As it stands now, this community serves mostly as a way to get money. That isn’t a bad thing, but cash is not a 1-size-fits-all solution to every problem. Taking care of a persons needs is always priority #1, but at times, said person is unfit to handle money in a way that reliably alleviates those needs. Traditional, local, mutual-aid networks can usually address this in the form of community pot lucks, clothing exchange, etc. Here we are more or less limited to advice and more money.
Making a rule about unsolicited advice and being critical of users, limits us to just money as a tool to solve problems. Sometimes people need a tough conversation to grow as a person, sometimes people need to be reminded of the situation they are in. Yes, the capitalist system is oppressive. Yes, there are systemic issues that prevent us all from succeeding. That doesn’t mean there is no situation where decision making is a factor. Sometimes, you do actually need help making better choices. This isn’t to shame people for making bad decisions, sometimes there are psychiatric reasons, sometimes they genuinely don’t know any better, but you still should speak up so they can potentially correct the problem and learn.
This rule effectively creates a hug-box where we all pretend that personal responsibility doesn’t exist, that there is simply nothing to be done. It’s incredibly infantile, it’s a cope, and the people in this community deserve better than that.
EDIT: I feel I may have had a change of heart after reading the comments left by @EelBolshevikism If you are looking for a somewhat comprehensive response, those comments are likely a good starting point.
I’m convinced it’s either an example of an outright scammer, in which case we’re trying to make it all about personal responsibility for no reason when the actual problem is we got scammed. Or it’s an example of something else going on we don’t know about. Because like you said, randomly blowing 4000$ on basically anything I can think of is extremely difficult. Especially because of the amount.
Only thing I can think of that wouldn’t result in SOMETHING at least a LITTLE helpful to their situation (like a car or products they could resell or just use) would be gambling, and that’s its own kind of addiction. But because there’s no mention of gambling or gambling addiction (something I really hope people would sympathize with), it feels really likely they’re just a scammer who appears to also be a bigot, and this seems like a classic example of people compromising their beliefs and practices because they think they can “get ahead” of a troll or scammer by doing so. A good secondary example of stuff like this is when people assume someone with neopronouns is a troll, and when someone actually is a troll using neopronouns, they point to it as proof of their assumptions all along. When the best option is actually to just ban them or, possible in this case, pursue outright legal action if they truly are just a scammer who doesn’t need any of this money and is funneling it off somewhere.
I would be very careful using the word scammer this lightly. And if this actually even is storyofrachel (I have not personally seen the evidence of this yet, but I do admit this would be very uncanny similarity if this were just a coincidence).
No one else who sent money in small amounts could have been deceived because this money was sent on the basis that this user is homeless, and has unmet basic needs that money can help them fulfill. This is true regardless of anything else this user may have lied about or did under different accounts.
The queerphobic comments made by storyofrachel that originally got her banned are disappointing and, it would be unfortunate to learn this is the same user. But remember this is a young, unhoused, trans person themself. Those comments were made years ago, and nothing like that has ever happened again since. I’m personally willing to forgive them, but I understand anyone who else who is not. But since this is all speculation, it would be unfeasible to make a case for getting them on ban evasion.
Ultimately none of that makes them a scammer, though. They are a genuine member of Hexbear and I have seen them posting normally for at least six months under their current account.
EDIT: Almost forgot to address the $4000, lol. If anyone was scammed, it was the person who sent this all at once. That was just one donation, and we don’t have anyone coming out claiming they were scammed. Without someone reporting they were scammed, it’s hard to make the case that this was a scamming. That’s why I think this whole incident should just be shelved for now.