Donate to help a MySQler(mysql.com)
mysql.com
Donate to help a MySQler
http://www.mysql.com/about/help-ivan.html
16 comments
Does anyone else find it a little disheartening that despite being hosted on a MySQL / SUN site, and despite this meaning that they're obviously not providing his family with health insurance, that they're not even offering to do any contribution matching? I'd hope for a little more from a small-ish company that just got bought for a billion dollars.
Yes, I admit I had the same thought. I would imagine if I was the CEO, I would maybe just pay the bill. But who knows what other things there are, maybe that kind of approach is not feasible.
The biggest issue with that is that if you pay this bill, when someone else wife gets cancer, do you pay that bill too?
I do agree though that they should be doing something other than asking everyone else to fork over cash.
I do agree though that they should be doing something other than asking everyone else to fork over cash.
But MySQL/SUN is willing to host a donation page at their official site. Does this mean they have this same ask-everyone-else-to-fork-over-cash strategy in place for all contributors?
With billions in hand, if they are willing to host a page, shouldn't they pay the bill atleast to look 'non evil'?
Why do you assume that every country is a little copy of US?
Ukraine uses old soviet-era state-sponsored medical system free for all citizens, i.e. you don't need an insurance.
Even if he's got some kind of supplementary private insurance for private clinics, it obviously won't cover procedures in other countries, just like most American insurance companies.
Ukraine uses old soviet-era state-sponsored medical system free for all citizens, i.e. you don't need an insurance.
Even if he's got some kind of supplementary private insurance for private clinics, it obviously won't cover procedures in other countries, just like most American insurance companies.
I find it weird that they didn't edit the guy's note either. It's almost Borat-like in the way it lacks words like "a" in front of noun phrases or possessive pronouns. The guy probably does write like that, but it seems crude to just paste it up without editing when you know it'll sound weird. Or, has it been written in such a way as to make it /sound/ Eastern European and thus elicit sympathy?
Well, whatever, I hope it all works out for them, but please, MySQL, get some editors.
Well, whatever, I hope it all works out for them, but please, MySQL, get some editors.
[deleted]
"... Donations are requested to help Andrii Nikitin, a MySQL support engineer in Ukraine, provide for his son Ivan who requires a bone marrow transplant operation. The cost of this operation is expected to be between €150,000 - €250,000 ($235,000 - $400,000). Please help us provide Ivan a chance to live ..."
I know this could be seen as a heartless gesture but has anyone verified with MySql that Andrii Nikitin is who the page claims? I know this is shown off the mysql site but that's just a webpage. Does anyone personally/professionally know Andrii? Does anyone know Andrii at MySql?
It would help greatly Anreii's cause if MySql "officially" set up an MySql postal account allowing non paypal money orders, cheques etc to be passed on if they use MySql by name.
I know this could be seen as a heartless gesture but has anyone verified with MySql that Andrii Nikitin is who the page claims? I know this is shown off the mysql site but that's just a webpage. Does anyone personally/professionally know Andrii? Does anyone know Andrii at MySql?
It would help greatly Anreii's cause if MySql "officially" set up an MySql postal account allowing non paypal money orders, cheques etc to be passed on if they use MySql by name.
His name is on some MySQL bug reports.(http://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=32930)
There's also an address for postal mail, and info for wire transfers (http://www.theopenforce.com/2008/07/andrii-nikitin.html)
I agree, they should perhaps add this information to the main MySQL site.
There's also an address for postal mail, and info for wire transfers (http://www.theopenforce.com/2008/07/andrii-nikitin.html)
I agree, they should perhaps add this information to the main MySQL site.
I will tweet and maybe blog about this. I really can't help him much with the money part, but the least i can do is show it to people who have money.
I'm not sure why you are getting down-voted. I think some people find the idea of being poor inconceivable. Perhaps some people think that if you can post on the Internet, you should be giving money away.
In any case, I know from whence you are coming. I'm sure the family would appreciate your efforts regardless. Advertising for the cause is absolutely helpful, as most Hacker News posters should know.
In any case, I know from whence you are coming. I'm sure the family would appreciate your efforts regardless. Advertising for the cause is absolutely helpful, as most Hacker News posters should know.
I really don't know why i am getting voted down. I am curious actually. I told a logical thing, I didn't have any money in my paypal because i had withdrawn almost all of it. But i also wanted to help him, so said will tweet and blog about it.
Doesn't mean when i get funds in my paypal in a day or two, i wouldn't give him.
Since you're curious.. I didn't vote you down (the post is too old now) but if I were to have, it'd have been because your post didn't say anything; it just stated the obvious.
