Post by cye on Feb 6, 2011 17:10:23 GMT -5
Why not use a forum to request help/skills/labour in exchange for things other than money, such as your skills/labour etc ? Or, if not that way inclined, to rent or hire within the community for nominal-ish £ amounts which contribute to the owner's cost of ownership, relying on and building trust with your counterpart? In this way the whole community could benefit, both financially and by building trust & working together.
There must be lots of things we could share or rent-share on a community basis. Supposedly even the humble power drill on average only ever sees 12 minutes of use over its whole life!
What about all those fantastically inspiring books on your shelves? How about lending them out in exchange for borrowing someone else's favourite books?
Using the lawnmower as an example: A typical suburban street may have dozens or even scores of lawnmowers, yet in reality, even on a good summer's day, only one or two are in use at any given time. How we have collectively lined the pockets of lawnmower manufacturers and DIY chains over the years! And why? Because we don't trust one another.
Why not have a communal lawnmower or two, maybe even get a more robust/expensive model fit for heavier duty and share it about? Have a rota, with a few of the mechanically minded folks maintaining it, and the less mechanically minded folks buying the petrol, and maybe the old lady up the street providing the garage space, etc.? One common fear with such a scheme is that "there will always be someone", i.e., someone who doesn't play by the rules, messes the others around, and takes advantage.
What ideas do you have which might address the trust problem in our lawnmower scenario?
Perhaps a feedback system could be used? Such systems have proven themselves on the likes of ebay - Could this be adapted here?
What about peer-to-peer rental schemes like Ecomodo? Anyone any experience of these?
Please make suggestions and post your ideas!
There must be lots of things we could share or rent-share on a community basis. Supposedly even the humble power drill on average only ever sees 12 minutes of use over its whole life!
What about all those fantastically inspiring books on your shelves? How about lending them out in exchange for borrowing someone else's favourite books?
Using the lawnmower as an example: A typical suburban street may have dozens or even scores of lawnmowers, yet in reality, even on a good summer's day, only one or two are in use at any given time. How we have collectively lined the pockets of lawnmower manufacturers and DIY chains over the years! And why? Because we don't trust one another.
Why not have a communal lawnmower or two, maybe even get a more robust/expensive model fit for heavier duty and share it about? Have a rota, with a few of the mechanically minded folks maintaining it, and the less mechanically minded folks buying the petrol, and maybe the old lady up the street providing the garage space, etc.? One common fear with such a scheme is that "there will always be someone", i.e., someone who doesn't play by the rules, messes the others around, and takes advantage.
What ideas do you have which might address the trust problem in our lawnmower scenario?
Perhaps a feedback system could be used? Such systems have proven themselves on the likes of ebay - Could this be adapted here?
What about peer-to-peer rental schemes like Ecomodo? Anyone any experience of these?
Please make suggestions and post your ideas!