TRADELINE Idea Helps Homeless

Charles Wilson (cwilson@sinosa.com)
Sat, 17 Jan 1998 16:23:25 -0700


                   THE TRADELINE IDEA

I am suggesting that in every community there should be at least one =
phone number to call where we can list a classified ad (or search the =
ads) telling of the resources we have to sell, trade, or give away free; =
resources such as used household and farm items, rides & jobs & housing =
offered or wanted, lost & found, and community concerns.  We are given =
the phone numbers (or names) of the people who placed the ads which =
interest us, then we contact them on our own.  Telephones are better to =
use rather than expecting the people who need or have resources to use a =
computer.  Any person from youth on up could do this community serving =
work, using any relatively low-powered computer, home or portable.  Only =
one computer per community is needed.  If more than one person per =
community wants to do this community-serving work, that is fine.  I call =
this idea "Tradeline" and you are free to use the idea and the name.  =
Homeless people have far easier access to a telephone than any computer. =
 This is a simple idea which would become very powerful if spread =
through our country and the world.  Any database program could be used; =
I like InfoSelect for DOS or Windows.  Eventually someone would make a =
specific program to do this work.  That program could be sold nationwide =
with a plan to go into business as a free community service, a profit =
business, or a non-profit business.  Wouldn't you like a phone number to =
call when you needed things?
Charles Wilson, Sierra Vista, AZ  cwilson@sinosa.com