TimeBanks: using time like money in our communities

There are other software platforms that communities use for timebanking. I work closely with the developer and support team for Hamlets and Time2Connect.

The timebank run by Project Lyttelton was the central hub of the recovery after the 2010 Christchurch earthquake cut them off from the main city.

Living Economies timebanking resources

Phil Stevens wrote:There are other software platforms that communities use for timebanking.

Thanks for the links! I added them to the wiki under TimeBank resources and platforms. Are those descriptions accurate?

Yep, perfect.

Interesting. I was familiar with hour-based currency. But those are usually paper bills. There isn't the follow-through of a digital exchange.

Thanks for posting this! I did some online timebank experimentation fifteen years ago and kind of love the idea. And through your links, I just found a local one that's in its infancy. And to address your first point to ponder, I've highlighted a little bit of their front page:

Does the Cincinnati Time Store count as an example of this?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_Time_Store

I first heard about this historic venture from Chris Schwarz of Lost Art Press and the "Anarchist" series ("The Anarchist's Tool Chest", "The Anarchist's Workbench", "The Anarchist's Design Book", etc.).  Mr. Schwarz is an avowed anarchist, self-professed, in a very technical sense, but of late, I think he's been less vociferous about it because he got tired of explaining exactly what he meant by that.

I'd guess that such an institution would be more counter-cultural now than the 1820s-1830s when that entity was active.  We do have one cooperative grocery store and also a cooperative gas station still operating here.  Formerly, there were many farm cooperatives in the area, however.  At least the co-op grocery does have some sort of time-based accounting which can be applied to member dues, and perhaps used for more than that, as well.  I'm not a member, though I sometimes shop there, especially for bulk dry goods and locally grown produce.  They've recently moved to a new building, more centrally located, which should mean it would be more convenient for me to swing in there, but I've hardly been in to the new location.

Anyway, I am curious about alternatives to conventional currency and economic models.

Interesting observation. I just exchanged work between friends. Better to work a week with 3 at one place and then to do similar at the others then going at it alone. It's got to be well prepared but so far we've got an outhouse rendered and a roof finished. Have to think what i want to do at mine's but it might up being gardening work in autumn. Anyway it takes a lot, because you've got to sleep at other people's place who have different habits and stay focused at the same time. But the alternative is plotting alone.

I'm used to timebanks being called Local Exchange Currency Schemes (LETS) in the UK. I guess they're the same thing? I think they are a super idea, for people outwith your trust zone; although it all works on trust so expands this zone .