Full Circle Associates

Darren Barefoot gives us a gift. He has created a site, Dear Rockers - Paying Back Musicians which embodies two things that I think can help us save us from ourselves: reciprocity and the culture of love.

Yes, it's Friday, but I'm not (just) going all soft.

First, about the site. Darren has created a site to inspire and facilitate us to send money to musicians whose music we have benefited from without paying them. Here is the gist:

Show Some Love to Your Favourite Musician

Many of us own music that we didn't pay for. We don't feel guilty about shafting the record company, but what about the musicians themselves?

Here's how it works:

1. Pick a musician
2. Write them a letter
3. Scan or photograph the letter and send it to us
4. Mail off the letter along with $5
5. Enjoy your new, guilt-free life

You can contact me at dearrockers {at} gmail.com.

In a gift culture, we can forget that when we "take" a gift, somewhere along the line we need to "give one." That's the reciprocity piece. If you want to give directly to the musician, Darren makes it easy. (There is a neat little widget to search for a mailing address.)

The culture of love comes in when people share their letters to the musicians. It is a public manifestation of their appreciation - or even love.

Pretty sweet.

So how do we build more opportunities for reciprocity and the culture of love when we are designing websites and human processes?