Introductory Questions
What is neighBORROW.com?
OK, how does the system work?
What the heck is a neighBORROWhood?
Can I belong to more than on group?
How does it actually work?
Is it legal?
What's all the talk about being Mayor?
ALPHA? BETA?
neighBORROW is an online community built around and among existing traditional physical communities for the purposes of (among other things) borrowing, lending, trading and maximizing the use and value of "things." neighBORROW combines the traditional notion of borrowing a cup of sugar from a neighbor and uses the Internet for easier tracking, inventory, accountability metrics, social networking, trust, organization etc. (not to mention what it does for the environment)
another answer...
neighBORROW .com is a free, interactive web site that boasts a real-time, centralized and consolidated database that identifies books, movies, CDs, and other miscellaneous items that may be available (for the purposes of borrowing) in your apartment or office building, neighborhood, school, or place of worship (basically any group of people imaginable).^ back to top
OK, how does it work?
The web site instantaneously and electronically catalogs the aggregate collection of all of the items entered by its members into a searchable database. In essence, neighBORROW.com converts this group of neighbors, co-workers, classmates, (even verified strangers) into a fully functioning library of stuff. The user-friendly interface allows for searching and browsing, and facilitates communication between lenders and borrowers to coordinate real-world exchanges of available, actual things within a neighBORROW hood.^ back to top
What the heck is a neighBORROW-hood?
A neighBORROW-hood is a group of people willing to share items such as books, movies, CDs, tools; even information, photos, recipes (ANYTHING that can be shared legally) with one another. People within a neighBORROW-hood can also trade items and share the cost of buying new items. Two types of neighBORROW-hoods exist, "Local" and "Virtual."
Local neighBORROW-hoods consist of people living or working within close proximity to each other. These neighBORROW-hoods are either public or private (see the representative examples listed below).
Local Private a group of friends at a school, a group of
employees at work
Local Public a city apartment or office building, a dormitory, a
gated community, etc.
Thanks to the Internet however, we are able to offer "virtual" neighBORROW-hoods for those whose physical distance would otherwise preclude them from sharing with each other (regularly at least). While the proximity in local neighBORROW-hoods refers to physical distances, the proximity in virtual neighBORROW-hoods can apply to anything, family, common interest, alma mater, etc. Virtual neighBORROW-hoods are also either public or private (see the representative examples listed below).
Virtual Private college alumni living all across the country, members of a national trade association, etc
Virtual Public common interest group, exotic car club, etc.
Shipping is required for most virtual neighBORROW-hood transactions. In order to ensure optimal functionality and practicality, we are proud to announce that we will have shipping integrated with the site shortly. We will pass the cost along to our users but we are confident you will enjoy the convenience. For most items you will not have to leave your home and the charges will be nominal (often "nominal" means expensive or difficult to find out, so it's basically fifty cents for a media disc and less than two dollars for most books).^ back to top
Can I belong to more than one group?
Absolutely. Our technology allows you to create new groups and join as many groups as you wish. There is a a group, even, that is composed of every member of the site who wishes and is qualified to join. It is very easy to maintain a single library - all you need to do is decide which items you want to share with everyone and which items you would prefer to share only with other members of your private group(s). You can change items back and forth at any time between public and private and as you feel more and more comfortable we hope you will make more and more items available to your public groups.^ back to top
How does the system actually work?
Once you are a part of a neighBORROW-hood you can browse the items your fellow neighBORROW-ers have listed. If you find something you like, simply click on it (or click REQUEST) and a message will be sent automatically to the owner of the item (the owner's details will not be visible to the public but the system knows). The owner will have the opportunity of confirming, denying or asking for more information. If the lender confirms the transaction, the borrow-er will simply pick it up as indicated (or the item will be placed in the mail or handled privately). In a local public neighBORROW-hood like an apartment building or neighBORROW- hood, since the borrow-er knows the location of the item (the transactions always take place on the lenders home field so they will go down to the lenders front desk, the lenders actual mailbox, etc) and the lender has the username of the borrow-er, the transaction can be completed in 2 clicks or less. The lender clicks confirm, attaches the borrow-ers username, and brings it down to his or her doorman within the specified time period. Once the borrow-er sees the confirmation, he or she knows to go to the home field and get the item with the username on it within the specified time period.^ back to top
Is it legal?
The short answer is yes, absolutely, no question about it.
