Can Web site offer homeless man hope?
A few weeks ago, Tim Edwards was just another ragged guy begging for spare change at a busy Houston underpass, scrounging for food and chained to his alcohol addiction. Most drivers whizzed by without a glance. No one asked his name or knew his story. Now, thanks to an Internet marketing campaign, unlikely allies, and a Web site with the catchy and controversial name of http://www.pimpthisbum.com, Edwards has become the human face of homelessness to thousands of online viewers. On regular Webcasts, dozens of people log on to ask questions about Edwards’ life and his slow fall from officer manager with a home, a car, and a future to an outcast short of hope and with little prospects of help. But the Web site does more than offer a reality-TV glimpse of life on the streets. It gives viewers a chance to donate money, services and goods to help Edwards yank himself out of homelessness. And it does so with an edgy tone that has drawn criticism as well as converts. “We wanted to insult peopl
