Let us discuss seed giveaways, proper etiquete, self restraint, and seed addiction + Pets

Since becoming active on Overgrow I have found members with unparalleled generosity with seed, pollen, and equipment giveaways. It is a wonderful thing to see someone with an abundance share with those less fortunate. Their kindness can and does put quality cannabis seeds into the hands of those who otherwise might have nothing worthwhile to grow. And many who win a giveaway is found with a grow journal here growing out the seeds they won and are truly thankful to have won them.

As I watched this my first couple weeks here I was compelled to join in and give away some of my seeds. It took no time at all to see the underbelly of the seed giveaway underworld rise to the surface and show themselves. They are greedy, they are well organized, they’ve developed a system of communication to alert each other of FREE SEEDS for the taking. They enter every giveaway they can find whether it’s something they want or not and worse yet even if it’s something they’ve won previously.

Thiis is just my personal belief but to me the seed giveaways should be for growers and not seed collectors. I know from experience it is easy to get a little crazy and you don’t realize you’re addicted to collecting seeds like I was but I was buying and trading for my seeds.

I realize by posting this I’ll upset some people and they probably won’t like me after reading this. But to be honest if reading this upsets you then you need to take a look in the mirror because you might be one of the people I am writing about. If you read this and say “Yeah, he’s absolutely right” you’re the folks I want to associate with on OG.

I hope everyone continues to enjoy the giveaways but please consider the possibility of not being so greedy.

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I give away a reasonable number of seeds. You get burnt from time to time. I’m still going to do it anyway.

I’ve got a very good nose for bullshit. I get 5 scams on my phone a day and I’m not really interested in a “I don’t have $25" sob story.

If somebody, anybody really, asks me nicely I’m happy to oblige but if you smell then it’s not going to happen.

The alternative is to never do anything nice for anybody which is not a very good alternative.

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IMO proper etiquette for seed giveaways is for the giver to give them freely, with no strings attached, or to make any strings - such as only wanting to give seeds away to people who need them and will grow them immediately - clear in advance. If you make it clear you only want your seeds to be taken by people intending to grow them immediately and someone turns around and gives them away, yes, that’s messed up. If you give away a pack of seeds without saying a word about how you want them used, it’s up to the person you gave them to what they want to do with them.

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I like to think the good outweighs the few bad seeds.

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@Cormoran the point I am trying to make is there are greedy OG members who’s sole purpose on this site is to collect seeds and they’re very proficient at it. Are you saying that from what I typed above I am of the belief that if you win seeds you should grow them immediately? If so I need to re-read what I wrote because that rarely happens.

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That is always the hope @ReikoX but there is a small group on here right now going to town scoffing up free seeds.

It appears you’re trying to control what people do with the seeds they’re given, yes. I’m not sure what specifically you’re trying to control about it, but if they’re your free seeds and you want them used in a certain way, tell people before giving them away. If they’re not your seeds being given away, it’s none of your business in the first place.

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IMO it’s unreasonable to say “must be grown right away.” If they are your seeds you are free to make any conditions you wish but I’ve always got things on the go and I’ll get to them in my own time, if I get to them. I stay away from such giveaways.

Better to spread them far and wide, especially if you’re looking for feedback.

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Who is sayiing must be grown right away? Why has this become the point of topic? LOL Sheesh

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It pops up from time to time in giveaways.

The point I think you’re trying to make is about unscrupulous actors and to not abide by the set conditions is unscrupulous.

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That’s the poiint I’m trying to make. They’re NOT being spread as far and as wide as they could be because you have a handful scooping up a decent % of seeds being given away.

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I have more seeds than I can grow in my lifetime <—- this phrase is the most repeated on all grow sites. Sharing seeds is the only way to give without regret, without the draw of free seeds, OverGrow will dwindle down to nothing but looking at pictures of people growing marijuana.
The collectors of seeds that are never grown will be given away to others eventually, there is currently more than 150 strains of cannabis available for free on OverGrow.

I’ll take the good with the bad. OverGrow the World with Love.

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The point I’m trying to make is really simple. There is a group of people on OG who have figured out how to play the system, kiss butts, and accumulate a ton of free seeds and I dislike it and feel it should not be part of the OG Community.

And, maybe I shouldn’t care ??

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Surprise surprise there are shitty people in the world.

I once put a condition on a giveaway that was “I must know who you are.” I feel it worked out well because it gave me a better chance of things actually ending up in other people’s gardens.

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You can’t control others idea of what they want to do with their life.

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Well guys, I’ve had my say on the topic of Seed Greed. I didn’t expect some of you guys to take up arms in defense of it, or maybe you didn’t understand my opening post and what I was saying. That happens I guess.

If just one person I’m speaking about reads this and says
LDA is right, I have been greedy and taking advantage of the generosity on here and need to quit doing that then it was worth it to me.

Understand guys, I don’t have a mean bone in my body, but I am also a person of strong morals and if I see something wrong I try to fix it.

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here is my personal take on sharing 

it’s pretty simple.

  • i am never mad at people asking for seeds.
  • when i can → i share
  • when i don’t feel right about it → i don’t
  • there are no strings attatched to seeds i give away

i used to share selectively in the very beginning, but since at least half a
decade i just try to share from the heart and not care too much about cost,
my ego, their worth (seeds and people) or anything else other than just trying
to sincerely create a smile by sending a gift.

no one can “get ripped” when sending out gifts by choice :wink:

__

i agree with the concerns of you, brother @LoveDaAutos
just share to the ones you like and skip the ones you don’t feel right about.
you did make out the group you feel bad about, so it won’t be a problem.

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Maybe some good old fashion manners should be observed. How about a thank you for the people doing the giveaways maybe a kind word or hell just some recognition for the fabulous sacrifice they go through to make this happen for all of OG. Kind true heart felt words would go a long way. What about a fund for those people to pull off for postage, flips, cards, envelopes after all they are suppling the beans đŸ«˜ for these giveaways. ‘APPRECIATION’

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A please and a thank you go very far.

I had a guy insist on paying for shipping. I said don’t worry about it he insisted again. At that point I felt it would be rude to refuse because he genuinely wanted an even table. I respect that attitude very much.

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I’ll echo what someone else already said
 it’s totally cool to make rules about your giveaways, and say them up front, and then be annoyed when people don’t follow them, and even call them out. I think it’s okay to say “this giveaway is for people who are going to pop these, not cache them.” You put work into your beans, I can totally understand having a goal about who they go to.

That said
 absent a clearly stated limitation, I don’t see anything wrong with caching beans you won with the intentions of saving them for a future date, or even giving them away. Personally I wouldn’t enter for something I didn’t intend to grow at some point.

As someone who has won crazy stuff several times I’m not going to deny feeling pangs of guilt over the insane largesse.

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