Oh man... ok, I already have nervous tummy typing this LOL. xD I love everyone involved here (Erin and Omi are my homegirls 4 lyfe, Shaya is my fellow Greendale Human Being, and Tina is the sweetest), so I hope this isn't taken the wrong way. BUT technically
@Spr175psu did open the door by mentioning that he was donating pins "Only because I enjoy controversy and causing a stir," haha, so I suppose the "controversy" has already been alluded to and that door has been opened...?
(I was trying to find a gif of a judge saying something dramatic like "you opened that line of questioning," but this is obviously even better.)
Anyway, this whole thread just reminded me of Tina's previous BatB PODM auction and that there was some drama involved there regarding "donation" bids. This ended up being dancecat's official ruling:
So donation bids ARE evidently allowed (as I believe they should be!!!), but only so long as the pins will actually be in the bidder's possession by the end of the auction. The auction is now over, and I'm assuming Omi does not have Shaya's pins in-hand, since he offered them at the last minute. (I think in the future, we should probably mail "donations" at the start of the auction to ensure they'll be in-hand by the time it closes, and if that bidder ends up not winning, they can just mail the pins back. Yeah, it will cost extra in shipping, but it's worth it to keep things fair, right?)
And perhaps this should be handled more discreetly, so as not to hurt anyone's feelings. Because when I was browsing the old BatB PODM thread to get caught up on the issue, I happened to see these comments as well...
So clearly, this is an issue that can (quite understandingly) end up causing some hurt feelings. And like Shaya says, DPF is the last place where people should feel excluded! <3 (Unfortunately, I've felt the same way myself somewhere else on the forum, so I guess that's why this hits a nerve for me.)
Again, I'm totally in favor of donation bids! I just think they need to be handled with sensitivity; I think the "in-hand by close of auction" rule is pretty fair. But maybe a mod can weigh in and make a judgment call on whether that rule can be waived here?
Anyway, sorry if I'm out of line for jumping in! I just hate to think that Erin's feelings could be hurt. <3 <3 <3 But she and Omi are both amazing and Omi is obviously well-deserving of this prize!!! <3 <3 <3