On Tech: The inequality of the GoFundMe economy

Online charity drives help some in need, but don’t expect them to fill the gaps in the social safety net. [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP4QzAWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS90ZW1wbGF0ZS9vYWt2Mj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0xNTgmZW1jPWVkaXRfb3RfMjAyMTA2MjEmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MzM1MTgmbmw9b24tdGVjaC13aXRoLXNoaXJhLW92aWRlJnByb2R1Y3RDb2RlPU9UJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD02MTI5OSZ0ZT0xJnVyaT1ueXQlM0ElMkYlMkZuZXdzbGV0dGVyJTJGNmExNWI3NzQtNThjOC01ZGMxLWExZDItMGZjMWE3MWI2M2NlJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYMoNvdBgIyIxi1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0S7aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTE1OCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9vdF8yMDIxMDYyMSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0zMzUxOCZubD1vbi10ZWNoLXdpdGgtc2hpcmEtb3ZpZGUmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTYxMjk5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgpgyg290GAjIjGLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-ad-marquee) ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzQwMTIzJmxpPU9UJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1PVF8yMDIxMDYyMVcDbnl0Qgpgyg290GAjIjGLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ [Technology](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0TNaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc2VjdGlvbi90ZWNobm9sb2d5P2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTE1OCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9vdF8yMDIxMDYyMSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0zMzUxOCZubD1vbi10ZWNoLXdpdGgtc2hpcmEtb3ZpZGUmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTYxMjk5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgpgyg290GAjIjGLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) June 21, 2021 The inequality of the GoFundMe economy Timo Lenzen [Author Headshot](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYnkvc2hpcmEtb3ZpZGU_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MTU4JmVtYz1lZGl0X290XzIwMjEwNjIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTMzNTE4Jm5sPW9uLXRlY2gtd2l0aC1zaGlyYS1vdmlkZSZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NjEyOTkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmDKDb3QYCMiMYtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) By [Shira Ovide](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYnkvc2hpcmEtb3ZpZGU_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MTU4JmVtYz1lZGl0X290XzIwMjEwNjIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTMzNTE4Jm5sPW9uLXRlY2gtd2l0aC1zaGlyYS1vdmlkZSZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NjEyOTkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmDKDb3QYCMiMYtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) Turning to the internet for financial help didn’t work very well in a pandemic. That was among the discouraging conclusions of a new [academic research paper](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0TzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2NpZW5jZWRpcmVjdC5jb20vc2NpZW5jZS9hcnRpY2xlL3BpaS9TMDI3Nzk1MzYyMTAwNDM3OD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0xNTgmZGdjaWQ9YXV0aG9yJmVtYz1lZGl0X290XzIwMjEwNjIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTMzNTE4Jm5sPW9uLXRlY2gtd2l0aC1zaGlyYS1vdmlkZSZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NjEyOTkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmDKDb3QYCMiMYtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) that examined efforts on the fund-raising website GoFundMe to collect money for health care bills, groceries, funeral costs and other needs that resulted from the coronavirus crisis. Out of nearly 165,000 pandemic-related campaigns in the United States from March to August last year, more than four in 10 received no donations at all, the researchers found. The typical charity drive collected just $65. And the most successful GoFundMe campaigns for coronavirus assistance seemed to be for people in wealthier communities who most likely needed the least help. Overall, [charitable giving in the United States increased during the pandemic](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0TuaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNi8xNS9idXNpbmVzcy9waGlsYW50aHJvcHktMjAyMC1wYW5kZW1pYy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTE1OCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9vdF8yMDIxMDYyMSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0zMzUxOCZubD1vbi10ZWNoLXdpdGgtc2hpcmEtb3ZpZGUmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTYxMjk5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgpgyg290GAjIjGLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~), and GoFundMe campaigns raised more than $416 million for pandemic assistance, the researchers found. Still, it was stark to see the gap between the prevalence of GoFundMe requests for help and the numbers of people who didn’t get very much. The research found that in a country with high [wealth inequality](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP4QCAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tLzIwMjAvMDkvMjgvYnVzaW5lc3MvZWNvbm9teS9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1wYW5kZW1pYy1pbmNvbWUtaW5lcXVhbGl0eS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTE1OCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9vdF8yMDIxMDYyMSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0zMzUxOCZubD1vbi10ZWNoLXdpdGgtc2hpcmEtb3ZpZGUmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTYxMjk5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgpgyg290GAjIjGLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~), digital fund-raising tools reflect and, in some cases, may worsen the real-world gulf between winners and losers. In short, online charity drives don’t equitably or consistently fill the gaps in the social safety net. