Either a Borrower Or a Lender Be
June 30, 2010 4:51 PM Subscribe
This sounds like such a good idea, I hope people actually use it my end of the world.
posted by selenized at 4:57 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by selenized at 4:57 PM on June 30, 2010
and by use I mean actually arrives in my end of the world... (I forgot that Canada isn't a part of the US yet)
posted by selenized at 5:00 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by selenized at 5:00 PM on June 30, 2010
I fail to understand how Strangers + Internet doesn't equal sketchy.
posted by wcfields at 5:06 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by wcfields at 5:06 PM on June 30, 2010
I'm still upset about Hulu.
posted by joni. at 5:07 PM on June 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by joni. at 5:07 PM on June 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
I signed up, and to become 'verified' I have to pay $4.99 using paypal (becoming verified is an optional choice). As a result, I'm undecided about this site.
I am verified on couchsurfing which costs $25, but they are keen to verify your name using your credit card number, so it seems to make more sense.
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth at 5:13 PM on June 30, 2010
I am verified on couchsurfing which costs $25, but they are keen to verify your name using your credit card number, so it seems to make more sense.
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth at 5:13 PM on June 30, 2010
Ooh, just joined! I listed two things my neighbors can borrow: an extension ladder and a sweet old lab-mutt! (Because sometimes only a sweet old lab-mutt will do.)
posted by headnsouth at 5:34 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by headnsouth at 5:34 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
*DirtyHippies* tag.
You are mean and judgemental Mikoroshi, but funny. Very funny..
posted by Skygazer at 5:37 PM on June 30, 2010
You are mean and judgemental Mikoroshi, but funny. Very funny..
posted by Skygazer at 5:37 PM on June 30, 2010
Freecycle meets craigslist, without the sketchy
I'm still convinced participating in this could somehow possibly get me murdered. By a guy with a compound miter saw and a wood chipper to "share."
posted by availablelight at 5:58 PM on June 30, 2010
I'm still convinced participating in this could somehow possibly get me murdered. By a guy with a compound miter saw and a wood chipper to "share."
posted by availablelight at 5:58 PM on June 30, 2010
Saw this last week when they tried to hoax someone into joining my local Freecycle group (which I admin) via a proxy email address, and then sent us a spam-link-laden begging note on her behalf.
Banned and banned.
posted by genghis at 6:00 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Banned and banned.
posted by genghis at 6:00 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Freecycle changed to Freegle in my area, and people still don't pick stuff up when they say they want it. I swear charging money might make people think it's more worth it than when it's free.
posted by shinybaum at 6:06 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by shinybaum at 6:06 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
Their competition is staggering: Craigslist receives 20 billion daily pageviews.
It is simply impossible for sketchy not to intersect with 20 billion daily views :)
posted by melatonic at 6:09 PM on June 30, 2010
It is simply impossible for sketchy not to intersect with 20 billion daily views :)
posted by melatonic at 6:09 PM on June 30, 2010
When our kids were born, Freecycle saved us a ton of money. Love this concept. Hope it thrives.
posted by zarq at 6:14 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by zarq at 6:14 PM on June 30, 2010
http://neighborgoods.net/people/tony_hayward/500000-barrels-of-oil_4
posted by d. z. wang at 6:15 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by d. z. wang at 6:15 PM on June 30, 2010
Available in my zip code:
OrinZ Needs a Opera singer large enough to destroy a skyscraper
Like I'd ever want to get rid of mine.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:18 PM on June 30, 2010 [4 favorites]
OrinZ Needs a Opera singer large enough to destroy a skyscraper
Like I'd ever want to get rid of mine.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:18 PM on June 30, 2010 [4 favorites]
Freecycle and Craigslist are not "sketchy", nor would they be improved by venture capital and/or Ebay-style feedback -- heaven forbid that anyone interact with anyone without that "layer of security"!
Also: There are currently 0 people within 50 miles sharing 0 items. Oh, joy, sign me up! I can't wait to spend $5 in order to not-do the same stuff I can do on Freecycle!
posted by vorfeed at 6:19 PM on June 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
Also: There are currently 0 people within 50 miles sharing 0 items. Oh, joy, sign me up! I can't wait to spend $5 in order to not-do the same stuff I can do on Freecycle!
posted by vorfeed at 6:19 PM on June 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
Metafilter: Oh, joy, sign me up! I can't wait to spend $5 in order to not-do the same stuff I can do on Freecycle!
