. All roads seem to lead to ruby on rails. Ive never even heard of ruby before. But I was lucky enough to find a E book ( Practical Rails Social Networking Sites) that will walk you through building a social networking site with all the bells and whistles. And here is a Tip…. Back up to Cd’s because hard drives go bad with no notice. I’m about to start over AGAIN.

The book is from apress.com

Irene | Light Beckons Says:

August 31st, 2008, 0:43 am

Hi Leo,

I think this is brilliant, and I’d really love to see it come to fruition! What’s different here from the other donation concepts I’ve seen is that kindness does not ALWAYS have to be about money. The gratitude shout-out page is cool. :)

Boyd Davis Says:

August 31st, 2008, 0:45 am

Last time I checked you were supposed to to be behave in a kind fashion because its the right thing to do not because your karma points will get a boost and certainly not for some reward. Maybe doing nice things for only 20 years i have a little less experience to base my notions off of, but I’ve never had the audacity to expect some kind of reward for good acts.
Would it be nice? Definitely!
But is it a realistic expectation? No.
If the world operated as this “Charity site” is designed the idea of doing something nice is no longer about helping people, its EBAY. Auctioning service for service is not kind. its a numbers game…. what happens if somebody doesn’t return a service? Do you report them? Does “Letsbenice.com” (or whatever you would call it) sall forth and extort a service for them or enroll them in some form of indentured service?

If you want a reward for something that you should do anyways GET A JOB!!!

If you want recognition too bad…There are many amazing people in this world who go unrecognized already. They don’t piss and moan about it. They get up everyday and as they’re going about their life they make time to help people however they can. They don’t need people to ask they recognize needs and meet them. They don’t need incentives. They don’t need Karma points. Hell all they want is an occasional “thank you”.

Most of these people will spend a lifetime helping and never have one favor returned. They will not be angry. They will not be bitter.

The problem isn’t that people aren’t kind or generous or helpful. The problem is that people like you expect something for it. This idea paints a very bleak picture of what society is coming to.

Peace

PY Says:

August 31st, 2008, 0:55 am

Nervousness.org is a website similar along your idea though particularly this: http://vb.nervousness.org/forumdisplay.php?s=f02cea8cc57be6315a84cb95b3dab0df&f=38

Robert Page Says:

August 31st, 2008, 1:24 am

Just do it on ebay. They could put a nice wrapper on it. Somebody’s first Randome Act of Kindness is to go to google or aol or ebay and get them to do it as a random act of kindness. Easy stuff.

ian rhett Says:

August 31st, 2008, 2:22 am

http://www.generatekindness.org - generating kindness since 2002. Ask for a free Generate Kindness sticker and get one (eventually).

I started this site years ago as an experiment in “viral kindness” - I’ve given away thousands of stickers (and have requests waiting from literally thousands of people around the world). I currently pay for everything out of pocket, but am hopeful people will support the site.

Check it.

Mahmudur Says:

August 31st, 2008, 2:33 am

Let me tell you something that amazed me like anything. On a Friday evening I went to a nearby park along with my wife. Suddenly we noticed a cute girl of one year age. She was walking with her grandmother. On spur of the moment she was passing by in front of us. As we were looking at her, all of a sudden she waved her hand with a smile and told ‘hi’ to us. We replied instantly with full of wonder and amusement knowing her sense of courtesy in her little mind. Many of us feel in hesitation in this kind of situation. But that little angle shows us how could we do that without any fear or falter.

http://dewdropofjupiter.blogspot.com/

Savage Says:

August 31st, 2008, 2:40 am

I purchased the resell rights to a program that is similar to Myspace. Happy to share it if someone will teach me how to use and contribute it to this concept!
ESavage3@gmail.com

Crystal Stone Says:

August 31st, 2008, 2:53 am

Hello,
plugging my site which somewhat intends toachieve this goal..

http://www.smile-virus.com

cheers!

Thion Says:

August 31st, 2008, 3:18 am

Probably I won’t post anything new, but that’s a great idea - if I wouldn’t be so lazy I would start coding it right away :P. Right now I might implement some of this into one of my forums (if it’s still a forum).

But a great idea indeed :)

Eric Antariksa Says:

August 31st, 2008, 3:42 am

Great idea ! I really want to see the site exist.

invest in kindness Says:

August 31st, 2008, 3:42 am

I’m in as a programmer … email sent.

I totally dig throwing this in with freecycle as it’s helped so many people and really isn’t known that well. I think there is some overlap and mutual advertising could be done between the two.

I don’t have too much of a problem with the karma points as many others do. This stuff can always be donated or turned off if credit is not wanted.

