Comments Razmear has made

FreeSharing.org - A TFN Improvement, not a CopyCat

I often hear loyal TFN members refer to FreeSharing.org as a CopyCat of TFN.
This is not the case.

I was once a NGA for TFN for the state of South Carolina, and I will admit that I would have never created FreeSharing.org if I did not originally get involved with TFN. However this is not the same as stealing someones intelectual property or ideas.

FreeSharing.org is described on it's home page as: The Next Generation of Free Recycling, so obviously TFN was the previous generation, as there were many previous generations before that going back to the days of FIDO Net and beyond.

FreeSharing.org does have rules, however they are very simple and do not involve any TM or IP protections.
The entire site is public domain and any or all of it may be used by anyone provided it remains in the public domain.

I believe that FreeSharing.org is an improvement upon and a natural progression from it's TFN roots. The issues that plaqued TFN have been resolved in a far simpler and open source model, that has far fewer moving parts and therefore fewer potential points of failure.

I do always wish TFN moderators well and I hope that you all continue free recycling in your areas. The important issue is not which flag you fly over your group, but that you continue to save useful items from the landfills.

Best Regards,
Eric Burke
http://FreeSharing.org
On freecycle: TM, and R.I.P. posted 3 years, 4 months ago 31 Responses

FreeSharing.org - A Sane Alternative

It is for the reasons stated in this article, and the previous Grist article on Freecycle that FreeSharing.org was created.
FreeSharing.org does not seek any trademarks or control over local groups. It acts simply as a directory of Free Recycling groups and any local group is welcome to be listed in the directory regardless of it's affiliation.
There are currently over 500 Free Recycling groups listed in the directory serving over 175,000 members around the world.
Please do not give up on the concept of Free Recycling just because TFN has left a bad taste in your mouth.
If you run a Free Recycling group that is not listed in the FreeSharing.org directory, please use the Submit A Site form and let me know so I can add it to the list. If there is no Free Recycling group listed for your area, please consider starting one up. It's easy to do and we'll help you out the best we can.

Best Regards,
Eric Burke
http://FreeSharing.org
On freecycle: TM, and R.I.P. posted 3 years, 4 months ago 31 Responses

Re: Collapse

I have no problem with FreeCycle at the local level and applaud all the mods out there who work hard to keep items from the landfills. I am actually still a co-mod of an existing FreeCycle group, as well as my FreeShare group and running FreeSharing.org. My issues are only with the corporate level of FreeCycle.
When I refer to FreeCycle collapsing under its own weight, I refer to things like this:
http://www.freecycle.org/faq_tm.php
Which the hard working mods are forced to endure.

eb
freesharing.org
On As Freecycle grows, idealism and reality collide posted 4 years, 6 months ago 85 Responses

A note from FreeSharing.org

I won't try to set straight all of the misinformation given by Deron in his message, as it would take weeks, so I'll just hit the high points.

First, regarding the hit counter that he refers to in an attempt to make my site seem less than worthy. There were 1625 on the counter before the story hit, it has now, thankfully hit 1773 due to the publicity of this article. The counter on my site is a Visitor counter, not a hit counter like FreeCycles. If the same user reloads my site the counter will not increase, which gives a far more accurate number of unique visitors than a hit counter.
Second, no FreeSharing.org is not a registered non-profit organization, nor do I have any desire to hire lawyers or fill out a bunch of paperwork to be one. FreeSharing.org also has no desire to seek a trademark or other legal protection for the name, again no lawyers, no massive legal fees, and no need for shady corporate sponcers.
The operating expence of FreeSharing.org is in the neighborhood of $100 a year, which comes out of my own pocket. Unlike FreeCycle I have never asked for donations, sponcers, or tried to sell FreeCycle T-Shirts for $17 each. FreeSharing.org is a true Grass Roots network where the local moderators have total control over their groups.
Deron consistantly uses the hypocritical line that because I am not a registered non-profit I must be out to make money on my site. Seeing how FreeCycle is NOT an IRS recognized non-profit organization and Deron now makes enough money to quit his day job, I see no logic to his statements.
By the way, I work about 50 hours a week in a factory and update the site in my spare time. Unless I hit the lottery I have no plans on quitting my day job any time soon.

Quote Deron: But, that groups are "leaving by the score" couldn't be further from the case. I can count the groups on one hand out that have left "in scores"

I can also only guess that Deron must have the most deformed hands on the planet. 7 groups in Florida alone left as a result of the WMI issue, and 4 groups in South Carolina have left, and thats just the tip of the ice burg. There are over 120 groups listed on FreeSharing.org, so Deron, how many fingers do you have??? Or are you counting the hairs on the back of your hand to make such a laughable statement.

Regarding my exit from FreeCycle. I was following every rule, and even had Deron as a co owner as required. I started FreeSharing.org PRIOR to leaving FreeCycle and was told that I would have too choose between giving up FreeSharing.org or turn my group over to FreeCycle Administrative control. I refused to surrender my group and did offer to have my wife take over control, which was denied by Deron. No published rule was broken by my FreeCycle group. Because there was some discussion prior to my leaving FreeCycle, Deron's staff took the time to download my membership list of over 900 members. Once I changed my groups name to FreeShare the freecycle staff used that membership list to invite all of my members to the newly created FreeCycle group. Even my test/backup account recieved an invite to join the new group.
Even with their massive campaign to recruit my members, my group still has over double the number of members than the replacement group.

The most common comment from new groups entering the FreeSharing.org directory is that they feel an enormous weight off of their shoulders now that they are free of the FreeCycle network. Too much petty bickering in the Mod Squad, fears of FreeCycle phasing them out once the "new site" is online and local mods become obsolete, tired of the TM BS, with having to have official FreeCycle logos with 3 lines of legal text below the logo, and not being able to use FreeCycle as a verb because it might damage the legal battle to win an official Trademark, just way too much hassle to keep in line with the growing burocracy.

If there was a single point when FreeCycle started to go downhill it was when Deron decided that the name needed to be Trademarked. From there the legal costs started to rack up, and the beurocracy started to grow.
FreeSharing.org will never seek a trademark, and will survive and grow by keeping it simple, 100% locally controlled, and lawyer free.

Best Regards,
Eric Burke
web guy - FreeSharing.orgOn As Freecycle grows, idealism and reality collide posted 4 years, 6 months ago 85 Responses