(Just kidding. ;)
posted by Malice at 6:25 PM on June 30, 2010
(Just kidding. ;)
posted by Malice at 6:25 PM on June 30, 2010
When our kids were born, Freecycle saved us a ton of money.
Well, I hope whoever has them now is taking good care of them!
Sorry, couldn't resist
posted by oulipian at 6:28 PM on June 30, 2010 [15 favorites]
Well, I hope whoever has them now is taking good care of them!
Sorry, couldn't resist
posted by oulipian at 6:28 PM on June 30, 2010 [15 favorites]
I've been seeing quite a bit of attention being given to Neighborgoods as if it's a unique service, yet I joined Share Some Sugar some weeks ago: http://www.sharesomesugar.com/
posted by vertigo25 at 6:29 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by vertigo25 at 6:29 PM on June 30, 2010
There is absolutely nothing sketchy at all about Freecycle. I've gotten, and gotten rid of, tons of stuff and never once have I felt anything but 100% safe.
posted by DU at 6:36 PM on June 30, 2010
posted by DU at 6:36 PM on June 30, 2010
I hate paying tons for tools and other home improvement stuff I only need rarely, like on the order of once a year. I always envied the people in the East Bay that had the tool lending libraries in Oakland and Berkeley, but there's nothing like that where I live. This looks cool and they actually get around the trustworthy part by only verifying your address via a postcard sent to your physical home address. That seems like a pretty serious way to make sure people are who they say they are.
Also, I got a chop saw anyone can borrow.
posted by mathowie at 7:00 PM on June 30, 2010
Also, I got a chop saw anyone can borrow.
posted by mathowie at 7:00 PM on June 30, 2010
shinybaum, exactly my experience. We've had to just stop answering emails from certain people who just want to ask question after question about the stupid obsolete cordless phone we're giving away on FC.
OTOH, the guy with the curly blonde mullet is really happy with the price I gave him on the ride cymbal he bought off of CL.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:37 PM on June 30, 2010
OTOH, the guy with the curly blonde mullet is really happy with the price I gave him on the ride cymbal he bought off of CL.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:37 PM on June 30, 2010
Yeah, I had Share Some Sugar bookmarked for a couple of weeks ago when it went live, but like NeighbourGoods, it's US-only for now. Which is only 'nationally' for some (ahem).
I'll be sticking to Yoink.com for now, which is similar to Freecycle but has an iPhone app and doesn't require me to join Yahoo Groups then opt-out of a zillion emails.
But it looks like NeighbourGoods lets you set some people as friends and some as community, so you can allow different types of borrowing or renting to each group? That's a pretty nifty feature.
posted by harriet vane at 3:04 AM on July 1, 2010
I'll be sticking to Yoink.com for now, which is similar to Freecycle but has an iPhone app and doesn't require me to join Yahoo Groups then opt-out of a zillion emails.
But it looks like NeighbourGoods lets you set some people as friends and some as community, so you can allow different types of borrowing or renting to each group? That's a pretty nifty feature.
posted by harriet vane at 3:04 AM on July 1, 2010
There is absolutely nothing sketchy at all about Freecycle.
Sketchy might not be the right word, but I had too many no-shows and odd moments, plus I found the group too complaining. Freecycle did teach me how little value things actually have and it made it easier to get rid of stuff. I really wanted Freecycle to work for me and really believe in it, but it's only as good as the people using it. The last thing I gave away was a bag of clean, old jeans for scrap fabric and the receiver was just on a totally different planet and after that I just couldn't do it anymore. It was so wackadoo that I didn't want to chance another encounter like that.
posted by Calzephyr at 8:53 AM on July 1, 2010
Sketchy might not be the right word, but I had too many no-shows and odd moments, plus I found the group too complaining. Freecycle did teach me how little value things actually have and it made it easier to get rid of stuff. I really wanted Freecycle to work for me and really believe in it, but it's only as good as the people using it. The last thing I gave away was a bag of clean, old jeans for scrap fabric and the receiver was just on a totally different planet and after that I just couldn't do it anymore. It was so wackadoo that I didn't want to chance another encounter like that.
posted by Calzephyr at 8:53 AM on July 1, 2010
FWIW, NeighborGoods founder Micki is a friend (and a client - we handle their trademark work), and I can say without reservation that she and the site are legit, and that they've taken great pains to take the sketchy out of the system. Hence the (entirely optional) verification process.
posted by schoolgirl report at 10:06 AM on July 1, 2010
posted by schoolgirl report at 10:06 AM on July 1, 2010
Freecycle in my area occasionally send out notices "please don't take anything besides what was set out for you." Apparently people are just helping themselves to whatever's not bolted down, whether or not it was set out to be given away. To me, yeah, that's kinda sketchy. Perhaps it's not a problem in other regions.
