Indianapolis Freecycle Etiquette and Rules A "Must" read for New members.

Dear Indianapolis Freecycle™ Member,

Thanks for being a part of the (ever-expanding) Freecycle Network. We're changing the world one gift at a time! This message is sent to all subscribers upon joining, and periodically thereafter to the entire list.

This Freecycle group matches people who have things they need to get rid of with people who can use them. Our goal is to keep usable items out of the landfill.

By using what we already have on this earth, we reduce consumerism, manufacture fewer goods, and lessen the impact on the earth. Another benefit of using Freecycle is that it encourages us to get rid of junk that we no longer need and promote community involvement in the process. Free your inner pack rat!

Indianapolis Freecycle is part of the incredibly fast-growing international Freecycle movement, which began in Tucson, AZ on May 1st, 2003 and now boasts thousands of groups all over the world. Please help this group grow by spreading the word! We all personally know lots of great people in our community who would love this idea.

So, why not "pay it forward" and tell 3 (or more) people how wonderful Freecycle is! You tell your friends, your family, your neighbors, your co-workers... and they tell theirs, and so on, and so on... well, you get the idea!

When you joined the Indianapolis Group your email delivery is set to no emails this is because with a large group like Indy Freecycle there can be a lot of messages every day. This can overwhelm new members when they to start getting over 100 emails per day.

It is very easy to change your email delivery.

Log-in to My Freecycle http://stagingmy.freecycle.org/login

Then click on My Groups and a page will open with a list of any groups you have membership with.

In the Indianapolis group you can set your email delivery. Choose from the drop down menu by clicking on one of the 3 below No Emails except ADMINs An email for each Post made A Digest of 25 posts Then click on "Change delivery option"

The following list rules have been adapted from the original Freecycle etiquette sheet. A certain structure helps the group run smoothly and effectively for everyone's benefit. Remember, the success of this group depends on all of us, and that means each of us need to do our best to keep on task and, well, be nice and patient.

Good Luck, Have Fun & Thank You for keeping Good Stuff out of the Landfills!

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 any other type of items that could be used as 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.

HOW TO POST AN OFFER: OR A WANTED: Post/Message (This is the better way to post messages than using emails)

Log-in to my.freecycle.org, you will see three tabs in the center of the page.

From the "My Post" tab, click on "Make a new post" and use the drop down menu to choose either OFFER or WANTED.

If you choose "Offer" the page will reload and you will be able to upload a photo to go with your offer message if you wish to.

Then fill in the lines in the message maker. Click on "Make this Post" and your message will be posted.

Once the items have been taken or received please close the message by log-in to My Freecycle and click on My Post. Next to each message will be "Mark as TAKEN" for Offer messages or "Mark as RECEIVED" for wanted messages.

A pre-worded message will load, you can either send this pre-worded message or delete it and use one of you own, then click on "Send TAKEN message" for offer messages or "Send RECEIVED for wanted message". Your open message will then be closed and a TAKEN/RECEIVED email will be sent to members who receive message via email.

2) POSTING YOUR MESSAGES VIA THE MESSAGE EMAIL ADDRESS

SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR POSTS. Use these phrases to make it easy for others to delete or view your message.

OFFER: thingamajig (Your General Location)

WANTED: thingamajig, any condition. (Your General Location)

[Please use the wanted messages sparingly and don't offer money. And above all else, don't ask for an extravagant item like a diamond ring which we'd all like to have.

You need to send your email with the subject line in the right format to this email address IndyFreecycleNetwork@groups.freecycle.org

You still need to log-in to My Freecycle and use "My Posts" to post a taken or received message.

3) 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 unsubscribed by the moderator after two inappropriate postings.

4) NO TRADING/SWAPPING/BORROWING PLEASE. 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.

5) RESPONSES GO ONLY TO THE MEMBER WHO POSTED THE MESSAGE. Please DO Not reply to messages with another message.

6) NO OFFERING 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.

7) 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.)

8) 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 a 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.

My Freecycle messages do not have your email address on show in the messages on the message boards or in the "From" on emails that are sent out from the group as messages for member who receive messages via email.

The way the system works is that only members can reply to your messages with there membership email address. No one can join the group just to get your email address as they will not be able to get your email address from messages that you have sent out from the group.

Please DO Not Include your email address in the main body of your messages as anyone can get your email address and email you off list with all sorts of spam mail etc and we would not be able to find out who is behind the bad emails.

Please DO NOT Include your full home address. Anyone could just turn up at your home knowing you have items to offer. Someone could even go to your home knowing that you might have people coming to and from your home because you have items being taken and would not look so out of place entering your home but they are not there just for offered items but any items you may have while you are out.

Maybe it would be worth telling a few neighbors what items will be leaving your home so if they see any one taking other items they know they should not be taking them.

Also please do not include your phone numbers. Again anyone could see your phone number and not use it for Freecycle items replies but other sort of phone calls. Please only give your phone number to the members who you have chosen to answer their replies.

Basically do not include any privet info in your messages. This way no-one can use it for non Freecycle stuff.

9) PLEASE DO NOT POST THE SAME "WANTED" POSTING MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH. (There will be variations from group to group but Indianapolis Freecycle follows the rule of only once a month)

10) YOUR APPROXIMATE LOCATION: Try to list this in the body of your e-mail as well as in the subject line. OFFER Couch (downtown). "I've got a couch and live downtown. Nearest intersection: Speedway and Stone."

11) CAN WE USE FREECYCLE TO FIND NEW HOMES FOR PETS? Yes, keep it legal and be lovingly careful.

NO posts seeking animals for breeding purposes are allowed on Freecycle groups.

Please visitwww.petfinder.com or www.1-800-save-a-pet.com

There will soon detailed information on posting pet messages in the files section

12) PICK UP. 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. I always ask that people consider giving your starving local charity preference if one should respond. Arrange pickup with one person only, rather than "it's on the porch, whoever gets here first gets it." Otherwise you'll become unpopular 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. Some groups do not allow phone numbers and addresses to be posted due to safety concerns for their members. Again, this is local policy.

That should just about do it. Have Fun and Thank you for being a part of The Freecycle Network(TM)!

Regards, Your Indianapolis Freecycle Moderators

To email the moderators please send emails to IndyFreecycleNetwork@mods.freecycle.org

Please do not send emails or messages for the moderators to the message email address or via the message maker. Your email / message could be posted the rest of the group if your membership is NOT on moderation!

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