How
Do Mailing Lists Work?
Freecycling is a gifting community using an internet
mailing list to connect people who share the same anti-consumerist values.
Mailing lists (also called list serve's) are software that runs on servers.
When members send mail to the mailing list's address it is forwarded to
all members that are subscribers to the list.
Usually replying to one of these forwarded emails will result in that
reply being forwarded to the entire list. This mailing list is a bit different
than most. Email that is addressed to the list will go to all members
but there is no discussion allowed on PKF. When you reply to a message
that is posted to the list the reply goes only to the poster as private
mail, not publicly to the entire list. This keeps the volume of mail down
by letting people make arrangements for the gifting of a specific item
in private mail instead of all the other members getting mail about a
gift they are not involved with.
Why
Does PKF Use Yahoo Groups To Host The Mailing List?
Yahoo Groups host all their mailing lists for free;(
They can do this because they sell advertising which is attached
to much of the group mail as well as on all pages of the group web sites;(
It is a bit ironic and sad that freecycle allows no commercial content
in any of the the posts but members are sent so much from the Yahoo Groups
hosting. For now i am sorry that we have to put up with it. That may change
in the future.
Who
Runs PKF?
All Yahoo Groups have at least one facilitator which is know as the group
owner. I don't believe that I own the group so I prefer to be known as
list facilitator. PKF has a secondary owner/facilitator in case I am not
able to continue for some reason. In addition to the facilitators, PKF
has about ten other members with group privileges that allow them to help
manage and moderate the list. All of us who manage the list are totally
volunteering our time.
PKF is neither a democracy or a dictatorship. Some policies like no money,
no bartering, no politics no religion are basic core values inherited
from The Freecycle Network at www.freecycle.org. Others are left up to
the individual groups. If you think that a PKF policy is wrong or should
be amended some way, write us with your concerns at the group owner address
or join the PKF Cafe and start a discussion of that rule. Freecycle gifting
is not an exact science so we are always looking for ways to make it better
for our community.
Coupons
They are another form of money and generally represent a commercial
business interested in having the redeemer use and buy more of their product.
They are usually pieces of paper or card board and many argue that we
should allow them because the paper is a tangible item that would be other
wise recycled or put into a land fill but you will notice that $10 bills
are also just pieces of paper and they are not allowed to be freecycle
gifts either.
Abusive
Members
If it is in a email please forward that email to the owner of the site.
If it is in person or over the phone please write the incident up and
email it to the owner. Abusive members will be banned after several complaints.
Choosing
a Receiver
So who gets your item? The short answer is, "Pick whomever you feel
best about giving it to." Some donors like it when requesters write
them explaining why they need what you have; others simply pick the first
one who responds. Others throw names into a hat and choose at random.
It's up to you.
The decision is up to you. Some give to the first email. Others do it
by need. Feel free to ask the person what they will do with it. If they
are going to sell the item, maybe you would want to give it to someone
who could use it. Others just want the item gone. Follow your heart
Disclaimer:
Portage-Kalamazoo Freecycle MEMBERS USE THE LIST AT THEIR OWN RISK. Please
take reasonable measures to protect your safety and privacy when posting
to the list or participating in an exchange. By joining the list, you
agree to hold neither the AFN list owners and moderators nor anyone affiliated
with The Freecycle Network responsible or liable for any circumstance
resulting from an AFN-related exchange or communication.
On "Curb
Self-Service":
Posting a message like "I've put an old couch out on the curb, first
come first served" is a very bad idea in multiple ways. More likely
than not, assuming whatever you've put out isn't outright garbage, someone
will drive by and relieve the curb of the item long before any list member
can get to it! Also, encouraging people to make trips somewhere for nothing
is a good recipe for getting them angry at you and doesn't do much for
community spirit.
Posting
About Multiple Items:
The idea is to cut down the number of emails the list has to
send out to gift the most items.
When posting an offer or want list of items, try not to use words
like "list", "misc", "other stuff" or "various
items" as or in you subject line's short description. If at all possible
try to mention all items or the type of items in the subject line. Long
subject lines are fine.
If you have a large list use short words to list some of them and then
say something like "& more" or "+" or break it
up into two or more posts. An example might be something like: "wanted:
Chain saw, weed whacker, snow blower". More detailed descriptions
should be put into the body of the post.
Also, if you are posting pending's or taken's for multiple items try not
to make a separate post for each if you can combine them as above. Praising
more than one person is better than separate praise posts for each one.
You can go into more detail for each praise in the body of the post.
Freecycle
Pick-up Etiquette:
First and foremost, "Be nice and be considerate!" When you arrange
to pick up an item from another freecycle gifter, it is basic good manners
to accommodate them as much as possible in terms of scheduling, and then
be punctual; they are, after all, giving you something you need and asking
nothing in return except that you will SHOW UP WHEN YOU SAY YOU WILL.
(Leaving someone hanging is never a nice thing.) Also, unless the donor
tells you otherwise, assume that they would like you to come by as soon
as you can to take away the item; no more than three days after the offer
is made is usual. (Think of it as the Three-Day Rule.)
The
Praise Post:
We encourage the receiver of a gift to praise the gifter if so
inclined for three reasons. First to publicly than the gifter for the
gift. Second to give that freecycle gift transaction closure and finally
to be a way of having a record in the message data base of who the receiver
was for that item.
Many times members want to find out who they gave an
item to because they found a missing part of the original item that they
want to give to that receiver also and have lost their email. we don't
allow members to ask for this information on the the public list but a
quick word search in the message data base will come up with the praise
and the information they need.
The praise is not for the gifter to thank the receive for a fast pickup
or anything else. It is for the receiver to thank the gifter for the gift.
You would to that in the taken if so inclined. With members saying that
there is already too much mail and other calling for not allowing the
praise, if we allow praising for a quick pick up now we are having two
praises for one freecycle gift transaction.
Prescription
Medications
The freecycle gifting of prescription drugs strictly PROHIBITED by freecycle
and the F. D.A. Punishable by law.
Asking
For Gifts In Order To Sell Them:
It is not unheard of for certain people to ask for items with the intention
of selling them elsewhere (either online or by other means). Such a practice
is permissible, however, if your purpose is to ultimately sell any item
you obtain from this list, in the interest of fairness, FULL DISCLOSURE
OF YOUR INTENTION IS REQUIRED UPFRONT, either in your original WANTED
post, or when responding to someone else's OFFER. Some of our members
wish to donate items only to those who need them for their personal use,
and might strongly object to giving something to someone who then turns
around and sells it. Anyone found in violation of the above rule may be
banned from the group
On Freecycling
Software:
As long as it is not an illegal copy and you are the owner of the software
it can be freecycle gifted.
No Trading/Barter:
NO TRADING, PLEASE. This includes trading of goods and services, as well
as mp3 files and the like. Find a local trading/barter organization for
this; it can be fun and we've got nothing against it, but that's not what
freecycling is about.
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