thedailywhat:

Social Experiment of the Day: Providence-based mobile app consultant Jonathan Stark recently posted his Starbucks mobile-app code to his website just to see what would happen.

After a while he discovered that many people were putting in as much, if not more, than what they were taking out. By yesterday afternoon, “Jonathan’s Card” — which had an initial balance of $30 — had facilitated $3,651 worth of transactions, with nearly 200 donating to the cause.

“It’s been a bit emotional, actually,” Stark told CNN. “People’s reactions have ranged from accusing me of stealing to thanking me for renewing their faith in humanity.”

Stark denies any professional ties to Starbucks, but the company is happy to be involved just the same. “We think Jonathan’s project is really interesting and are flattered he chose Starbucks for his social experiment,” Starbucks director of executive communications Gina Woods is quoted as saying. “We’re curious to see how his project continues to evolve.”

Jonathan’s Card has a dedicated Twitter feed which provides real-time updates on the account’s present balance.

[cnn.]