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= Cafe Groups - General Info  =
The Freegle website provides [[ChitChat]], a facility for all members to chat, share local information and make recommendations. You can get email notifications of ChitChat activity via ModTools > Settings > Personal > "Email me about ChitChat?".


As a Freegle group moderator or owner you may choose to create either a local cafe group for your own group, or combine with other local moderators to create a combined area cafe group.  
Before ChitChat existed, when Freegle mainly communicated using Yahoo Groups, moderators could set up a separate local cafe group for their own community, or join with neighbouring moderators to run a combined area cafe group. This page and its related pages describe that older arrangement, and will be reviewed for obsolescence.


Cafe groups are useful so that those issues and items which are not suitable for the main Freegle group can be redirected elsewhere.
==Setting up a cafe==


A cafe group is simply another Yahoo group which is set up in the same manner as the main group via :
A separate cafe group can be useful for redirecting issues and items that aren't suitable for the main Freegle platform, although it takes extra work to moderate.


http://groups.yahoo.com/start
Link to your cafe group from your main group's guidelines and from your homepage - that should be enough to make members aware it exists.


It is suggested that the group is set up in the same category as the main group e.g.  
It's also worth sending an admin message to your main Freegle group once the cafe has been set up. If you have an automatic signature on outgoing emails to members, you could add a link to the cafe group there too, and include it in your welcome message.


:Cultures___Community
==What can cafes be used for?==
:Issues_and_Causes
:Environment
:Issues_and_Activism
:Recycling


but is not listed in the main Yahoo! index. This will help ensure that the group is not joined in error by members looking for the main Freegle group, and perhaps help keep the group clear of spammers.  
Cafe groups suit topics that don't fit ChitChat or the main message board.


You can link to the cafe group from your main group guidelines and provide a link from your homepage - that should be sufficient to let group members be aware of its existence.
===Requesting information, services or help===


It would also be useful to send out an [[Cafe New Admin|admin announcing your cafe group]] on the main Freegle group once it has been created. If you have an automatic signature on your outgoing emails to Freegle group members you could add a link to the cafe group and also include it in your welcome message from the main website.  
Members may want to request information about local services, ask for recommendations for tradespeople, advertise local community events, ask for volunteers, ask for help (for example moving a large or bulky item), or find out where to buy or get a particular item or service.


= What Can Cafes Be Used For?  =
===Advertising businesses and services===


Cafe groups are useful for allowing those topics which are not generally allowed on the main Freegle group.  
Decide whether to allow members to offer their own services or advertise businesses directly on your cafe. You may prefer to ask them to use a links section or database instead, if your group offers that facility.


== Request Information, Services or Help  ==
===Borrowing and swapping===


Members may want to request information about local services and ask for recommendations for local tradespeople. They may wish to advertise local community events or ask for volunteers to help out. They may wish to ask for help (perhaps moving a large or bulky item) or get information about where they can buy a particular item or get a particular service.  
You can allow borrowing and swapping if you wish, but make it clear to members when they join that you won't get involved if a problem arises. There are also potential liability issues for lenders (see [[Lending Liability]]), so you might decide it's safer not to allow borrowing via your group.


== Advertise Businesses and Services  ==
===Pets===


You should decide whether you want to allow members to offer their own services and advertise their businesses directly on the group. You may prefer to ask that members place their adverts in a database or the links section of the group instead. Find a template database [[Cafe Database Template|here]].  
If your main Freegle community allows pet offers or requests, make sure your pet moderator (if you have one) is also a cafe member.


== Borrowing and Swapping  ==
If your community doesn't allow pets, be aware the topic may still come up in the cafe. Provide a list of animal rehoming links and local animal charities - a list of national links is on [[Pets and animals|this page]].


You can allow borrowing and swapping if you wish, but may like to make it clear to members upon joining that you will not get involved if there is a problem encountered.  Furthermore, there are potential liability issues for lenders (see [[Lending Liability]] so you might feel that to safeguard them it is best not to allow borrowing via your group.
===Vouchers and coupons===


== Pets  ==
Vouchers and coupons aren't technically saved from landfill, and may require further spending to use, so you may want to let members offer or request them on your cafe group rather than your main group.


If your main Freegle group allows pet offer or wanted messages, it would be wise to make sure your pet moderator (if you have one) is also a cafe member.
==Technical stuff==


If your group does not allow pets, be aware that the issue may be raised in the cafe. Provide a list of animal rehoming links, and also links to local animal charities too. A list of national links can be found [[Pets and animals|on this page here]].  
Cafe groups are chat groups, so choose whatever settings work best for your community.


