WHAT IS THE IDEA BEHIND IT?
Simply put, a Town Square. The good old TOWN SQUARE approach, or as I introduced in ANCOP, “the spill of the wagon wheel”, whatever you call it, the principle is the same a central place to exchange goods, services and information.
People came together, in the old days, at the town square, either daily or less frequently. In the town where I grew up, we had a market once a year where farmers would buy and sell cattle. Families would meet, and people would exchange stories and gossip I see the Trade Shack having the same function, well, without the gossip :-).
We at the Trade Shack want to replicate that secure, no-trolls and good old fashion communication style. We could not find a platform that allowed for non-political and unbiased communication. Many are either:
- Based upon a political foundation
- Based upon a religious foundation
- Focused on law and constitution changing direction
- Introducing a new layer of payment or cryptocurrency
- Using social media like Facebook as their communication and trading platform
- Not Australian based, paying overseas companies and sharing resources with unknown actors
Why not build one? So we did. Welcome to the Trade Shack.
Trade Shack is the conduit
The Trade Shack is the conduit between online and real-world postcode communities.
We provide secure tools to build online communities and group members by postcode, to connect offline. The goal is to remove the reliance on the internet and its social media platforms that are not social at all. Sure online social media platforms have their place, but NOT when you want to become self-sufficient.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
TradeShack Postcode Communities is a method that brings together residents of a particular postcode and promotes community engagement, boosts the local economy and fosters self-sufficiency. The concept behind TradeShack Postcode Communities is simple yet powerful. By connecting residents who share a common postcode, we create a shared sense of identity, belonging, purpose and vision of what is best for the Postcode Community. This, in turn, can lead to a stronger and more vibrant community that benefits everyone all its members.
So how does it work?
The first step is for YOU to sign up for the local Trade Shack Postcode Community. You can do that by visiting our membership levels page and picking a level that suits what you want to do. Once signed up, you can access various resources and tools to help them connect with their neighbours and get involved in local initiatives. That is already on the site, BUT it does not work without YOU. You are the key and driver to make it work. If nobody signs up, participates in discussions or reaches out to new and future members, nothing will work.
Your community hub
One of the key features of Trade Shack Postcode Communities is the Community Hub. Being a central online platform where residents can share information, organise events, post notices and engage with other community members. It is a space for you and your members to come together, share ideas and work towards common goals.
The postcode community is the starting place. You know that members in there are safe to talk to. It does not stop there. You can expand your network by requesting “friend status” this is a two-way approval process for connecting and allowing further offline communication if that is agreed upon.
Just remember it starts with you. You are in control.
BRINGING IT TOGETHER
Another important feature of TradeShack is the Business Directory approach to finding anything in your community. This lists all the local growers, food sales by backyard growers, local businesses, local exchanges, and local seed swaps, all within the postcode, making it easy to find and support local initiatives. By shopping locally and supporting small businesses, the platform helps boost the local economy and create job opportunities but shortens the supply chain.
Trade Shack also provides various tools and resources to help you connect and organise local initiatives. These include an events calendar, a noticeboard, and a community chat feature. Through these tools, you can get to know one another, share information and work together to create a stronger and more self-sufficient community. All on a secure and locally owned platform.
Support Services
In addition to these features, Trade Shack provides various support services to help residents with specific needs. For example, there is a directory of local services and organisations that can assist with everything from healthcare and education to how to grow veggies. This makes it easy for residents to access the support they need within their local area as long as you provide the details. Remember it is about you, this can only work if you participate actively.
Overall, TradeShack Postcode Communities is a powerful tool for building more robust, more self-sufficient communities. By providing a platform for residents to connect, share information and work together towards common goals, the platform helps to create a more cohesive and engaged community that benefits everyone. Whether promoting local businesses, organising community events, or supporting vulnerable residents, Trade Shack Postcode Communities is a valuable resource for anyone looking to make a positive difference in their local area.
WHY USE POSTCODES
As previously mentioned, it is all about location, location. Postcodes are used to set the geographical area. It is the geographical footprint in which the members are living. We looked at using Town and City names but found it not suitable. Hence we use postcodes to create Postcode Communities. It provides an understood and defined footprint.
Because we set a geographical area, we assume that the travel distances are short people can easily set a place and time to meet in the real world. This opens the opportunity to get together to start:
- Local Edible Exchanges
- REKO initiatives
- Physical Trade Shacks, and
- other community initiatives.
All it needs is to make contact with people in your local area and start talking.
WHAT DO THEY OFFER
This is briefly discussed on the community page, and we mentioned some of it above. Let’s go into a bit more detail, using the Moreton Bay community as an example.
The Moreton Bay community has initiatives like REKO, Edible Exchange and online chats. All are set up and maintained by local community members who live in the postcode area.
SECURE COMMUNCATION
We partnered with ANCOP.au, which runs a private and secure network for all forms of communication. It has a phone-based application provided by Elements, a company that provides the look and feel for matrix applications.
ANCOP.au runs its servers so the data is not leaving the country and it under full control and secured by ANCOP.au.
Read more about how to join ANCOP. You do not have to, but without it, you will not be able to use secure messaging, secure chat, and secure video conferencing.