Sascha Lopez Says:

August 31st, 2008, 4:13 am

I wish I had the time to help with something like this… I really do. Check out Drupal, and specifically the “Drupit” project which I helped get off the ground, and is close to completion…

Drupal would definately be the CMS for putting this through as it’s so easy to use, scalable and customisable… better yet - open source.

If anyone needs more info, please email me - sascha[at]live25.co.uk

Vikas Says:

August 31st, 2008, 5:34 am

I have got some experience in making and running a social network. Count me in on for the expertise, may not be able to contribute codewise.

A great idea, needs a nice execution, i had thgts on similar lines, my vision was to have a site where you come and write both, what you did that made u feel good and what someone did for for non selfishly to make you feel good. It kinda communicates more ideas on what is an act of kindness.

feel free to drop me a mail on anything i can help with vikasmalpani[at]gmail[dot]com

John Brooks Pounders Says:

August 31st, 2008, 6:25 am

I like the idea. I’ve started a few sites like this. Somethingfrommyroom.com and Butterbeehappy.com

Raven Says:

August 31st, 2008, 6:29 am

I do not have time to read through all the comments, but after reading about this excellent idea and seeing a few comments I thought I would throw my two cents in there in response to the comment of “is it really doing kindness if it’s done for reipricol rewards or recognition”. Maybe the concept of karma points can be set to display only to *other* users, not the person themself.
This may be against a more pure concept of compassion, but I admit I have more than a few cynical bones that more often than not dictate that I will gladly help someone who is either willing to help someone else in kind (not as a cause and effect, but that they would do the same) or are willing to help me help them.
While Thank You’s are a wonderful feeling, they lose that meaning if they are just obligatory words that someone says to get someone else to do something for them.

See… I think this idea coming to fruition could do wonders for restoring a bit of my faith in human kindness. Some days it feels like an endangered species.

Sexy Pinay Says:

August 31st, 2008, 6:31 am

karma is the truth and the way!

Shelley Says:

August 31st, 2008, 7:40 am

Here are some folks who I think may claim membership in the RAOK tribe:

http://www.hoperevo.com/

http://www.extremekindness.com/ek/kindness/index

http://www.actsofkindness.com/

http://theopengrove.com/everydaykindnessblog/

Maybe the best first step would be to try to gather as many of the tribe members together (online) as possible, and let the ideas and lessons fly.

Tami Says:

August 31st, 2008, 8:07 am

I think this is a wonderful idea- what a beautiful concept! I really hopes someone gets this going because I’ll definitely participate!

I’ve been reading your blog for about a month now and I just love it! I spent hours reading previous entries when I first found you! I always look forward to your posts in my reader! Thank you for being so positive- it’s a lifestyle I wish more people would adopt!

AName Says:

August 31st, 2008, 8:37 am

Having a way to notify who is the ‘kindest’ is not something that should be in the site, karma points are fine, but don’t list people… Otherwise it won’t be kindness, it’ll be competitive kindness, which is never good.

Houston Kraft Says:

August 31st, 2008, 9:08 am

Leo -
I would love to be put on the email list for the project. RandomActsOfKindnessEtc@gmail.com

Many thanks,
Houston

Hex Aym Says:

August 31st, 2008, 9:09 am

I have been in the process of developing a procurement engine, where a person can say whatever they want, when they want it, and how much they can pay. Others can look up a person’s profile, and seek out what is pending to be answered. The site is at http://www.yabbyland.com It’s close to being in beta.

Originally, I had intended to develop it into something like the charity system mentioned in the blog post, once I have gathered enough commercial support for the procurement site.

I am willing to tailor this software for this goal, if I can get someone to help me with the coding. Please take a look if it has potential to contribute to this goal?

Elena Says:

August 31st, 2008, 9:18 am

http://www.ActsofKindness.org. Their site is down for updating right now, but I’m pretty sure they do basically what you’re talking about.

KCCC Says:

August 31st, 2008, 9:28 am

I have only skimmed the comments (but they’re fascinating).

I like the idea of “kindnesses to others” approach that Frank M. and several others proposed rather than “what would be kind to me” - the outward focus feels healthier and more productive. Similarly, I’d suggest posting “gratitude” rather than “nice things I did for other people.”

Keeping the focus on “my blessings” and “others’ needs” seems more conducive to long-term happiness for the participants, just from what I know of human cognition, and psychology. :)

What a thoughtful discussion, which I think is rare on a board. I love this blog because it attracts people capable and willing to engage in such thinking.