The medium answer is yes, if you legally obtained a legal version of something and you do not DUPLICATE IT illegally or violate the copyright, you have every right to lend it, share it, trade it or sell it. It is called right of first sale and it is what allows you to sell it on Ebay or lend it to your best friend. Finally a proper way to share music legally. Under no circumstances will we turn a blind eye to something, however. We do not believe in the excuse that certain behaviors of users on our site are "out of our hands." We have a zero tolerance policy for activity that violates copyright (or any other) law, is associated with piracy, or runs counter to our TERMS in any way.
For the long answer, consult our terms (it's important that you do!). ^ back to top
What's all the talk about being Mayor?
Mayors are vital to neighBORROW .com and play a critical role in both public and also private neighBORROW-hoods. In both cases, we are going to need some assistance "from the inside." For private neighBORROW-hoods, the Mayor is automatically the first person in the group, the group's creator. This person will be responsible for inviting new members and accepting requests to join. No one can join a private group without permission from the Mayor or by using a special link or password. Private Mayors can also decide not to accept requests at all. In this case the group will be STRICTLY invitation only. For established public neighBORROW-hoods the selection process will be a democratic one. For newly created neighBORROW-hoods, the Mayor must apply to and be approved by neighBORROW.com. Mayors of private neighBORROW-hoods will enjoy potential free books and movies and public Mayors may be entitled to share advertising revenue generated by the traffic in their neighBORROW-hood.^ back to top
What is with this ALPHA BETA whatever...
BETA is a term thrown around a great deal on the Internet with startups, and people are starting to get a little sick of it since it basically is a license to get things wrong (or to launch before you are really ready). We are in a legitimate ALPHA right now. Since we physically need users and testers and listers and lenders, it is actually impossible for us to wait for a pure launch. SO, that's our alpha beta excuse/explanation. Alpha phase will consist of more debugging, continued design improvement and users will be able to list items, join neighBORROW-hoods, and check each other out. The official BETA version of the site will launch when we have 10k users and will consist of real, public lending, borrowing and trading, with the functioning rating system, deposits, mailing etc.^ back to top
Frequently Asked Questions
How does it work?
Why would I lend something?
How easy is it to add items I own?
What can I borrow?
How do I know I'll get it back in good condition (or at all)?
What if there is a legitimate issue or dispute?
How are the actual transactions executed?
Can I get something right away, in real time?
What's the incentive for the doorpeople, security guards, and
Mayors?
Is it REALLY FREE?
How are you going to make money?
How does it work?
- After
you sign up for the site you will LIST YOUR ITEMS. You can tag each
item as public or private, local (not willing or able to ship) or
virtual (willing and able to put it in the mail). You will start
accumulating a rating by listing items and you will continue to earn a
rating and a "borrowing power" by everything you do on the site.
- Join a neighBORROW-hood. neighBORROW-hoods act not only as the bond among people, but also the filter. Just like the items, neighBORROW-hoods are local or virtual, public or private. You should look for a local one first, by searching for your city or ZIP code... you can join as many as you want. Join one at work, one in your building, and perhaps a virtual one with a group of common enthusiasts or alumnae. (If there is no group for you to join, you can CREATE ONE, see the answer about Mayors)
- Once you are a member of a neighBORROW-hood, you can start to request items, and you may start receiving requests for your own items. Based on the type of neighBORROW-hood, you will confirm a request or see a confirmation, then deliver or receive the item according one of the many exchange scenarios.
Why would I lend something?
So you can borrow something, of course! You must list and lend things in order to borrow things in PUBLIC neighBORROW-hoods (there are no rules or minimums for PRIVATE groups). Without listing and lending requirements, everyone is worse off. These requirements help ensure that there will be plenty of things available for borrowing. There is no way to "buy" the right to borrow at neighBORROW, you have to earn it. The site is of the people, for the people, and most certainly BY the people. Those who lend just a little will be able to borrow quite a bit and those who lend a lot will be able to borrow much more, get special priorities on the site and may be entitled to other bonuses. Besides, it's fun, it's environmentally friendly, it's a good way to keep track of your stuff, and it's nice!^ back to top
It's getting easier ever day. On the navigation bar with the icons, there is a link to LIST SOMETHINGS. On your home page (your Onlinebrary), we have developed a quick add feature. For books, simply enter the ISBN number and ALL the information will be filled in automatically, even the cover! You can edit it later to tell us about the condition and things of that nature. For movies we have an autofill feature for titles and we are adding more every day. Just type the first few letters and we will figure out what you are typing. For miscellaneous items we have a growing checklist so you do not have to sit and type everything. We are doing everything we can to make the site as easy and convenient for you as possible. You can also browse through the site and add items from other Onlinebraries, just by clicking a button. If you have a huge collection, please contact us and we will help you out.^ back to top
Short answer:The content is supplied by you (the collective you... y'all) not by us. As long as it's legal and "lends" itself to sharing, trading, or communal ownership, and it's available, borrow AWAY (or trade). Books, movies, games, tools, camping gear, toys, sporting equipment, electronics, chargers, adapters, headphones, baby items, cooking equipment, and much, much more!