They also were having other trouble getting cooperation, with enough posters disregarding the various group rules that they were sending out a LOT of admin messages about how to phrase your offers, things that weren't allowed (ie, "curb alert" posts), requests to do things differently (ie, wait a while after posting to pick a recipient, instead of giving it to the first person to respond--or to make some offers before making requests)...and people just weren't paying attention.
It's easier to use Craigslist to give things away.
posted by galadriel at 3:58 PM on July 1, 2010
They also were having other trouble getting cooperation, with enough posters disregarding the various group rules that they were sending out a LOT of admin messages about how to phrase your offers, things that weren't allowed (ie, "curb alert" posts), requests to do things differently (ie, wait a while after posting to pick a recipient, instead of giving it to the first person to respond--or to make some offers before making requests)...and people just weren't paying attention.
It's easier to use Craigslist to give things away.
posted by galadriel at 3:58 PM on July 1, 2010
Freecycle? Oh, lemme tell ya, when I gave some guy and his son an old guitar amp, they tried talking to me about the kid's interest in music! I was like "What is this fucking live chat roulette? Just take the damn thing and GO!"
posted by orme at 4:47 PM on July 1, 2010
posted by orme at 4:47 PM on July 1, 2010
Freecycle in my area occasionally send out notices "please don't take anything besides what was set out for you." Apparently people are just helping themselves to whatever's not bolted down, whether or not it was set out to be given away.
As far as I've ever seen, this refers to multiple items left for freecycle, not stuff that wasn't meant for freecycle (i.e. someone posts a weight set, a bike, and a box of books, and then leaves them in their driveway. Then the guy who called about the box-of-books gets there first and takes both the books and the bike, leaving the one who asked for the bike in the lurch). Are people where you are seriously taking off with people's patio furniture and yard gnomes and the like? If so, that is definitely sketchy, but I've never seen it here.
The sketchiest thing that happened here was when a lady who offered some bras got a porny email about how amazing her bra size was. I think the emailer was promptly (and deservedly) banned from the list.
Also, someone posted a half-empty bottle of strawberry Maalox. Twice.
posted by vorfeed at 8:49 PM on July 1, 2010
As far as I've ever seen, this refers to multiple items left for freecycle, not stuff that wasn't meant for freecycle (i.e. someone posts a weight set, a bike, and a box of books, and then leaves them in their driveway. Then the guy who called about the box-of-books gets there first and takes both the books and the bike, leaving the one who asked for the bike in the lurch). Are people where you are seriously taking off with people's patio furniture and yard gnomes and the like? If so, that is definitely sketchy, but I've never seen it here.
The sketchiest thing that happened here was when a lady who offered some bras got a porny email about how amazing her bra size was. I think the emailer was promptly (and deservedly) banned from the list.
Also, someone posted a half-empty bottle of strawberry Maalox. Twice.
posted by vorfeed at 8:49 PM on July 1, 2010
Are people where you are seriously taking off with people's patio furniture and yard gnomes and the like?
Yep. At best guess, they seem to think anything outside the house was left out for freecyclers, and just take it. So sometimes another freecycler makes a trip for nothing and there are scolding posts made--and sometimes instead the post says "please return X, it's OURS and we weren't giving it away."
posted by galadriel at 8:23 AM on July 2, 2010
Yep. At best guess, they seem to think anything outside the house was left out for freecyclers, and just take it. So sometimes another freecycler makes a trip for nothing and there are scolding posts made--and sometimes instead the post says "please return X, it's OURS and we weren't giving it away."
posted by galadriel at 8:23 AM on July 2, 2010
Sharehood is similar to NeighbourGood, but has groups in Europe and Australia as well as in the USA. Saw it via the Sustainable Melbourne website today.
posted by harriet vane at 2:45 AM on July 5, 2010
posted by harriet vane at 2:45 AM on July 5, 2010
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posted by griphus at 4:53 PM on June 30, 2010 [1 favorite]