Beth Thorpe, Communications Chair and Webmaster, Louisville TimeBank
"I have loved working with hOurworld® and their Time Banking software, Time and Talents. The organic way that they work on the software by taking suggestions from coordinators and how it is a constantly growing, evolving tool is fantastic. That all new features are set up as choices to use-- you like it, use it, if you don't like it, don't turn the feature on- is so smart, because all time banks have different needs. It is a superior way to deal with software for time banks by using time bank coordinators as partners in building the software. hOurworld® really helps the time banking world grow!"
Siobhan Leslie, Portobello Timebank, UK
"Just to say thank you for arranging for us to go on to this. It has helped our Timebank to grow so quickly."
Cynthia Harwood, Executive Coordinator, Time Bank of the Rockies
"Congratulations for hitting over a million exchanges and managing 225 communities through hOurworld!!
TnT just keeps getting better and better. Keep up the great work!"
Laura Lee, San Benito Time Exchange
"I want to thank you and your team for all of the hard work you have been doing to make our software better. I'm inspired to see the hOurworld® team working with the TBUSA team.
In light of our recent experience of our fiscal sponsorship relationship blowing-up, it warms my heart to see relationship success in action."
Howard Lambert, SkillShare
"My God, Stephen: TnT just keeps getting better and better. How wonderful it is to be part of world-wide TimeBanking as hOurworld® is doing it."
Margaret Soulstein, Tompkins Time Traders
"Thanks for passing along our feedback to the [mobile] app developer. We here are all thrilled that it exists and I do my best to remind members that it's new and is a work in progress. I am/we are so appreciative by how welcome and easy it is to give our feedback to help make these applications as good as can be."
Barbara Price, Battenkill Time Traders
"You have us captivated. We only learned about your time bank software and organization about 6 weeks ago and have been sort of quietly wondering about it. This email spark a bright, inspired reaction from me - and I've forwarded it to the others in our leadership team. You are innovating in ways we've talked about and dreamed of - but couldn't manage because we feel so maxed out with our work and lives."
Maren Martin, hOURbank Monterey County
"And thank YOU for your wonderful and efficient responsiveness to the great ideas, Stephen!"
Sarah Grover, About Time! Exchange
"You're terrific! It is wonderful how transparent and accessible this feels already. I'm looking forward to building our exchange."
Chinyere Oteh, The Cowry Collective
"Thank you for your service stephen! The improvements we have seen since using time and talents in St. Louis in just the last few months have been many and frequent. We appreciate your work!"
Lito Dacanay, Time Exchange Philippines
"Thanks a lot, Stephen! I am proud to be with such a forward-looking/growth-oriented/innovative community!"
Debbie Williams, Grace Hill / Patch Center
"I want you to know that I love the new system. It is much quicker doing transactions. I haven't been able to get as much work done as a did today.. Thank you so much, a great improvement!"
Steve Bosserman, Care and Share Time Bank
"First of all, welcome to timebanking! Lisa [Conlin Lewis], Kim [Hodge], and I have had experience with both systems: TimeBanks USA's Community Weaver and hOurworld®'s Time and Talents. While both have a similar purpose, each utilizes a different functional and user interface design. Which one you choose will make a significance difference in the 'touch and feel' you and other members of the timebank will have. So, you are wise to give it thoughtful consideration before leaping in.
Each of us started with Community Weaver then switched to Time and Talents at a later time. Lisa and Kim have considerably more experience with timebanking overall and the Community Weaver system, more specifically, since our Columbus timebank started only three years ago. However, our members have found the Time and Talents user interface to be much more friendly than with Community Weaver. And as a coordinator, I can't sing enough the praises of Stephen Beckett, the architect for Time and Talents, for his technical prowess in offering new features that actually work and responsiveness to whatever questions or glitches we may have along the way."
Lisa Conlin Lewis, New HOPE Time Exchange, RI
"I have used both software programs community weaver and time and talents. I was with community weaver first and invested a lot of my time and energy supporting its development and implementation. It was a sharp looking program and not to challenging to learn to use from a member perspective. As an administrator I found it complicated to have and find the Drupal knowledge and expertise needed to operate, make adaptations, and interact with our membership. Community Weaver is built on an open source platform and there were many concerns in regards to security and confidentiality. Time and Talents is proprietary software and can ensure more security and it working to ensure HIPPA compliance and standards needed by database systems in health care industry. Community Weaver had only a few reporting features and was not close to being able to accommodate the level of reporting needs we had as a Time Exchange and Time and Talents was much better suited for our reporting needs and has been great about making additions we need for reporting and communicating with membership. A feature of Time and Talents has is ability to produce a paper directory for our members who are not internet users and would prefer old fashion methods, we had requested this a few times for community weaver and was unable to get this produced.
I do want to share that our time exchange is very inclusive and is working with special populations including individuals with disabilities, elders and living with a high level of poverty and large Spanish speaking community we have unique needs and extreme challenges in getting a core membership utilizing either of these software programs. Our coordinators really like and have taken much more to the Time and Talents database and were challenged with Community Weaver."
Steve Bosserman, Care and Share Time Bank
"After the Care and Share Time Bank in Columbus, OH made the switch from CW2 to Time and Talents we realized numerous benefits in terms of platform stability, user-interface, and tech support. No regrets whatsoever.
The genius behind the system is Stephen Beckett. [hOurworld] is VERY responsive to requests for more information and will take to you to whatever level of detail you need to understand how it works and make an informed decision."
Christine Lima, hOUR Bank, Monteray, CA
"Thank you, our member is so impressed that her suggestion was considered. Quote 'hOurworld® shines' "
Kate Fortier, Director, Access to Assets/Windham Area Hour Exchange
"You guys are awesome. Thanks for your continued hard work and responsiveness!"
Tony Budak, Time Bank Mahoning Watershed
"We did drop CW v2 and went to hOurworld® TnT, for the following reasons:"
- hOurworld® is Free and TBMW has a very tight small budget
- TBUSA charges per account and many members (25% to 35 %) hardly ever or never use their account but our time bank, TBMW, must pay TBUSA to carry these laggards.
- hOurworld® tech support, answers phone and emails promptly and aims to please
- I want to personally concentrate on building community, social capital, and human development not learn Geek Tech
- learning and becoming a Techie is not in the vision or mission of TB USA so this SLOWS and restricts the Coordinators professional and practice development
- The open source platform Drupal is used by most Geeks as a bait and switch to achieve income or stature at expense or exploitation of the customers
- Using the Drupal platform requires a time bank necessarily to have a Drupal champion techy in house to monitor the service exchange.
Kathy Houck, Orange County Time Bank, CA
"This program is called Time and Talents and is soooooo much simpler, effective, user friendly and astounding in the things it can provide! I would highly recommend that you check it out if you can tomorrow. Non- IT gal that I am, I was thrilled with the ease in emailing to the exchange, breaking up the membership into special interest groups and neighborhoods to help with more 'local' exchanging, searching for specific offers or services-just wonderful!, reporting-You can't believe what this baby can do."
Laura Lee, San Benito Time Exchange
"I love working working with software programers who like hearing their users experiences and apply them to make my life/experience easier!!! Thanks "
Jennie A. Weakley, Bridging Communities Inc., Intergenerational Program Director/TimeBank Coordinator
"The new feature on the software where people receive a weekly update has literally changed the way our TimeBank is being used! We have seen a huge influx in exchanges, and the best part is that they are between people who haven't exchanged with one another before. Thank you for this feature, we are all loving it!"