Longer answer:Public items are categorized as either basic or premium. Basic items are items with a self-imposed value of up to $25. An item can be worth much more, but if it's listed as basic, it's subject to the rules for basic items. Private items have no categories. We believe the most popular items are things that people like to USE but don't need to OWN. Books that have been read and are sitting around collecting dust; movies that have been purchased and viewed (so members can avoid the costs of rental clubs or purchasing a new release that you plan to watch only once); video games that you've already mastered; power tools; equipment that normally gets rented; even a boat or a vacation home one day!*^ back to top
How do I know I'll get it back in good condition (or at all)?
A comprehensive rating and reward system. Deposits. Due dates. Late return penalties. neighBORROW insurance. Active collateral "out" on the system. Borrower screening. Selective lending. Private neighBORROWhoods. CONTACT US FOR MORE ON THIS ANSWER.^ back to top
What if there is a legitimate issue or dispute?
neighBORROW will not get involved in private group disputes. Those must be handled by the members or the Mayor.
In public groups, however, integrity rules at neighBORROW. The system was designed to allow the site's founders, staff, and fellow users to easily discern a legitimate claim from a fraudulent one. It is in our best interest to reward folks who follow the rules and to penalize those who do not.
If you are the type of user who appreciates, accepts and abides by the site's underlying philosophy, you should feel completely confident in taking full advantage of the capabilities of the system. Rest assured that we will make every effort to ensure that a good neighBORROW-er never gets burned, and to remedy the situation quickly and fairly if need be.
In order to do this, we reserve the right to cancel a member's account. An account that repeatedly finds itself involved with issues or disputes will be penalized, suspended, or completely terminated.
Plus, users will have the ability not only to reward each other but also to penalize each other. Warnings will have an immediate, binding and potentially permanent effect. Users will lose any deposit if they are removed from the site, so we expect everyone to treat this power seriously. You will be rewarded for inviting good neighbors to the site, and penalized if someone you invite to the site is a bad neighbor.^ back to top
How are the actual transactions
executed? How do I actually get an item I want to borrow?
For all basic items, local neighBORROW-hood lending, borrowing, trading, and sharing will occur through a third party facilitator with whom an item can be left (e.g., doorperson, security guard), in person (e.g. in the lobby, at the cafe next door), or simply by dropping the item in the other person's mailbox or on their doorstep. We are also exploring the idea of drop boxes with temporary/single-use codes.
For virtual neighBORROW-hood transactions, we will offer integrated shipping that is trackable, insurable, and can be printed right from the website and mailed right from your home. The website takes care of pretty much everything.
In both
cases, if you're the lender, all you have to do is approve the request
and drop the item in the mail or bring it somewhere close. If you are
the borrower, you just have to wait for the mail or pick up the item
wherever it is left.^ back to top
Can I get something right away, in
"real time"?
Yes. We are working very hard on this feature. Please stay tuned.^ back to top
What's the incentive for third-party facilitators and Mayors?
Technically, these people work for you, the user, and not for us. If your building, community or group has a person with whom you can leave a package, then this situation is no different. However, just as with any copyright issues, we will absolutely, under no circumstances, throw up our hands and say "it's not our problem." If a certain building (or equivalent neighBORROW-hood) is suddenly overwhelmed with items, we have every intention of working with the building, the management company, and the people themselves to find a solution. This is one of the reasons we will encourage personal exchanges and may develop a drop box scenario in the future. The system was set up to keep individual neighBORROW-hoods manageable, around existing groups that have already formed naturally and that can accommodate everyone. Additional value will come when neighBORROW-hoods and neighBORROW-ers are linked together through the mail.^ back to top
Is neighBORROW.com really free?
