Would you ever buy a stranger a coffee?

Haley Joel Osment has grown up, but the idea of paying it forward remains timeless — at least in the eyes of Starbucks card holders.

Jonathan Stark made news last week with a social-media experiment, Jonathan’s Card — a screen grab of his own digital card that people could either contribute money to or use to get a free coffee (as long as there was a balance remaining). A connected Twitter feed gave real-time updates about the card balance. After enjoying the free publicity, Starbucks shut down the card last Friday. But in its place has risen Adam’s Card because you can’t kill an idea, Starbucks, unless it is a case of copyright infringement.

So as to whether this becomes a small shining cup of civility or simply a tiny blip on Facebook, that’s for you to decide. Have you ever bought a stranger a cup of coffee just to watch him or her smile?