Proposal:Give box
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| Give Box | |
|---|---|
| Proposal status: | Approved (active) |
| Proposed by: | ToastHawaii |
| Tagging: | amenity=give_box |
| Applies to: |  
|
| Definition: | A small facility where people drop off and pick up various types of items in the sense of free sharing. |
| Statistics: |
|
| Draft started: | 2020-01-06 |
| RFC start: | 2020-01-07 |
| Vote start: | 2020-01-21 |
| Vote end: | 2020-03-29 |
Proposal
A give box is a facility where people drop off and pick up various types of (none food) items such as clothes, small appliances, dishes, toys, books, CDs in the sense of free sharing and reuse. The facility can be a small box, shelf, cabinet, phone box or shack with shelf's. Usually only the size of the facility limits the types of items.
Sometimes those facilities are run inside a building, such as the entrance area of a community centre, apartment building or other leisure activity places, and the operator of those facilities is the host.
Give Box is a known concept that is used by a community. These facilities have different shapes, from small boxes to small shacks. But they all have the same principles, a space of free sharing, reuse, solidarity and they are organized by the community.
This proposed is based on the Proposed features/Reuse and the feedback to it and my own experience with this kind of facilities.
Links
- Free_box on Wikipedia
- Give Box Community on Facebook
- A Free box in Telluride, Colorado
- A Free box in Canada
- A give box in Amurrio, Spain
Photos
Give Box in Germany
Give Box in Germany
Give Box in France
Free Box in Germany
Free Box in Germany
Give Box in France
Give Box in Germany
Give Box in Sweden
Give Box in Poznań
Give Box in Switzerland Bern
Exchange table in Switzerland Zurich
Free shelf in Switzerland Zurich
Free art box in Decatur, Georgia, USA
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Translation in other languages and synonyms
- English: Give box, Free box on Wikipedia, Free table [1], Share shelf [2]
- German: Gib- und Nimm-Regal, Tauschregal, Umsonstregal, Tausch-Tisch, Schenkschrank, Tausch-Box, Tausch-Ecke
- Spanish: "Give box" has no a precise translation in Spanish. Some possible translations are "espacio de intercambio", "estante de intercambio", "armario de intercambio", "caja de intercambio" o "rincón de intercambio". In Spain it is common to use "Give box" (in English) for this kind of facilities. "Give box" is used more than "free box".
- French: Boîte à dons
Rationale
- There are currently 80 POIs documented in OSM that indicate this type of facility. Overpass
- The Give Box community with a lot of facilities Give Box.
- A map based on different sourcesː Give Box Map
Tagging
This proposal is for a new amenity tag:
amenity=give_box
Other existing tags could be used in combination:
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| name=* | Optional. If the facility has a name |
| description=* | Optional. Add details on how to find easily the facility. |
| opening_hours=* | Optional. If the facility is in a shop, cafe etc. Can be an important information. |
| brand=* | Optional. Name of the brand or network of the facility if there is one visible. |
| operator=* | Optional. Name of the operator, for example a restaurant that provides the facility within its walls. |
| location=* | Optional. Use location=indoor if the facility is inside a building. |
| access=* | Optional. |
| website=* | Optional. Website of the facility, if one exists. |
| facebook=* | Optional. Facebook page of the facility, if one exists. |
| ref=* | Optional. If the facility has a reference number |
| wheelchair=* | Optional. Please add this attribute cause a lot of facility do not have wheelchair access. |
| lit=* | Optional. Add this tag if the facility is lit. |
Related facilities
Usually a givebox is a small facility, everyone is free to give and/or take any kind of small items except food. The distinction will sometimes be a matter of judgment. Here are a few suggestions how related facilities could be documentedː
- amenity=give_box + clothes=only - For a give box where only clothes are preferred.
- amenity=give_box + shoes=only - For a give box where only shoes are preferred.
- amenity=give_box + art=only - For a give box where only art are preferred.
- amenity=give_box + electronics=no - For a give box where electronics are not preferred.
- amenity=give_box + hiking=yes - For a give box with items from Hikers for Hikers. (Hiker box [3])
These are suggestions to handle related facilities, but they are not part of this proposal:
- amenity=public_bookcase - For a give box where only books are preferred.
- social_facility=food_bank - For a place you can give and take food. Set opening_hours=24/7 if it's a food box.
- amenity=recycling - For a place where you can give things but not take.
- shop=charity + fee=no or shop=second_hand + fee=no - For shops with only free items.
- shop=rental + fee=no - For shops that rents or lends things free of charge.