Fernando Correia Says:

August 31st, 2008, 10:04 am

“When you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

Jesus Christ

Susan Brassfield Cogan Says:

August 31st, 2008, 10:36 am

Someone asked why selflessness is evil (or can lead to evil).

Doing something nice for someone and accepting thanks or a brownie point or a good feeling as your reward creates a win/win situation.

Refusing to accept thanks or any kind of reward is a win/lose situation in which you (in order to be correctly moral) must sacrifice yourself for the other. That’s evil. It starts out “I must sacrifice myself for another” and in five minutes becomes “you must sacrifice yourself for another.” The first one is very bad. The second one is planes crashing into a building. Evil.

True morality results in mutual benefit where everyone wins.

Pramod Says:

August 31st, 2008, 11:05 am

Replying to the above post
>>Doing something nice for someone and accepting >>thanks or a brownie point or a good feeling as your >>reward creates a win/win situation.

Accepting a thanks should always be welcome.By just doing an act of kindness we are always rewarded by a good feeling. But accepting a brownie point is a different matter.

As for the reward system mentioned in the above discussion, I am in favor of not having a reward system . But if someone decides to have a reward system we can think of something like this.
1. A random number will decide whether an act of kindness will be rewarded or not(random number can assume 2 values depending on which the decision is taken).
2. Another random number will decide when the act of kindness will be rewarded.
Ex: Depending on a random number between 0-12, the points will be added to the person’s account after the chosen number of months.

Alex Says:

August 31st, 2008, 12:06 pm

This website already exists but in an oblique way: http://www.couchsurfing.com

A place where people open up their living spaces to complete strangers. The payment? Friendship and conversation. The visitor gets: A free place to stay, a free guide to the city, and people to hang out with.

Shirley Says:

August 31st, 2008, 12:11 pm

Great idea. Or this could simply be added as an addon module for an existing social networking site, like a Facebook app.

Matt Says:

August 31st, 2008, 12:26 pm

I agree about not making this a facebook app, if it’s going to get done, let’s do it right. I’m a designer/developer that would be happy to help. Please send me an email if you decide to get a team together and make this a reality!

Greg Says:

August 31st, 2008, 13:27 pm

I didn’t read all of the comments so forgive me if this has already been discussed. I love random acts of kindness, but putting it into a formula/website seems a little cheesy to me. The beautiful thing about random acts of kindness is that they are just that: random. If I have to ask someone to do something for me, the task changes from “random act of kindness” to “thanks for doing something I asked you to do”.

The most important part of doing something nice for someone is paying attention to their needs and responding without them having to ask you to.

bill2leo Says:

August 31st, 2008, 14:25 pm

I THINK U HAVE A FANTASTIC IDEA, I AM NOT VERY INTERNET SAVVY BUT I WILL HELP ANY WAY I CAN. GO FOR IT COZ I AM DEFINETALY IN

Anonymous Says:

August 31st, 2008, 14:45 pm

http://www.wish.org/
the make a wish foundation.. lots of children in a bad way wishing for simple things like a toy or just to see the ocean..
It would make a world of a difference to them and would cost next to nothing to the person contributing
I don’t know about accumulating good karma and stuff.. but im at a point where i feel like I haven’t achieved anything at all in my life and maybe by just bringing a smile to someone else can make me feel even for just a moment that I’m not just a waste of space and oxygen

adam Says:

August 31st, 2008, 14:57 pm

http://www.thefreemovement.com

check it out.

patricia gray Says:

August 31st, 2008, 15:59 pm

I think that it is a great idea. First of all any act of kindness solicited or not is good, and second making your wish list public to the universe is very powerful. This is a great topic for discussion. Thanks for the post!

patricia gray Says:

August 31st, 2008, 16:00 pm

BTW How do I get my picture to show on the coments sidebar?

jessyz Says:

August 31st, 2008, 16:06 pm

I love this idea, but I think the beauty of acts of kindness is when they stay anonymous or that they are done because u remembered someone not because they asked for it. I think if you had an option to do something kind and keep it a secret it would be nice too.

Ben Says:

August 31st, 2008, 16:56 pm

Check out the October issue of Alternative Press on page 28. There is an article about a band working on a project exactly like what you are talking about.

Rebecca Says:

August 31st, 2008, 16:56 pm

I’d love to see that, actually. I’d definitely join! When do you plan on making it? ;)

Teresa A Says:

August 31st, 2008, 16:58 pm

LEO:

Your idea is TOTALLY admirable, and I understand that you were hoping to bring a little more kindness and happiness into this world. Of course there is nothing wrong with that.

