Poll...and Query

[wyld_dandelyon]

First the poll: [Poll #1592044]If, assuming that you had plenty of money and no urgent need to pay bills or put it in savings or the like, you answered the above questions differently, my query is simple:

Why?  

What factors led you to take one imaginary action or another in these situations?

Comments

[minor-architect.livejournal.com]

In all honesty, what keeps me from interacting with buskers in person is shyness. Even stepping forward to tip someone is a source of discomfort for me. (I should note that if I've stood there for a long time, enjoying the music/art/dance/what-have-you, I will tip quickly because I think that's the decent thing to do.) So I interact more in online venues because they tend not to turn me into a quivering ball of stress.

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

So, would your shyness make you more likely to tip online if you could do so anonymously?

Although, as a busker, though I have always respected the shyness of people who tried to tip without letting me see them do it by not showing I noticed them doing it, I did appreciate that tiny bit of connection, as well as the cash.

As an online "busker", I think it's pretty cool to know who tipped me. I don't do a lot in the way of perks (though I've done thank-you icons for a few of my sponsors), but I do make an effort to pay particular attention if a sponsor responds to one of my "inspire me" posts. I also give my most regular sponsors the perk of getting to peek at unfinished fiction I'm posting to a limited audience for critiques, if they ask to be included, even if they don't have that skill. I couldn't give those kinds of perks to anonymous sponsors.

[minor-architect.livejournal.com]

Because the Internet makes anonymity easy, I usually don't have a problem with buskers knowing a tip came from me. (After all, it's not as if I have to provide my real name or that most people on LJ would recognize me if they passed me in the street! :) My only real issue with online tipping is the use of PayPal, which we've discussed before.

But in person? Then tipping or other types of interaction become much harder for me. So I appreciate the buskers who pretend not to notice or just smile and say a quick, "Thank you."

(Almost forgot to add: I'm sure there are shyer folks than me online, so it would be nice to have anonymous tipping options for them, if feasible. Besides, it's an extra chance for extra income for the buskers!)