The South by Southwest festival continues to grow year-by-year and possibly ranks among the most popular arts and tech festivals of modern times. This year’s SXSW event is now making news for a revolutionary idea that has put haters in a moral debate.

A charitable marketing program, that is paying homeless individuals at the event, has triggered a worldwide debate on whether it’s a ‘just’ cause or a disgraceful display of technology that illustrates humans’ never-ending downgrade of moral values.

BBH Labs, the innovation unit of the international marketing agency BBH – who is the main contributor to this idea – have thirteen volunteers from a homeless shelter. These volunteers carry around hotspot devices, business cards and wear T-shirts bearing their name and their purpose - “I’m Clarence, a 4G Hotspot.”  The homeless people were then instructed to visit the most densely packed areas of the conference and offer their wireless service. They were paid $20 a day, in addition to donations from customers who took advantage of the wireless service.

As a lover of great human morals, which my mother beat into me with a wooden spoon, all I could do was laugh when I heard this news. I believe this to be a unique and cheap way to advertise, which should have no repercussions as long as the volunteers are okay with the job description. I mean, at the end of the day they’ll have enough money to at least eat dinner, or……drink it.