What’s mine is yours 2
By Julian Broadhead
When we wrote recently about the power of sharing, it sparked a great deal of discussion with family and friends. This simple strategy is seemingly on the rise, precisely because it can help us realise the many benefits of interaction, economy and efficiency. It seemed only seemed fair then, to spread the word to VivaCity followers of even more ways to share.
Where the previously highlighted Streetbank focuses on encouraging sharing and interaction within local communities, Ecomodo is a more commercially minded, transaction based system. Here, goods and services can be offered for free (similarly to Streetbank), for a fee or for a contribution to charity of your choice. All this is facilitated through the Ecomodo website, with insurance and the taking of deposits also available in order to provide assurance for all involved. The result is that although Ecomodo members do provide things for free, they are also prepared to offer the use of high-value items, which in other circumstances they might not do - you can rent or borrow anything from a candy floss maker to a dehumidifier or even a thermal imaging camera.
Another example is more obvious. First appearing in Paris, where it is known as the Velib, then as Dublinbikes and most recently as London’s Barclays Cycle Hire, the proliferation of communal bike schemes clearly points to sharing initiatives gaining traction. To use them, individuals pay a small daily, weekly or annual fee to join and can then use the bikes for short journeys (up to thirty minutes) for free or pay additional rental fees for anything longer than this. In all three cases, the schemes have been a great success, with the sight of citizens furiously pedalling identical two wheeled machines becoming ubiquitous.
That is not suggest that the schemes have been without controversy however, most notably in London, where the bikes’ association with polarising mayor Boris Johnson, and the prominent sponsorship (including naming rights) afforded to Barclays Bank, have been widely criticised. Such superficial issues though, should not distract from what is a fantastic way to get about.
So VivaCity readers, we encourage you to go forth and share!
