Moderator Manual:Required Group Guidelines File

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FILES - The Required Group Guidelines

FILES - Required Group Guidelines

These files provide the basic required group guidelines for your members to follow. While there will be slight variations from group to group, those rules in BOLD (in *this* section only of course) are required of all groups.

Here are a few examples you can use regarding the Required Group Guidelines for your Freecycle members. Simply copy and paste... and feel free to edit your introductory paragraph and optional areas as necessary!

***Replace all XXX references with your local group name***

Example #1 Introduction to Freecycle.org (on-site groups)


Dear XXXXXX Freecycle.org(R) Member,

Thanks for being a part of The (ever-expanding) Freecycle Network. We're changing the world one gift at a time! This message is sent to all new members once your membership has been approved.

If you're new to the group or want a quick refresher on making the most of our Freecycle.org group, please read on!

This Freecycle.org group matches people who have things they need to get rid of with people who can use them. Our goal is to keep usable items out of the landfill.

By using what we already have on this earth, we reduce consumerism, manufacture fewer goods, and lessen the impact on the earth. Another benefit of using Freecycle.org is that it encourages us to get rid of junk that we no longer need and promote community involvement in the process. Free your inner pack rat!

Our local group Freecycle group is part of the incredibly fast-growing international Freecycle movement, which began in Tucson, AZ on May 1st, 2003 and now boasts thousands of groups all over the world. Please help this group grow by spreading the word! We all personally know lots of great people in our community who would love this idea.

So, why not "pay it forward" and tell a couple friends how wonderful Freecycle.org is! You tell your friends, your family, your neighbors, your co-workers... and they tell theirs, and so on, and so on... well, you get the idea!

USING FREECYCLE.ORG



To POST, READ, or REPLY to messages or to MANAGE your membership
settings (including email delivery options), visit the group site (AKA
main page) at: http://groups.freecycle.org.org/XXXXX

To POST a message, first ensure you are logged in, then click on 'Make a
new post' from either the homepage or the green 'My Posts' tab. Then
fill out the fields and click 'Make the post'.

Or to post via email, send an email to XXXXXXX@groups.freecycle.org.
Please note that email posts must have perfect subject line formatting
to get through, eg WANTED: item (Location), or OFFERED: item (Location),
so it is often easier to post directly on the site, as mentioned directly above

You can MANAGE your posts from the 'My Posts' tab also. For example,
-If your offer has been taken OR
-you have received an item you wanted OR
-you wish to simply remove a post you made from the group:

click the 'Manage' button beside the item and from there click the
appropriate button to Cancel or mark Taken or Received.

To CHANGE your password or email address, login and click on the 'My
Info' tab. Click on the appropriate button and make the changes.
Remember to click on the prompt to save your changes.

To UNSUBSCRIBE, login and click the My Groups link at the top right. A
screen will appear with all of the groups that you belong to. Next to the XXXXXX group, in the drop down box select the 'Remove The Group From This Listing' option and then click the "Make It So" green button and you will be unsubscribed from the group.

To LEAVE the My Freecycle.org site completely, login and click the 'My Info' link under the My Freecycle.org link at the top right. Then click the green 'Delete Account' button and follow the prompts to leave the site.

For more INFORMATION on Freecycle.org in general and a list of other approved Freecycle.org groups, visit http://www.Freecycle.org/ (Highly recommended!)

The following list rules have been adapted from the original Freecycle.org Required Group Guidelines. A certain structure helps the group run smoothly and effectively for everyone's benefit. Remember, the success of this group depends on all of us, and that means each of us need to do our best to keep on task and, be nice and patient. Good luck, have fun &
thank you for keeping good stuff out of the landfills!

The following are the group guidelines/rules:

  1. KEEP IT FREE, LEGAL & APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES. This means, for example:
    • No alcohol, tobacco, firearms or other weapons, profanity or sexual content, medications (of any kind, including over-the-counter supplements, vitamins, etc.);
    • Never send money for anything offered on Freecycle (this includes money for shipping/couriers);
    • All copyrighted material must be the original media;
    • In local groups that allow resale, full disclosure of intent to resell must be disclosed up front;
    • No unregistered waste carriers [UK only].


