So, where are you? Stuck, Starting or Striding?
Canadian Freecycle groups have been jumping ship one after the other in the past few weeks! Do you wonder what the heck is going on here? Can't get any information on the Freecycle modsquads? A few of us ex-freecycle mods have started a forum for Canadian Freecycle owners/mods to get information and to chat with those of us who have distanced ourselves from Freecycle..Right now, mods find themself in one of these three conditions.
STUCK, STARTING, STRIDING
We love this little metaphor that we borrowed from climatecounts.org, an organization promoted on LIVE EARTH day in July/07. Here's how we think it applies to Freecycle moderators.
Folks
presently part of TFN (The Freecycle" Network). You might be totally in
the dark, oblivious to what's going on below the surface in the
Freecycle world. But, you see all this change and start to think that
where there's smoke, there's probably fire. If you're in this category,
I suggest that you spend an hour or two browsing around on Andy
Swarbrick's blog. Andy is an ex-Freecycle moderator from the U.K. who
was dumped by Deron and the Freecycle network for having an opinion and
asking a few questions.
You've
seen the changes taking place. The list of Freecycle groups abandoning
the TFN ship is growing by the day: Edmonton, Ottawa,
Kitchener/Waterloo, Regina, Cowichan Valley(BC), Hants County (NS).
You're wondering... thinking that maybe you should leave too? You want
to know more about all of this. You need to understand before you jump!
I suggest that you join the FUTURE OF CANADA group. And, by all means,
read the front page for the group. The square wheels and butterfly
metaphors might help you understand.
Ok.
You've read Andy Swarbrick's blog; you've joined the Future of Canada
group and seen first hand the changes taking place. You're convinced
you should do something!. Now what? Send an email to our
Segue.Specialist, Karyne Bailey. Karyne runs the very successful
Cowichan Valley, B.C. Recycle group. She has helped many groups through
the transition. She'll hold your hand, show you what to do and how to
do it, and work with you right through the transition. Contact Karyne
at: Segue.Specialist@FullCircles.org. Karyne is one of those people who
gave and gave and gave to the Freecycle movement, and, in return, was
stripped of her TFN responsibilities for expressing an opinion
different from the official TFN party line. And her group was
unilaterally de-listed from Freecycle.org.
You're
on your way! You're FREE! No more worrying about foreign ownership; TM
compliance; micromanagement. You're in the motivate and encourage
mode; out of the police and control mode! Your stress levels and your
blood pressure are dropping. Now you can have even more fun! You'll
want to join the ReUseIt mod and member forums. Karyne will give you
all the poop on those groups.
If
you want to chat about any of this, you can call me anytime at: (613)
688-1570. Can't guarantee I'll be there, but I will get back to you.
Eric Snyder
FullCircles.org