Dear Fellow Freecyclers,
This is a special letter for moderators on how not to annoy the piss out of the entire group.
Be consistent. Consistency with your own rules and those suggested by the Freecycle Network help keep your yahoo-based list going strong. People know what is expected of them and others.
Keep regular hours. If you choose to moderate your list, keep daytime hours, at least for approving posts. While there are many ways that members can silence devices and not be bothered while sleeping at night, it's annoying to have 30+ emails from a single list awaiting in the morning. A solution to that may be switching to Digest, however, since some posts were time-sensitive to the previous day, it just seems like a better solution is not to live nocturnally if you're going to manage a list of people who don't.
Remove psychos. I don't care how much crap someone gives away, if they disturb others with unsettling behavior, get rid if them!
Do not allow 10+ posts from the same person OFFERing or WANTing items. They can condense in consideration of their fellow Freecyclers and, as moderator, it's your job to make sure that they do.
Refrain from editing posts when the post does not contain restricted information. Definitely remove phone numbers and addresses, but leave the cross-street information and item descriptions. These are standard in Freecycle posts and people look to them to know important information before responding.
Now, this is in no way a complete list of tips on how not to annoy the piss out of your Freecycle list. There are special kinds of moderators who find new and unusual ways every day. I hope this is a good start.
As Always,
Me.
Showing posts with label post moderating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label post moderating. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Dear Fellow Freecyclers,
Every Freecycle group list, whether it is located on a list site like Yahoo!groups or if it's a part of the Freecycle.org site groups, has at least one moderator.
Moderators handle complaints, questions, and posts. They make sure members are informed about Freecycle rules and general safety precautions.
If you have a good moderator, thank them. Send them an email. Tell them they make the list rock. Let them know you appreciate the time and effort they put in to making your local list a positive and organized experience.
If you're on a good Freecycle list, hug your moderator today!
As Always,
Me.
Every Freecycle group list, whether it is located on a list site like Yahoo!groups or if it's a part of the Freecycle.org site groups, has at least one moderator.
Moderators handle complaints, questions, and posts. They make sure members are informed about Freecycle rules and general safety precautions.
If you have a good moderator, thank them. Send them an email. Tell them they make the list rock. Let them know you appreciate the time and effort they put in to making your local list a positive and organized experience.
If you're on a good Freecycle list, hug your moderator today!
As Always,
Me.
Dear Fellow Freecyclers,
If you have not been prescribed a medication, you cannot legally take that medication. This is Legal 101, Medical 101 and Freecycle 101. Sometimes people do it, anyway. Sometimes it's not a big deal for many reasons... maybe it's the exact same medicine that is prescribed to them but they're just taking a pill from the amount prescribed to someone else (but it's the same pill), maybe practical knowledge makes it obvious that it's okay to take that medicine for that particular condition... whatever the reasonably justification it's still illegal. It's just as illegal as giving someone a controlled substance that a physician would never allow them to take. The circumstances are different but the law governing both situations is the same. You cannot take medication that has not been prescribed to you.
In light of this law, Freecycle does not allow freecyclers to provide prescription medication to each other. The organization and individual lists simply do not have the authority to subvert the law. The same goes for alcohol, tobacco, firearms and pornography.
I can hardly believe the ridiculous OFFERs that inspire these posts.
Furthermore, if you are caught making this illegal mistake, do not throw a temper tantrum at the person who kindly and respectfully let you know. If you are the list moderator who approved the post with this illegal item, do not lecture the person who kindly and respectfully let you know about minding their own business.
Next time, I call the police.
As Always,
Me.
UPDATE:
I have been kicked off of that particular Freecycle list. I was also harassed and threatened by the Freecycler who tried to dish out illegal prescription medications to the public to a point where I had to recite her address back at her and threaten to call the police for her to back off. People can be ugly. And, remember kids, Just Say No!
If you have not been prescribed a medication, you cannot legally take that medication. This is Legal 101, Medical 101 and Freecycle 101. Sometimes people do it, anyway. Sometimes it's not a big deal for many reasons... maybe it's the exact same medicine that is prescribed to them but they're just taking a pill from the amount prescribed to someone else (but it's the same pill), maybe practical knowledge makes it obvious that it's okay to take that medicine for that particular condition... whatever the reasonably justification it's still illegal. It's just as illegal as giving someone a controlled substance that a physician would never allow them to take. The circumstances are different but the law governing both situations is the same. You cannot take medication that has not been prescribed to you.
In light of this law, Freecycle does not allow freecyclers to provide prescription medication to each other. The organization and individual lists simply do not have the authority to subvert the law. The same goes for alcohol, tobacco, firearms and pornography.
I can hardly believe the ridiculous OFFERs that inspire these posts.
Furthermore, if you are caught making this illegal mistake, do not throw a temper tantrum at the person who kindly and respectfully let you know. If you are the list moderator who approved the post with this illegal item, do not lecture the person who kindly and respectfully let you know about minding their own business.
Next time, I call the police.
As Always,
Me.
