Privacy

In a day when the UK government has announced a very serious breach of privacy for half the UK population with names, bank account and national insurance details simply "lost" on a CD it should act as a reminder to each and every one of us to take care of our privacy on-line, and that includes freecycling groups. As of today I would like to institute a policy that any personal details, other than name, general location and email address will be removed from all posts by your owner-moderator team. If the details cannot be removed then the post will be deleted. In all cases the originator will be informed and asked to repost as necessary, without any personal data. By personal data we mean details about your family, your home, including telephone number and actual address. Of course for you to actively freecycle you needs must tell someone where you live. That is generally not a problem since it is a communication such as one you would do if you sold an item in a newspaper. You are only telling one individual in this instance, rather than the group. We will continue to look at this issue and if we find other ways of helping members maintain privacy then we will discuss, inform and amend our guidelines and processes.

Can you survive without buying anything for six months?

On MoneySavingExpert.com there is a report of a new reality TV show that might interest freecyclers. The core question asked by the programme is, can you survive for six or even twelve months without buying anything, except basics. == VOLUNTEERS FOR BBC TV PROGRAMME == This came in to the York Freecycle mailbox the other day. It sounds like a great opportunity. .. "I am recruiting potential volunteers for a television show in which people agree not to buy anything (except basic food, toiletries and medicine) for 6-12 months. The show will investigate shopping addiction, consumer culture, debt, and the impact of consumerism on the environment. The volunteers would be encouraged to barter, forage, or trade skills to procure the extra things they needed. The presenter, Robert Llewellyn (currently undergoing his own year of not buying anything), would serve as an encouragement to the volunteers, providing any support and resources needed. This show is not meant to be an exploitive journalistic piece about irresponsible people - it is meant to help people all over the UK by encouraging them to stop unnecessary spending. This show is my baby: I have always dreamed of re-starting a bartering culture/economy and helping the environment. I know it could have a really encouraging impact on the UK." Do you know of anyone specifically who might be interested in participating in this project? If so, contact Amanda.Graham@ bbc.co.uk

49% of BT customers love Branson

A recent poll of BT's business customers put Richard Branson clear ahead of other household names such as Alan Sugar as the South East's business icon.