Freecle / freecycle and balloons on sticks

pinkladyof66

mttylad wrote: »

Ye gods - please don't!

Its hard enough to get honest help running the groups as it is.

For those of you that see many inappropriate posts on their local group, if you think that you can do better then by all means please offer to assist the group moderators, it can take a few minutes a day when there are several in the team.
Stupid posts can be spotted and stamped on, idiots removed etc.
But this all takes time, which when the moderators are all volunteers doing this in their own free time with no reward there is not time to stop every single post. Also it is against the Freecycle rules to have the whole group on moderation, there has to be a percentage of freely posting members.

There are (or were) also moderators rules on Freecycle that tell the mods that they cannot refuse peoples posts just because they are unlikely to receive what they ask, nor are they allowed to make it an offer first. When a group leaves and goes to Freegle the replacement group hurriedly setup has no local mods but is run by the IMODS (international moderators - FAB Virgil) who a lot of the time are hundreds if not thousands of miles away (many are in the US) so do no know the local areas etc.

I run one group on my own because every time I try to get someone else I get no end of scroats wanting to see free stuff first.
Another group where there are three mods, I might as well be on my own for all they do. A group of several thousands needs a team of people or it will fall into the chaos that you now see on many Freecycle groups. The ones where you become unmoderated after a single post because TFN say they must be.

So please dont pick on the mods, they might just decide to give up and then the group would be even worse.

Several people on here and myself included have the time to give to be a mod yet they dont want to know. I know for fact that our local freecycle group must only have one mod. It takes hours for ads to be listed and to be honest if i want something gone i want it gone not 3 days later when the mod decides to log on and approve your offer. Why is it that no of us get accepted as mods then ours it is almost like they just want one or two as that will make it easier.

dizziblonde

axomoxia wrote: »

I gave away a car on Freecycle.....

At one point I would have - but I'm so utterly fed up with the ridiculous grabbers on ours that my old one went to the scrapyard at the weekend. Faced with the choice of having to sit through 3million ridiculously OTT posts from people, whining that it only had a few days' MOT left and the tax was running out (the reasons we were getting rid of it in the first place - but people not only look gift horses in the mouth these days - they expect them to have gold gangsta bling teeth for the taking) and timewasters - I just decided stuff it, I'd have the money for the scrap value and it could go to be crushed.

Sad it's come to that but the idiots are wrecking the movement so badly. Almost all the offers on ours now come with provisos about mobile numbers, show up if you request this etc etc - so it's not just me getting cheesed off.

In my junk mail box at the moment:
Wanted Go-Kart
Wanted Fine Bone China Tea Sets
Wanted - Some Gadget I've Seen On The Shopping Channel
Wanted - Bagless Hoover

And the more amusing "Wanted Big Gold Ugly Looking Frame"

The bit that's really peeing me off is the ones joining from the neighbouring city (which has its own group which is slightly more moderated in how many wanteds per week you can post) and bugging every single day on our group since it's freer on the begging front.

Amanita_2

mttylad wrote: »

Ye gods - please don't!

Its hard enough to get honest help running the groups as it is.

For those of you that see many inappropriate posts on their local group, if you think that you can do better then by all means please offer to assist the group moderators, it can take a few minutes a day when there are several in the team.
Stupid posts can be spotted and stamped on, idiots removed etc.
But this all takes time, which when the moderators are all volunteers doing this in their own free time with no reward there is not time to stop every single post. Also it is against the Freecycle rules to have the whole group on moderation, there has to be a percentage of freely posting members.

There are (or were) also moderators rules on Freecycle that tell the mods that they cannot refuse peoples posts just because they are unlikely to receive what they ask, nor are they allowed to make it an offer first. When a group leaves and goes to Freegle the replacement group hurriedly setup has no local mods but is run by the IMODS (international moderators - FAB Virgil) who a lot of the time are hundreds if not thousands of miles away (many are in the US) so do no know the local areas etc.

I run one group on my own because every time I try to get someone else I get no end of scroats wanting to see free stuff first.
Another group where there are three mods, I might as well be on my own for all they do. A group of several thousands needs a team of people or it will fall into the chaos that you now see on many Freecycle groups. The ones where you become unmoderated after a single post because TFN say they must be.

So please dont pick on the mods, they might just decide to give up and then the group would be even worse.

Well said Mttylad! I am lucky in that my moderator team is very good but the attrition rate of each new batch of volunteers is very high. I think most don't realise the commitment involved and the novelty wears off very fast.

mttylad

For those of you with the time and incentive, if you get knocked back from Freecycle then offer to your nearest Freegle group.

AFAIK Freecycle moderators have to go to mod school to learn how to do it.
With Freegle it is more local based and your local mod team will help you and show you the ropes.

If I could find someone I would be round there like a shot setting them up and showing them whats what. Unfortunately the last time I tried this my timing belt broke on the way. Fate eh

loracan1

Splashy wrote: »

Just one little letter and the whole thing looses its impact :rotfl:

you mean like this?

wanted: deep fat flyer

loracan1

I don't think any of these are unreasonable but what a curious combination!

wanted any colour/type plastic artificial flowers, two broom handles,small offcut of black lino and a child carrier that goes on your back for hiking etc. if anyone could help i would really appreciate it! x

JimmyTheWig

I like the deep fat flyer.

I was trying to come up with an example of something fat that flies. Was about to google "fat birds"... then thought better of it!

ljaybrad

Some of these are awful!

Although at times it is good....
Got my desk and chair from freecycle, was going to collect by taxi, lovely guy had a big car and offered to deliver it for me. I gave him a fiver to contribute towards petrol, he got rid of a desk that was clogging up his flat, I got a lovely new desk for £5 instead of £250 new.

eyelinerprincess

Just checked my daily digest email. 12 posts, one taken, the rest wanted...including a computer, an engine, a cooker (desperately needed) and various requests for beds.

Mojisola

I've offered something very nice and, among other requests, have had a few from people who have never posted wants or offers on the site. Are there people who hang around Freegle sites just to jump in on good offers? I've assumed they are probably traders and crossed them off the list.

I do check people's history on the site now and try to offer to people who have made some offers. It surprised me how many people only put up "wanted" posts.