Dear Freecycle(TM) Member,
Thanks for being a part of The (ever-expanding) Freecycle Network.
We're
changing the world one gift at a time! This message is sent to all
subscribers upon joining, and periodically thereafter to the entire
list.
If this message hasn't been updated since the last time you read it,
feel
free to move on to the next post.
If you're new to the group or want a quick refresher on making the most
of
our Freecycle group, please read on! This message contains essential
knowledge for all Freecycle members and will answer MANY common
new-user
questions, so please take the time to read it through.
This Freecycle group matches people who have things they need to get
rid of
with people who can use them. Our goal is to keep usable items out of
the
landfill. By using what we already have on this earth, we reduce
consumerism, manufacture fewer goods, and lessen the impact on the
earth.
Another benefit of using Freecycle is that it encourages us to get rid
of
junk that we no longer need and promote community involvement in the
process. Free your inner pack rat!
Begun on August 3, 2005, the Bishop Freecycle group is a branch of an
incredibly fast-growing international Freecycle movement, which began
in
Tucson, AZ on May 1st, 2003 and now boasts thousands of groups all
over the
world. Please help this group grow by spreading the word! We all
personally
know lots of great people in our community who would love this idea.
So, why
not "pay it forward" and tell 3 (or more) people how wonderful
Freecycle is!
You tell your friends, you family, your neighbors, your
co-workers...and
they tell theirs, and so on, and so on...well, you get the idea!
USING THE FREECYCLE LIST
To post a message, simply send an email to
BishopFreecycle@yahoogroups.com or
click on "messages" at the Bishop Freecycle group web site (see link
below).
To unsubscribe, send an email to
BishopFreecycle-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
To post, read or reply to messages or to manage your membership
settings
(including email delivery options), visit the group site (aka main
page):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BishopFreecycle
To read list archives (especially helpful for new members who may find
recent posts of interest there), visit the main page and click on
"messages" on the left.
For more information on Freecycle in general and a list of other
approved
Freecycle groups, visit http://freecycle.org/ (Highly recommended!)
You can
also find freecycle.org along with other related recycling-related
sites by
visiting the Bishop Freecycle main page and clicking on "links" on the
left.
The following list rules have been adapted from the original Freecycle
etiquette sheet; For a refresher, read on. A certain structure
definitely
makes the group run smoothly and effectively for everyone's benefit.
Remember, the success of this group depends on all of us, and that
means
each of us need to do our best to keep on task and, well, be nice and
patient. Good Luck, Have Fun & Keep on Recycling with Freecycle!
FREECYCLE RULES & ETIQUETTE
1) KEEP IT FREE, LEGAL & APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES. This means, for
example,
no Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms or Drugs, legal or otherwise. Two
strikes
and you're outta the group. This is our main rule on Freecycle to live
by
and it's a pretty easy one at that. No advertising your yard sale,
though,
as you're looking for money and that isn't free...
2) SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR POSTS. Use these phrases to make it easy for
others to delete or view:
OFFER: loveseat, downtown. [Offering more than 1 thing? Still keep
it in 1 e-mail, please]
TAKEN: loveseat
WANTED: loveseat, any condition. [Please use this sparingly and don't
offer money. And above all else, don't ask for an extravagant item
like a DVD player which we'd all like to have or the strike rule will
kick in - see #1 above. ]
ADMIN: new ideas, thoughts, etc. like can we get the guy with the
couches to ease up?
3) PLEASE DO NOT POST THE SAME "WANTED" POSTING MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH.
4) NO POLITICS, NO SPAM, NO MONEY, NO PERSONAL ATTACKS/RUDENESS.
Two strikes & you're out, i.e. you will be unsubscribed by the
moderator
after two inappropriate postings.
5) YOUR APPROXIMATE LOCATION: Try to list this in the body of your
e-mail as well as in the subject line. I've got a couch and live
downtown. Nearest intersection: Speedway and Stone.
6) KEEP IT ALL IN ONE E-MAIL. Got more than one thing to give away?
Keep
it all in one e-mail please and just number the items for your own
clarity. This reduces the overall number of e-mails we all have to
receive.