However, people earning karma points or any kind of reward for acts of kindness in unsettling to me. This does not mean that I am right. It is merely my point of view.

Think of the guy that goes to church every Sunday, but neglects his wife and family, or maybe he mistreats his friends and coworkers.

How about the person who makes donations to a nature conservancy group, she herself is wasteful and doesn’t recycle or reuse.

These people feel “justified” that they did something “good”. But what real and lasting effect have had?

So, someone goes to a “kindness” website and makes a nice gesture or two. They earn some karma points. What about the people in their everyday lives? How are they treating them?

My point is that you can’t make people be nice anymore than you can make someone love you. You can give them incentive to act the way you would like, but you have not changed their heart or their soul.

Even if we take the stance that goodness is a good thing no matter how we arrive at it, I ask you, for how long can this really last? Bribery, force, persuasion….it is not long before people get tired of it and move on.

I thought Zen was a natural and unforced or coaxed way of being?

Darla Borwn Says:

August 31st, 2008, 17:06 pm

hi leo-

I am already working on a site like this karmaful.com… it’s been in the works for the last month actually. I’m happy to work with you and any others and get feedback and help from any one who is interested.

To Teresa - I agree with you. But if you could somehow use your karma points that you have earned to pay it forward even more… well how about that? Pay it forward to a charity, pay it forward to someone more in need.

That’s the kind of site I’m working on.

Darla

Darla Borwn Says:

August 31st, 2008, 17:24 pm

PS I’ll add some quick commenting capability on Karmaful.com if any one wants to come over and offer their opinions on the features and functionality of Karmaful… We would love the feedback and help!

Pablo Camilleri Says:

August 31st, 2008, 18:28 pm

I think this is a brilliant idea. I have a small development team would I know would love to work on something like this. That’s if our help is needed Count me in pablo at criticalhosting.com

Pablo

Aikijohnny Says:

August 31st, 2008, 18:39 pm

This sounds great. You get it up and running and I will join it!

Darla Borwn Says:

August 31st, 2008, 18:50 pm

That’s awesome.. would love for anyone interested in being notified to email me darla at karmaful.com…. and I’ll keep you posted.

Or just send your ideas and feedback.

Svend Says:

August 31st, 2008, 18:58 pm

I am a software developer and
it sounds like a great project.

Some people like the karma points idea
me included, and so people don’t like
it. So why not make it possible to select
if your want to recive karma points or not.

Why I think it is a good idea.

I have read that neuro science have
shown that “social status” and
“money rewards” activates the same center in the brain.
What your purpose is a market where
your can get payed by “social status”
instead of money.

Another article I read about a simulations
of different financial systems showed that
a gift economic system where the most
effective. The reason is that your don’t
have money get access to an resource.

Now I have a lot of ideas for such a website so if we can make a wiki site
where we can start to write and organize
ideas. It will be a good start.

Sara El-Sayeh Says:

August 31st, 2008, 19:05 pm

I am Muslim and tomorrow is the 1st day of Ramadan, you inspired me to do this; http://journalling-sunsets.blogspot.com/2008/08/random-acts-of-kindness.html
Please join me!

Stephanie Says:

August 31st, 2008, 19:23 pm

That sounds like such a wonderful idea. I’m totally down.

Chris Says:

August 31st, 2008, 19:34 pm

illsendyoucookies.com?

Who can argue against free chocolate chip cookies?!

Karen Says:

August 31st, 2008, 20:02 pm

Leo, I would love to do this. I started a blog, but have no idea what to do with it. Mostly it is a bunch of junk, and private just so that I could see what a blog would be like. With guidance, I am willing to give it a go.

Tom Ross Says:

August 31st, 2008, 21:57 pm

I love this idea, a lot. If you see this comment please feel free to drop me and email. The main motivation for not doing it would be the probability of failure, but with your passion and promotional options and my passion and talents as a web designer I’m sure we could work something out. This is obviously just a thought, but hey, every great site starts somewhere.

PS: I’ve just discovered your site and I think you may have helped me get some motivation back in my life!

Dot H. Says:

August 31st, 2008, 22:08 pm

I’ve read all the comments and I think this would be a useful way to help a certain group of (computer literate) people and feel good about oneself. However, I have these thoughts, not objections really, just thoughts triggered by this incredible conversation:

1. If one wants to randomly help some stranger(s), isn’t that what charities are for? Or are we just talking about giving someone a smile or some cookies?

2. I always thought the reward was in knowing that you’d helped someone.

3. There is so much need, right in our own neighborhood, our schools, our jobs, right on our own street, and often in our own families — why go to strangers to do something kind?

