**WHAT IS FREECYCLE(TM) ALL ABOUT?**
FIRST, WHAT IT "ISN'T" ABOUT
Freecycle is NOT about giving only to the poor.
It is NOT about getting as much free stuff as we can.
It is NOT about getting things to earn money on the side.
It is NOT about getting rid of junk that would be better off in the
landfill.
It is NOT about posting a "wish list" for expensive items and
expecting a fairy godmother to fulfill it for us.
It is NOT a community bulletin board for finding rentals, dentists,
mechanics, or advertising our businesses and services or special
events.
WHAT FREECYCLE "IS" ABOUT
Freecycle IS about keeping things out of the landfill.
It IS about giving away something that has no use in our life anymore
to someone who could extend its usefulness a little longer.
It IS about giving gifts to people while clearing out our own clutter.
It IS about creating, building, and sustaining an environmentally
aware community.
OFFERING ITEMS WE NO LONGER NEED TO THOSE WHO NEED THEM
When we post an OFFER, we're offering to give someone a gift. It is
up to us to give this gift to whomever we feel would be the best
recipient. We're not obligated to give our gift to someone who is
rich, poor, single, married, has no kids, has 1 kid, has 15 kids, has
a car, doesn't have a car, or has a purple octopus named George
living in their backyard. We can choose the most polite,
the rudest, the funniest, or the shortest response to receive our
gift. We can put their names in a hat and do a draw, or we can wave
our magic fingers over our screens and pick one that way. We can
choose the first, 3rd, or 53rd respondent. We can wait 24 hours and
then decide. It is up to us.
LETTING OTHER PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WE NEED
When we post a WANTED message, or respond to an offer, we're
requesting a gift. The odds are that no one on this list will be able
to give us what we're asking for. But sometimes somebody will see a
WANTED for a bowling ball and go "AHA! I have one in my closet!"
But, you know what? Just because we're rich, poor, single, married,
have no kids, have 1 kid, have 15 kids, have a car, don't have a car,
or have a purple octopus named George living in our backyard, does
not mean we're more worthy of receiving a gift from a fellow
Freecycle member than the average person living down the street.
Sending emails that don't say "please" or "thank you" are a way to
not receive an item. Sending emails with nasty comments in them are
one way to find ourselves in a bit of trouble.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN FREECYCLE
When you want to find a new home for something -- whether it's a
chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door -- you simply send an
e-mail offering it to members of your Freecycle group.
Or, maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself. Simply respond
to a member's offer, and you just might get it. After that, it's up to
the giver to decide who receives the gift and to set up a pickup time
for passing on the treasure. You can even post a Wanted message
to the group because somebody might have just the exact thing you
really need stored away in a closet.
One main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate
for all ages.
YOU'RE BUILDING A COMMUNITY BY PARTICIPATING
We're part of a community. In every community, there are people who
don't get along. And in most communities, when two people don't get
along, they just avoid each other. To do that on Freecycle, all you
have to do is set up a filter to send any email from someone you
don't want to hear from straight into your trash bin. If you need
help with that, let the moderators know and they can help you.
So, just remember: If you're offering a gift, it's up to you to
decide who gets it.
And if you're requesting a gift... well, be patient. Your turn will
come eventually, but if you're not careful your name could end up on
a 'will not give to' list. You may want to try making an OFFER
to the list, just to see how the process works. Look in your closet
or in that box you haven't
thanks for adding me