He should be downvoted; there's no need for him to grand stand about how hard he's trying.
How about $5? Price of a beer, or a thing in a cup from Starbucks.
As a leading brand in England says.. "every little helps", I'm sure they'll reach their target if everyone chips in one way or another.
I am doing the same, sent out a series of Tweets. A blog post will follow tomorrow
The price quoted sounds high even for the USA.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Bone-Marrow-Transplant-Costs---For...
says it can be done much cheaper in India.
This is not leading-edge medicine today (it was perhaps 10 years ago). But medical centers still try to charge leading-edge prices.
Yet another reason we need a national health care in the USA - to get doctors out of their Mercedes, off the golf courses and back into medicine for medicine's sake.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Bone-Marrow-Transplant-Costs---For...
says it can be done much cheaper in India.
This is not leading-edge medicine today (it was perhaps 10 years ago). But medical centers still try to charge leading-edge prices.
Yet another reason we need a national health care in the USA - to get doctors out of their Mercedes, off the golf courses and back into medicine for medicine's sake.
I donated $100.
But still think he should go to India for treatment.
Mumbai/Delhi/Bangalore are good places
It's not the doctors. It's the "benefits plan administrators" and other suchlikes.
This isn't the 1970s. The doctors will probably see a maximum of $40,000 from that operation, split between them. The rest of the money goes to hospital overhead.
If you are right, it could be the single most important comment on the thread. Somehow the message should be brought to those people in need.
And I also wondered about the price tag.
And I also wondered about the price tag.
... And he's not even in the US. He's in the Ukraine.
"medicine for medicine's sake."
Point 1: What do you think doctors are? Saints? They are human like the rest of us and would rather work for cash. They would probably also do better work if they were doing so for their own good. Case in point: Who had more food during the 1950-1980s. The US or the USSR?
Point 2: What makes you think that national health care will make doctors magnanimous? Just switching the payer from individuals to the govt. (which gets its cash from individuals anyway) doesn't magically change people. If we get national health care, doctors will probably start doing exactly what government unions have done: invest in lobbyists.
PS. The patient is in Ukraine. How will changing the US health care system help him?
Point 1: What do you think doctors are? Saints? They are human like the rest of us and would rather work for cash. They would probably also do better work if they were doing so for their own good. Case in point: Who had more food during the 1950-1980s. The US or the USSR?
Point 2: What makes you think that national health care will make doctors magnanimous? Just switching the payer from individuals to the govt. (which gets its cash from individuals anyway) doesn't magically change people. If we get national health care, doctors will probably start doing exactly what government unions have done: invest in lobbyists.
PS. The patient is in Ukraine. How will changing the US health care system help him?
Let's talk about the US only for argument's sake.
Point 1: Today's doctors are for the most part motivated by $. This was not so even as early as 50 years ago. We need more doctors and need to pay them less. Part of the solution: increased specialization, reduced time in medical school and a different form of health care system. This is a complex problem. The best short summary I have found is available at http://www.strategy-business.com/press/article/07110?gko=564...
Scroll down and read especially "Redefining Competition" about Porter and Teisberg's ideas.
Point 2: By reducing the income of doctors, we'll rid the system of the greedheads currently running the HMOs, the medical centers and the cancer institutes. People who enter medicine will be people more interested in medicine and less in accumulating a fortune. The financial motivation to get into medical school is simply too tempting currently in the US. Pre-med students are the only group in whom I have seen intentional sabotage of other (pre-med) students' work. Even worse, most pre-meds expect such behavior as normal. And consider Senator Bill Frist, M.D. repeatedly strangling kittens he obtained from the local Adopt-A-Pet in the bathroom sink to get an edge in medical school. Is this normal behavior? For today's pre-med or medical student it apparently is.
Once MDs are knocked down a notch (both in pay scale and consequently in social status), PhDs will once again be able to dominate laboratory research, where they are far, far better than are MDs (who unfortunately currently dominate). We may finally get decent medical research for our government dollars. Doctors are bad researchers: their training is as scholars (i.e., they read and memorize books, books and more books) and they are good at spitting back what they've read. Training as a doctor usually destroys the ability to think independently and do good research.
PS: The original article says treatment could be in the US. I took the opportunity to make a statement about the US health care system and how expensive it is. But FWIW certain changes to the US health care system would make it cheaper for anyone who could use that system.
Point 1: Today's doctors are for the most part motivated by $. This was not so even as early as 50 years ago. We need more doctors and need to pay them less. Part of the solution: increased specialization, reduced time in medical school and a different form of health care system. This is a complex problem. The best short summary I have found is available at http://www.strategy-business.com/press/article/07110?gko=564...