Rory Says:

August 31st, 2008, 22:23 pm

Hi all,
Though I would say I saw this idea a few days ago but neglected to post before I could get something half decent up so I’ve been working on a site kinda like this idea and id love you guys to check it out, im working on getting the karma part implemented as for now its not implemented and in alpha form but I would LOVE if you guys checked it out and feel free to sign up and shoot me an email if you have any problems, comments, suggestions (rsemple@salisburyschool.org)

the site address is
http://kindnesstest.awardspace.com/network/home.php

(it will change eventually when its out of beta)

boliyou Says:

August 31st, 2008, 23:33 pm

Brilliant idea. Sign me up!

Michael Dundas Says:

August 31st, 2008, 23:34 pm

This is a great idea!! I’d suggest that rather then make an entire new site, you create a facebook application. This is probably easier as the audience is already there. It might gain faster acceptance and influence more people beyond readers of Zenhabits.net.
Getting a audience is difficult and some social sites have recently shutdown as they can’t compete with facebook. Facebook is the standard for this type of thing.
-mike

Ana Says:

September 1st, 2008, 1:57 am

These sites didn’t seem mentioned in the comments already… http://www.paperbackswap.com (they also started one for DVD’s) is a place to send books on other peoples wish lists and return you get points to request books. http://www.postcrossing.com is a place where you send RAOK’s in the form of postcards to strangers around the world. There were a number of others but many have since closed down.

Matt Says:

September 1st, 2008, 3:15 am

Brilliant idea. There is an English comedian and author called Danny Wallace with a book out called ‘Random Acts of Kindness’. His first book, ‘Join Me’, gained him thousands of followers after he placed an advert which simply said ‘Join Me’ and when people started to join he had no plan. So he decided to promote happiness and selflessness. He instructed everyone to perform a random act of kindness on a Friday, but also just any time they could. That led to the book ‘Random Acts of Kindness’.

What you’re suggesting in your idea are more specific acts of kindness, because they are requested by others. It’s more of a favour than random act of kindness. It’s also not as selfless as a random act of kindness because the intention is partly to gain more karma points to elevate your status on the site (may be so you can jockey for position in the Top 100, promoting your own website).

Leo, I think more people would join than you think.

Jane Says:

September 1st, 2008, 4:08 am

There are 2 sites kinda like you described, one is
Deliberate Acts of Kindness If you have bought or received dakbands click here to register them, and/or share your story. Deliberate Acts of Kindness Quote …
deliberateactsofkindness.com
Deliberate Acts of Kindness
dakbands are a fun, thoughtful way to encourage and honour acts of kindness in our communities and around the world. We believe that kindness changes everything. If we can change people’s focus by fostering other centeredness, we will indeed build safer, more inclusive, compassionate communities. We want everyone to Live Kindly and Band Together because the alternative is no alternative.
The other is acts of kindnessacts of kindness. License to revive the personal touch!
http://www.actsofkindness.com a playground for the kind-minded
GOOD NEWS!!! kindness is alive & kickin’ right here.

me, one of my favorite is the anonymous stuff that only the heart knows and only the spirit sees

Casey Says:

September 1st, 2008, 7:16 am

It’s a great way to promote acts of kindness. You can think even bigger and offer volunteer opportunities and the opportunity to form your own volunteer groups based on your location.

Mark Desvaux Says:

September 1st, 2008, 7:28 am

I feel there is definitely something in the air! We would love to combine everyone’s enthusiasm into our project - we could all become part of something so life-changing with a huge positive effect globally. The RAK Team - a team of inspired people (similar to everyone who has posted here) have been working on a similar concept for nearly a year and a few weeks ago I launched the project on the BBC. It’s called…

“The 1,000,000 Random Acts of Kindness Campaign”.

The idea is based around the RAK card which you give, send or leave for some someone you have done a Random Act of Kindness (RAK) towards.

There are three really key things which make this project fascinating:

i) When a RAK has been posted, you can rate it, meaning the most popular RAKs rise to the top of the list to help inspire others with great ideas.

ii) The RAK card (physical or virtual) creates a domino effect of goodwill (like Pass It On).

iii) The soon-to-be-launched RAK TRAK means that when you have carried out a RAK, you can see what subsequent Random Acts of Kindness it triggers. We thought long and hard about this and feel that this is a far greater rewards than getting a personal “pay-back”. As many have already written, the whole point of RAKing is selflessness.

