paying people to get here

is not going to happen.

Jocelyn is getting slammed with people wanting us to send them money to get here. And they seem to not understand "no".

The important part is that if people need money to get here, then they also need money to go away if things don't work out. Some people seem to need $800 to get here. Some people need something like $6000. Some people say they just need gas money.

We have tried to arrange some rides and stuff and Jocelyn is just getting overwhelmed with trying to find ways to get all this stuff to work for people.

I think the average person would pay less than $200 to take a bus here.

Much like with ERE or MF, folks need to have built a grubstake.

Another angle: the people that have come so far got here on their own power. And were able to go home on their own power. They never made one tiny peep about needing money. In fact, several brought food, tools, materials and offered to chip in more. We were able to focus on tasks rather than getting another task to focus on: how do we come up with the money for this person to get home.

Yet another angle: look at the parachute thread. When people come here, they need a parachute. This is the opposite of what people are asking for. So if they ask for funds, they clearly don't understand the concept behind the parachute.

So far, the people that are asking for funds to get here have universally not listened to even half the podcasts. Typically zero podcasts. In fact, several of them seem hell bent on "correcting" some of my errant techniques. So they wish to correct something that they have not even taken the time to understand.

I like what Joel Salatin says: a date is set and you have to get here on that date. On your own power. If you don't, then you are rejected. Plain and simple.

So, people asking for funds to get here: that is a huge red flag that that is somebody that we don't want here.

paul wheaton wrote:Much like with ERE or MF, folks need to have built a grubstake.

ERE = Early Retirement Extreme by Jacob Lund Fisker
MF = Mortgage Fee by Rob Roy

People, very poor people manage to get to the Rainbow gathering with out asking the Rainbow Tribe for money.. People, many street people manage to get to Burning Man without asking the people putting on that event for money..so I can certainly see how asking for money to get to the Land would really be a red flag..I guess you need to post in that thread..This is NOT a free ride..This is not a Free Handout..

I left NYC with only $50 in my pocket and managed to get all the way to Colorado..couch surfed until I got my first job out there..so where there is a desire..there is a way..If someone REALLY wants to get to your place..they will find a way....and I bet those are the people you are looking for.

If free, farm vacations were provided, the flood of barely useful arrivals would overwhelm your ability to get anything done. It would become a babysitting job for those who are already there. This would be like a giant reverse fund raiser.

I've picked up hundreds of workers over the years. I'm in a relatively small city, but the distances, sometimes up to 5 miles, are an insurmountable hurdle for many of these guys who can't raise $2.25 for the bus. Those who require pick up, tend to be the same ones who require my constant supervision later. They are also the ones who forgot their hat, boots, lunch, cigarettes, dope ... and common sense. My best helpers are self mobile, self starters and self aware (safety).

Other than smoking and other drug usage, self mobility has been my number one indicator of whether someone is likely to be useful.