Cafe Groups: Difference between revisions

From Freegle Wiki
← Older edit
revise header, topic appears to be obsolete – consider merge to ChitChat?
Wiki revamp: restructure & modernise
 
(One intermediate revision by one other user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
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?".


The Freegle site provides the [[ChitChat]] facility for all members to contribute to, for general information, chat, recommendations etc. You can receive notifications of those chats via email to keep you in touch with conversations. Go to 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.


Before this, when Freegle mainly communicated using Yahoo groups, Freegle moderators or owners could choose to separately create either a local cafe group for their own community, or combine with other local moderators to create a combined area cafe group.
==Setting up a cafe==


This and related pages on the topic will be reviewed for obsolescence.
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.


== Setting up a Cafe ==
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.


A separate Cafe group might be useful so that issues and items which are not suitable for the Freegle platform can be redirected elsewhere, although will take extra work to moderate.  
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.


You can link to your cafe group from your main group guidelines and provide a link from your homepage - that should be sufficient to let members be aware of its existence.
==What can cafes be used for?==


It would also be useful to send out an admin 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.
Cafe groups suit topics that don't fit ChitChat or the main message board.


== What Can Cafes Be Used For? ==
===Requesting information, services or help===


Cafe groups are useful for allowing those topics which might not be suitable for Chitchat or the main message board.  
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.


=== Request Information, Services or Help ===
===Advertising businesses and services===


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.  
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.


=== Advertise Businesses and Services ===
===Borrowing and swapping===


You should decide whether you want to allow members to offer their own services and advertise their businesses directly on your cafe.. You may prefer to ask that members place their adverts in a database or the links section of the group instead, if it offers that facility.  
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.


=== Borrowing and Swapping ===
===Pets===


You can allow borrowing and swapping if you wish, but should 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.
If your main Freegle community allows pet offers or requests, make sure your pet moderator (if you have one) is also a cafe member.


=== Pets ===
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]].


If your main Freegle community allows pet offers or requests, it would be wise to make sure your pet moderator (if you have one) is also a cafe member.
===Vouchers and coupons===


If your community 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]].  
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.


=== Vouchers and Coupons ===
==Technical stuff==


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


== Technical Stuff ==
Templates for setting up your own cafe group:


Cafe groups are chat groups, so choose settings that work best for your needs.
* [[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


Please find below a number of files that you can use for setting up your own cafe group.
==List of cafes==


*[[Cafe Guidelines|Cafe Group Guidelines]] - send out upon joining and then monthly thereafter
An old list of Freegle cafe groups is held on this spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhDLE82mEn2jdG9WVmMzamhZd2pIcGxCaWV0Mnotbnc&usp=sharing
*[[Cafe Disclaimer|Cafe Group Disclaimer]] - send out upon joining and then how ever often you prefer
*[[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]]
==See also==
* [[Local Community]]
* [[Running Your Group]]
* [[Freegle Cafe]], the current national group on Discourse for informal topics


== List of Cafes==
[[Category:Running Your Community]]
 
An old 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

Retrieved from "https://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/index.php?title=Cafe_Groups&oldid=56797"