YES! It is completely free to borrow basic items within your neighBORROW-hood. It is free to enjoy the social networking services of the sites, free to keep track of your own collection, etc. As long as you maintain certain minimum member requirements, you will be free to enjoy all the benefits of your neighBORROW-hood.^ back to top
How are you going to make money?
Though certain things will remain free indefinitely; we
want to tell you NOW―not later―the things that may not be in the future.
- There will be advertising on the site―ALWAYS for basic members
- There will be retail options on the site to keep it choc full of new, good stuff. neighBORROW is not just a secondary marketplace for items that you do not want or need anymore, it is a comprehensive solution for maximizing use and value of ALL ITEMS new and old. We are equally focused on adding new content to the site to keep the collection fresh, as we are on adding used items.
- There MAY be a one-time fee to set up a private neighBORROW-hood (but not if you SET ONE UP NOW!)
- There may be shipping charges associated with virtual transactions through the mail
- There may be a fee associated with premier items in the future
Is
neighBORROW a hippie, friendly, quaint community for sharing everything
OR a secure, anonymous, private easy way to get certain items in your
building or neighborhood without a hassle and without worrying what
will happen to them...?
YES!
Questions About Privacy
What about my privacy?
Who can see my profile, my email address, my personal information?
What if I do not want the whole world to know what I own?
Why would I join a private neighBORROW-hood?
What about my privacy?
We respect your privacy. The success of this site depends on respecting your privacy and earning your trust. It is against our policy to sell or share your email address or any other user information with a third party. We will never send you information that you did not request (other than the occasional update) and you will have the ability to opt out of anything at any time without any hassle whatsoever. We use the Internet too and we HATE it when it is difficult to opt out or cancel a membership. We hope you stay with us because we are offering you something valuable, not because we hooked you and figured out a way to keep you from canceling. We are running a "good neighbor" site here and we will hold ourselves to the same standards we expect from our users. Your trust and loyalty are our most valuable assets. Please refer to our privacy policy for any additional questions. As for your privacy WITHIN the site, you are totally in control of the information that is displayed publicly.^ back to top
Who can see my profile, my email address, my personal information?
It is completely up to you. In your private neighBORROW-hoods, the default setting is that everyone can see your basic information including your last name and in some cases, your address. In public neighBORROW-hoods it is the default setting that your private information will be kept private. You can choose to make your profile public and this setting will allow you to see other public profiles, even those members with whom you do not necessarily share a neighBORROW-hood. In this case, your last name and address will still remain private unless they need to send you an item you requested (pre launch- it may be visible).^ back to top
What if I do not want the whole world to know what I own?
Don't worry, we understand exactly what you mean and we have it covered (in triplicate). You must be a registered user who is logged in to browse and even then you can only browse groups of which you are a member. In most neighBORROW-hood situations, (even private ones if you change the default), users can only browse the items available in the collective neighBORROW-hood; they cannot browse the individual lenders' contributions (unless the person makes the profile visible). When browsing, you will not know the identity (other than perhaps the first name or username) of the owner and its possible, even, that the actual transaction may be completed without learning the identity of the owner. ^ back to top
Why would I join a private neighBORROW-hood?
Private neighBORROW-hoods are an excellent way to get started and introduce yourself to neighBORROW.com. This private group feature is an easy and secure way to share items with your family, friends, co-workers or even with a larger network of people. You must either recieve an invitation by the private group's Mayor, or request approval by and receive acceptance from that same Mayor before you can participate, Once you are in, however, you can feel completely comfortable listing and sharing your items. You may also choose to start your own private neighBORROW-hood and are encouraged to do so. The minimums, restrictions, and privacy measures that may be associated with public neighBORROW-hoods will not apply (unless the Mayor voluntarily imposes them for the good of the group). Since private neighBORROW-hoods are so secure, you can also start listing and lending items you might not feel comfortable lending in your public neighBORROW-hood. You can use the private neighBORROW-hood to see what other people have and, equally valuable, to keep track of who has what when you do lend something out. Even though it's not a question of trust, there are still caveats associated with lending items to friends and family. How many times has a good faith borrower simply lost track of something they have borrowed, or a generous lender simply forgot about lending something out? We know it 's happened to us before. Soon enough we are discouraged from lending even to our closest of friends though we know they have no intention of purposely forgetting to return something they have borrowed. What a shame! neighBORROW takes away the uncertainty and allows you to lend with confidence.^ back to top