Scroll down and read especially "Redefining Competition" about Porter and Teisberg's ideas.
Point 2: By reducing the income of doctors, we'll rid the system of the greedheads currently running the HMOs, the medical centers and the cancer institutes. People who enter medicine will be people more interested in medicine and less in accumulating a fortune. The financial motivation to get into medical school is simply too tempting currently in the US. Pre-med students are the only group in whom I have seen intentional sabotage of other (pre-med) students' work. Even worse, most pre-meds expect such behavior as normal. And consider Senator Bill Frist, M.D. repeatedly strangling kittens he obtained from the local Adopt-A-Pet in the bathroom sink to get an edge in medical school. Is this normal behavior? For today's pre-med or medical student it apparently is.
Once MDs are knocked down a notch (both in pay scale and consequently in social status), PhDs will once again be able to dominate laboratory research, where they are far, far better than are MDs (who unfortunately currently dominate). We may finally get decent medical research for our government dollars. Doctors are bad researchers: their training is as scholars (i.e., they read and memorize books, books and more books) and they are good at spitting back what they've read. Training as a doctor usually destroys the ability to think independently and do good research.
PS: The original article says treatment could be in the US. I took the opportunity to make a statement about the US health care system and how expensive it is. But FWIW certain changes to the US health care system would make it cheaper for anyone who could use that system.
> Today's doctors are for the most part motivated by $.
Not any more so than any other field. Me - I want a doctor who is smart enough to have done something else and smart enough to say "pay me what I'm worth".
> We need more doctors and need to pay them less.
Unless you're going to break the monopoly on services that can only be performed by doctors or the medical school monopoly, you're not going to reduce income without introducing more scarcity (they'll do something else and won't be replaced).
The "universal health care" advocates never mention that the federal, state, and local govts directly control about half of the US healthcare spending and cover about half of the covered people. If you're going to argue that govt healthcare can be better/cheaper, that can be done today with those resources.
As it is, they're arguing that they'll be able to cover more than twice as many people for about 50% more money. How about demonstrating that and opening up the govt system to outsiders for cost? If you're right, the private system will either become as good or die.
Not any more so than any other field. Me - I want a doctor who is smart enough to have done something else and smart enough to say "pay me what I'm worth".
> We need more doctors and need to pay them less.
Unless you're going to break the monopoly on services that can only be performed by doctors or the medical school monopoly, you're not going to reduce income without introducing more scarcity (they'll do something else and won't be replaced).
The "universal health care" advocates never mention that the federal, state, and local govts directly control about half of the US healthcare spending and cover about half of the covered people. If you're going to argue that govt healthcare can be better/cheaper, that can be done today with those resources.
As it is, they're arguing that they'll be able to cover more than twice as many people for about 50% more money. How about demonstrating that and opening up the govt system to outsiders for cost? If you're right, the private system will either become as good or die.
I cannot address complaints about your imagined concept of universal health care. Perhaps next time you'll respond to my post, rather than your imagination.
Such methods as training doctors less and allowing specialization earlier, eliminating situations where doctors are currently required, tracking and publishing doctors' success rates, allowing pharmacists to write prescriptions, etc. all would reduce doctors' income and weaken the medical school monopoly. Many more students would enter medicine since, while it wouldn't pay as much, it would pay well, and the requirements and time needed to enter the field would be significantly reduced.
And please read http://www.strategy-business.com/press/article/07110?gko=564...
Scroll down and read especially "Redefining Competition" about Porter and Teisberg's ideas.
Such methods as training doctors less and allowing specialization earlier, eliminating situations where doctors are currently required, tracking and publishing doctors' success rates, allowing pharmacists to write prescriptions, etc. all would reduce doctors' income and weaken the medical school monopoly. Many more students would enter medicine since, while it wouldn't pay as much, it would pay well, and the requirements and time needed to enter the field would be significantly reduced.
And please read http://www.strategy-business.com/press/article/07110?gko=564...
Scroll down and read especially "Redefining Competition" about Porter and Teisberg's ideas.
Serious question: why should I donate for this cause when I can donate for vaccines or famine relief and literally save orders of magnitude more people?
Donate where you feel inspired to donate; applaud those donating to good causes that don't inspire you. It's not an optimization problem.
Serious counter-question: Do you donate to those causes? If you do, are you donating as much as you possibly can?
In any case, it's natural to look out first for those in your own community (although admittedly you have to have an extremely broad definition of "community" for that to apply here). Yeah, we could get into philosophical debates about how it would actually be better to save more people by looking outside of your community, but this discussion is strictly academic if we aren't already donating as much as we feasibly can. We shouldn't critique steps in the right direction (helping others more) just because they are imperfect.
