July 4th, 2006, a prototype of a help exchange system utilizing the GIFTegrity mechanism is now online here: Give Get Nation.
Here is the second draft (06/08/02) of the specifications for a GIFTegrity.
Tensegrity is the pattern that results when push and pull have a
win-win relationship with each other. The pull is continuous and the
push is discontinuous. The continuous pull is balanced by the
discontinuous push producing an integrity of tension and compression.
This creates a powerful self-stabilizing system. The term tensegrity comes
from synergic science. The gifting tensegrity is a newly
invented mechanism for the exchange of human help. The continuous
pull of the giftees' needs are balanced by the discontinuous push from
the giftors' offers of help. Again we see as an
INTERdependent life form, there will be times when we will help others
and times when others will help us.
Those new to synergic science a GIFTegrity is a synergic help exchange based on trust. See GIFTegrity (brief)(PDF)(scientific basis)
Specifications for a GIFTegrity
As a first step in towards the realization of a synergic help
exchange I will propose the following specifications for the creation
of a working prototype.
A web site for synergic help exchange would be created describing
the concept of GIFTegrity and the rationale and benefits for becoming a
member. The web site would be interactive so that individuals could
join, register as members, register their gift offers, and then view
lists of gifts offered by other members. The web site must support the
easy exchange of information between members. And, when the exchange of
help occurs, keep a record of those exchanges for the purpose of
informing community and making the synergic help exchange process
transparent.
Membership Registration
In complete opposition to the present custom of anonymity on the
internet, members of synergic community are never anonymous. Membership
in a synergic help exchange must be known to their fellow members.
Synergic relationship is based on trust. I propose use of the following
information as a basis for the creation of explicit non anonymous
membership data. All GIFTegrities start from the bottom up. They are
first LOCAL. Most of our needs and our gifts are personal. We will need
to know those we are helping and those that are helping us. As
GIFTegrity networks grow they can exchange specialized help between
GIFTegrities. Some Gifts may have regional merit. But the foundation is
always LOCAL.
Registration fields: 1) Last Name 2) First Name 3) Middle
initial 4) Date of Birth 5) Place of birth 6) E-mail address 7) Country
8) State or Province and 9) City
Items 1) through 5) would be permanent identifying information that
would never change in an individual's lifetime. Considered together the
five items are unique enough that their should be no duplications even
in very large communities.
Item 6) should be a convenient email address for members of the
synergic help exchange to communicate with each other. Your email
address will also serve as your member idenity or username.
Items 7) through 9) are your LOCALITY.
Notice that your street address is not give nor is telephone
numbers, place of employment, social security number, or any of the
personal facts of identification in the commercial world.
E-mail is asynchronous. That means I compose and send email
when it is convenient to me. The receiver of the email message reads
and responds when it is convenient to them. E-mail conversations do not
occur in "real time." You and your partner do not have to be sitting at
the computer at the same moment in order to talk. Unlike face-to-face
encounters, which are synchronous, e-mail discussions do not require
you to respond on-the-spot to what they other has said. You have time
to think, evaluate, and compose your reply. This encourages more
careful and effective communication that might take place in "real
time".
Your email address will also serve as your username. And, you
will also select to select a unique password. Your username and
password will be used to login in to the GIFTegrity database.
Once you have registered as a new member, you need to offer
help to others in the community. This is accomplished by registering at
least one offer of help. You may also request help. This is
accomplished by going to the GIFTegrity—Offers & Needs Database and
filling out a new record.
Register a new Gift Offeror Gift Need
1) Each Gift Offer or Gift Need registered is given an ID
number. 2) Date the Gift Offer or Need is registered would be
automatically entered along with the 3) username of the member offering
or requesting help.
Recall that gifts can be actions or things. First you will select the Exchange Type. That will be one of four possibilites: Action Offered, Action Needed, Thing Offered, Thing Needed.
The Offer & Need form fields include: 1) Exchange type 2) Name
of the action or need. 3) Brief description of the action or thing. 4)
When the action or thing is available or needed, 5) How Long—Duration
of its availability, 6) Where—location of the action or thing. 7)
Detailed Description and Terms of Exchange
Exchange Type
Name
Physician Advise
Brief Description
Telephone Consultation
When
Now, negotiate a time
How long
0.5 hour
Where
Anywhere, you call me.
Detailed Description and Terms of Exchange
I am a practicing physician with many years of
experience in Family Medicine. I can listen and answer your questions
concerning yourself or your family. This would be advice only and
should not take the place of seeing your own Doctor. I can not
prescribe medications over the telephone. However, I can advise you on
the need to see a Doctor and in what time frame. I may be able to save
you the expense of an unnecessary visit to the Emergency Room or Urgent
Care. I can advise you on the proper use of Over-The-Counter
medications.
Once you have registered one or more offers of help to the community
and your needs, you then go to the public data base. Which will look
similar to the following one line examples. If you find a line
description of an offer of action or an offer of a thing that might
meet one of your needs, you can click on it to get the detailed
description.
