Freecycle.org? how do i get added to the group?

Question

i already made an account, and i didnt remember the username OR password, so i re made a username and password ALL OVER again, and now its saying since i am already a member of the st. charles group, i cant be re added, but i do not remember my old password to the first one, so therefore, i cant see my groups when i go to www.freecycle.org. im very confused, i want to be able to see when my group people are online so i can know when to reply and expect an email back!! sorry to make this sound so complicated and confusing, but thats how im feeling, i cant make it sound any more simpler!

Answer 1

Randcon-

I was going to send you an email question but for whatever reason you don't allow emails so here's the Q irt freecycle:

I was genuinely shocked when a post of mine was not approved on a local freecycle site.  It was a wanted post for Wrist rocket/BB Gun/Archery/Crossbow type items.  I've pasted my reply to the rejection email I received below.  I'd appreciate your view and would like to know if these items are "not allowed" on your freeccle site.

  I apologize because I didn't realize that these items broke any rules.  I use multiple different sites so it's impossible continually remember the individual differences of each.  None of them are firearms and actually I don't really understand why items that teach hand/eye coordination are forbidden anyway because they're simply toys/items that teach hand/eye coordination.  Nothing is a weapon unless used in that way and anything "can be" a weapon such as a rake, baseball bats, shovel, rope, glass jar, rock, antifreeze, etc. which are all allowed (I think) on freecycle.  What about video games like Grand Theft Auto or "Kill All Humans"?  Can you tell me if those "violence breeding" games are allowed?  Can you tell me if "all" the items I asked for are forbidden (even the wrist rocket)?...

I'm not trying to be a jerk (seriously, I'm not).  Forbidding actual firearms makes sense because there are laws irt tracking the ownership of most of them.  It does seem that the current rule is along the lines of right intensions wrong execution though when it goes to the extreme of including the things I was asking for.  Thanks for letting me know about this rule (hopefully it gets changed in the near future).  Actually, in the same way that the constitution, State, and local laws are changed over time, can you tell me what the process is for addressing & changing rules in freecycle?  Are these rules specific to each area or have they been set by Yahoo?  Also, how does someone become a moderator?  Thanks for your time.  Thanks for your time.

Answer 2

Okay.... Let's see if we can sort this out.  I'm a Freecycle moderator for the Houston area so I'm familiar with the concept.

Freecycle.org is the Freecycle Network's main web site and you can't check your local groups' messages and such from that site, so trying to log on to that site is not going to work out that well.

Next, what Yahoo account are you using to check mail?  Normally when you log into your normal Yahoo account to check mail and such that is the account you use to log into your local group.  That should also be the same account that you are receiving messages from the group on.  

When you're logged into your Yahoo account, goto http://groups.yahoo.com/mygroups and see what it shows you in the way of groups you belong to.  I suspect you'll see the group in question there.

If you are already receiving e-mails from the group, then all you have to do is click on "reply" to that e-mail and you will reply to that person directly (all groups are required that replies goto the person who posted the message and not the group) and you can try to get the item.  

If you want to post an item, then look at the e-mail address you are receiving group messages from (possibly [e-mail] or something similar) and create a message to that e-mail with the subject line following the Freecycle format (OFFER:  <item(s)> - <location>) and then the message body having all of the details.  Send that off (or goto the group home again and click "message - post" and do the same thing) and you'll be set.