more than one freecycle moderator query

zztopgirl

Our local freecycle group has gone t!ts up and i am in regular contact with the regional outreach because the moderator has disappeared. This is the group that has one moderator, still moderating all messages and has not been seen or heard from for over 2 1/2 weeks now (on holiday i think).

I have thought about offering to be a mod myself, but i dont want to look cheeky or rude whilst we are trying to find out what exactly the moderator is playing at. To others here who moderate freecycle, do you think i should go ahead and offer to take over the group? Or leave well alone and bide our time?

Im getting a bit fed up with not being able to use freecycle though, you dont miss it til its gone.

blackwidowz

Offer your help, it's not hard to set up and i am sure they will be glad.
Have they not asked for relief moderators?
It must be a small group, my group had ten at one time.

zztopgirl

Ten moderators:eek:
Ten has to be better than one though!

brightonman123

why not setup a #2 group (freecycleanytown2). post a link on the old group (as a link or calendar item, so not needing moderatior approval maybe..? invite peeps to the new place.

Purple_Sparkles

I don't see that it would be cheeky or rude by offering your help, the group obviously needs some help.

I think setting up a #2 group as brightonman123 suggests is a great idea, it's not as if you're setting up to rival the original group especially as it doesn't seem to be operating at the moment.

zztopgirl

Im going to give it a few more days and email the outreach again (if she doesnt email me first!) and make some suggestions to either help mod current group, or set up a new group. There are just over 500 members on this group, but not that many messages. The fact that they are all moderated probably puts people off.

zztopgirl

The outreach emailed me again, and said about third stage of the owner missing procedure. What on earth does that mean?

Mum_on_a_mission_2

I'm a moderator. Its a pity when these hiccups happen - there are plenty of people who would happily help out, pity the moderator on your group didn't ask first.

There is a set procedure Freecycle follows in these cases, starting with trying to contact the owner direct (would have had to give several contact addresses) before taking matters further.

All groups are set up with an ersatz owner that can be activated and take over the group. Fellow group moderators may be asked to help look after it until new moderators are found.

Keep in touch with the assistance person - they will let you know what is happening. And thank you for taking the time to email and make contact in the first place - hopefully the group can be up and running again real soon.

Moam