See also
- amenity=public_bookcase
- shop=charity
- shop=second_hand
- amenity=library
- amenity=toy_library
- shop=rental
- amenity=recycling
Rendering
As give boxes are a landmark feature as much or even more visible than telephone booths, it is suggested that they be rendered in the same zoom levels as the telephones. The icon could be a combination of the shop=charity icon 
and the shop=gift icon 
.
Features/Pages affected
External discussions
Comments
Please leave any comments on the talk page.
Voting
Voting closed
Voting on this proposal has been closed.
It was approved with 16 votes for, 2 votes against and 4 abstentions.
I approve this proposal. --SelfishSeahorse (talk) 10:10, 21 January 2020 (UTC)- I approve this proposal. --Dieterdreist (talk) 10:45, 21 January 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. --PangoSE (talk) 11:05, 21 January 2020 (UTC)
I oppose this proposal. Good concept, bad name. The name is not meaningful in British English. A Google search for "give box" returns nothing related to this concept. A "give box" is not just for giving, it's also for taking. A "give box" is often not a box but a shelf in a shop or even an entire shop. Terminology from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give-away_shop includes "give-away shop," "free shop," and "free store," any of which are better British English than "give box." Possibly even better would be to tag it as a charity shop with a sub-tag indicating that the goods are free, because that is essentially what this is. --Brian de Ford (talk) 11:16, 21 January 2020 (UTC)
- @Brian de Ford: I encountered many give boxes that would not deserve tagging as shop (because it was box with about 20 clothing items left by previous visitors at hostel/camping site). I never encountered something big enough to deserve tagging as a shop Can you recommend a better name? If there is no better one I would be perfectly fine with "give box" Mateusz Konieczny (talk) 19:41, 21 January 2020 (UTC)
- @Mateusz Konieczny: If it's just a box, then shop is inappropriate for the same reason as box is inappropriate if it's an entire shop or a shelf in a shop. And I firmly oppose "give" for a box or shop where you can take things away as well as depositing them. The closest terms that fit are "swap box" (but still not quite right as it implies that you must deposit something in order to be allowed to take something) or "freecycling box." I'm not really happy with either of those, but they're better than "give box." If we were only dealing with shops I'd propose tagging them as charity shops with fee=no. --Brian de Ford (talk) 19:10, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
- @Brian de Ford: Freecycling seems to be a bit opinionated concept for reusing items. https://www.freecycle.org/ I would actually vote for "give_and_take_box" for which "give_box" seems to be quite a good abbreviation. I actually don't like the idea of tagging "shop sized give boxes" as shops, as those "normally" self organized facilities follow a very different logic. I would propose to tag them as amenity=free_store --Yova (talk) 23:24, 31 January 2020 (UTC)
- @Mateusz Konieczny: If it's just a box, then shop is inappropriate for the same reason as box is inappropriate if it's an entire shop or a shelf in a shop. And I firmly oppose "give" for a box or shop where you can take things away as well as depositing them. The closest terms that fit are "swap box" (but still not quite right as it implies that you must deposit something in order to be allowed to take something) or "freecycling box." I'm not really happy with either of those, but they're better than "give box." If we were only dealing with shops I'd propose tagging them as charity shops with fee=no. --Brian de Ford (talk) 19:10, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. --Hauke-stieler (talk) 15:46, 21 January 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. --ToastHawaii (talk) 17:29, 21 January 2020 (UTC)
I have comments but abstain from voting on this proposal. though willing to change to oppose vote if there is a better nameMateusz Konieczny (talk) 19:41, 21 January 2020 (UTC)Free box seems clearly superior, but I am not a native speaker. Mateusz Konieczny (talk) 18:50, 23 January 2020 (UTC)- I oppose this proposal. - It appears that "free box" and "give box" are both used for this feature. It seems much more intuitive to use "free box" in American English, but I can't say whether or not that would be better in British English, so I'm abstaining for now. If "give box" is understandable to speakers of other languages, then it would be reasonable. --Jeisenbe (talk) 02:21, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
- I've changed my vote to oppose, since the proposal does not explain what should be done with amenity=public_bookcase - can give_box also be used for this feature, or should free bookcases only use the existing key? I hope this problem and the value of the tag can be addressed before it is considered approved, though I think the concept is a good one overall and hope it will be accepted eventually. --Jeisenbe (talk) 00:14, 6 February 2020 (UTC)
- @Jeisenbe: Please have a look at the prepared tag page: amenity=give_box. I think it's quite clear about the public_bookcase problem. Thus my comment on the talk page. Regards H@mlet (talk) 10:44, 6 February 2020 (UTC)
- A public bookcase is not a give box for books only. They are both different facilities. For example, a public bookcase for the practice of
