Worth following up on? (Freecycle-related)

[Slartibartfast]

[bg]Okay, some of you may remember that I used to be a Freecycle mod for my local group, but was kicked off for being "not Christian enough" because I asked the head mod to stop telling members THEY weren't "Christian enough" when they asked her to stop a church group from spamming the site with requests.  I sent the email chain to the regional contact, who never got back to me and did exactly nothing, and I just stepped away from the group.  I would love to have access to the group (even as a regular member), but that won't happen without me starting a new email address expressly for Freecycle so I just give my stuff to Purple Heart instead.[/bg]

So I got this whopper of an email chain forwarded to me by a friend today, asking if he should bother following up on it.  I should note that a) Friend and Friend's Wife aren't Christian (and were part of the reason I was so aware of all the super-religious things the head mod says), and b) Friend's Wife has been a frequent Freecycle poster for nearly as long as I have.  They're moving soon so she has given away a TON of stuff.

That said, here's the email chain (in chronological order, and modified to take out identifying information):

If you would like to adjust your status to daily difest I will be happy to approve you. The status of no email is a sign of spam and that you truly do not wish to be part of the group for the purpose of keeping things from the landfills.
Saved by Grace,
[Moderator]

I can easily explain my wish to not receive emails from the group. I am interested in one or two very specific items, and I can easily look for those items by searching the emails on the Yahoo groups site. Receiving a daily digest means I will get emails for a lot of items in which I have no interest.

I have no intention of sending any emails to the group offering or asking for any items. Given that, if you want to make absolutely sure I cannot spam the group, you can feel free to disable my ability to send any emails to the group. I won't be needing it. I will only be looking at the group web site occasionally for the few items I'm interested in. However, I am not interested in receiving any of the message in my email account.

[Friend]

I am sorry to tell you then [Friend] but you will not fit the criteria for Freecycle. It is just as blessed ot give as it is to recieve. If ever you become less self-centered and more concerned about our plant,our society and each please reapply.
Saved by Grace,
[Moderator]
 
P.S. We just last month deleted everyone from the group for no email, so you are in no way being singled out.

(Now, I get that the moderator doesn't necessarily know that Friend's Wife posts frequently, but how would she know he's not going to browse online and answer other people's offers too?  Also, I used Freecycle for years without ever receiving the emails - I had the site bookmarked.)

So is this worth following up on, or not?

[rashea]

It sounds like it's worth them following up on it, but I'm not sure why you would get involved. Unless it's to band together to try and get someone up the chain to pay attention.

[Slartibartfast]

It sounds like it's worth them following up on it, but I'm not sure why you would get involved. Unless it's to band together to try and get someone up the chain to pay attention.

Yep, mostly because I'm still mad at the way the regional person completely ignored my email when I got kicked out.  If he ends up having to escalate past the regional level, I'd be willing to tack my email chain on to the issue also, so they know this isn't an isolated thing.

[rashea]

It sounds like it's worth them following up on it, but I'm not sure why you would get involved. Unless it's to band together to try and get someone up the chain to pay attention.

Yep, mostly because I'm still mad at the way the regional person completely ignored my email when I got kicked out.  If he ends up having to escalate past the regional level, I'd be willing to tack my email chain on to the issue also, so they know this isn't an isolated thing.

I think it's worth it to note that more than one regular poster is leaving because of this person. So I think that if they escalate past the regional manager it would be worth adding your e-mail chain to the complaint.

[MyFamily]

I'd stay out of it, but if your friend decides to take it further, it would be appropriate to include your e-mail as well, so they can see that this is a long-standing problem.

[TootsNYC]

I wonder if a local newspaper columnist might be interested . . .

[wolfie]

The part that got me is "I will not email to either offer or ask for". The mod doesn't know that his wife gives - all she knows is that someone wants to join freecycle to get some free stuff but isn't willing to give back to others. Lots of boards have rules that you have to post offers before you can post wanted so I wouldn't be too surprised at seeing someone be kicked out for admitting they have no intention of offering.

[Bibliophile]

The part that got me is "I will not email to either offer or ask for". The mod doesn't know that his wife gives - all she knows is that someone wants to join freecycle to get some free stuff but isn't willing to give back to others. Lots of boards have rules that you have to post offers before you can post wanted so I wouldn't be too surprised at seeing someone be kicked out for admitting they have no intention of offering.

