Get an XBOX360, help Oxfam!
// March 10th, 2010 // My life
Help me. I have reason to believe Microsoft is stalking me. I need a free charity auction platform to make them go away, but so far, no luck. So I’m turning to you, dear readers (Yes, both of you). But perhaps I should explain…
I’ve only ever won two prizes in ‘lucky door prize’ type giveaways in my entire life. [cue X:Files theme music] and both prizes were Microsoft XBOX360s! [music: climax!]
I don’t think Microsoft just gives XBOXes away left, right and centre at every geeky meet-up in town, in fact, there was only one given away at Ignite Sydney 2010 and it was given away to me!
Here I am, the only person in the photo who doesn't really want an XBOX360
Too coincidental to be just a coincidence, surely? Could it be that Microsoft is trying to make it up to me for encouraging me to, shall we say, ‘leave my job’ at Microsoft many years ago? Funny way to apologise, and I long since stopped holding a grudge.
Besides, I’m not a huge fan of console gaming platforms, and of the XBOX in particular, as it seems like a platform skewed towards games about killing things. And I’m not about killing things. I’d be more of a Wii customer, if I were into platform games at all.
Finally, as an enthusiastic proponent of #freerangekids I’m not about to install anything that would lead to Boy8 spending most of his free time in front of the telly.
So, I’ve decided to auction off the new XBOX360 and donate the proceeds to charity — one of the three fundraising events I’m working on this year — Kayak For Kids, WildEndurance or Oxfam Trailwalker (the winning bidder can decide which charity gets the donation).
My only stumbling block: I can’t find a good free web platform for running charity auctions. The one I’ve used before, 32auctions.com,now requires you to have a US street address for some godforsaken reason (probably to do with godforsaken lawyers worrying needlessly about godforsaken liability).
Can anyone recommend a great auction platform I can use to create a charity auction, without paying fees to do so?
UPDATE: I’ve given up on charitable auction sites and I’m just auctioning it on Ebay. Go bid now!
