Hello Freecycle Members!
This is a lengthy ADMIN but it is recommended that all of our members read through it as it contains some very important information regarding a change in our 'Wanted' guidelines and how to post.
With the changes in the economy there has been a surge in the list of WANTED ads and we are not only receiving many complaints from members that are tired of looking through nothing but 'Wanted' posts, but we are losing members over it as well.
I just wanted to remind everyone that we are not designed to be a charitable organization. We are not here to take care of needy families and provide gifts to others. (Though this may occasionally be the result, it is NOT our primary intent). There are other organizations that can do this. Messages asking for help for families, neighbors, groups, furnishing your office, etc. will not be approved.
Freecycle exists as a forum to help people give away items that they would otherwise be throwing away. We are here to OFFER things that we have but no longer want or need. I do not object to wanted ads as they also keep items out of landfills, but I think that we all need to consider what we are here for and use them wisely.
That being said, we have decided to change our guidelines on 'Wanted' posts. We have searched the guidelines of many other groups in Washington and have come up with the following changes:
No more than 1 'Wanted' post per day - 2 per week and you may not repost for the same item in 14 days.
We are hoping that by making this small change to our guidelines that it will satisfy both our members that are not happy with the amount of 'Wanted' posts being submitted whilst allowing members to still keep items out of landfills by asking for items.
For our members that do not want to scroll through all of the 'Wanted' posts, we have a great tool for you called the MemberPlugin.
It shows you your recent OFFER and WANTED posts, so you can keep track of what items you're still offering or looking for. It allows you to easily mark your posts as TAKEN or RECEIVED with just a few clicks - so you can keep other people informed without having to compose a whole new post.
It hides posts you probably don't want to see. And once you've installed it, all this works within Yahoo's web pages - so you don't need to remember to go to another site, or sign up anywhere else - it all just comes for free. Please scroll down to the end of this ADMIN to find the link to install the MemberPlugin. You won't be sorry. =^)
I also need to point out a few things about WANTED ads. Please DO NOT include a story of why you want something, or who it is for. We kindly ask that you help us to keep the site objective, and simply post "WANTED: Item (your Location)". The body of the email will be reserved for only details necessary to explain what the item is, your willingness to pick up, further details of your location, or a simple thank you.
When posting a 'Wanted' item, only ask for ONE 'specific' item per post. Posts asking for multiple items will be returned. 'Blanket' lists will also be returned. A 'blanket' list is a 'Wanted' post that does not have one 'specific' item listed that a member is looking for. Asking for 'any' items on the subject line and then listing them in the body of the post is also considered a blanket post.
Here's a small example of what is NOT allowed:
WANTED: toys (Tacoma)
Looking for any kind of toys you have.
WANTED: Outdoor items (Tacoma)
Looking for any kind of outdoor items (slides, swing set, lawn decorations, canopy, etc) you have.
WANTED: Baby items (Tacoma)
Looking for bottles, blankets, clothes, anything for a baby.
WANTED: Cd's (Tacoma)
Looking for any and all Cd's that you might have lying around.
WANTED: Video Tapes (Tacoma)
Looking for any unused videotapes that you no longer watch.
Just one more reminder before we go...
Please make sure to check your bulk/trash folder for replies. Many of our members tell us that they lose contact with a respondent because their email ends up in the bulk/trash folder. This is frustrating not only for the member that is Offering an item but to the member requesting it.
Thank you in advance for lowering the Moderator's work by sticking to the rules. We work very hard to keep the site up to date for everyone. We would also like to thank all of the members that have sent in compliments on how the site is run, it is very much appreciated!
Thanks for being part of the solution!
Your Friendly Tacoma Area Freecycle Moderators
Questions? Comments? TacomaAreaFreecycle-owner@yahoogroups.com
=> Subject Line: Every message posted must have OFFER, TAKEN, WANTED, or RECEIVED followed by the specific item description. All posts also need your location AFTER the item description - NO EXCEPTIONS.
=> Wanteds - no more than 1 per day with a max of 2 per week. You may not repost for 14 days - NO EXCEPTIONS.
=> Do not use the word "pending" in your TAKEN subject lines. Just say "TAKEN" when you either have given the item away or have enough replies and you're sure the item will have a new home. You may not repost the same Offer item for 14 days (even if you had a no-show).
=> Links - Do not post a link to another site within your message to show what your item looks like. We don't want to take a chance of our members going to another site and getting adware or a virus. We have a Photo Album on site that you can post your picture on. It's very quick and easy to copy the picture onto your computer, add it to the Photo Album and then remove the picture from your computer again.
=> Please join our community forum, the Tacoma Area Freecycle Café. It is a place where you can share coupons, links, services, resources, community agencies, volunteer opportunities, trade, or barter.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TacomaAreaFreecycle_Cafe
=> An easy way to get your posts right the first time is to use the MemberPlugin for Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, which will help you format your messages correctly. Please go to http://wiki.memberplugin.org and follow the instructions to install it.
QUICK GUIDE TO CORRECT SUBJECT LINE FORMAT:
(Use ONLY one of these four keywords)
OFFER: couch - (Your Home Location)
TAKEN: couch - (Your Home Location)
WANTED: garden hose - (Your Home Location)
RECEIVED: garden hose - (Your Home Location)
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Compose messages easily with Internet Explorer and *Firefox* Freecycle Plugins from http://wiki.memberplugin.org. Click to install it today!
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Please join our new forum, the Tacoma Area Freecycle Café. It is a place where you can share links, services, resources, community agencies, volunteer opportunities, trade, or barter.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TacomaAreaFreecycle_Cafe
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(c) 2010 The Freecycle Network http://www.Freecycle.org). All rights reserved.
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COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS? Email: TacomaAreaFreecycle-owner@yahoogroups.com
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