In any case, it's natural to look out first for those in your own community (although admittedly you have to have an extremely broad definition of "community" for that to apply here). Yeah, we could get into philosophical debates about how it would actually be better to save more people by looking outside of your community, but this discussion is strictly academic if we aren't already donating as much as we feasibly can. We shouldn't critique steps in the right direction (helping others more) just because they are imperfect.
You could help a lot if you just called or emailed Sun and told them.
There are a lot of email addresses and phone numbers for Sun PR people here, I'm sure they would like to know about this story. http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/media/contacts/index.jsp
There are a lot of email addresses and phone numbers for Sun PR people here, I'm sure they would like to know about this story. http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/media/contacts/index.jsp
They'd like to know about a story from their own company?
Dollar for dollar, such donations do more good for more people than a donation to help save the one life. However, it's easier for people to relate to individual tragedies than it is to the faceless masses who collectively are in greater need.
If I had money I would donate, I don't like PayPal and don't like using them unless I have to, they should setup alternate payment methods so people have a choice on which one they prefer to use.
Its possible to do bone marrow transplantation for approx. $10000 here in Kerala(South India). The service is world class. Can someone close to MySQL/SUN pass this information?
Here is a press report : http://www.hindu.com/2005/08/04/stories/2005080411550300.htm
The hospital: http://lakeshorehospital.com
Here is a press report : http://www.hindu.com/2005/08/04/stories/2005080411550300.htm
The hospital: http://lakeshorehospital.com
Wish they wouldn't use Paypal.
Hmm donated via paypal but get this after reaching mysql's site:
Checkout Cannot checkout because you have no items in your cart
Checkout Cannot checkout because you have no items in your cart
I got the same, probably just because they've hooked it up using their default paypal options.. Got the receipt for the donation though so it goes through fine.
Same happened to me. Got the message but still got the receipt.
[deleted]
Got the same message. Looks like something's going wrong on PayPal's backend... the link from the site looks pretty standard to me.
Once again HN proves that its community is not only made of smart individuals, but caring and thoughtful individuals. I am glad I am here.
Increases in guaranteed human rights must keep pace with technological and moral development.
Guaranteed human rights reduce the speed of technological and moral development.
Moral Development isn't moral if it infringes on human rights. Therefore you are incorrect.
Yeah, let's kill off everyone we don't like. They're just in the way!
</sarcasm>
</sarcasm>
why?
why not?
i think the OP wasn't stating a fact, but rather making an emphatic plea to the community.
i think the OP wasn't stating a fact, but rather making an emphatic plea to the community.
Somebody has to provide what is being consumed! Suddenly just because some humans have the ability and capacity to provide something that others want, they are now entitled to it? That is a pretty bold claim that I think needs justification. I'm not saying I disagree, just that when you are suggesting that someone must do something, you provide your reasoning.
[deleted]
Huh. That site repeatedly made my Firefox (V3) crash. 5 times in a row. Weird...
Confirmed (as weird), it works fine for me.
its a good thing that doctors accept payment in tweets
[deleted]
Wow, that picture is really manipulative.
The child we are being asked to help is on immuno-suppressants, and is, of course, required to be shielded from germs as much as possible. You're just not going to get a stock photo of baby hugging a goat.
So you're saying they didn't intentionally compose this picture in such a way as to increase the likelihood that people will donate?
This is not hacker news. There are lots of kids out there who are in just as much need of help. This one just happens to have a father who works on an open source product.
This is not hacker news. There are lots of kids out there who are in just as much need of help. This one just happens to have a father who works on an open source product.
This is someone whose work most hackers have directly or indirectly benefited from.
This child is going to die if some people don't help - and you're worried the news item is polluting your sacrosanct daily news feed?
If you can't help, don't, atleast don't NOT help? Hope this gives you some perspective.
This child is going to die if some people don't help - and you're worried the news item is polluting your sacrosanct daily news feed?
If you can't help, don't, atleast don't NOT help? Hope this gives you some perspective.
With these theory of yours, we might go around helping no one, because you can always find people more needy or helpless than the one we are helping. Nobody said this was the last time, they are doing charity. It is one step at a time. I am sure nobody is helping this child because, his father works on an open source product. If you replace the father with a fisherman or farmer, I am sure people would sympathize the same way and donate the same amount they might be doing now.
A Cynic is one who knows the price of everything and value of nothing. - Oscar Wilde
A Cynic is one who knows the price of everything and value of nothing. - Oscar Wilde
I submitted this to Reddit. Vote up:
http://www.reddit.com/info/6sclv/comments