The role of software and online services in Time Banking

Iikka Lovio Iikka.lovio@gmail.com 16.6.2011HIIT

Turning gratitude to an asset in community building

Master’s thesis

HOAS Time Bank

SOFTWARES CES

CommunityWeaver

Timeonline

CES

•  South African non-profit company •  Designed for local exchange schemes, where currency usually reflects the national currency •  International network •  Fastest increasing groups are Finnish Time Banks •  Free for users

www.ces.org.za

One click and

you are in!

Thesis: members were seeking geographically tight network. Software: first page encourages to global reciprocity.

Community weaver •  Designed for time banks •  Time Banks US is using

Time Online •  Designed for time banks •  Only broker has access to software •  Time Banking UK is using

Stadin Aikapankki online

May 2010 Stadin Aikapankki

•  Ethnography •  Two international professional interviews •  Transaction data analysis

November 2010 Active user interviews

STUDY PERIOD: 3/2010 – 3/2011

November 2010: over 600 exchange offers and growing membership

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

November 2010: 20 % of members had done at least one exchange.

0,00% 20,00% 40,00% 60,00% 80,00%100,00%

Havedonetwowayexchanges

Havedoneoneexchange

Passive

November 2010: 20 % of members had done at least one exchange.

0,00% 20,00% 40,00% 60,00% 80,00%100,00%

Havedonetwowayexchanges

Havedoneoneexchange

Passive

WHO & WHY?

The age of support membership?

Most of the exchanges were made

in the neighbourhood where time

bank was originally established

15 active members did over 55 % of all exchanges in the first year

Hypothesis down: open access to personal user information is the main key to trust building?

Hypothesis down: open access to personal user information is the main key to trust building?

Active members were not interested in account balances of other users.

HOAS Time Bank

Knowing other members account balances and

address builds certain trust. You know how to

reach them and that they are not burglars.

Important question is, what makes

them interesting?

In the economy of regard it is the person that interests us, not the product or service. – David Halpern 2010

In the economy of regard it is the person that interests us, not the product or service. – David Halpern 2010

”Her fiancé was a drummer. Just like mine.” (STAP member)

"Friends make gifts, gifts make friends” -Sahlins

”I get these service requests and offers mostly from the people I already know.” (STAP member)

”The best thing is that you meet new people, people you wouldn’t otherwise interact with.” (STAP member)

1. Members are afraid to go minus in the beginning.

2. Members are more likely to exchange with

people they know, or with people who their friends

have interacted with .

Solution: define club meetings as an important work for the time bank and reward attending with time credits.

Photo: Time Bank workshop in Vantaa

Time Dollars & Gratitude Time dollars oils generalized reciprocity

”We got rid of this negative side of reciprocity – do I owe you or do you owe me.” (STAP member)

”If we had done it with out time bank I would have been worrying for many weeks if should do some favour in return. And for the worst, that feeling would only keep growing in time.” (STAP member)

Software is secondary, but important matter in time banking. Software is only a tool. Working with proper tools is efficient and more fun.

Software is secondary, but important matter in time banking. Software is only a tool. Working with proper tools is efficient and more fun.

HOAS Time Bank online

Software is secondary, but important matter in time banking. Software is only a tool. Working with proper tools is efficient and more fun.

HOAS Time Bank software

Software is secondary, but important matter in time banking. Software is only a tool. Working with proper tools is efficient and more fun.

HOAS Time Bank offline Before there were any software or facebook group, there was 10 bottles of wine and 20 students

Software is secondary, but important matter in time banking. Software is only a tool. Working with proper tools is efficient and more fun.

You can deliver housing. It takes a family to make it a home.