The Constipation is Spreading!!!!

If you've been keeping up on my dissatisfaction with my local area Freecycle groups, you know that I also started my own Non-Constipated Freecycling egroup for those who don't want to be drowned in the rulemogering that goes on amongst freecyclers in these here parts.

Well, the constipation is spreading, I discovered today. I found out that the city where my husband works has started a community bulletin board. It's not for freecycling, it's more a hodgepodge of things. You know--yard sales, announcing events, discussing issues, helping people who are new to the area, and so on. So, I decided to join the group, and I promptly get two emails from the group owner, the first of which is a listing of group guidelines. Once again I found myself puzzled as to why these rules are needed. Here are a few puzzlers:

9. DO NOT list your personal information to the list. Do not give out your home address or phone number in ANY post to the entire group. Such posts will be deleted by a moderator. (The one exception is when you provide directions to a garage sale in connection with a post here on this list.)

Now, sure, I can appreciate that I would not want to publicize my address and phone number in general, but here's the thing: Shouldn't that be MY decision? Do I really need the moderator hanging over my head telling me No No about this? Also, since most people's real names are attached to their emails, it is going to be extremely easy for people to find contact information for you. This is an egroup for a small city. it would probably take less than 3 minutes at superpages.com or with the teeny local telephone book to find out someone's phone number and address. Give me a break!


13. COUPONS: trading, selling or giving of coupons is strictly prohibited on this list.

Somebody PLEASE explain to me WHY, oh WHY is this an issue? Sure, I can understand that we don't relish the thought of obsessive-compulsive coupon clippers to be posting every few hours with offers like, "I've got a great coupon for $1 off Crest toothpaste! Drop by my house to pick up!" Sure, ok. But, in the case of the free tanning certificates that I wanted to give away a few weeks ago, now I would be prohibited from giving these away on *this* board as well?? WHY?? How does this make sense? What would it possibly hurt for me to do such a thing? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND!!!

Well, I understood all too well when I got to the bottom of the 16 rules for this community group: It's ruled with an iron fist by the SAME PERSON that runs the freecycle group for that area. I guess that she has nothing better to do than keep her whole entire community in line! Wow.

So, what do you think? Is she.....a control freak? Her own life is out of control, so she makes up egroups that she can control instead? Hmmmm... There has to be some pathology to this....

And all of this reminded me that the outlook that these freecyclers have ("It is up to me to protect all of you from your own selves because you can't be trusted to make your own choices and live with the consequences.") is diabolically opposed to my own outlook, which is more like, "I think we all are responsible enough to make our own decisions and live with the consequences and I am not interested in trying to be your conscience. Let freedom ring!" Guess this is why libertarian ideas are so appealing to me.....