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Recommended Links & Resources
Contact and media
For written inquiries, write to: The Freecycle Network™, P.O. Box 294, Tucson, AZ 85702
To send news articles or address safety issues and/or concerns, the e-mail addresses are newswire@freecycle.org and safety@freecycle.org respectively.
The media now has an official link to get tips on keeping their stories accurate in addition to helping them avoid the cringe factor regarding incorrect usage of the Freecycle term (free stuff, freecycling, freecycler, etc.) and purpose.
Moderator help.
The Freecycle Sample site is a great place to take a look at front-page settings and trademark notations. There are limited areas to click on but it’s a great place to start!
Country/regional/provincial/state Mod Squads provide a forum for moderators on a more local/regional level in a less hectic environment to communicate with each other, swap ideas, build community, etc. They are often forums for proactive, engaged local mods to pull together and lead on planning events, coordinate local press releases, and discuss fun local member drives, etc., in an informal setting. These groups are not a place to determine or enforce rules for each region: there is no such place beyond the main Freecycle Mod Squad. All binding rules are determined in this main Mod Squad alone. By sticking to this model, overriding rules are kept to a bare minimum and any other rules or guidelines are local only. This keeps out any bureaucratic tendencies and allows mods to provide positive guidance on a state/regional level without being "boss mods" or enforcers, etc.
Locate your State and Regional Freecycle Mod Squads via the Mod Squad Database (you must be a member to view this site) or through our handy Mod Squad Reference Page!
There is a new Freecycle Group called the Org Issues Discussion Group (OIDG). It is a separate yahoo group started by a vote from Mod Squad members to remove organizational issues from within the Mod Squad group. The OIDG group focuses on issues central to the ongoing development of Freecycle.org which has many deep-rooted, sometimes emotional content not suited for the Mod Squad or its members. This allows the Mod Squad to continue their focus on helping the many individual groups to better service their memberships. Please note that the Freecycle leadership is serious about keeping organizational issues OFF the Mod Squad group, and ONLY on the new OIDG group. Posts to the Mod Squad relating to organizational issues of Freecycle.org will be deleted. Membership to the OIDG is open to those who are also members of the Mod Squad.
The New Group Approver (NGA) has the authority to help potential new groups get their ducks in a row and to either approve or deny their request for a new group. These fine people help avoid overlap with existing groups and make sure that the new group moderators are on the right path. If there is a problem with overlap or with an existing group they can simply say, no, sorry to the new group and/or kick the issue over to the state Group Outreach and Assistance (GOA) person. This task was separated out so that an otherwise dominant individual in the state Mod Squad wouldn't also be doing this, etc. NGA's are typically from the state or region they are approving in, as local geographic knowledge is important. However, to order avoid potential local conflicts in interest, this person does not deal with problems with existing groups (what if the problem involved their own group?). GOA's do this part. If you have a question about new group approval, contact ngacoordinator@freecycle.org.
Group Outreach and Assistance (GOA) is there to help group mods that have problems they need to resolve. Overlap? They figure it out with the local mods. Abandoned group? Sales offer being allowed? The GOA has the authority and experience to be the final arbiter of any and every issue out there. As this person is the final arbiter, this person must both be neutral and reside in a different region other than where they are helping. To further separate duties, an NGA is not a GOA. In addition, a GOA is also not a moderator of that state's Mod Squad. The intent is to make this person a truly neutral arbiter and helper, rather than a "state boss mod" or something similar. Find your state GOA via the GOA Reference Page.
Members also have a resource at their fingertips if they are unable to resolve an issue with their local mods. The address is info@freecycle.org and should be included on the main page of your Freecycle site. Members do not contact their state GOA directly. Instead, they drop a line to the Freecycle back office address and this team will, in turn, drop a line to the appropriate agency for resolution.
Logo and Trademark
The Freecycle Logo Team is standing by, waiting to design a trademark compliant custom graphic for your official Freecycle group. They will create a graphic to represent your area, the season, a special occasion (such as your group birthday), or anything similar. They don't limit you to a single graphic per group so if you'd like a graphic to represent your area today, and next month want a graphic to reflect the season, they would be happy to create something for you! If you'd like to see what they can do for your group, send them an email at graphics@freecycle.org. When you contact them, they will need your group's name and URL, your name and email address. If you have an idea of what you're looking for, let them know, or let them "surprise" you !
To see samples of their work, visit their sites. They do fantastic work... and of course, it's free!
Owners and moderators have a site support resource at the click of a button. The Trademark Support Team resolves trademark issues whether it be in your files or on your front page. They are the troubleshooters you can contact to ensure your Freecycle group is trademark compliant. Drop them an email at tmsupport@freecycle.org.
Moderators desiring to increase their involvement with The Freecycle Network beyond the local level now have an outlet through Volunteer Opportunities. Please contact the appropriate agency directly for information and availability.
If you have any additional questions, comments, observations, critiques or other pearls of wisdom to share, please drop us a line at Faq at Freecycle.org. We will be happy answer your comments and questions and get back to you as quickly as possible!
Thank you!
The Faq/Manual Team