Using a Google Map App, you will also be able to see the complete geographical journey of your RAK. For example, imagine you start a new RAK and help carry someone’s groceries to their car (in London). You pass them the RAK card and they then carry out their own RAK - paying for the bus fare of the person behind them. Now imagine seven RAKs down the line, someone has funded a building for a school in Kenya!

We’ve research the RAK card and found it is essential, as having the card on you encourages people to be on the look out for opportunities to help others (you see what you are looking for). The card can be downloaded from the web site:

http://www.4000saturdays.com/rak

You can start RAKing today - it is early days, but with everyone’s involvement it will grow exponentially. A new version of the site with the “Rate my RAK” and “RAK TRAK” features is soon to be launched.

One of the objectives of the campaign is that we want to show the power of goodwill and its positive knock-on effect. We’re really excited about the RAK TRAK.

I’m going to email Leo further about this, but would love to harness all the enthusiasm and wonderful comments here to help develop this project (both technically and idea generation) as we are looking for more people to get involved in this and another amazing project called “THANKUBANK” which is based around Gratitude.

organicyogamom Says:

September 1st, 2008, 8:21 am

wow - this note inspired me to come and write a comment and it warms my heart to see how many others felt passionate enough to write a note as well - the world really is filled with goodness! I think this is an awesome idea - I’m all in - although I beleive I am a kind individual who thinks of others this would help inspire me to try more often - there are so many small things that can be done to help others!

Rory Says:

September 1st, 2008, 9:53 am

If you guys are just interested in a Social Networking site based around Kindness I encourage you to check out Project Kindness which I have been working on for a while.

http://kindnesstest.awardspace.com/network/home.php

Thats it, don’t worry we are getting a real server and domain really soon :)

Knud Says:

September 1st, 2008, 10:24 am

Leo, Interesting idea I might use it on my danish website http://xn--krlighedsfolket-xlb.dk
It already have s RAK card like Mark describes but without the trecking,it is called a “venlighedskort” in danish.

I think you should think a lot about how you should make the karma system.

It need to be a zero sum system such that when you give a point you also lose a point, or else a group of people can band together and give each other karma points, without doing any acts of kindness.

Also a point is a very abstract concept, how many point is a particular act of kindness worth ? I think it is better to use time, if a friend use one hour the help you then you transfer one hour to his account.
This is what is called a TimeLET system.

Right now I am busy making another similar site where the user can
share link and news stories instead ARK (Acts of random kindness)
See http://crowdnews.eu

So to get this great idea started here is what I wish for right now:
Some sign ups on crowdnews.eu
More interesting stories posted on crowdnews.eu
Some links to crowdnews.eu from your homepage.
Some thumb up on http://stumbleUpon.com for crowdnews.eu

Let me know what I can do for you.

Knud

–
Follow me on crowdnews.eu http://crowdnews.eu/users/addGuide/42/

Tamara Sellman Says:

September 1st, 2008, 13:44 pm

Love this idea. If I were to participate, I wouldn’t want any payoff. I rather like doing nice things just because. Oh, maybe a smile or a hug would suffice. Good enough for me.

Hune Says:

September 1st, 2008, 16:30 pm

With all these comments I didn’t have the energy to read all tonight. I did however notice that there were a few objections regarding the acts of kindness giving kharma points - which I find similar to tax cuts for giving to charity, and therefore have no problem with. In a perfect world, all people would alway be kind and helpful toward eachother without expected reward, but since we don’t live in a perfect world is it not better to start with the kindness of strangers who ‘benefit’ from it than no kindness at all.

Regarding friends who keep giving eachother points, a site with voting should be able to handle if a group of people seem to abuse the system. For example, if a few people keep giving eachother votes/points, then the vote could count for less each time.

I would also like to suggest letting organizations post needed acts of kindness, e.g. environment charities who need volunteers or the local homeless shelter.

If there’s anything I can do to help, I’m in for the creation of this site. Mail is sent..

Elizabeth Says:

September 1st, 2008, 20:19 pm

What Ian said, -way- up above, especially #3.

Jay Toor Says:

September 1st, 2008, 22:56 pm

I think it’s a noble cause, one problem I see with the implementation. How does one ensure randomness? I mean, how would I help someone I randomly found on the internet, aside from computer related help, (which would ultimately end up being some sort of social sharing site, rather than a good turn site). Thus, I think that it would end up being cliques of people, who seek to please each other. Again, this isn’t random, as you already know the person, and you’re just giving them something they want, much like a regular relationship.

The karma system makes sense to me. Unless people try to abuse it, it would only provides a measure of karmic acts, rather than hard work.

