DeKalb County IN Freecycle Rules

Dear DeKalb County IN Freecycle Member,

Thanks for being a part of The Freecycle Network. We're changing the world one gift at a time! This message is sent to all subscribers upon joining, as well as every two weeks to the entire list as a reminder.

If you're new to the group or want a quick refresher on making the most of our Freecycle group, please read on! This message contains essential knowledge for all Freecycle members and will answer MANY common new-user questions, so please take the time to read it through.

** RULES WILL BE UPDATED AS NEEDED AND ON A REGULAR BASIS **

LAST UPDATE: 3/3/09

Using the DeKalb County IN Freecycle List

To post a message, simply click on "Post" at the DeKalb County IN Freecycle group web site

http://www.freecycle.org/group/United%20States/Indiana/DeKalb%20County

Or

Send an email to

DeKalbCountyINFreecycle@groups.freecycle.org

Or

To contact a moderator, please use this email address:

DeKalbCountyINFreecycle@mods.freecycle.org

A reminder to all: All new members are on moderation until they have a good understanding of the rules. This includes at least one OFFER and one WANTED that have not been edited by the moderator or sent back to the member for revision.

*** Our group uses the 2 strikes and you're out rule: you will first be given a warning, and if the inappropriate posting continues, you will be given a warning and your 1st strike and thus will be placed back on moderation. On your 2nd strike, you will be unsubscribed from the group. The moderator reserves the right to immediately ban without notice. ***

*** RUDENESS TO THE MODERATORS OR OTHER MEMBERS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND IMMEDIATE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN. THIS INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO BANNING or BEING PLACED BACK ON MODERATION. **

DeKalb County IN Freecycle RULES & ETIQUETTE

1) KEEP IT FREE, LEGAL & APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES. This means, for example: -no pornography, -no alcohol, -no tobacco, -no drugs (of any kind, including all medicines, vitamins, creams, etc), -no firearms or other weapons

Two strikes and you're out of the group. This is our main Freecycle rule to live by and it's a pretty easy one at that. A) ARE COUPONS ALLOWED? NO, please post these on the cafe group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DeKalbCountyINFreecycleCafe

2) SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR POSTS. Use these phrases to make it easy for others to delete or view:

OFFER: Blue Couch (Auburn)

TAKEN: Blue Couch (Auburn) (use only in conjunction with OFFERs)

WANTED: Purple Couch (Auburn)

RECEIVED: Purple Couch (Auburn) (use only in response to WANTEDs)

3) PLEASE DO NOT POST THE SAME "WANTED" POSTING MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH.

4) POSTING ITEMS THAT DO NOT BELONG TO YOU IS NOT ALLOWED. INSTEAD, INVITE THAT PERSON TO JOIN THE GROUP AND POST THE ITEMS THEMSELVES.

5) NO POLITICS, NO SPAM, NO MONEY, NO PERSONAL ATTACKS/RUDENESS, NO PROSELYTIZING/RELIGION. It's all about R-E-S-P-E-C-T. TWO strikes & you're out, i.e. you will be BANNED by the moderator after two inappropriate postings. The moderator reserves the right to immediately ban without notice.

6) NO SOB STORIES/PERSONAL INFORMATION. Freecycle(TM) is about recycling unwanted goods and keeping them out of the landfill. Please only put the items you are offering or wanting, DO NOT add personal info(such as phone numbers and addresses), reasons why you "need" the item, or other such information. If this info is added, posts will be edited by a moderator, sent back to poster for editing and/or deleted.

7) CAN WE USE FREECYCLE TO FIND NEW HOMES FOR PETS? NO. Please post these on the cafe group.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DeKalbCountyINFreecycleCafe/

8) NO TRADING PLEASE AND NO OFFERING OR ASKING FOR SERVICES (or information). Go to your local trading organization for this. It can be quite fun. With Freecycle, though, there are no strings attached, just give it away now.

9) RESPONSES GO ONLY TO OFFERER. It keeps down the sheer number of e-mails.

10) PICK UP. (NO CURBSIDE PICK-UPS OR FIRST COME FIRST GETS IT) Arrange as you like. Generally, you'll wait until you get a handful of responses or maybe overnight, and then you can pick whomever you like! That's half the fun. Arrange pickup with one person only, rather than "it's on the porch, whoever gets here first gets it." Otherwise you'll become the boo man pretty fast with your fellow Freecycle Group Members... Also: only give your phone number to one person at a time or ask for the recipient's phone no. Otherwise you'll get swamped with phone calls.

11) DISCLAIMER: FREECYCLE NETWORK MEMBERS USE THE LIST AT THEIR OWN RISK. Please take reasonable measures to protect your safety and privacy when posting to the list or participating in an exchange. By joining the list, you agree to hold neither the list owners, moderators nor anyone else affiliated with Freecycle.org responsible or liable for any circumstance resulting from a Freecycle-related exchange or communication.

***SAFETY***. Be aware! It is up to each individual member of Freecycle when arranging for pickup of the item being given away to be appropriately aware of the potential risk of having "a stranger" come to your home to pick something up. Freecycle as an organization assumes no responsibility for this risk. You may want to arrange to meet in a public place or leave the item on the front porch without mentioning whether or not you will be home at the time of pickup.

12) NO OFFERING/POSTING YOURSELF OR YOUR CHILDREN. Posting oneself or another person from the human species is not allowed. There are many fine Internet dating sites better suited to this purpose.

13) A BRIEF NOTE ON FREECYCLE ETIQUETTE: "Be nice." We are all volunteers and we've got a great little community here so when you arrange to pick up an item from another Freecycle member, it is basic good manners to accommodate them as much as possible in terms of scheduling, and then be punctual; they are, after all, giving you something you need and asking nothing in return except that you will show up when you say you will. (Leaving someone hanging is never a nice thing.) Also, unless the giver tells you otherwise, assume that they would like you to come by as soon as you can to take away the item; no more than three days after the offer is made is usual. (Think of it as The Three-day Rule.)

TIPS TO ORGANIZE ALL OF THE NEW E-MAILS YOU ARE GETTING:

a) CREATE A SEPARATE E-MAIL FOLDER & AUTOMATICALLY HAVE FREECYCLE STUFF GO TO IT.

That should just about do it. Have fun keeping' good stuff out of landfills!

The DeKalb County IN Freecycle moderators DeKalbCountyINFreecycle@mods.freecycle.org

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