How to submit a good/service?
We strongly recommend reading The Origin of Most Problems trade-free book in order to understand this concept in its entirety. After reading the book, here’s a brief explanation of what we expect for users to submit to this directory.
01. It should be about a good/service and not about a project/organization.
We are interested in what others are offering to you, me, and others. Not who they are or their projects. As an example: Metges Sense Fronteres is an organization that can be added to the directory because they offer a service (medical aid). It is added primarily because of what they are offering. It should not matter if an organization is private, not-for profit, relies on donations, is open source or proprietary. We care about what they provide. It is about the good/service.
02. The organization should continuously be offering the good/service.
Kathy offering her old table as trade-free for anyone who wants it, is great, but these are temporary goods/services and our directory is not built for that. So, please make sure that the good/service you are submitting is being offered in a sustained and continuous manner.
03. The good/service should be trade-free. Or as close as possible.
If organization A wants to provide digital books for people, then that’s what you would expect from them. A place where you can access the books, and no more than that. If, instead, they ask currencies in order for you to access the books, then that’s not a trade-free service. If they post ads on their website where you can read the books, then it means that they want more from you than merely providing you with books (they want your attention). If they ask for money, registrations, likes, comments, shares, or mine your data for profit purposes or inject ads into your face, it means that they want to trade with you, in return for the service that they provide (books).
If organization A provides books and you can access them without giving anything in return (data, currency, attention, etc.) then that is a trade-free good/service. So, if between you and the good/service there are no trades, then that good/service is trade-free.