== Selling  ==
Templates for setting up your own cafe group:


????
* [[Cafe Guidelines|Cafe Group Guidelines]] - send on joining, then monthly
* [[Cafe Disclaimer|Cafe Group Disclaimer]] - send on joining, then as often as you prefer
* [[Cafe Leave|Cafe Group Leaving Letter]] - send when a member leaves


== Vouchers and Coupons  ==
==List of cafes==


As these items are not technically able to be saved from landfill, or they may require further spend in order to be used, you may wish to ask members to offer/request vouchers and coupons on your cafe group.  
An old list of Freegle cafe groups is held on this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhDLE82mEn2jdG9WVmMzamhZd2pIcGxCaWV0Mnotbnc&usp=sharing


= Technical Stuff  =
==See also==
* [[Local Community]]
* [[Running Your Group]]
* [[Freegle Cafe]], the current national group on Discourse for informal topics


Cafe groups are chat groups; this means that unlike the main Freegle group where emails from the group are sent directly to members, the messages should go onto the list.
[[Category:Running Your Community]]
 
To do this, ensure your group settings are as follows:
 
Click on the Yahoo! group '''Management''' link
 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YOURGROUPNAME/management/view
 
Then
 
*'''Group Settings'''
*'''Messages'''
*'''Posting and Archives''' ''(edit)''
 
;Who Can Post
 
:[Members]
 
;Reply-to
 
:[All Members] ''This ensures the group is a chat group''
 
;Moderation
 
:[New Members] ''You may wish to moderate new members upon joining to ensure they are not spammers and then unmoderate after their first message to the group''
 
;Attachments
 
:[Exclude from site and emails]
 
;Spam Filter
 
:[''Choose whichever option you prefer'']
 
;Archive Options Access
 
:[Members]
 
'''Note''' : you may wish to limit who has access to uploading files and creating links on the cafe group.
 
== Auto Send Files  ==
 
Please find below a number of files that you can use for setting up your own cafe group.
 
*[[Cafe Guidelines|Cafe Group Guidelines]] - send out upon joining and then monthly thereafter
*[[Cafe Disclaimer|Cafe Group Disclaimer]] - send out upon joining and then how ever often you prefer
*[[Cafe Businesses Database|Cafe Group Businesses Database]] - send out when you like if you wish to use this option
*[[Cafe Leave|Cafe Group Leaving Letter]] - send out upon leaving the group
 
<br> Back to [[Local Community]] or [[Running Your Group]] [[File:Manage-local-group.png|20px|link=Running Your Local Group]]
 
== List of Cafes==
 
A (probably incomplete!) list of Freegle cafe groups is held on this spreadsheet [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhDLE82mEn2jdG9WVmMzamhZd2pIcGxCaWV0Mnotbnc&usp=sharing]
 
[[Category:Cafe]]

Latest revision as of 12:00, 17 July 2026

The Freegle website provides ChitChat, a facility for all members to chat, share local information and make recommendations. You can get email notifications of ChitChat activity via ModTools > Settings > Personal > "Email me about ChitChat?".

Before ChitChat existed, when Freegle mainly communicated using Yahoo Groups, moderators could set up a separate local cafe group for their own community, or join with neighbouring moderators to run a combined area cafe group. This page and its related pages describe that older arrangement, and will be reviewed for obsolescence.

Setting up a cafe

A separate cafe group can be useful for redirecting issues and items that aren't suitable for the main Freegle platform, although it takes extra work to moderate.

Link to your cafe group from your main group's guidelines and from your homepage - that should be enough to make members aware it exists.

It's also worth sending an admin message to your main Freegle group once the cafe has been set up. If you have an automatic signature on outgoing emails to members, you could add a link to the cafe group there too, and include it in your welcome message.

What can cafes be used for?

Cafe groups suit topics that don't fit ChitChat or the main message board.

Requesting information, services or help

Members may want to request information about local services, ask for recommendations for tradespeople, advertise local community events, ask for volunteers, ask for help (for example moving a large or bulky item), or find out where to buy or get a particular item or service.

Advertising businesses and services

Decide whether to allow members to offer their own services or advertise businesses directly on your cafe. You may prefer to ask them to use a links section or database instead, if your group offers that facility.

Borrowing and swapping

You can allow borrowing and swapping if you wish, but make it clear to members when they join that you won't get involved if a problem arises. There are also potential liability issues for lenders (see Lending Liability), so you might decide it's safer not to allow borrowing via your group.

Pets

If your main Freegle community allows pet offers or requests, make sure your pet moderator (if you have one) is also a cafe member.

If your community doesn't allow pets, be aware the topic may still come up in the cafe. Provide a list of animal rehoming links and local animal charities - a list of national links is on this page.

Vouchers and coupons

Vouchers and coupons aren't technically saved from landfill, and may require further spending to use, so you may want to let members offer or request them on your cafe group rather than your main group.

Technical stuff

Cafe groups are chat groups, so choose whatever settings work best for your community.

Templates for setting up your own cafe group:

List of cafes

An old list of Freegle cafe groups is held on this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhDLE82mEn2jdG9WVmMzamhZd2pIcGxCaWV0Mnotbnc&usp=sharing

See also

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