I've been catching up on my reading of the last few pages of this thread and like to offer a few thoughts, in no particular order.
First, thanks to everyone who has made constructive comments. No matter what side of the issue you fall on it is great to hear from everyone. It is one reason this group is one of the most vibrant and generous crowds I have seen. Your interest and passion towards PIF as a whole is obvious and I know you share the same goal that we all do: The continued success and long life of the PIF group.
Second, I fully support the efforts of the PIF moderators. While I may be the group "owner", it is the tireless efforts of our volunteer moderation staff that helps keep PIF pointed in the right direction. Any change is, well..........a change and is never undertaken lightly or for the sake of "shaking things up" but it is always done with an eye towards making PIF stronger and providing the most enjoyable, "member friendly" experience possible. Does this mean that everyone will agree with every decision? Not hardly. We understand that, but ask that everyone work with us to make the transition as painless as possible.
Regarding this topic in particular, it was mentioned already that essentially what you are seeing is a change in terminology of what used to be called the "needs" thread. The overall concept is not changing at all. We are using different terms in describing the thread with the intention of more clearly conveying the intention of the thread. We want any member, prior to posting, to really put thought into whether what they are asking for is truly a "want" as opposed to an urgent "need".
Even the most charitable organizations have a "screening" process for those seeking assistance. Why? Certainly part of it is to weed out those looking to take advantage of the generosity provided, but more importantly, most of these organizations have a finite amount of resources available. They need to ensure that their limited resources are devoted to those most in need of assistance.
While we have a tremendously generous group of people in PIF (I routinely see tremendous generosity from those who may not have much themselves) the fact is everyone here has a finite amount of items available to give to others. Our intention is to insure that those most in need benefit from your generosity. Nothing more, nothing less.
While I see a lot of passion here, and it is appreciated, let's all remember that we share a common goal and let's work together to not lose sight of that and keep the mission of PIF alive.
Thanks for reading.