I have ideas, have them all day long somtimes ;~})
This one in particular is about how we could possibly really improve bookmooch for ourselves and others. Ya know, take things up a notch...and create more happiness all around.

I was looking at the angel requests. I noticed someone wanted a book from Japan...and asked for an angel to help get one in here to the United Kingdom. I had the book on my shelves, and although the mooch was already being "Angel'ed" (YaY) the first thought I had was that maybe I would send it to her from my own shelf.

I am just thinking that maybe we could have A SPOT...a new spot to make a different form of Bookmooch Angel. Maybe this Angel could be an angel who says I'll send it from here, as I was thinking about doing instead of the possibly non-existant angel needing to come forth.
(((Although I'm sure Japanese Angels ARE PaRtiCuLaRLy NiCe!!!)))
(I have many friends from Japan).

And also maybe make a section here in forums, where loans ARE offered. Because my second thought (a few seconds later), was to possibly ask for the book to be returned back. This idea isn't mine alone...the other day in a forum someone mentioned a library form of mooching, and in certain cases, that might actually work well. Perhaps, even if just between trusted friends, maybe only that form. For loaning might have drawbacks when a loan isn't returned in ample time. Expectations would need to be very flexable, even with trusted friends. People are obviously on different time lines.

My idea for the first, is that we pick just one or two favorite books to begin. And ask for them to be given, from for instance the nearest person to us. Shipping could be reduced if we plea for someone close to get us our favorite book we wanna mooch. The one or two we want most of all.

I think we could brainstorm this idea and introduce possible pros and cons, then just open a new thread where we jump in. Of course it would need to be approved by John, he's in full control of his site, at least he deserves the right to be. I will take this post to him (in a link) asking for his imput, right away.

At least it can't hurt to discuss how it might go, what rules these new possible ways of mooching might be and such. Seems it could be very simple but maybe there are things you would bring up that I am not nearly considering that might go wrong?

Anyway I am just throwing it out there...hoping to improve the site a bit for everyone. Maybe we could use the term Alien instead of Angel...as in I need a Bookmooch Alien for my favorite book from childhood...college...high school...or just for _________ by ________.
Maybe Alien is not too original, (the logo), but it could work and separate better the idea from the Angel idea.

The Library one could be called another name....like Trusted Friend...etcetera. Each could have its own page.

What do you think? John? Anyone?

Is the person asking on the angel forum somehow felt as more trustworthy, deserving or endearing than the one who just happens to have the book wishlisted (beyond the indeniable fact that their history can be checked & the angels can choose who to interact with) ?

What seems to be asked, basically, would be the creation of a system to facilitate controlled mooching for those people who have books they'll be putting up on BM someday and know they're wishlisted.

While there may be situations where weight & postage considerations may make such picking of a recipient reasonable I'm not sure making it more formalized would be needed or a good idea. And if created, if it really needs to be tied in any way to the angel system.

Those who want to do that can already take their upcoming books, see by whom & where they're wishlisted, then approach the person(s) about possibly posting the item(s) reserved for them. Or participate in some other forum(s) where it's customary to offer first dibs on one's upcoming books before letting them fly to the general BM population.

I see no flaw in the system as it is, I am only suggesting that we increase the peace. Adding other options that are for everyone to use in the same way that everyone can use this system of using an angel to get your book.

If you Aude have a favorite book that you can only get from someone in Lithuania who wont send it...why not have a person who can acquire it for you, move it forward until it reaches you? In that same light, (and anyone can use this technique) why not have differing ways of getting our hands onto those books that we crave?

There is no big challange to it all in my way of thinking. There would just be another place available here, a forum, where we get more done. Time expended in it would possibly reap our rewards. I am open, yet opposing it as if it is predudicial to anyone else is silly. EVERYONE would be able to do the same actions so who is it that you are saying would be excluded, if that is what you are suggesting?

