Dear Fellow Freecyclers,

Okay, let's talk about accurately labeled items.

OFFER: Kemore sew machine

Needs to have clutch fixed I don't know how to fix it after I took it apart

This is not "Kemore sew machine". This is "Box of Kenmore sewing machine parts".

As Always,

Me.

Dear Fellow Freecyclers,

We always want to make our OFFER sound like it's a great item to have. There's nothing wrong with that. You want someone to take something and you want them to feel good about having it. Make sure you're telling the truth.

This following story comes from a Fellow Freecycler who wishes to remain anonymous:

I answered an offer for a drafting table. I was planning on buying a drafting table but there was a post for one sounding exactly like what I wanted so even better! She said it was a complete metal drafting table. I agreed to come pick it up at her convenience and got there on time. When I got there, her and her son had a bunch of stuff just strewn all over the driveway and yard... and her garage was still packed from floor to ceiling with furniture. She said they didn't have a yard sale and they'd been "at it" all day with the stuff. She had set out the drafting table top, which was wood not metal, and then said she couldn't find the legs but the legs were metal and they go with the table. She said she would email me when she found the legs. It's been two weeks. My wife has already yelled at me for taking the drafting table top and trusting this person. But I thought it would be ok since this is the moderator.

On my local list, if someone did that, the moderator would want to know so she could kick them off the list. I could not imagine how frustrating it must be when the moderator pulls unethical and dishonest stunts like this.

In this specific case, the OFFERer should have waited until she had all the pieces together before posting an OFFER for a complete drafting table. It obviously was not complete. She made no attempt to clarify that the Fellow Freecycler could possibly pick up an incomplete piece of furniture and to make sure they were okay with spending the gas to do just that. She was also dishonest about the materials the drafting table was made from and did not attempt to clarify this information before the Fellow Freecycler picked up. What's even worse is that the Fellow Freecycler said they picked up the table at her convenience, meaning she set the time for them to come to get the furniture she OFFERed. Since the Fellow Freecycler took the available piece in good faith and it's been two weeks with no word from the OFFERer, I recommend that the wooden drafting table top be returned to the OFFERer's home and placed where it was originally picked up from the yard or driveway. If the OFFERer has a problem with this since it's not good form in the Freecycling guidelines, this supposed moderator could take a nice, long look in the mirror and consider setting the example for a standard. I have a suspicion that the Fellow Freecycler's wife would agree with me.

As Always,
Me

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.

Dear Fellow Freecyclers,

I'm a firm believer in sharing one's pain so allow me to share with all of you the treat I found in my Inbox today.

From one individual, these OFFERs were posted one immediately after the other, the only delay being the average time it takes to type and post for someone who is possibly a bit insane (It's not likely but I still wouldn't rule it out):

OFFER: stuffed animals
OFFER: one eyed, one horned, flying purple people eater
OFFER: penguin
OFFER: dress up clothes for girl
OFFER: box of assorted boys stuff
OFFER: box of assorted girls stuff
OFFER: vicks vaporizer
OFFER: junior tops
OFFER: junior bottoms
OFFER: teen bras
OFFER: junior belts
OFFER: ladies shoes size 7-8
OFFER: box of misc items

This is a wonderful lady for freecycling so much instead of donating it to a charity that will price it to sell. This way people get what they may actually need or desire without pay any cost beyond going to pick it up. It's fantastic. But...

Oh My Fracking God You Have Got To Be Kidding Me With A Separate Post For Each Type Of Thing.

Here's an idea:
OFFER: Kids Toys - this is all the stuffed animal, purple people eaters, and penguins.
OFFER: Misc Kid Items - stuff that's not toys, ie. the "assorted", and the dress up clothes
OFFER: Junior size clothes - believe it or not, you can put the tops, bottoms, belts and bras in one offer
OFFER: Box of misc items - this includes the vaporizer
OFFER: Ladies shoes size 7-8

That's five down from thirteen and you'll still attract the attention of the people who'll be responding to pick-up these offers.

As Always,
Me

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.

Dear Fellow Freecyclers,

Very rarely do I post WANTEDs. It's usually something that I cannot afford for a while but could really put to use if acquired immediately or something that I don't really need but would gladly have if it was available. This way, if I don't get it, it's really not that big of a deal.

I understand that there are pseudo-hoarders who use the Freecycle list to feed their addiction. They post OFFERs often, to make it appear like they are giving things away but, in honesty, they aren't choosing anyone who responds. Then they post WANTEDs. Let me say, I understand this much and generally have accepted it. Hoarding is a manifestation of a legitimate psychological condition. They're going to be at garage sales, poking through curb piles, and posting on Freecycle lists. That's just how it goes.

But I'm really annoyed. It really, really annoys me. I mean I absolutely hate it. When one of these people constantly posts a WANTED for an item that was just posted as wanted by another Freecycler. It's as if the other person reminded that hoarder that they would also like whatever that is. So they just post their WANTED for the same exact damn thing just moments after the original post went out to the group.

It pisses me off because then it becomes a competition and the hoarder's inherent selfishness bubbles to the surface.

It's ugly.

Just ugly.

Don't do it.

As Always,
Me.

Dear Fellow Freecyclers,

Giving away a washer and dryer is pretty tricky. I remember going through so much effort to get an ancient looking washer and dryer that I found on the curb back to my apartment, without even knowing if they worked. (They did work. Very well, in fact. And they lasted until I could afford a new set.)

Getting a washer and dryer from Freecycle is even better because the mystery is gone. The person offering it can tell you exactly what's up with it. You know what you're putting all this energy and sweat into bringing home.

Now, with that said, here's an important note for when you might be offering a washer and dryer. If the washer leaks and the dryer needs a new heating element, they aren't in "good condition". If the exterior still looks great, make note of it, sure. But a great looking exterior does not mean the machines are in good condition. The washer not leaking water all over the floor and the dryer actually heating up to dry the clothes is what constitutes a good condition. What you might be looking for is the term, "needs work."

As Always,
Me.

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.

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

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.

Dear Fellow Freecyclers,

Here are the subject classifications: WANTED, OFFER, RECEIVED, TAKEN.

THANKS is sometimes used in replaced of RECEIVED, which is what one posts after getting what they posted in a WANTED. TAKEN is posted by the person who posted the OFFER after it is taken by someone. If you respond to an OFFER, don't post a THANKS. Not only does it create yet another Freecycle post that doesn't need to be there, it lets us all know that you are the one who has it, which can be dangerous on a list of over 5000 people, some of whom also asked to pick up the OFFER that you took.

This might seem trivial but there has been a history of people placing themselves in precarious situations because of Freecycling. The organization, both nationally and locally, encourages a set of safe guidelines for giving/receiving property, including meeting in a neutral location so private residences aren't known. This is to keep everyone safe. When a THANKS is posted in response to an OFFER, it lets every unstable person who felt they needed that particular thing know that you are the one who has it, who took it from them. Also, on account of a THANKS post being so unnecessary, I've actually heard someone on the cafe group describe it as "bragging". There's just some kinds of people you don't want to piss off.

Thanking people is good manners, so send the person a private email to say, "Thank you."

As Always,

Me.

PS. As a related point, when you post an OFFER and it is successfully picked up by a fellow Freecycler, do not include the person's name in the TAKEN post. With all the reasons previously stated above, minus the paranoia about "bragging", it's just not cool to put someone else's name out there without their consent.