The Gift Economy

The Gift Economy has always been around; and although currently (2010) under the radar for many, right now it is gradually emerging in a big way. Something that people need to realize, though, is that the Gift Economy goes beyond just being an enticement for people to buy. It is more than a presale strategy. In a full blown Gift Economy there would be no need for buying and selling because giving and receiving would be at such high levels. The web makes a world gift economy more possible than ever before, and today there are visions of a world Gift Economy as never before.

There are Gift Economies at various levels. A 1% Gift Economy is where 1% of available products and services are free. In a 100% Gift Economy everything is free. It would be an incredible state of abundance! A 10% Gift Economy is within reach for many and matches the tradition of tithing 10%, except that the giving is to the community. Those who cannot give 10% can start at 1% or even less.

If you like the idea of having an alternative for conducting human endeavors, consider participating in the Gift Economy. With internet technology now on the planet we have an opportunity to create a world scale gift economy as never before. Your participation helps make this a reality. Through FreeBin you can participate in populating a local and world Gift Economy. It's the New Frontier!

The Gift Economy is based on giving and receiving everything without reliance on currency, the supply of which is repeatedly manipulated for the benefit of a few. It does not operate on strict quid pro quo (something for something). There is no financial coercion in the Gift Economy. The Gift Economy works on the basis of offers and requests, and this is reflected on the Freebin website.

The FreeBin.org Website

The website is pretty much self-explanatory. However, there are just a few features that you should be mindful of:

• Note that there are two main areas, the Offers area and the Requests area. Although you can browse throughout the website, after login, which allows you to make posts and respond by email to posts, you are taken to the teal colored Offers area. The Requests area is accessed by clicking on the Requests link near the upper right of the page. The Requests area has a pink frame and subheadings. Because the Offers and Requests areas are different colors, there is no doubt as to which area you are viewing.

Offers page is teal		Requests page is pink

• You should also be aware of what area you are viewing. Each area has its own set of listings. The default area is Cyberspace or Cyberspace/Noosphere. To view another area, click the area you want to browse listed in the side right column of the page. This will display the listings pertaining to that area. Always be aware of what area you are browsing, searching, or posting in.


• There are links throughout the pages. Get familiar with these by clicking on them. For example, by clicking on any subheading in either the Offers or Requests main pages you will get a roster of all the listings in that area in that classification.


• To view the latest one-hundred listings scroll down the Offers or Requests page to the section below the various classifications. There is also a link in the upper right of the Offers and Requests pages that will take you to the latest listings. Click on those listings for full details about the listings.

Offers

The Offers page has a teal colored frame. This page is always accessible through the Offers link near the top of the page.

The Offers page shows all the items, both products and services, that are currently being offered free of charge by Gift Economy participants. Offers are actual products or services, not offers of money in exchange for products or services. The Offers page can be set to various areas of the world. These areas are listed as the continents, countries listed on the right hand side of the page. Click on the area you are interested in, and the page gets set to that area. You know this by seeing that location in the upper left of the page. Always be sure you are viewing the Offers page for the area in which you want to list or look for offers.

Requests

The Requests page has a pink colored frame, distinct from the teal color of the Offers page for easy identification. You can access the Requests page by clicking on the Requests link near the top of the page.

The Requests page shows all the items, both products and services, that are currently being requested by Gift Economy participants through the service. Like the Offers page, the Requests page can be set to various areas of the world. These areas are listed as the continents, countries listed on the right hand side of the page. Click on the area you are interested in, and the page gets set to that area. You know this by seeing that location in the upper left of the page. Always be sure you are using the Requests page for the area in which you want to list or fulfill for requests.

Cyberspace/Noosphere

This link is in the top right of both the Offers and Requests pages and is for offers or requests made on a global scale, namely information products or services available through the internet, but not necessarily. If courier arrangements are made, physical products can also be offered or requested on a global scale.

How to Post Offerings or Requests

You can post offerings and/or requests by clicking on the Post Offer link on the upper left side of the Offers page or the Post Request link on the upper left of the Requests page. Follow the indications on the pages to complete your post.

For a posting to appear on the website, you must click on the activation link in the acknowledgment email sent to you. In that email there are also links to delete or modify your post. Keep the acknowledgment email until your post expires or you delete it.

Important Fields to Understand When Posting

Besides the self-explanetory fields, on some posting forms (eventually all of them) you will see the following fields:

• Item Type
  This field has three values in the dropdown box besides the default:



• New: specifies that the item offered is new.



• Used: specifies that the item offered is used.



• Service: specifies that the offer is a service.



• Keywords
  This field is pretty much self-explanatory. Just enter concise keywords seperated by a comma that apply to your offer or request.



• Gift Type
  This field has three values in the dropdown box besides the default are:



• Unconditional: This specification means that the offer/request is being given without conditions.
  
  
• Discretionary: This specification means that the offer is conditional on criteria specified by the giver. This is important in order to make sure a special product or service is given to people who, at the discretion of the giver, will be able to make good use of it, or who will take proper responsibility for it. It may require interviews of the possible receivers and involve an agreement between giver and receiver as to the conditions of use of the product or service. For example, certain products or services are only appropriate for individuals over age 18. Another example would be complex technical equipment that requires knowledge and training on the part of the receiver. Discretionary giving is the idea of giving appropriately. Also, barter arrangements come under this category. Discretionary giving based on the sole option that the receiver exchange a set or minimum amount of money for the offer constitutes a sale and is not allowed. FreeBin is not a site for buying and selling, only giving and receiving. However, voluntary unspecified contributions of money are acceptable. For example, at a Gift Economy restaurant or medical clinic, asking for, but not requiring, a voluntary contribution of money is acceptable. Discrimination based on religion, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, age, or disability masked as discretion is prohibited.
  
  
• Presale: This specification is the offering of products or services with the hope that the receiver will later purchase the product or service. Discount coupons come under this category. This is for transactions still embedded in the money system.

Responses to Your Posts

Once your post is up, participants who are interested will contact you via the contact form in the post or your email address as specified when creating the post.

Concept of the Inbin

Although not mentioned in any of the menus or links, it is important to understand the simple concept of the inbin. The inbin is the pool of products and services created by the contributions of all Gift Economy participants. You can freely receive any products and services that are inbin. Products and services are said to be inbin if they are posted on the website and available to be freely given. In the Gift Economy you are encouraged to post to the inbin whatever products or services you are capable and willing to freely provide as one of the three gift types (unconditional, discretionary, or presale) described above.

Instead of speaking of the state of the economy, in the Gift Economy one speaks of the state of the inbin. The database of all offerings from around the world defines the world inbin. The richer the inbin, the better for everyone. Everyone is responsible for the state of the inbin.

Tell Others

Enjoy the Gift Economy! Tell others about it. It's here now and for the future.