Freecycling on Facebook - A more touchy, feely experience

2003 Freecycle launched using Yahoo! groups as its platform.

2013 Freecycling started to migrate onto social media platforms like Facebook.

It's a more personal experience on Facebook.

A more informed experience.  You get to see who is interested in what!

Should "gifting" groups around the world be temporarily closed?

Over the past two decades, the informal gifting movement has engaged millions of people all around the world. Gifting behaviors which would have been viewed as exemplary just weeks ago, would now, in this Covid-19 era, be viewed as risky. 

Realizing the potential impact, two days ago, the Buy Nothing project published an excellent Covid-19 statement, warning members of the possible risks of their behaviours.

I've been talking locally with a colleague about the whole gifting / freecycling / freegling / Buy Nothing movement in these unusual times. Reviewing recent posts on many of the local gifting venues, it looks like members are not really sensitized to the possible risks of their gifting behaviours. They are just doing what they have always done.

I have been thinking that perhaps gifting-type groups could be temporarily "closed" except for "essential" transactions, kind of the like the closure of the USA/Canada border, which is closed, except for essential crossings.

Since many of the gifting groups around the world are largely Facebook-based, the groups could be temporarily closed and placed on "moderation".The moderators could review potential postings to determine if they are "essential" (whatever that might determined to be). Non-essential posts could just be held in suspension until such time as the COVID-19 circumstances and risks are reduced below the emergency level, and things get back to normal. 

I'm going to distribute this message to a number of people I think are "influencers" in the gifting world. And also to local politicians. What do YOU think?

Eric Snyder
Environmental Advocate

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