[Lex Computer & Tech Group/LCTG] Freecycle: Friends Circle

[Tracy Marks]

I haven't tried Freecycle's family circle option but I had great  
success with Freecycle when I moved from a 5 room apartment into 2  
room senior housing in Arlington Heights. I had about 25 items to give  
away, two of them large (couch,
refrigerator) and all were taken within 24 hours. I left small items  
on my porch but of course had to allow entry for the large items  
(although  one could move them outside).
I used Freecycle Arlington and Lexington and found Freecycle to be  
totally safe.
Tracy Marks



Quoting bhff02 at aol.com:

> I am looking to create a Freecycle group or classified bulletin  
> board for a senior community comprised of several connected  
> buildings each containing one hundred of apartments. The goal is to  
> allow people with too much stuff to share their "treasures" with  
> trusted neighbors.
>
> I hesitate to pursue a social network approach where people who  
> currently get along have the opportunity develop "enemies" among  
> those they cannot avoid encountering. I am also not looking for a  
> full-time job as moderator. Freecycle and Nextdoor come to mind. I  
> tried Nextdoor as an experiment several years ago and saw it as a  
> platform where would-be adversaries come together to debate petty  
> issues while the moderator looked on helplessly. Maybe that was a  
> local aberration, maybe not.
>
> Freecycle apparently has a "Family Circle" option where you can  
> invite others to join. I know that Freecycle is popular in  
> Lexington; so I would like some opinions. I have no direct  
> experience with Freecycle.
>
> Has anyone tried Freecycle's Family Circle option?
> If so, it is easy to moderate? Is it possible to ensure that members  
> are from within your "gated" community. I hate the word "gated", but  
> I want to ensure that members remain safe. Do listings automatically  
> time out or must they be taken down? Do listings get approved by the  
> moderator before going public? What are the unintended consequences  
> of undertaking this initiative?
> Any other idea as to how I might pursue this initiative?
>
> Barry Hass


-- 
Tracy Marks