7) CAN WE USE FREECYCLE TO FIND NEW HOMES FOR PETS? Yes, keep it legal
& be lovingly careful. Please visit http://www.petfinder.com/
to look up many other pet-related resources in Bishop.
8) NO TRADING PLEASE. Go to your local trading organization for this.
It can be quite fun.
9) RESPONSES GO ONLY TO OFFERER. It keeps down the sheer number of
e-mails.
10) PICK UP. Arrange as you like. Generally, you'll wait until you get
a handful of responses or maybe overnite, and then you can pick
whomever
you like! That's half the fun. I always ask that people consider
giving
your starving local charity preference if one should respond. Arrange
pickup with one person only, rather than "it's on the porch, whoever
gets here first gets it." Otherwise you'll become the boo man pretty
fast with your fellow Freecycle Group Members... Also: only give your
phone number to one person at a time or ask for the recipient's phone
no.
Otherwise you'll get swamped with phone calls.
11) DISCLAIMER: FREECYCLE NETWORK 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 list owners and moderators nor anyone
affiliated with Freecycle.org responsible or liable for any
circumstance
resulting from a Freecycle -related exchange or communication.
SAFETY. Be aware! It is up to each individual member of Freecycle when
arranging for pickup of the item being given away to be appropriately
aware of the potential risk of having "a stranger" come to your home
to pick something up. Freecycle as a listserv assumes no
responsibility
for this risk. If you, for example, are a single woman living alone,
you may want to say that you'll leave the item on the front porch
while
you are not home.
12) NO USING FREECYCLE TO RECYCLE YOURSELF OR YOUR CHILDREN.
Recycling oneself (or one's shy friends) is, I'm afraid, not allowed.
There are many fine Internet dating sites better suited to this
purpose,
or you could try Craig's List or a Burning Man mixer (just kidding).
Recycling your kids is not on the menu either, no matter how crazy
they
make you sometimes. Try getting them involved in after-school band
practice.
13) A BRIEF NOTE ON FREECYCLE ETIQUETTE: "Be nice." We've got a great
little community here so when you arrange to pick up an item from
another
Freecycle Member, 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 giver 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.)
TIPS TO ORGANIZE ALL OF THE NEW E-MAILS YOU ARE GETTING:
a) CREATE A SEPARATE E-MAIL FOLDER & AUTOMATICALLY HAVE FREECYCLE STUFF
GO TO IT.
Create a separate folder in your Outlook Express & have Freecycle
stuff
sent to it automatically with a new rule under tools/message
rules/mail/
b) SET TO "DAILY DIGEST" OR "NO E-MAILS" (which means you'll just
browse
the messages online). Realize that you can set your personal
preferences
on the main page (under "Edit My Membership" in the top right corner).
IMPORTANT: THERE IS A TIME LAG FOR CHANGES: Whenever a user changes
settings, there is an overlap from the time it takes for Yahoo to
process the change, until emails in the queue waiting to go out to
the users are delivered. In other words, in the six hours it takes
for Yahoo to permanently stop the emails from coming, there are emails
already set up to go out, and will continue to go out until the queue
is emptied. (Some people have reported this taking up to three days.)
So please don't email the moderators with comments like, 'I changed
my settings/unsubscribed yesterday, why am I still getting emails?'
Just be patient, and all should be well. Don't make more than one
change at a time (each additional change adds on another day of wait).
If you encounter further problems, you might want to consult the
Yahoo! Groups help pages at:
http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/groups/
Just so you know, you CAN delete your own posts for any reason
(for example, if someone's taken the item you offered, or if
you've received the item you wanted, or if you posted something
by mistake). Go back to your original post and bring it into view
on the screen. Right under the Messages bar, where it reads:
Reply/Forward/View Source/Unwrap Lines/Delete
Click on 'Delete.' That should do it. (Note, though, that deleting
a post won't prevent it from showing up in the next digest for those
with digest options.)
That should just about do it. Have fun and Keep on Recycling with
Freecycle!
Your friendly neighborhood Freecycle moderator
-----------
Copyright (c) 2003-2005 The Freecycle Network
http://www.Freecycle.org). All rights reserved.
Freecycle and the Freecycle logo are trademarks of The Freecycle
Network in the United States and/or other countries.
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