  2. WANTED POSTS ARE TO BE USED SPARINGLY. Numerical limits on Wanted posts vary by local group.


  3. NO POLITICS, NO SPAM, NO MONEY, NO PERSONAL ATTACKS/RUDENESS, NO PROSELYTIZING/RELIGION.


  4. NO SWAPS/TRADING PLEASE. Go to your local swap/trading organization for this. It can be quite fun.


  5. NO PERSONAL ADS. Posting oneself or another person from the human species is not allowed. There are many fine Internet dating sites better suited to this purpose.


  6. NO POSTS ABOUT ANIMALS FOR BREEDING OR FOOD PURPOSES. Beyond this, some groups do allow non-breeding-related posts to find new homes for pets, but ask that it be kept legal and lovingly careful. Other groups prefer not to allow pet postings.


  7. BE NICE. A brief note on Freecycle etiquette: we are all volunteers and we've got a great little community here so when you arrange to pick up an item from another Freecycle member, it is basic good manners to accommodate them as much as possible in terms of scheduling, and then be punctual; they are, after all, giving you something you need and asking nothing in return except that you will show up when you say you will. Also, unless the giver tells you otherwise, assume that they would like you to come by as soon as you can to take away the item.


PICK UP. Arrange as you like. Generally, you'll wait until you get a handful of responses or maybe overnight, and then you can pick whomever you like! That's half the fun. Consider giving your starving local charity preference if one should respond. Arrange pickup with one person only, rather than "It's on the porch, whoever gets here first gets it." Otherwise you'll become unpopular pretty quickly with your fellow Freecycle group members. Also, only give your phone number to one person at a time or ask for the recipient's phone number. Otherwise you'll get swamped with phone calls.



DISCLAIMER. FREECYCLE(R) NETWORK MEMBERS USE THE LIST AT THEIR OWN RISK. Please take reasonable measures to protect your safety and privacy when posting to the list or participating in an exchange. By joining the list, you agree to hold neither the list owners, moderators nor anyone affiliated with Freecycle.org responsible or liable for any circumstance resulting from a Freecycle-related exchange or communication.



SAFETY. Be aware! It is up to each individual member of Freecycle when arranging for pickup of the item being given away to be appropriately aware of the potential risk of having "a stranger" come to your home to pick something up. Freecycle as an organization assumes no responsibility for this risk. If you, for example, are living alone, you may want to say that you'll leave the item on the front porch while you are not home or arrange for a drop-off at a public place.



HOW TO ORGANIZE / MINIMIZE FREECYCLE.ORG EMAILS YOU ARE RECEIVING:

a) SET YOUR MY.FREECYCLE.ORG ACCOUNT TO 'None apart from Admin’s' , 'A digest of 25 posts, or ‘One for each post’. If you choose ‘One for each post, be aware that you will dramatically increase the number of emails you receive to your mailbox, but many people do prefer this, especially if they have set up a filtering rule, as above.. EMAIL DIGEST means you receive one email per 25 messages posted to the group, with at least one email per day. NONE APART FROM ADMINs only means you only receive important messages from the Moderators and you may simply read general posts online.

To do either of these:

1. Go to the homepage: http://groups.freecycle.org./XXXXXXXX
2. click the green 'My Groups' tab,
3. then under the '***XXXXXXXXX***' group click 'Change settings'.
4. Beside 'Email Preference', choose your desired setting.
5. Then click on 'Change Email Preferences' button.

b) CREATE A SEPARATE E-MAIL FOLDER & AUTOMATICALLY HAVE FREECYCLE.ORG STUFF GO TO IT. Create a separate folder in your e-mail program
or web mail & have Freecycle.org mail sent to it automatically with a new rule under tools/message rules/mail/ (Outlook Express). Most "free" web-based mail services such as Yahoo or Gmail also
 provide filter tools for users.

