At one point recently, the founders tried to very mildly promote their book and all the admins of all the Buy Nothing chapters gave them a lot of backlash for trying to hawk stuff in the Admin Hub group.
It is designed to be more inclusive that way -- otherwise, some people grab everything and others are discouraged and become disengaged. Also, a big mission of the Buy Nothing Project is to build a sense of community among the members and a lot of that plays out in the comment thread interactions. It's better for the community-building if people take the time to type out thoughtful comments and share a little about themselves, as opposed to race to be the first to type "Interested" or "me!"
Personally, the whole thing feels oppressive to me. I'd rather pay $30 on Amazon than explain to my "community" why I should be chosen to get X or Y.
It reminds me Charlie Sheen's quip about prostitutes: "I don’t pay them for sex. I pay them to leave." Likewise, one of the primary benefits of ordinary money/stuff transactions is that it's not all tangled up with obligation or any other social baggage.
Oppressive is kind of an absurd word to describe this. It's a friendly neighborhood organization that allows you to get and give junk for free.
- Sometimes multiple people are interested in a give.
- The giver needs to choose one somehow.
- Random selection is as common as anything else in my group.
- Some people like to give details, some people like to hear them, and some people like to use them to prioritize, because it fosters relationships with their close neighbors. It is by no means required.
If you ever decide that perhaps buying another new plastic thing from China via Amazon is not the best solution to a problem in your life, consider trying it.
Sure, it's not for everyone because there is social pressure to leave a kind word for others in your community, and there are other free exchange groups that may fit your style more. No one is required to explain why they need something, but a lot of people feel comfortable saying "my daughter would love this" instead of a lot of "me"s and "next"s. It's a weird vicarious dopamine hit for everyone else reading along; hard to explain if you haven't experienced it.
> Personally, the whole thing feels oppressive to me.
To me, too. It reads like "In order to be considered for a gift, explain how you suck and can't provide, and how good you are at feeling generalized gratitude and appreciation. All of you will be judged, the least capable and most thankful will be chosen."