However, it does not seem logical to have it be a social site, but rather an anonymous collaboration of do-gooders. You can anonymously post nice things people could do for you. People can take pictures of themselves doing that (Just for laughs or feel good moments, no reward) or report that they did it. No karma in this case though.

Jane Waters Says:

September 1st, 2008, 23:06 pm

As a response to Jay Toor, what I’ve set up is a social network of friends. But this group of friends will most likely do good whenever they can, and NOT expect payback. It’s set up so that there’s no way to give feedback unless they post a comment or send an email to everyone. It therefore defaults to anonymous.

what I find interesting is that almost none of us (so far) have listed personal things that we want. Everything has been much more global in scope.

there IS hope for the future here, folks. This is going to be so interesting to follow.

peace,
Jane

Tedd Johnson Says:

September 2nd, 2008, 1:14 am

I had this idea about a year ago…the phrase is just so catchy. If you end up making it, or needing someone to help work on it, please send me a message, I’d love to do so!

I also thought of the phrase “Random Acts of Romance” but I don’t think you could build a social network on that…maybe an advice column?

Ian Says:

September 2nd, 2008, 3:37 am

Isnt the point of random acts of kindness anonymity? Why do you need recognition? An ego boost? This isn’t very Zen. Why do other people need to know how good a person you are?

Perhaps a tracibility feature so you can keep track of how the person who received your random act’s life has changed, or how they feel for receiving their “gift” in a blog or something. But the only reward necessary should be the gratification of knowing you helped someone in need.

Of course the “good karma” and rating systems could be implemented so you could see your own rating, and feel better about yourself for making a difference, but they don’t need to be publicly viewable, do they?

Scent of Health Says:

September 2nd, 2008, 4:01 am

I have an idea that is a little bit different, but I suppose here is the place to share it. A digg-style website called The Good People. Now if someone did something good for you, and if you want to thank him/her , you go over there and describe the story etc. So people can vote for it. There might be some reward for the most good deed….. This is pretty easy to do. It probably needs only a pligg software, which is free and few modifications. Is someone willing to do this?

Teresa A Says:

September 2nd, 2008, 6:43 am

HUNE says “In a perfect world, all people would alway be kind and helpful toward eachother without expected reward, but since we don’t live in a perfect world is it not better to start with the kindness of strangers who ‘benefit’ from it than no kindness at all.”

In a perfect world, this would be great. But as you said, we do not live in a perfect world, so, what eventually happens is that the people or organizations that get rewards, benefits, etc. for helping others ends up dictating who gets help and when and how. Judgement and prejudice steps in and It gets ugly.

Think of all the people who cheat on their taxes.

Aparna Says:

September 2nd, 2008, 9:09 am

This is an AMAZING idea…….

Susie Brown Says:

September 2nd, 2008, 9:58 am

Dear Leo,

I was away from the computer for the weekend, but what you described is much like what I am trying to accomplish with Thought-full.com I appreciate the ideas and was hoping to create a community on the site. My programming skills are not the best but I am definitely open to collaboration. Please include me in any mass collaboration on this project…. Have a great day.

Tracey Says:

September 2nd, 2008, 12:36 pm

I love this idea. I do, however, agree with the other posts that good deeds should be selfless, not tied to ego/reward. I also think they should be pure in the sense that the deed is truly a ‘deed’ not a monetary contribution. Rather, a service or exchange of resources - almost like a barter system, but the ‘payment’ is the joy of knowing you helped someone. In response to concerns about less fortunate individuals not sharing the same ability to use the Internet/excluding the most needy, many homeless shelters (I work for one in Austin) have access to computers, as do public libraries. Sign me up : )

Kim Says:

September 2nd, 2008, 13:33 pm

I like the idea, but why should we gift to those on the site? Those people obviously have computer access and time on their hands which says to me they need this kindness less than say, a homeless person. The gifts should be external only I would think that would be a better use of the idea.

Jen Says:

September 2nd, 2008, 13:40 pm

Great idea! I like the idea of being kind to random people you don’t know…Neat idea!

Tiffany Says:

September 2nd, 2008, 14:53 pm

I actually know of a group that is doing something very similar (perfect timing!) and they’re getting their beta up very soon. I’ve forwarded this post over to them and they’re excited about it! I’d expect to hear from them soon :)

Head Health Nut Says:

September 2nd, 2008, 17:51 pm

Fabulous idea and what a response! Good for you, Leo! And I’m surprised at the negative feedback, as well.

When you give to someone, it’s only when you have it to give (otherwise you’re doing it to be a martyr, pulling a `poor me’ act and making selflessness “evil”). Most people in today’s society ARE selfish.