IMPORTANT: CHANGES TO YOUR ACCOUNT ARE NOT IMMEDIATE. Whenever a user
changes settings, there may be a delay in the time it takes to process the change until the change takes effect. It may take a day or more for changes to be seen. So, please don't email the moderators with comments such as, 'I changed my settings/unsubscribed yesterday, why am I still getting emails?' Please be patient, and all should be accomplished. Don't try to make a change a second time as this may result in another day of waiting.

For your information, you CAN delete your own messages from the message list for any reason (for example, if someone has taken the item you offered, or if you've received the item you wanted, or if you posted something by mistake).

To do this:
1. Click the 'My Posts' tab,
2. Click the 'Manage' button beside the item
3. click the appropriate button to Cancel or mark Taken or Received.

Once your Offer has been Taken or your Wanted has been received, do not post a new message to the group. Click on the My Posts link under the My Freecycle.org link on the top right and next to the post that is no longer available, select the “Mark as Taken” or “Mark as Received” option. You can also remove the post completely from My Freecycle.org by selecting the “Remove post from My Freecycle.org” option.

If you encounter further problems, please contact the moderators of the group at: http://groups.freecycle.org/XXXXXXXX

For technical assistance please send an email to: myFreecycleadmin@Freecycle.org

That should just about do it. Have fun and thank you for being a part of
The Freecycle Network!

Regards,

Your XXXXXXXX Freecycle.org Moderators

________________________________________________
Copyright (c) 2003 The Freecycle Network
(http://www.Freecycle.org). All rights reserved.

The Freecycle.org logo is a trademark of The Freecycle Network
in the United States and/or other countries.
________________________________________________

Example #2 - Required Group Guidelines File with Intro (Yahoo Groups)

Dear XXX Freecycle,org(R) Member,

Thanks for being a part of The (ever-expanding) Freecycle Network. We're changing the world one gift at a time!

This message is sent to all subscribers upon joining, and periodically thereafter to the entire list. If you're new to the group or want a quick refresher on making the most of our Freecycle group, please read on!

This Freecycle group matches people who have things they need to get rid of with people who can use them. Our goal is to keep usable items out of the landfill. By using what we already have on this earth, we reduce consumerism, manufacture fewer goods, and lessen the impact on the earth.

Another benefit of using Freecycle is that it encourages us to get rid of junk that we no longer need and promote community involvement in the process. Free your inner pack rat! XXX Freecycle is part of the incredibly fast-growing international Freecycle movement, which began in Tucson, AZ on May 1st, 2003 and now boasts thousands of groups all over the world.

Please help this group grow by spreading the word! We all personally know lots of great people in our community who would love this idea. So, why not "pay it forward" and tell 3 (or more) people how wonderful Freecycle is!

You tell your friends, your family, your neighbors, your co-workers... and they tell theirs, and so on, and so on... well, you get the idea!

USING THE FREECYCLE LIST To post a message, simply send an email to XXX-Group@yahoogroups.com or click on "post" at the XXX Freecycle group web site (see link below).

To unsubscribe, send an email to XXX-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. To post, read, or reply to messages or to manage your membership settings (including email delivery options), visit the group site (AKA main page) at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YOUR_GROUP_URL. To read list archives (especially helpful for new members who may find recent posts of interest there), visit the main page and click on "messages" on the left.

For more information on Freecycle in general and a list of other approved Freecycle groups, visit http://www.freecycle.org/ (Highly recommended!) The following list rules have been adapted from the original Freecycle Required Group Guidelines sheet.

A certain structure helps the group run smoothly and effectively for everyone's benefit. Remember, the success of this group depends on all of us, and that means each of us need to do our best to keep on task and, well, be nice and patient.

Good luck, have fun & thank you for keeping good stuff out of the landfills!


The following are required rules:

  1. KEEP IT FREE, LEGAL & APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES. This means, for example:
    • No alcohol, tobacco, firearms or other weapons, profanity or sexual content, medications (of any kind, including over-the-counter supplements, vitamins, etc.);
    • Never send money for anything offered on Freecycle (this includes money for shipping/couriers);
    • All copyrighted material must be the original media;
    • In local groups that allow resale, full disclosure of intent to resell must be disclosed up front;
    • No unregistered waste carriers [UK only].


