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automatic matching up of angels?
Here is an idea for automated angel-finding: 1) people could mark in the BM profile that they're will to be an angel for books in their country (and perhaps "to these countries...") 2) when you want to mooch a book but need an angel to do it, you could chose to "request an angel mooch" 3) a page would come up saying "To mooch this book for you in South Africa, the following people might be willing to be angels for your mooch:...." 4) you'd then have an "send a angel mooch request" email sent on your behalf. The idea is that this would be very much like the "ask first" process for mooching books, in that it's mostly automated. -john
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John Buckman
13 years ago
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Comments
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As an angel, I think it's a great idea!
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That would be very helpful, and we've had gmail requesting that something like this be done!
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I like the current system, which has people posting requests that are then claimed by an angel. This means that the angels get a bit of control over how many books they're mooching at one time. With the current system, as it works on the forum (and previously back on LibraryThing), an angel can take on as many or as few angel mooches as time and finances allow. With it built in to each request, it would go to an email request system which could cause the following issues: --an angel would feel pressured to take on more than they could comfortably take on because they were asked directly, --not all angels check their email several times a day and the chance to mooch could disappear because they didn't get the email until too late, --the email could get stuck in a spam filter, which seems to happen randomly to everyone, and finally --the added step of having to request an angel makes the moocher aware that something is being done for them (while this may also discourage some who don't want to make a fuss).
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I agree with RidgewayGirl. But perhaps clicking the button could put a post in the angels wanted forum instead of an email to an angel on the list. I think that would be win-win. The angels still get to choose and the moocher would be more likely to get a timely response from the forum if it's one of the more active mooching countries, and if the book is in a less active country the book probably won't disappear before they can email someone on the regular angel list. Could something like that work?
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I do not agree with RidgewayGirl. As an angel who has done an awful lot of angel-mooching, one of the things I like best about it is the communication established with the person who wanted the book, and if they're asking me for a favor, well, so be it--I can deal with saying yes or no at any given time. I personally will not be trolling the lists of people in need of help--I will always wait to be asked, even if the request were to be sent "automatically" as John had suggested.
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Right now there are actually two different ways for people to request an Angel, via the various forums, or via direct e-mail using the Angel List. What is being proposed would not prevent the first method, people could still post their requests in the forums if they wanted, but it would make the second method easier. I have done a lot of Angel Mooching and almost all of the requests have been received via e-mail. I very rarely respond to requests posted in the various forums. Not everyone follows the forum and I'm sure there are also people who are unfamiliar with the Angel Network. Making it automated might increase awareness. And from what John is proposing, if you didn't want to receive Angel Request e-mails, you don't have to. Anyone can respond to an Angel Request on the forums, whether they are listed as an "official" Angel or not. And I am sure there would still be a lot of people going this route. Overall, I like the idea that John has proposed.
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I think both ideas - a forum and a direct link - are good ideas. If you can opt in and out of the automated 'angel-finding" I think that may solve the problem of too many requests at one time - if suddenly you are inundated you can take yourself out until you are ready to take on requests again. Would this be possible? And the forum is good for those who want to throw it out there for anyone to pick and choose. I can't see any negativity with having both... the more the network gets used, the better the mooching will be, IMHO! Nominating which countries "able to send to" would be also very helpful, as I have noticed that is a bug-bear for lots of members. Being able to add certain conditions would be good too - as in I cannot send books over 500g to SE Asia from Australia due to postage costs and no sea mail option to those countries etc, etc.
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Need help here on the "Angel" status. I've done one and would like to do more but I didn't and still don't know how to even be on the "Angel" list, if there is one :) Not trying to be difficult just trying to help and that said I agree with Lman. Sorry that I'm such and idiot that can't find out on my own how to be an "Angel" but I need help. . .to help. LOL, pathetic I know but true.
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Not an idiot at all JDV... Here is the link for the wiki page about the  BookMooch_Angel_Network. To put your name on the list all you need to do is send an email to the volunteer coordinator at this email address:
bmangelnetwork@gmail.com
stating your BookMooch name and id, and that you would like to be an 'angel'
and in a little while you will be added to this list. There is also a thread on this forum titled  What is an angel and how do I find one? What is an angel and how do I find one - written by Cindy, one of us (volunteers) from all over the world that help Michelle (coordinator) out with this list at times. Easy! :)
~Lyn (Lman)
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I'm not really sure that I like the idea of a matching service...as a frequent angel requester, I really enjoy the searching out, finding and corresponding with those angels that have come to my rescue. Being a recently be-winged angel myself, I much prefer being asked directly than reading about someone's wants on the forum (though I might be somewhat hypocritical with this statement in that I just recently used the forum to find an angel...don't be mad at me Melinda, I didn't want to impose on you again so soon). Even so, I will gladly help someone in need of an angel in Japan, and have used the forum to do that as well. Is it as fun as being asked directly...no...but it is still nice to know that I've helped someone get a book that they've been pining for.
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Based on all the feedback, I think it'd be best to _not_ change the way angel mooching works. Today, I released a new version of the forum software, which makes it much easier to see what angel requests there are and whether the request has been fulfilled -- now that comments are displayed directly underneath each request in the  Angel Requests forum. Hopefully, you guys will like the change!
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That is so much easier to read. Are you going to use the same format for all the forums?
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Yes, all forums now work this way.
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Lman, Thank you so much. Sending the email right after I post this. Smooches to you figuratively :)
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