bookcrosing is not a give box for books only at all: it's a public bookcase for bookcrossing (a specific facility). You can only give/take books at a public bookcase by definition. In a give box, you can find books, of course, even only books, but the give boxes are not used for sharing books only, neither in common use nor by definition. The public bookcases have an specific use, something like an amenity=recycling container and an amenity=waste_disposal. A recycling container is not a waste disposal for paper/bottles/... only. They have a specific tagging in OSM because they have a specific use. Public bookcases and give boxes possibly need different tagging too for similar reasons. In any case, I consider that the doubts about these unique facilities are understandable. --Dcapillae (talk) 15:44, 6 February 2020 (UTC)
- A public bookcase is not a give box for books only. They are both different facilities. For example, a public bookcase for the practice of
- I approve this proposal. I agree that "give box" does not exactly roll off the tongue, but it appears that German-speaking countries have taken the lead in the creation of these amenities, so tagging with their existing English version of the name makes sense when there's not a definitive native-English equivalent. I'd love to get these mapped so I'll vote yes on any reasonable name. --Jmapb (talk) 20:50, 23 January 2020 (UTC)
- I have comments but abstain from voting on this proposal. I've been following this proposal and I'm not sure how I feel about it. But I commend you on all the work you've put into it. --Dr Centerline (talk) 22:41, 24 January 2020 (UTC)
- @Dr Centerline: Would you have some details about your feeling against this proposal ? Regards. H@mlet (talk) 12:57, 6 February 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. --Waldhans (talk) 09:41, 25 January 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. --Sommerluk (talk) 10:02, 25 January 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. --Yova (talk) 22:44, 31 January 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. --Dcapillae (talk) 23:53, 31 January 2020 (UTC)
- I have comments but abstain from voting on this proposal. --Hobbesvsboyle (talk) 15:09, 2 February 2020 (UTC) My main concern: Why exclude free book cases and food-related boxes such as http://www.littlefreepantry.org/new-gallery? I understand that those already have widely used tags. But conceptually they seem to be the same thing, which could lead to confusion down the road, with for example some tagging
amenity=public_bookcaseand others usingamenity=give_box + books=only
- @Hobbesvsboyle: Thanks for the input with
amenity=give_box + books=only, I understand that this could lead to a mistake. I will add a section "Possible Tagging Mistake" to the feature page and add a hint to prevent this mistake. Based on the feedback and on my researchamenity=give_box + clothes=onlyandamenity=give_box + art=only(and the others) are rare exceptions. This proposal offer a way to document them. Usually a give box allows all kind of small items. Public bookcases (~5400 documented in OSM) and food related boxes http://mapping.littlefreepantry.org/ (~800 documented), https://foodsharing.de/karte (~750 documented) are common. Public bookcases already have their own tag. In my opinion, food released boxes deserve their own tag. Give boxes and foot related boxes have a different concept in detail. Some foot related boxes eg. have a fridge, some disallows meat or only a group of people is allowed to fill it up. This needs to be discussed, but that is not part of this proposal. The give_box tag is specific for sharing and reusing (none food) items. ToastHawaii (talk) 09:22, 3 February 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. I have hesitated to add these in my area for the reason they don't seem to have a name here. I'll call it a give box. I agree that these and
amenity=public_bookcaseare effectively the same (and look identical around here except by what's inside), but I don't see that as a problem for adding this tag. --pkoby (talk) 16:18, 2 February 2020 (UTC) - I have comments but abstain from voting on this proposal. Would be more prudent to suggest a course of action on amenity=public_bookcase, especially since it is "approved" (not merely a "suggestion"), and a conflicting top-level key. --Kovposch (talk) 16:43, 2 February 2020 (UTC)
- @Kovposch: Please have a look at the prepared tag page: amenity=give_box. I think it's clearer than here, and quite enough IMHO. H@mlet (talk) 12:57, 6 February 2020 (UTC)
- Much clearer. I suppose the same caveat can be added for food as responded above. Kovposch (talk) 15:32, 6 February 2020 (UTC)
- @Kovposch: Sure, I also added a note, that give_box should not be used for food sharing. ToastHawaii (talk) 20:04, 6 February 2020 (UTC)
- Much clearer. I suppose the same caveat can be added for food as responded above. Kovposch (talk) 15:32, 6 February 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. --OpenDEM (talk) 07:23, 4 February 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. ChristianSW (talk) 14:30, 3 February 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. --H@mlet (talk) 10:38, 6 February 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. --Jcr83 (talk) 08:13, 7 February 2020 (UTC)
- I approve this proposal. --PeterPan99 (talk) 14:02, 15 March 2020 (UTC)