  2. WANTED POSTS ARE TO BE USED SPARINGLY. Numerical limits on Wanted posts vary by local group.


  3. NO POLITICS, NO SPAM, NO MONEY, NO PERSONAL ATTACKS/RUDENESS, NO PROSELYTIZING/RELIGION.


  4. NO SWAPS/TRADING PLEASE. Go to your local swap/trading organization for this. It can be quite fun.


  5. NO PERSONAL ADS. Posting oneself or another person from the human species is not allowed. There are many fine Internet dating sites better suited to this purpose.


  6. NO POSTS ABOUT ANIMALS FOR BREEDING OR FOOD PURPOSES. Beyond this, some groups do allow non-breeding-related posts to find new homes for pets, but ask that it be kept legal and lovingly careful. Other groups prefer not to allow pet postings.


  7. BE NICE. A brief note on Freecycle etiquette: we are all volunteers and we've got a great little community here so when you arrange to pick up an item from another Freecycle member, it is basic good manners to accommodate them as much as possible in terms of scheduling, and then be punctual; they are, after all, giving you something you need and asking nothing in return except that you will show up when you say you will. Also, unless the giver tells you otherwise, assume that they would like you to come by as soon as you can to take away the item.


PICK UP. Arrange as you like. Generally, you'll wait until you get a handful of responses or maybe overnight, and then you can pick whomever you like! That's half the fun. Consider giving your starving local charity preference if one should respond. Arrange pickup with one person only, rather than "It's on the porch, whoever gets here first gets it." Otherwise you'll become unpopular pretty quickly with your fellow Freecycle group members. Also, only give your phone number to one person at a time or ask for the recipient's phone number. Otherwise you'll get swamped with phone calls.



DISCLAIMER. FREECYCLE(R) NETWORK MEMBERS USE THE LIST AT THEIR OWN RISK. Please take reasonable measures to protect your safety and privacy when posting to the list or participating in an exchange. By joining the list, you agree to hold neither the list owners, moderators nor anyone affiliated with Freecycle.org responsible or liable for any circumstance resulting from a Freecycle-related exchange or communication.



SAFETY. Be aware! It is up to each individual member of Freecycle when arranging for pickup of the item being given away to be appropriately aware of the potential risk of having "a stranger" come to your home to pick something up. Freecycle as an organization assumes no responsibility for this risk. If you, for example, are living alone, you may want to say that you'll leave the item on the front porch while you are not home or arrange for a drop-off at a public place.




That should just about do it. Have fun and thank you for being a part of The Freecycle Network(TM)!

Regards,
Your XXX Freecycle Moderators


 (C) 2003, The Freecycle Network(TM). All rights reserved. Freecycle and the Freecycle logo are trademarks of The Freecycle Network in the United States and/or other countries.

Example #3 - Required Group Guidelines File with Intro (Yahoo Groups)

Dear Freecycle.org(R) Member,

Thanks for being a part of The (ever-expanding) Freecycle Network. We're changing the world one gift at a time! This message is sent to all subscribers upon joining, as well as every two weeks to the entire list.

If this message hasn't been updated since the last time you read it, feel free to move on to the next post. If you're new to the group or want a quick refresher on making the most of your Freecycle membership, please read on! (Yes, this is a long message, but it contains essential knowledge for all Freecycle members and will answer MANY common new-user questions, so please take the time to read through it.) Rules update regularly.

We ask that you put your general location in your OFFER e-mail. Also, we have added the rule that there are to be no repeat postings more than once a month. I think this will help keep us all a little saner so that we all don't keep seeing all those repeats.

Begun on Month Day, Year, the XXX Freecycle group is a branch of an incredibly fast-growing international Freecycle movement, which began in Tucson, AZ on May 1st, 2003 and as of 1 January 2006, boasts over 3,264 offshoots from Japan to Wichita, with more than 1.8 million members! And if you tell your friends and relatives about it, and they tell theirs... well, you get the idea.

USING THE FREECYCLE LIST To post a message, simply send an email to XXX-Group@yahoogroups.com or click on "post" at the XXX Freecycle group web site (see link below).

