exchange system meets ilx

if some people are into this, moderators could make 2 new categories (offers,demands) where there would be threads on a multiplicity of subjects from editing to snailmailing food to digital art creation and whatnot.
products and services could be exchanged locally but i think it would be sweeter to put an emphasis on finding stuff to exchange digitally around the world.

This is a CLASSIC idea.

Skills I can offer people: web design, programming (especially scripty stuff like CGI), general Unix/Linux help and advice. Non-computer stuff: um, I can proofread things, offer editing suggestions, things like that.

Things I'd want in return: I'm not sure really. I definitely need new clothes, so if anyone wants to design me a great new wardrobe, go ahead! I can also be bribed with cake.

What about those of us with little or nothing to offer?

OK, in computer terms my top expertise is in databases (esp. Oracle but also Access), but I think there are people here that know more than me about any area. Otherwise, I was a very good editor, I used to be an accountant, and no one here knows more than me about...um...ah, 15th Century Zen Buddhist Japanese monochrome ink landscape painting. I am sure you have lots of needs in this area. I'm also quite strong on old comics, old soul/R&B/blues music, and Postmodern literature. I can't see what use any of this will be. Fortunately, I have no demands either, so who cares?

i think ilx looks very much like those "gift cultures" so for this idea to be all it can be, wouldn't it be better if voluntary help and donations would be favorised?

The gift culture approach would also solve a logistic problem; for an example caitlin it happen that I would need a script or 2 but i don't have any clothes or cakes to give you so I or anyone else not specialized in what you are demanding would be condemned to never have any exchanges with you... Here's another way to fix this: "local exchange trading systems" bring a lever in the equation by giving unlimited "work hours" credit to their users so in this example i would pay you,say, 4 work hours it took you to write the scripts and you could exchange these "virtual hours" for what you want from someone else, and for me to get back to 0, I would need to offer 4 work hours back to someone who is actually interested in my products/services. it's a very clever way to optimize everyone's growth don't you think? all this without money. for the system to keep it's shape, people involved in the transaction just have to sign eachother a note specifying respectively how many hours one have in credit after the transaction and how many hours the other now have in debt. if a user have way too much debt, it should raise suspicion to the other so he should (maybe cancel the transaction) solicit the endebtted to start giving back to the community.

In anycase these two approaches can cohabit. ilxors just have to choose wich one to use before a transaction.
i hope i was clear enough and didn't killed the thread with all this theory...

here are some examplesof stuff to trade I got from a LETS who keep an open directory:

digital House sitting (if the person got a video cam security system)
Interior design & creative projects
creative input
Any teaching experience in the arts
Dress making
Home made jam
Garden design
art materials
Childrens clothes
Yoga lessons
Personal fitness training, fitness advice à la kraftwerkout
counselling
Knitting
Business advice
language tuition/translation
D.J.ing
Sound engineering
music instrument lessons
Business mentoring
Graphic Design
cameraman with Digital Camera
acting
Internet Research
I.T. help - MS Word, MS Excel, Photo Imaging, Hotmail
Typing
Accountant
travel opportunities

nowadays i offer to help someone working on vis film script.

i need people from different places around the world who got a digital video camera to shoot some scenes for a film I'm working on. We could arrange somehting like a plain tag system to identify the material then transfer it using p2p software like kazaa lite. I would also need voice actors (male and female) and possibly live actors if they happen to live in the same city as a voluntary cameraman.
:D

caitlin is ace with the linux help! :-)