Im kind of confused, it isnt convoluted, it is a very simple idea.

The system that you have in mind is far from clear when reading your explanation of it. Would it be :

1. Some way of substituting failed angeling requests when someone is willing to step in and send instead ? <<-- Would be fine by me, there'd be an element of possibly cherry-picking your recipient(s), but there already is in angeling. Would it require any formal organization ? I don't think so. Just participating on the relevant request threads when they seem to fail to garner the interest of a local angel after a while would do.

2. Some domino swap where a local owner of the book would send their copy to the recipient so they can read it faster, while the book travelling from further afield would eventually replace the one sent ? <<-- No two books are the "same", except maybe same-ISBN mint copies, which isn't the most commonly encountered condition on BM. I see no end to the possible disputes on equivalence of conditions. Beside, most BMers have TBR piles big enough to eat them, delay usually isn't an issue.

3. Some "scratch my back, I scratch your back" specialized exchange ring for super-wishlisted books you're willing to trade only with someone coming up with something of high desireability to you ? Do I really need to explain in just how many ways that could grow ugly and does not need to be given a formal structure ?

4. Some kind of multi-hop angeling book circle, where the book would gradually make its way around the world with more or less scheduled stops in the hands of previously identified BMers in such an order that they could all send to the next one for a cost reasonable to them ? <<-- That could be fun for those who want to participate in it, but with many books I won't know if they're keepers or pass-alongs until I've read them and I suspect many others may think the same. From a practical point of view, the "hard" part when angeling is required usually is getting the book out of country, or sometime (sub-)continent. Once the person who's willing to do that is secured, any extra stops are basically unnecessary though of course they could still be plenty of fun as part of an organized serial reading chain.

If everyone has the capacity to have books angeled...then the same would work for using various other methods to get favorite books, sooner. I would not be suggesting anyone be kept out of an exclusive form of bookmooching, nay never. I am an equal rights nut, honestly, and deplore abuses against anyone on a basis of...well just about anything.

The idea may be ridiculous or not. I am sure that your number four idea is far better than what I was implying that we could do...I just want to be helpful. I spend far to much time in thought and not nearly enough meditating. On this note I will go and meditate, then think On what you are basically Thanking Me Very Much for...in earnest, i meant you no disservice dear lady.

(edited)

John has not spoken on it as of yet, and though I believe he may be taking a break from the site, I am sure he will eventually come by with an opinion including possible pro's and con's, coming from his experience of running the show here...or we will just keep the status quo.

- book circles -- a group of people in the same country want a book. Let's say there's only one copy available on BM (or none, and one person buys it), it is then automatically passed around the circle. You read it, and then you're told who to send it to next. The idea would be a bit like "buying a round" at a pub. Everyone in the circle contributes a hard-to-find book over time. There could be a circle in the USA, and then one in the UK that wants the book, and then one in Finland, etc...

- reading groups -- a group of people in the same country all get the same books, reading them together. All the copies are then sent to one person, who ships the whole lot off to the same group in another country.

Anyhow, not sure that answers the question, but that's something I've thought about.

I don't have any problem with friends "lending" books to each other, but I don't think it's a good graft onto BookMooch, as people expect BM to work a certain way, and exceptions make complications.

As to a new kind of angel system, I've also been thinking of a system where a potential angel can indicate "I'll send from here to here" and then they're automatically listed for potential angel mooches. What I want to leverage is people's not-quite-full luggage when they're flying places.

-john

If no one is interested in them that is fine, but I would like to hear more from others. They could work nearly exactly the same a Angel Requests but have another name and forum...it isn't at all complicated OR Prejudice~
I had sent John the wrong link by accident, now he has the proper one...I hope!

;~})
Tikay

I ask this, in all respect, as such long messages make it very difficult to find the actual requests on devices such as small-screened phones etc. This discussion - which can be happily continued in a more relevant place - is unfortunately overwhelming the space on this thread.

Thank you.