To unsubscribe, send an email to XXX-Group-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. To post, read or reply to messages, or to manage your membership settings (including email delivery options), visit the group site's main page at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YOUR_GROUPURL.

To read list archives (especially helpful for new members who may find recent posts of interest there), visit the main page and click on "messages" on the left. For more information on Freecycle in general, along with a list of other Freecycle groups, visit http://www.freecycle.org/ (Highly recommended!)

You can also find freecycle.org along with other related recycling-related sites by visiting the XXX main page and clicking on "links" on the left. The following list rules have been adapted from the original Freecycle Required Group Guidelines sheet; for a refresher, read on. A certain structure definitely makes the group run smoothly and effectively for everyone's benefit.

Remember, the success of this group depends on all of us, and that means each of us need to do our best to keep on task and, well, be nice and patient. Good luck, have fun & thanks for being a Freecycle Member!

The following are required rules:

  1. KEEP IT FREE, LEGAL & APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES. This means, for example:
    • No alcohol, tobacco, firearms or other weapons, profanity or sexual content, medications (of any kind, including over-the-counter supplements, vitamins, etc.);
    • Never send money for anything offered on Freecycle (this includes money for shipping/couriers);
    • All copyrighted material must be the original media;
    • In local groups that allow resale, full disclosure of intent to resell must be disclosed up front;
    • No unregistered waste carriers [UK only].


  2. WANTED POSTS ARE TO BE USED SPARINGLY. Numerical limits on Wanted posts vary by local group.


  3. NO POLITICS, NO SPAM, NO MONEY, NO PERSONAL ATTACKS/RUDENESS, NO PROSELYTIZING/RELIGION.


  4. NO SWAPS/TRADING PLEASE. Go to your local swap/trading organization for this. It can be quite fun.


  5. NO PERSONAL ADS. Posting oneself or another person from the human species is not allowed. There are many fine Internet dating sites better suited to this purpose.


  6. NO POSTS ABOUT ANIMALS FOR BREEDING OR FOOD PURPOSES. Beyond this, some groups do allow non-breeding-related posts to find new homes for pets, but ask that it be kept legal and lovingly careful. Other groups prefer not to allow pet postings.


  7. BE NICE. A brief note on Freecycle etiquette: we are all volunteers and we've got a great little community here so when you arrange to pick up an item from another Freecycle member, it is basic good manners to accommodate them as much as possible in terms of scheduling, and then be punctual; they are, after all, giving you something you need and asking nothing in return except that you will show up when you say you will. Also, unless the giver tells you otherwise, assume that they would like you to come by as soon as you can to take away the item.


PICK UP. Arrange as you like. Generally, you'll wait until you get a handful of responses or maybe overnight, and then you can pick whomever you like! That's half the fun. Consider giving your starving local charity preference if one should respond. Arrange pickup with one person only, rather than "It's on the porch, whoever gets here first gets it." Otherwise you'll become unpopular pretty quickly with your fellow Freecycle group members. Also, only give your phone number to one person at a time or ask for the recipient's phone number. Otherwise you'll get swamped with phone calls.



DISCLAIMER. FREECYCLE(R) NETWORK MEMBERS USE THE LIST AT THEIR OWN RISK. Please take reasonable measures to protect your safety and privacy when posting to the list or participating in an exchange. By joining the list, you agree to hold neither the list owners, moderators nor anyone affiliated with Freecycle.org responsible or liable for any circumstance resulting from a Freecycle-related exchange or communication.



SAFETY. Be aware! It is up to each individual member of Freecycle when arranging for pickup of the item being given away to be appropriately aware of the potential risk of having "a stranger" come to your home to pick something up. Freecycle as an organization assumes no responsibility for this risk. If you, for example, are living alone, you may want to say that you'll leave the item on the front porch while you are not home or arrange for a drop-off at a public place.



That should just about do it.

Have fun and thank you for being a part of The Freecycle Network(TM)!

Regards,
Your XXX Freecycle Moderator


 (C) 2003, The Freecycle Network(TM). All rights reserved. Freecycle and the Freecycle logo are trademarks of The Freecycle Network in the United States and/or other countries.

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