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-0) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzQwMTI3JmxpPU9UJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1PVF8yMDIxMDYyMVcDbnl0Qgpgyg290GAjIjGLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ “There is a long history in social crises for people who need the help the most being last in line to get it,” said [Nora Kenworthy](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0TdaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudXdiLmVkdS9uaHMvZmFjdWx0eWFuZHN0YWZmL2ZhY3VsdHkvbmtlbndvcnRoeT9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0xNTgmZW1jPWVkaXRfb3RfMjAyMTA2MjEmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MzM1MTgmbmw9b24tdGVjaC13aXRoLXNoaXJhLW92aWRlJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD02MTI5OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYMoNvdBgIyIxi1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA), one of the paper’s authors and an associate professor at the University of Washington Bothell School of Nursing and Health Studies. “I’m troubled that this seems to be the pattern here and contributing to further inequities.” Kenworthy and [Mark Igra](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0TOaHR0cHM6Ly9zb2Mud2FzaGluZ3Rvbi5lZHUvcGVvcGxlL21hcmstaWdyYT9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0xNTgmZW1jPWVkaXRfb3RfMjAyMTA2MjEmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MzM1MTgmbmw9b24tdGVjaC13aXRoLXNoaXJhLW92aWRlJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD02MTI5OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYMoNvdBgIyIxi1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA), another co-author of the paper and a University of Washington graduate student in sociology, talked me through some explanations for why many online donation campaigns failed to raise much, if any, money. The people who needed the most help last year might have had family, friends and neighbors who were in similar circumstances and weren’t able to donate much. Some people who set up fund-raisers likely didn’t have sprawling social connections that make a big difference in spreading donation requests on Facebook. (GoFundMe last year [released its own analysis of pandemic-related](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP4QKAWh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaXVtLmNvbS9nb2Z1bmRtZS1zdG9yaWVzL3RoZS1kYXRhLWJlaGluZC1kb25hdGlvbnMtZHVyaW5nLXRoZS1jb3ZpZC0xOS1wYW5kZW1pYy1jNDBlMGY2OTBiZmE_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MTU4JmVtYz1lZGl0X290XzIwMjEwNjIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTMzNTE4Jm5sPW9uLXRlY2gtd2l0aC1zaGlyYS1vdmlkZSZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NjEyOTkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmDKDb3QYCMiMYtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)fund-raisers. Using different data, it found that coronavirus assistance campaigns raised about $625 million from March through August 2020.) But Igra and Kenworthy also said there were deeper issues about both technology and America. They said that they worried that the prevalence of mass online charity drives might divert attention and funding from traditional charities, or reduce people’s interest in addressing the root causes behind why so many people needed to turn to online donations. GoFundMe’s chief executive has also [said](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP4QBAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tLzIwMjEvMDMvMDEvb3Bpbmlvbi9zd2F5LWthcmEtc3dpc2hlci10aW0tY2Fkb2dhbi5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTE1OCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9vdF8yMDIxMDYyMSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0zMzUxOCZubD1vbi10ZWNoLXdpdGgtc2hpcmEtb3ZpZGUmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTYxMjk5JnNob3dUcmFuc2NyaXB0PTEmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmDKDb3QYCMiMYtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) that the company shouldn’t be a substitute for effective social services. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-1) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzQwMTMxJmxpPU9UJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1PVF8yMDIxMDYyMVcDbnl0Qgpgyg290GAjIjGLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ I asked Igra and Kenworthy what we and companies like GoFundMe should do to make sure that people in need are more likely to receive donations. And if we should think twice before we donate to GoFundMe campaigns. They said that GoFundMe and websites like Facebook could be more transparent about what campaigns get the most attention online and why. They also said that we all needed to consider the wisdom of a for-profit company like GoFundMe [playing a larger role in charitable giving](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0T5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucGhpbGFudGhyb3B5LmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlL2dvZnVuZG1lLWV4cGFuZHMtbm9ucHJvZml0LWZ1bmRyYWlzaW5nLW9mZmVyaW5ncy8_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MTU4JmVtYz1lZGl0X290XzIwMjEwNjIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTMzNTE4Jm5sPW9uLXRlY2gtd2l0aC1zaGlyYS1vdmlkZSZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NjEyOTkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmDKDb3QYCMiMYtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). Some prior [research](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0TeaHR0cHM6Ly9wYXBlcnMuc3Nybi5jb20vc29sMy9wYXBlcnMuY2ZtP2Fic3RyYWN0X2lkPTM1NTk5MDEmY2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MTU4JmVtYz1lZGl0X290XzIwMjEwNjIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTMzNTE4Jm5sPW9uLXRlY2gtd2l0aC1zaGlyYS1vdmlkZSZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NjEyOTkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmDKDb3QYCMiMYtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) and [reporting](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wMy8yNi9zdHlsZS9nb2Z1bmRtZS1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTE1OCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9vdF8yMDIxMDYyMSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0zMzUxOCZubD1vbi10ZWNoLXdpdGgtc2hpcmEtb3ZpZGUmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTYxMjk5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgpgyg290GAjIjGLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) also suggested that GoFundMe campaigns in wealthier parts of the United States tended to be more successful. The researchers also made a fair point about spreading the help we can give. Kenworthy suggested, for example, that if you’re donating to a crowdfunding campaign for a financially stable friend who is being treated for cancer, you could also give to an organization that assists lower-income cancer patients. Most of all, Igra and Kenworthy don’t want mass charity websites to blind us from the big picture: It’s a problem that so many Americans have to resort to internet donations to meet basic needs like food, housing and medical attention. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-2) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzQwMTM1JmxpPU9UJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1PVF8yMDIxMDYyMVcDbnl0Qgpgyg290GAjIjGLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ “Don’t stop giving to individuals when there are systemic problems but make an effort to think a little more broadly about trying to address the broader issue, not just the individual one,” Igra said. If you don’t already get this newsletter in your inbox, [please sign up here](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0TQaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbmV3c2xldHRlcnMvc2lnbnVwL09UP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTE1OCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9vdF8yMDIxMDYyMSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0zMzUxOCZubD1vbi10ZWNoLXdpdGgtc2hpcmEtb3ZpZGUmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTYxMjk5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgpgyg290GAjIjGLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). 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Before we go … - A stunning amount of waste: The British television network ITV News found that one Amazon warehouse was [destroying millions of unsold or returned products each year](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP4Q-AWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lml0di5jb20vbmV3cy8yMDIxLTA2LTIxL2FtYXpvbi1kZXN0cm95aW5nLW1pbGxpb25zLW9mLWl0ZW1zLW9mLXVuc29sZC1zdG9jay1pbi1vbmUtb2YtaXRzLXVrLXdhcmVob3VzZXMtZXZlcnkteWVhci1pdHYtbmV3cy1pbnZlc3RpZ2F0aW9uLWZpbmRzP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTE1OCZlbWM9ZWRpdF9vdF8yMDIxMDYyMSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0zMzUxOCZubD1vbi10ZWNoLXdpdGgtc2hpcmEtb3ZpZGUmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTYxMjk5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0Qgpgyg290GAjIjGLUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~), including sometimes new and unopened merchandise like TVs, books and face masks. ITV wrote that it’s sometimes cheaper to throw inventory away than to continue storing it. - Where both homework and video games are intense: South Korea is a global hub for competitive video game playing known as e-sports. My colleague Choe Sang-Hun talked to students at [one of South Korea’s e-sports academies](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0TpaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNi8xOS93b3JsZC9hc2lhL3NvdXRoLWtvcmVhLWVzcG9ydHMuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0xNTgmZW1jPWVkaXRfb3RfMjAyMTA2MjEmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MzM1MTgmbmw9b24tdGVjaC13aXRoLXNoaXJhLW92aWRlJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD02MTI5OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYMoNvdBgIyIxi1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA), where young people attend school and practice hours a day for a shot at careers in gaming. - Kudos to the dumb little robot: For one Gizmodo writer, her robotic vacuum cleaner [handled a chore that the pandemic fog made difficult](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP4QDAWh0dHBzOi8vZ2l6bW9kby5jb20vaG93LW15LXJvYm90LXZhY3V1bS1nb3QtbWUtdGhyb3VnaC10aGUtcGFuZGVtaWMtMTg0NzEyNDI5OD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0xNTgmZW1jPWVkaXRfb3RfMjAyMTA2MjEmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MzM1MTgmbmw9b24tdGVjaC13aXRoLXNoaXJhLW92aWRlJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImcmV2PTE2MjQwMjMxMTA2NTEmc2VnbWVudF9pZD02MTI5OSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKYMoNvdBgIyIxi1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) and made bigger tasks seem bearable, too. Hugs to this [Ducks interfered with a (human) 200-meter sprint race](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRis0INP0TeaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9Db2FjaFNoYXJvbk0vc3RhdHVzLzE0MDM3NDY2NDY0MzM4NjE2Mzk_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MTU4JmVtYz1lZGl0X290XzIwMjEwNjIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTMzNTE4Jm5sPW9uLXRlY2gtd2l0aC1zaGlyYS1vdmlkZSZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NjEyOTkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCmDKDb3QYCMiMYtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). Yes, ducks. We want to hear from you. Tell us what you think of this newsletter and what else you’d like us to explore. 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