[constantly]

Then if I were you, I would absolutely not take any volunteer opportunities that don’t meet this criterion. Otherwise, in some cases these seem like amazing opportunities that pay in experiences much more valuable than money. Working at Crater Lake would be a dream come true for me.

[zlg_codes]

I'm sure experience can pay my bills...

[dragonwriter]

No, it can't, but then, volunteering isn't a job, and its function isn't to pay your bills.

A particular volunteer opportunity may not be interesting to you, because of the time commitment and the opportunity cost of sacrificing paid work, or because you aren't interested in the particular area of volunteer work, or because you just aren't interested in donating labor in general, but... so what? The posting of the volunteer opportunity isn't a personal solicitation aimed at you, either.

[zlg_codes]

This is a public forum, why are you so against a differing perspective that you go through two rounds of trying to essentially say there's only one way to think about it?

There are some things that are too much work for anyone to call it merely volunteering, and should be compensated. I don't care if you find that opinion acceptable.

[hiatus]

Since when is volunteering supposed to pay your bills??

[zlg_codes]

Do bills stop existing because one chooses to volunteer? Volunteering is an economic decision every bit as impactful as a job.

[dragonwriter]

> Do bills stop existing because one chooses to volunteer?

Bills don't stop existing because I choose to eat a watch a sunset, either, but I don't ask if watching a sunset is going to pay my bills. People obviously need a way to pay their bills, and lots of activities they might engage in aren't part of that. If you aren't in a position where you can do an activity because of what you need to do to pay your bills, than that activity clearly isn't for you, but unless you were personally and specifically solicited for that activity by someone who should have been aware of your personal circumstances, I don't see how that warrants anything besides "well, that's not for me".

Your circumstances aren't universal.

[zlg_codes]

Imagine defending getting the equivalent of a full time job's work for free and acting like economics isn't still in play regardless of income level.

Take your socioeconomic bigotry and shove it up your priveleged ass.