Exchange Type
Name
Brief Description
When
How Long
Where
Action Offered
Carpenter
House Repairs
2 hours (only on weekends) local in town
two weekends a month
Monterey
Thing Needed
Clothes Women's
Used, Size 8-10, young styles
Now
Too Keep
Monterey
Action Needed
Auto Repair
Fuel Pump Replaced
Now
I have the parts. Three hours?
Carmel
Thing Offered
Ink Jet Printer
Epson Stylus 500 color
Anytime, you pick up or pay shipping
Keep It.
Monterey
Action Offered
Personal Shopper
Run Errands, Buy Groceries, Good Driver
After school (local)
Schedule (limited to time available)
Monterey
Action Offered
Web Designer
Set Up Your Website
5 hours/week, total 20 hrs
Varies, I only work on one site at a time
Anywhere
Thing Offered
Lawn Mower
21" gasoline power, Toro
USE ONLY, accept liability, return in same condition
Schedule In Advance
Monterey
Thing Offered
Television Set
17" SONY Color (10years old) works OK
Now
Keep It, You PickUp or pay shipment
Seaside
Action Needed
Baby Sitter
Child Care Ages 2 and 4
Fri Eve and Saturdays (4 hrs)
once a week
Carmel
Thing Needed
Pick Up Truck
I am moving.
Next 2 weeks.
At least two full days
Central Coast
Action Needed
Accountant
2001 Federal & State Tax Returns, Personal
Due August 15, 2002
NA
Monterey
Thing Needed
Firewood
One Cord
Anytime, I will pick up
Permanent
Central Coast
Thing Offered
Bed Room Furniture
Oak Set, Queen, Good Condition
Available next month, You pick up
Permanent
Marina
Within the GIFTegrity, the Giftor Controls
Once you have found an offer that you think might be of help to you
or your family, you can register your interest in the offer with the
Giftor. You would click on the line item and click the register my
interest with this giftor.
That will take you a new screen where you will answer two questions.
1) Urgency — Now, ASAP, 1 wk, 2 wks, other
2) Need is — One time, occasionally, or continuous
Then click to register your interest in the OFFER.
At this point an email is sent to the giftor registering your
interest in his/her offer. With your registration of interest, the
giftor now gains access to the information in your profile. Your name
and all comments by others in the community about their dealings with
you. They also get the date you joined the GIFTegrity and the number of
Gifts you have made and received. (see description below)
You may be one of several members who have expressed interest
in their offer. If it is one of a kind offer, only one interested
giftee will be offered the gift.
Gift Offered to you
If the giftor decides to offer the gift to you, you
will then receive an email from the GIFTegrity that advises that
you have an offer pending.
At this point you will gain access to the information in the
giftor's profile. Their name and all comments by others in the
community about their dealings with them. You also get the date they
joined the GIFTegrity and the number of Gifts they have made and
received.
If after reviewing this information, you decide to accept
their offer. They will be notified that you have accepted the offer and
both Giftor and Giftee will be given each other's email addresses
to directly work out the details. The GIFTegrity does not have your
telephone numbers and or residential street addresses. It does not know
where you live or work and so it can not give this information to
anyone. The giftor and giftee will communicate directly with each other
and exchange information as appropriate to effect the exchange of help.
Once the exchange occurs, the giftor will delete the offering from the
community database.
Responding to a Need
If you see a Need in the database that you can think you can
meet, you can register your offer of help. You would click on the line
item and click the register my offer of help with this giftee.
That will take you to a new screen where you will answer two questions:
1) Availability of your help— Now, 1 wk, 2 wks, other
2) Help is — One time, occasionally, or continuous
Then click to register your OFFER of help.
At this point an email is sent to the giftee registering your
offer to help. With your registration of your OFFER to help, the giftee
now gains access to the information in your profile. Your name and all
comments by others in the community about their dealings with you. They
also get the date you joined the GIFTegrity and the number of Gifts you
have made and received.
If they decide to accept your help, you will be notified that
your offer of help has been accepted, and both Giftor and Giftee will
be given each other's email addresses to directly work out the
details. The GIFTegrity does not have your telephone numbers and or
residential street addresses. It does not know where you live or work
and so it can not give this information to anyone. The giftor and
giftee will communicate directly with each other and exchange
information as appropriate to effect the exchange of help. Once the
exchange occurs, the giftee will delete the request for help from the
community database.
Rating the Exchange
Approximately, one week after the offering is removed, you will
be queried for comments about the Giftor, and the Giftor will be
queried for comments about you.
You may write a one sentence comment and then rate the
encounter on a scale of (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) ZERO (0 )means that you were
not helped by the gift, you should explain why in your comment. ONE (1
) means you were helped a little and then up to FIVE (5 ) meaning you
can't imagine being better helped even if you had paid top dollar in
the market place. The Giftor will be credited with a gift given, and
you will be credited with a gift received. Only the names of Gifts will
be kept in the data base after the exchange. If you disagree with a
comment, you may post a one sentence rebuttal. All comments and
rebuttals are available to future Giftors and Giftees that might choose
to relate to you.
Giftor-Giftee Profile:
Members Name
Date Joined GIFTegrity
Comments
Average Rating of all comments (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Gifts Given
# in past 30 days # in past 90 days # total since joining
Gifts Received
# in past 30 days # in past 90 days # total since joining
