DIGITAL BARTER SYSTEM: FACILITATING SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION THROUGH WEB-BASED PLATFORM FOR GOODS EXCHANGE

Abstract

The resurgence of bartering, driven by the pursuit of sustainable living and efficient resource utilization, has inspired "Secondlife," a web-based platform designed to facilitate the exchange of goods and services where users can trade items directly without the need for currency. This thesis explores the development and implementation of the Secondlife platform, leveraging Agile methodology to ensure a responsive, user-centered design and iterative improvement process. Agile's emphasis on collaboration, flexibility, and customer feedback has been instrumental in addressing user needs and optimizing the platform's functionality. Key features of Secondlife include a secure user authentication system, a dynamic matching algorithm to suggest potential trades, and a robust communication interface to facilitate negotiations. This research highlights the challenges and solutions encountered during development, including system architecture design, user interface optimization, and integration of real-time data processing. The results demonstrate that Secondlife effectively supports sustainable practices by enabling users to exchange goods, thus reducing waste and promoting resourcefulness. The platform's success underscores the viability of barter systems in modern digital economies and provides a blueprint for future developments in the domain of online trading and sustainable living.