Stupid question about Freecycle

morganlefay

Help, I do feel dim. I have given away stuff on Freecycle before but have forgotten how it works. I can get into Yahoo mail, and then it allows me to list stuff I want or want to give away, but I can ALSO get into a Freecycle site, which takes me to the Aylesbury Group (my nearest) which seems to offer the same service though your post has to be vetted by the group moderators - are they the same thing ? I have now advertised a TV on both and someone is coming today to get it from the more direct Yahoo route, while it's only just been listed on the Moderators' list - but they're both accessed via Yahoo, and seem to be the same thing. I'm deeply confused, but if the VAST tv goes I shall be v happy ! Could a kind person explain ?

quintwins

you wrote freecycle twice so i'm confused, do you mean freecycle and freegle?

morganlefay

No I don't think I've heard of Freegle - It seems that I have access to Freecycle and something else, closely related but without a name, both from the Yahoo site. Perhaps it is Freegle ? Are they the same thing ?

quintwins

wat happened was freecycle group owners decided they didn't want to be associated with freecycle anymore (me included i 'own' my local group) and moved freegle, and some took the members info with them and added them (i didn't as that is very underhanded) so your local mods will have added you to freegle, it's the same as freecycle tho, you will find your local freecycle will be being run by someone else now

squeaky

[*]Your group is now here ---> Aylesbury Recycle

Your user name and password will still be the same.

HTH

We have a number of threads on Freecycle and Freegle elsewhere, so I'll move your post across to help keep things together.

MOVING THREADS FOR BETTER RESPONSES


Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com"]forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

morganlefay

Thank you kind people. I love OS, there is always a kind person who's prepared to take time to help others with no gain to themselves. Just kindness - I salute you :beer:

morganlefay

Squeaky, sorry it's me again. You kindly found Aylesbury Recycle for me, but I had a prowl and it seems as if the old Aylesbury Freecycle is still going - do people ever list on both ? I think I listed my TV on both (accidentally) and a nice chap came and got it but as I didn't understand what was going on when he came I didn't ask him which site he'd seen it on. Is there any way of finding out which has the most members since that would seem to be the best one to use. Sorry to be a pain !

squeaky

Hiya,

There's an earlier thread on the board about all the why's and wherefores, but once the Freegle mods re-named their groups (they didn't steal membership lists - just called their group a different name) it left a vacant name spot on Yahoo and in the Freecycle groups list.

Freecycle then started a "new" group for the area.

While both groups have the reduction of useful items going to landfill as their aim, there are a couple of differences.

Freegle and its leadership are all UK based, and every effort is made to have all decision making open and transparent and the leadership is elected, not appointed.

ALL new Freecycle groups are run from servers in the states, the leadership consists of the originator of Freecycle, his missus, and their best mate. Elections and transparency are not in evidence. A fair number of the new UK groups have mods based in the US and not your local area.

All that said - there's nothing at all to stop you joining both groups in your area and making the best use of them that you can.

On the left hand side of the Yahoo page of your Freegle group there's a little box with membership numbers. Around 10,000 (ish) from memory for your group.
I'm not quite sure where your My Freecycle group lists numbers but they are there somewhere.

UK Freecycle mods are dedicated hard working people and despite having broken away Freegle mods still have huge respect for them. The issue was never about the ideal of Freecycle or its mods - it, and they, are brilliant - it was about the way UK Freecycle was micromanaged under US rules.

Hmm... I'll get me coat

morganlefay

Thank you for being so helpful and patient, Squeaky. I am a bit shocked to say that I don't know anyone round here who uses either Freegle or Freecycle either to give or to get, so no one much to ask for advice. But you've explained it all so clearly, and now I understand, and will use mor often as I'm decluttering whole house.
Hurrah for UK based recyclers ! :T