Questions and Answers

Hope from Humor Hangout left a comment to the previous post that had a question I would like to address. She asked:

What is freecycling and why are the guardians of it so snooty?

Great question, Hope!

You can learn all about Freecycle by going to their main website at
http://freecycle.org/
It's an umbrella organization that heads up local egroups of people who want to give away items they no longer need rather than just throwing them away, and also for people who like to get free stuff and who would prefer to see if somebody has the widget you need before running out and buying one.

It's a great idea, I thought, so I joined several groups in my area. I often have things to give away but don't have the time or energy to shlepp it to the thrift store to drop off, etc. I also love a freebie as much as the next girl.

What I didn't know until I got into Freecycle is that the list of rules gives new meaning to the word extensive. You never saw a list of rules and regs for an egroup like the one you'll get from a Freecycle group. The rules address just about every possibility of things that could happen, and often logic has no part in the making of the rule.

I don't know if it's like this everywhere, but with the nearby group that has the Ruler-With-an-Iron-Fist, it seems that the Upper Eschalon of Freecycle prefers moderators/administrators (yes, they really do call them that) who are real **sticklers** for the rules, and who like to spend their spare time slapping group members on the hands for all manner of bad freecycle behavior, such as not putting the precisely correct subject heading in their posts, or by listing in a way that is not exactly correct. (like the time I offered an All Free Yard NON Sale) These administrators should be unwavering in their commitment to freecycle crime-stopping, and let nothing get in their way of the pursuit of Freecycling excellence.

In short, Hope, while you may think that giving away your unwanted stuff or collecting someone else's castoffs is no big deal, you are Dead Wrong. Instead, we all need to realize that:
Freecycling. is. Serious. Business.

So, if you now go and join your local Freecycle group, don't say I didn't warn ya.