Topic: Freecycle - perfect for all you skip bunnies

[wahaj]

i've gotten a few things on there. it's a really good idea...though you have to be REALLY quick. like sit there and watch the site sometimes if you want something....because there's 10 other people always waiting to get stuff.

I've already been kindly given 2 fish tanks, lots of equipment for a fish tank, pots for the garden, baskets. some nice lady a few weeks ago gave me all the gardening magazines she collected over the last 3 years. mainly gardeners world but easy gardning aswell.

Unfortunately i had to throw them away after reading...but it was kind none the less.

[glow777]

Unfortunately i had to throw them away after reading...but it was kind none the less.

Why didn't you freecycle them for someone else?

Our branch of freecycle (buxton) seems to of closed  :'(

[growgirl]

Agreed glow, that's the whole point isn't it - to re-use instead of putting it in a landfill.

[Hyacinth]

Wahaj could've shredded em & added to his compost - with a shredder got from Freecycle, of course ;D

Reckon our Doctor's surgery gets their mags from Freecycle peeps - how else to explain Gardeners World or similar, 10 years old?

[caroline7758]

I love freecycle. I've got rid of lots of stuff, and collected a few things too. Hoping to get some leaf mulch tomorrow if there's any left. I tend to give away anything that charity shops won't take.

[wahaj]

ok i should probably clarify lol....it wasn't just thrown straight into the bin...i did use it. we had a big eid...it's like a muslim thing.....and we made loads of deep fried things for all the extended family....and onc eyou've fried it...we normally put it on newspaper....ubt we couldn't find much cos none of us read papers....so we just laid out pages from the magazine.

so by the time i was done i only had 3 magazines left and i didn't think anyone would want to travel to my house for 3 really old magazines.

[caroline7758]

OK, Wahaj, you're forgiven- almost had the freecycle police onto you then! ;D

[djbrenton]

Its' possible the Buxton branch has fallen foul of Freecycle's new policies. The central organisation seems to have gone the way of all succesful things and gone corporate. It's now sponsored by a major polluter and most of the original team have been 'sacked' because they objected to the way Freecycle is now run. Sites now have to comply with a draconian set of rules, including allowing a designated 'management account' for head office which allows them to close the site and reopen their own. A lot of the early pioneers have left and are setting up independent sites. Many sites have been closed by the founder for trademark infringement. Even the word 'freecycling' has attracted legal action. One of the major criticisms is that most of the sponsorship money goes on salaries for the founder and the rest of the board ( who happen to be his other half and his best friend)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freecycle_Network

[cornykev]

I'm getting between 20 and 30 emails a day is this normal ?  :o :o ??? ???

[Deb P]

You can alter your preferences so you get a daily 'digest' instead, saves some space. I find stuff goes so quickly, it's only really worth logging on to the site and seeing the most recent offers.

[caroline7758]

djbrenton, can you clarify whether you are referring to the mangement etc of the Buxton branch or of the whole freecycle network? I'd hate to think the whole thing is heading down the pan!

[djbrenton]

Take a look at the wiki link and then google. It seems to be what's commonly referred to as 'founderitis'. Someone comes up with a good idea, spreads it freely, then realises they've got a valuable commodity and try to control it and profit from it.

Freecycle (apparently there should be a Tm after it now) groups are only now allowed to exist if they subordinate themselves to the central leadership, otherwise they get closed down. The majority of the central team who co-ordinated the growth of freecycling have been booted out of the organisation for dissent and have started up their own groups with different names.

According to the wiki, the Buxton group was closed down without warning by the Arizona company claiming Freecycle as a registered trademark. Mass closures have taken place simply because the managers of local groups refused to allow a management account for the central organisers to take control of the local groups.

Legal battles are being waged to assert that the term Freecycle is in the public domain and should not be controlled in this way.

[caroline7758]

Thanks, dj, will keep an eye on this one.

[glow777]

Bit of a bummer tho if, like me, you live in Buxton :-[

[Robert_Brenchley]

Presumably there's nothing to stop them setting it up again under a new name.

[good gourd]

Yes Loo lots of us are freecyclers here.       Great scheme ;D

Thankyou for the info on Freecycle found out there is one in the town where I live.Good Gourd.