One of life’s persistent questions: why there is not an amazing app for reuse and giving away stuff, globally. Instead there is a long list of mediocre apps/communities with poor branding all trying to do different things in different places.

#waste #reuse

@Janetgunter been talking about this with people alot lately and it's something closely related to the work of #OHN and maybe even #ValueFlows

collectively agreeing on a semantic standardized way to describe the needs and wants of people connected to physical objects could bring us closer to this dream.

@liaizon @Janetgunter it's not free stuff, but I keep thinking about how useful a shared inventory could be for small businesses in the same area. Auto parts stores do this ("we don't have the part, but our competitor across town does") and we should extend it. It could help shore up local business against Amazon.

@creek @liaizon @Janetgunter The free-market capitalist idea of businesses having to *compete against* each other rather than *cooperate with* each other is a big part of the problem, even if some businesses will buck the trend occasionally

Cooperation is good

Competition can be exciting, but should be reserved for short-term, low-stakes games, not as a way of life

@transponderings @creek @liaizon @Janetgunter Depends on the type of cooperation, e.g. if gib business cooperates on keeping prices artificially way too high, that's harmful too
@gunchleoc @transponderings @creek @liaizon Indeed. Or cooperates to fight good regulation or consumer protection…