CIF hosts boards for rides and sales

Three UR students launched a new discussion board on campus at the beginning of the semester. This board is a forum where students can buy and sell books, computer hardware, and other miscellaneous items, as well as request and offer rides to fellow students. The web site, http://forsale.cif.rochester.edu/, was started by three Computer Interest Floor students – juniors Joe Toscano and Greg Briggs and sophomore David Clubb. “We just set it up as a service to the Rochester community,” Clubb said. “It’s student to student, it’s not a business.”The site currently contains 75 topics in five separate forums – Textbooks, Computer Hardware, Misc. items for sale, Ride Board, and Site News & Suggestions. The textbook exchange board alone has 54 different topic postings. Membership to the forums is free – the only information needed is an e-mail address to set up a name for posting. “I usually buy through the bookstore, even though its expensive,” senior Mike Lamb said. “One year, I used B&N.com and Amazon, but the main reason I use the bookstore is that I get money from flex. I was unaware the Web site existed until now. I would sell books through the site, though.” “The site went up three weeks ago,” Toscano said. “We currently have 68 members. It was set up as a general discussion board, David had experience with the software…we all had the idea for the CIF message board.” The has been growing constantly. Since Monday, nine new members have joined. The CIF message board is now one of two new Web sites where students can buy and sell books. The other site, www.rochesterstudents.com, is an off-campus site that was also created this semester. Rochesterstudents.com differs from forsale.cif in that it is a business, but both sites, although not affiliated, provide links to the other on their respective sites. “We wouldn’t have had the resources to set it up without CIF, [and] having CIF’s name on it helps with advertising,” Toscano said. “I’m not sure we would have done it if we were not on [the CIF] floor.””The software was free, and its very easy to use,” Clubb said. “We hung some posters to get it started, and there’s a link on the CIF page.” The CIF message boards are not home to the first ride board on campus. The Hive, on the third floor of Wilson Commons, has one as well. “I didn’t know what it was until somebody came to take a picture for the article. I only saw somebody use it once.” Senior Josh Donn, who has worked at The Hive since September, said. “I’ve never used the ride-board. I didn’t know it existed” Senior Matt Stevenson said. “I’d probably use it [the CIF board].” “It’s online, so its easier to get to. You can post for rides back to school as well.” Toscano said, comparing the CIF ride-board to the one at The Hive. The Hive ride board is inaccessible to students at home looking for rides back up to school. “Someone mentioned setting up a ride board off-hand, asking if we could set it up, so we did.”Farrell can be reached at nfarrell@campustimes.org.