I’m writing down some starter patterns for [[Community Marketplaces]]. I’ve been thinking about these in the context of design and how to participate in the OGM Marketplace; and for a longer time, in the context of [[matchmaking systems]], community currencies, and the history of retail markets).
Forums
Goods Needed (Requests)
Goods Offered (Offers)
Help Needed (Requests)
Help Offered (Offers)
Reviews and Ratings
Policies Needed
Ground Rules
What’s allowed, what’s disallowed?
This is a good place to remind people to follow all laws.
Payments
Allowed, not allowed, which currencies / tokens / barter systems / etc. are recommended, disallowed, etc.
Problem Resolution
How will problems / disputes be handled? By whom? What recourses are there?
Reviews / Ratings
How does the community let members know if an exchange was good or bad? How do good or bad actors get surfaced?
Meta: how do you keep reviews and ratings high in signal, and low in socially obligated noise?
Timebox
Nobody likes a stale marketplace. How long do postings last? Are they archived or deleted? Can they be reposted?