But why not create a social networking site that TEACHES people how great random acts of kindness can be good for the self-esteem? That it gives you good feelings to be kind?

Sure, not everyone is going to clue in but it’s only because of where they’re at in their social/spiritual evolution.

Instead of throwing your hands up in disgust and giving up, why not work with the majority, connect with them in a way they can understand, give them what they want AND change the world at the same time?

Great ideas, everyone! And thank you to everyone for sharing those kindness sites. :)

tomdahm Says:

September 2nd, 2008, 20:41 pm

count me in, whats our p.o.a??

CG Walters Says:

September 3rd, 2008, 6:29 am

This article (and your work, Leo) has been featured as an excellent example of celebrating what’s right in the world, CelebraZine: 03 Sept 08 http://kathmandau.blogspot.com/2008/09/celebrazine-03-sept-08.html

Thank you for bringing this positive work into our collective experience.
Many blessings and continued inspiration,
CG

Glenna Says:

September 3rd, 2008, 9:25 am

There is such a site. Check out http://www.wishuponahero.com It’s great.

Libby Says:

September 3rd, 2008, 10:31 am

I have some friends who started a site like this. They’ve made a few sites actually, dedicated to generating good in the world.

This one (which includes a Facebook app) is a lot like what you’ve described, Leo.
http://favorday.org/

This site is dedicated to just paying people compliments.
http://plusoneme.com/

Atomic Bombshell Says:

September 3rd, 2008, 12:57 pm

I love this!

Joy Says:

September 3rd, 2008, 14:08 pm

I love RAK. Every holiday season, I actually have people sign up to receive a card if they want one — something better to receive in one’s mailbox other than bills.

One of my all-time favorite place for RAK is Postcardx.net. You can send someone some random mail love to brighten their day.

heri Says:

September 3rd, 2008, 14:08 pm

there is also akoha.com

Joel Says:

September 4th, 2008, 2:35 am

This is a great idea. I haven’t had time to read through all of the comments but Drupal would be perfect for a project like this. It’s an open source CMS with many contributed modules already written to accomplish something like this.

Sean Says:

September 5th, 2008, 1:47 am

I’ve had a similar idea and would love to work on it with others.

Scent of Health Says:

September 7th, 2008, 7:16 am

My idea in action:

Stories about good deeds

If someone did something good and you wrote about it, here is the place where you can submit a link to your story.

http://www.reddit.com/r/goodpeople/

Alex Shalman Says:

September 9th, 2008, 0:49 am

This is a pretty cool concept. In towns where there are a lot of Jewish people, there are lists of people that are willing to donate their service for something they are good at. Like a handy man, someone that could help you move, can teach you something, etc.

Bringing this to the web is definitely genius!

Fred Ngo Says:

September 9th, 2008, 22:23 pm

Psst — Akoha launching tomorrow: http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/09/mystery-invites-for-akoha/

Escoofield Says:

September 18th, 2008, 15:44 pm

Wow speechless,,… fantastic and absolutely beautiful!!! hey btw check http://alotofit.com too it’s very cool with alot of fun !

Kat Says:

September 29th, 2008, 1:49 am

Here’s a start right here!

Jane Says:

September 29th, 2008, 11:19 am

I realized now, a month later, that when I posted MY site, on August 30, that I never posted the url.

sorry about that.
http://www.compassionateacts.ning.com

come play :)

Yann Dauphin Says:

October 6th, 2008, 21:34 pm

I made a *complete* website from this idea.

It has wishes, karma, private messages, comments, profiles…

I was so excited I started implementing the idea after reading your post.

http://www.karmajoy.com/

I think it’s the best platform for Random Acts of Kindness.

Tracey Says:

November 26th, 2008, 23:52 pm

Check out this site that is trying to change the world through promoting random acts of kindness - http://www.thegiftrevolution.com.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Miessence Says:

December 8th, 2008, 10:49 am

On a similar note have you seen the site http://www.kiva.org. Basically you contribute to a loan to someone in a developing nation to help them get a little business going to get them out of poverty.

David Says:

January 6th, 2009, 5:18 am

I’ve found this really great “business” idea: http://www.arkchangeyourworld.com

>:D<

Head Health Nut Says:

January 20th, 2009, 12:15 pm

This site is a social change network, just launched in late September: http://dailychallenge.org.

Cubase Midi Sequencer Says:

June 23rd, 2009, 12:12 pm

This is a very creative idea. Although it probably would be very hard to get a site like this going. People need motivation in order to do good, and you mention “rewarding” those who gain enough karma points. However anything worthwhile would cost money. Where will you get this money?