Lesson plan

Netcycler

Netcycler was an online service for consumers that facilitated swapping, giving away and trading pre-owned goods between users. The service was not only for direct person-to-person swaps, but also enabled trade rings of up to five persons. Trade rings were supported using in-house developed technology. The company was founded in February 2008 by D.Sc. Juha Koponen and M.Sc. Jussi Koskinen. Netcycler was launched in Finland in March 2010. Netcycler Germany was launched in October 2010. Netcycler UK launched in May 2011. In August 2012 the company acquired Swap.com in the USA, and it launched the Swap.com Valet Service in October 2012. The Valet Service focuses on trading kids' items. In Netcycler, swapping, giving and receiving items were all free of charge. For sales transactions and shipping services Netcycler charged a fee. Developing Netcycler had been possible with the support of TEKES (The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation) and private investors together with Cleantech Future Fund and Start Fund Vera. Netcycler's trade ring technology allowed members to trade items between as many as five people (Europe), or an unlimited number of people (the Valet Service in the USA). Compared to direct person-to-person swaps this increased the likelihood of achieving a successful swap.…

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Article summary

Netcycler was an online service for consumers that facilitated swapping, giving away and trading pre-owned goods between users. The service was not only for direct person-to-person swaps, but also enabled trade rings of up to five persons. Trade rings were supported using in-house developed technology. The company was founded in February 2008 by D.Sc. Juha Koponen and M.Sc. Jussi Koskinen. Netcycler was launched in Finland in March 2010. Netcycler Germany was launched in October 2010. Netcycler UK launched in May 2011. In August 2012 the company acquired Swap.com in the USA, and it launched the Swap.com Valet Service in October 2012. The Valet Service focuses on trading kids' items. In Netcycler, swapping, giving and receiving items were all free of charge. For sales transactions and shipping services Netcycler charged a fee. Developing Netcycler had been possible with the support of TEKES (The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation) and private investors together with Cleantech Future Fund and Start Fund Vera. Netcycler's trade ring technology allowed members to trade items between as many as five people (Europe), or an unlimited number of people (the Valet Service in the USA). Compared to direct person-to-person swaps this increased the likelihood of achieving a successful swap.…

Key claims

  1. date of foundation: 2008 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of foundation is "2008". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  4. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372692463

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.