Wednesday 29 October 2008
Freecycle - another social network?
I joined freecycle recently. (www.freecycle.org) Firstly, because over the last three years, since we moved back into the house, we've just accumulated things. It's just too easy, to through junk and stuff that needs tidying up into "the book room". Last week, I couldn't get through the door to throw any more junk in. So you kind of decide its time to do something. That and the threat of arriving relatives.
So I joined freecycle, thinking that what I couldn't sell on ebay, would go there, because I really hate taking things to the tip. Its a combination of not wanting things to go into a landfill, but also because the trip to the tip is just painful.
It's the sheer helpfulness - or lack of it from the "recycling centre operatives" - you know what I mean. The random direcitonal point - which kind of aims in a vague 90 degree area, and the "overthere" when you ask a question. Anyway. So freecycle.
I'm amazed. By what people give away. And how surprised they are when hundreds want their "brand new ipod". Haven't these people heard of ebay? Mind you I'm sure someone is saying that about some of the things that they've collected from me!!. On the other hand, I should also be saying, "haven't some of these people heard of the tip".
I made my first offering. About two weeks ago now. I'm still waiting for it to be collected. Subsequent offerings have been and gone. and could have gone several times over. I'm amused by some of the postings on there. "Offered bunch of things for car boot" is one of my favourites - yes that's it no further description. Or "Part used bottle of Shampoo" or "Tube of Toothpaste - I got home and didn't like the flavour" (and no description of what the flavour was). I'm amused that people think that this junk will go with so banal descriptions.
I also picked up my first freecycle. "Wood for a bonfire" - which I thought would keep our wood burning stove going for at least part of the winter. Grand preparations - seats down in the car, tarpaulin set out, gardening gloves ready. Two carrier bags of splintered wood later, we manage to keep a straight face as we make it back to the car....needless to say, we're still paying the gas bill....
And then I started putting things on freecycle in earnest. And have been intrigued by the responses that I get. I am clearly too cynical, but there are an awful lot of unemployed, just made redundant people, with disabilities and problems wanting my junk and clearly wanting to tell my why they are more worthy than the next person. I'm also intrigued by the immediate relationship that appears to be struck up between offerers and wanters. How when someone comes to my door to collect what would essentially cost them less to buy than the fuel has to drive to my house and collect its like they know me and they're one of my best buddies.
Strewth I do sound like a cynic don't I? Anyways it got me to thinking that its not really all about getting stuff for free (but I still think thats a big part of it) and I still think that there are probably people combing freecycle and flogging their findings on ebay or at car boots (and good luck to them, if I had more time I probably would too), but its also about saving stuff from a landfill. From stopping another large comglomerate making another pound of profit, when there's no "real money" to be exchanged. It''s also about connecting with people. I know more than I want to about some of the people who have come and collected stuff from me. It's like I've joined some form of a club, some network, which of course I have, in which we share some common factors. In our increasingly disconnected world, where we don't know our neighbours, where we all sit glued to our laptops tapping away and communicating with faceless ip addresses who we know through the web only, perhaps this is how we reach out to people in the real world.
Far too intense. But interesting I think, and I'm not giving up now on my freecycling. Part of me wants to scream at some of the posters, but then I think that about marketing too - and no one's going to pay me for re writing "Half bottle of Shampoo" now are they? And besides, does it really matter, after all, I fell for the two carrier bags of wood didn't I? Do I really want to spend my spare time airbrushing other people's junk? I've still got enough of my own to get rid off, so perhaps not!
So I joined freecycle, thinking that what I couldn't sell on ebay, would go there, because I really hate taking things to the tip. Its a combination of not wanting things to go into a landfill, but also because the trip to the tip is just painful.
It's the sheer helpfulness - or lack of it from the "recycling centre operatives" - you know what I mean. The random direcitonal point - which kind of aims in a vague 90 degree area, and the "overthere" when you ask a question. Anyway. So freecycle.
I'm amazed. By what people give away. And how surprised they are when hundreds want their "brand new ipod". Haven't these people heard of ebay? Mind you I'm sure someone is saying that about some of the things that they've collected from me!!. On the other hand, I should also be saying, "haven't some of these people heard of the tip".
I made my first offering. About two weeks ago now. I'm still waiting for it to be collected. Subsequent offerings have been and gone. and could have gone several times over. I'm amused by some of the postings on there. "Offered bunch of things for car boot" is one of my favourites - yes that's it no further description. Or "Part used bottle of Shampoo" or "Tube of Toothpaste - I got home and didn't like the flavour" (and no description of what the flavour was). I'm amused that people think that this junk will go with so banal descriptions.
I also picked up my first freecycle. "Wood for a bonfire" - which I thought would keep our wood burning stove going for at least part of the winter. Grand preparations - seats down in the car, tarpaulin set out, gardening gloves ready. Two carrier bags of splintered wood later, we manage to keep a straight face as we make it back to the car....needless to say, we're still paying the gas bill....
And then I started putting things on freecycle in earnest. And have been intrigued by the responses that I get. I am clearly too cynical, but there are an awful lot of unemployed, just made redundant people, with disabilities and problems wanting my junk and clearly wanting to tell my why they are more worthy than the next person. I'm also intrigued by the immediate relationship that appears to be struck up between offerers and wanters. How when someone comes to my door to collect what would essentially cost them less to buy than the fuel has to drive to my house and collect its like they know me and they're one of my best buddies.
Strewth I do sound like a cynic don't I? Anyways it got me to thinking that its not really all about getting stuff for free (but I still think thats a big part of it) and I still think that there are probably people combing freecycle and flogging their findings on ebay or at car boots (and good luck to them, if I had more time I probably would too), but its also about saving stuff from a landfill. From stopping another large comglomerate making another pound of profit, when there's no "real money" to be exchanged. It''s also about connecting with people. I know more than I want to about some of the people who have come and collected stuff from me. It's like I've joined some form of a club, some network, which of course I have, in which we share some common factors. In our increasingly disconnected world, where we don't know our neighbours, where we all sit glued to our laptops tapping away and communicating with faceless ip addresses who we know through the web only, perhaps this is how we reach out to people in the real world.
Far too intense. But interesting I think, and I'm not giving up now on my freecycling. Part of me wants to scream at some of the posters, but then I think that about marketing too - and no one's going to pay me for re writing "Half bottle of Shampoo" now are they? And besides, does it really matter, after all, I fell for the two carrier bags of wood didn't I? Do I really want to spend my spare time airbrushing other people's junk? I've still got enough of my own to get rid off, so perhaps not!
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