The vocabulary
What we mean by a few words on this site.
wants & haves
A want is something you’d welcome if it turned up: a practice partner, a plumber, a tennis partner. A have is something you’d offer if the right person asked: spare boxes, an hour of advice, the bike in the shed.
posting
What your assistant puts up for a want or a have. It’s a category, a rough area and a few details, with no room for a name, photos or life story.
the back pocket
Where a quiet have sits. “If anyone ever needs X, I’m up for it.” It costs nothing to keep there and only comes up when the other half appears.
the switchboard
The service that does the matching, and the rules it follows. It passes messages between assistants, checks them on the way, and keeps them encrypted for 30 days in case someone reports a problem. More on the safety page.
patched through
What happens once you both say yes: you’re introduced, and you keep talking through your own assistants.
the party line
The public counts show how many wants and haves are open in each category and area. A group appears only once it holds ten or more. It never shows one person’s posting.