UPDATE:
I have been kicked off of that particular Freecycle list. I was also harassed and threatened by the Freecycler who tried to dish out illegal prescription medications to the public to a point where I had to recite her address back at her and threaten to call the police for her to back off. People can be ugly. And, remember kids, Just Say No!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Dear Fellow Freecyclers,
You're awesome. We like you. Your participation in Freecycle is nothing short of spectacular. That said, please don't post Garage Sale notifications. Unless when you say "priced to sell" you mean FREE, a garage sale is not in the spirit of Freecycle.
As a secondary note to the moderator of a group that moderates each individual post to make sure it meets his/her approval, including taking it upon his/herself to modify post content to remove important location and time sensitivity information, do not be so hypocritical and stupid to actually approve a post that offers things for sale.
Honestly.
As Always,
Me.
You're awesome. We like you. Your participation in Freecycle is nothing short of spectacular. That said, please don't post Garage Sale notifications. Unless when you say "priced to sell" you mean FREE, a garage sale is not in the spirit of Freecycle.
As a secondary note to the moderator of a group that moderates each individual post to make sure it meets his/her approval, including taking it upon his/herself to modify post content to remove important location and time sensitivity information, do not be so hypocritical and stupid to actually approve a post that offers things for sale.
Honestly.
As Always,
Me.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Dear Fellow Freecyclers,
In consideration of this letter where we reviewed the types of post labels permitted to Freecycle, I'd like to get into how not to side-step around the WANTED to post a NEED.
I have changed the actual item but the original was equivalent to a stack of magazines.
First of all, you don't start explaining in the subject. The subject should read: WANTED: stack of magazines
Secondly, you don't set a deadline to it. You're asking someone to give you something. Plus, on moderated lists, it's likely the post won't even be distributed to the list before your deadline expires. This will make it even less likely that you will receive what you want because people think the time has passed.
Finally, you don't need magazines. You want them. They may be required for a project but if you're posting same day for a stack of them, that's poor planning on your part and does not constitute an emergency to violate basic posting guidelines and etiquette. Freecycle doesn't post NEEDED, it posts WANTED because everyone is equal and all WANTEDS and OFFERS are equal.
As Always,
Me
In consideration of this letter where we reviewed the types of post labels permitted to Freecycle, I'd like to get into how not to side-step around the WANTED to post a NEED.
WANTED: I really need a stack of magazines by this afternoon
I have changed the actual item but the original was equivalent to a stack of magazines.
First of all, you don't start explaining in the subject. The subject should read: WANTED: stack of magazines
Secondly, you don't set a deadline to it. You're asking someone to give you something. Plus, on moderated lists, it's likely the post won't even be distributed to the list before your deadline expires. This will make it even less likely that you will receive what you want because people think the time has passed.
Finally, you don't need magazines. You want them. They may be required for a project but if you're posting same day for a stack of them, that's poor planning on your part and does not constitute an emergency to violate basic posting guidelines and etiquette. Freecycle doesn't post NEEDED, it posts WANTED because everyone is equal and all WANTEDS and OFFERS are equal.
As Always,
Me
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Dear Fellow Freecyclers,
There are a lot of advantages to having a moderator that is nice enough to allow your local list to be unmoderated for posting. This means that if you have a time sensitive OFFER or WANTED post, it will reach the local freecyclers almost immediately after you posted it. In moderated lists, you are subjected to the whim of the moderator so your time sensitive post could end up getting sent out hours to a full day after you needed it out there.
So if you're lucky enough to be a member of a list that's unmoderated, don't abuse it. A moderator can always delete posts that are inappropriate but it should really be unnecessary for a moderator to have to delete a post that went out to over a thousand people asking for a blowjob.
Grow up.
As Always,
Me.
Update:
Specifically about freecycling for sexual favors, a member who posted a WANTED for a blowjob was reported as "Inappropriate" by several other members. The moderator then reported the post to the local police department whose Sexual Victims Unit launched an investigation. Part of the investigation is tracing the post to the individual who created it. Freecycling for sexual favors is considered Sexting and Sexual Harassment. It is against the law in many areas of the United States, as well as throughout other parts of the world.
There are a lot of advantages to having a moderator that is nice enough to allow your local list to be unmoderated for posting. This means that if you have a time sensitive OFFER or WANTED post, it will reach the local freecyclers almost immediately after you posted it. In moderated lists, you are subjected to the whim of the moderator so your time sensitive post could end up getting sent out hours to a full day after you needed it out there.
So if you're lucky enough to be a member of a list that's unmoderated, don't abuse it. A moderator can always delete posts that are inappropriate but it should really be unnecessary for a moderator to have to delete a post that went out to over a thousand people asking for a blowjob.
Grow up.
As Always,
Me.
Update:
Specifically about freecycling for sexual favors, a member who posted a WANTED for a blowjob was reported as "Inappropriate" by several other members. The moderator then reported the post to the local police department whose Sexual Victims Unit launched an investigation. Part of the investigation is tracing the post to the individual who created it. Freecycling for sexual favors is considered Sexting and Sexual Harassment. It is against the law in many areas of the United States, as well as throughout other parts of the world.
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