POD.  He specifically states that he's not going to be participating other than being on the receiving end - that's not what freecycle is about.  How is the Mod to know that his wife is on?  I would object to the biblical references if that's the issue, but it seems the mod is standing up for the purpose of freecycle...

[TootsNYC]

The part that got me is "I will not email to either offer or ask for". The mod doesn't know that his wife gives - all she knows is that someone wants to join freecycle to get some free stuff but isn't willing to give back to others. Lots of boards have rules that you have to post offers before you can post wanted so I wouldn't be too surprised at seeing someone be kicked out for admitting they have no intention of offering.

Yes, but Freecycle is against that sort of policy, if I recall (someone posted a link here). Adhering to it could lose them their nonprofit status or something.


No, he didn't specifically say he wouldn't offer--he said he wouldn't "email to" either of the categories. He'll do all his stuff on the site.

He doesn't need to get the digest e-mail in order to give something away; that's only for receiving things. And he seldom needs to receive things; when he does, he goes looking for it on the site, because it's more efficient for him..



He's asking to turn off the e-mail digest, and is willing to give up the ability to send e-mail without logging in, as proof of his goodwill.


Instead, she kicked him completely off the group.

But if you are misreading it, then she probably is, too.

He should have just said, "No, it's not that I don't want to participate; it's that I don't want to do it via e-mail, my mailbox fills up too soon, and I miss important e-mails that way. I just want to come to the site for the stuff I giveaway or look for."

[Surianne]

But if you are misreading it, then she probably is, too.

Yes, I read it that way too--he wasn't clear enough that he would be participating in the give and take.  So I think that's what she was responding to.  (Note: I don't know Freecycle rules -- if people are allowed to take items without giving, then her response was out of line.)

I don't like the tone of her response, though, and it would bother me too.

[Slartibartfast]

But if you are misreading it, then she probably is, too.

Yes, I read it that way too--he wasn't clear enough that he would be participating in the give and take.  So I think that's what she was responding to.  (Note: I don't know Freecycle rules -- if people are allowed to take items without giving, then her response was out of line.)

I don't like the tone of her response, though, and it would bother me too.

People are able to take things without giving, although the more annoying ones are usually the ones who keep posting things like "Wanted: car" and "Wanted: new Nintendo Wii" and who never offer anything.  The organization specifically prohibits groups from requiring someone to post an offer before they can ask for anything (although I do think it would be a good idea!) - I do think it has to do with the legal status of the non-profit.

[mikeylou]

POD.  He specifically states that he's not going to be participating other than being on the receiving end - that's not what freecycle is about. 

You're actually wrong there.

The purpose of Freecycle is to keep usable items out of the landfill, either by offering or by wanting.  You -have- to have people who need items in order to fulfill the "cycle of Freecycle". 

So we are not permitted to forbid the Wanteds or to require people to post an offer before they may want.  We can, however, restrict the amount of wanteds.  But to forbid someone from posting one?

The mod the OP is referring to is clearly too focused on the "quantity of offers" (among other issues she appears to have).  Some people just have nothing to give.  At all.  However, someone who is too prideful to post a wanted may need that widget Random Person posted and cannot seem to get a finder for.  [Some people don't even post offers when they have something, they just respond to the wanteds.]

I wonder if she also removed all of the members who were set to "Special Notices" as well.  I noted that she did not mention it.  TBH, "no email" isn't much of a marker of a spammer.  Most YG mods require Special Notices instead of No Email so that members receive any ADMINs that are posted to the group. 

[Surianne]

But if you are misreading it, then she probably is, too.

Yes, I read it that way too--he wasn't clear enough that he would be participating in the give and take.  So I think that's what she was responding to.  (Note: I don't know Freecycle rules -- if people are allowed to take items without giving, then her response was out of line.)

I don't like the tone of her response, though, and it would bother me too.

People are able to take things without giving, although the more annoying ones are usually the ones who keep posting things like "Wanted: car" and "Wanted: new Nintendo Wii" and who never offer anything.  The organization specifically prohibits groups from requiring someone to post an offer before they can ask for anything (although I do think it would be a good idea!) - I do think it has to do with the legal status of the non-profit.

Thanks for the explanation.  Yeah, in that case it sounds like the moderator is completely wrong according to Freecycle rules, too, so I'd contact someone higher up in the chain and let them know.