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Post-Update: Forum Issues

Em-

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Posts posted by Em-

  2. Posted

     

     

    Anyone remember the comic book swap? I'd love to do that one again. :)

    That was super fun!

    It was!! We all seemed to have a great time.

     

    I know everything is busy with SW and 13DoH, but maybe someone could run it closer to Nov before the Xmas swaps?

     

     

    I would guess that there won't be many non-holiday related swaps that get off the ground through the end of this year. There are usually a good half-dozen or more December holiday related swaps, between solstice and tacky ornaments and the like, and I would be surprised if there were not at least one more Halloween swap this year.

     

    Which is not to say that non-holiday related swaps are not welcome if someone wants to run one, but experience tells me that it's hard to get them off the ground once we hit Halloween season.

  5. Posted

    Could a mod delete the 2 round robin swaps? I'm pretty sure they are not going to happen and Kakiphony has not been on the site in ages, though if anyone has heard from her I hope she is ok.

     

    I am in contact with Kaki and the threads will be updated one way or another within the next week or so.

  13. Posted

    So, at long last, I have put together a FAQ document as discussed, oh, two years ago now? I am going to leave comments on this thread open for a few weeks so that folks can add questions or ask for clarification and generally discuss, at which point, I will make edits accordingly. Thank you all for your participation!

     

     

    Frequently Asked Questions about Circular Swaps

    There are official guidelines for circular swap organizers here: http://www.bpal.org/topic/79091-circular-swaps-guidelines-updated-42415. This FAQ is designed to address questions that have come up over the years outside the scope of those official guidelines.

    1. Who can organize and/participate in a circular swap?
    Pretty much anyone who has not been banned from swapping may participate in a circular swap, although organizers may choose to set additional requirements, such as a certain post count, or an established swap history, at their discretion. Circular swaps can be a great way for newbies to get to know more people and participate in activities that reflect some of the best things about the bpal.org community - the friendliness and generosity of our members.

    Generally speaking anyone may also start a circular swap, but it is strongly recommended that members participate in a few swaps of different types before running a circular swap themselves. A great way to test the waters is to partner with another member who is experienced in running circular swaps as a co-leader, in order to get a sense for how they play out on the forum and what difficulties can arise.

    2. What are the different types of circular swaps?

    Most circular swaps fall into one of three categories:

     

    • “mystery matches”: Swaps where people are matched to a secret recipient to send goodies, i.e. switch witch, holiday secret swaps, etc.;
    • “round robin boxes”: Swaps where one person gathers items (either themselves or from a group) and sends the box to person A who sends to person B who sends to person C, etc., i.e. hot drinks, chocolate, bath and beauty samples;
    • “exchanges”: Swaps where everyone is expected to send a specific item to two or more participants, which may be known or secret, i.e. card swaps, cd swaps, etc.

    The specific requirements for each type of circular swap can be found in the guidelines.

    3. How much does it cost to participate?

    Cost varies depending on the type of swap and the rules laid out by the organizers. There are swaps that by definition are shipping-cost-only - we have had spring cleaning swaps where the idea is to only send items you already have in the house and stash buster craft swaps where the idea is to use up existing supplies. People have hosted Dollar Store Swaps with a $10 price cap. Other swaps may have a minimum expected spending or value amount. Most people are happy to receive gently used items, such as books or jewelry or decants, so it is possible to keep costs down.

    4. How much detail is required for the swap questionnaire?

    Generally speaking, the more detail the better. Keep in mind that your questionnaire answers are going to be your sender's first and best way to determine what to send you, so this is your chance to really make your preferences known and to let your personality shine through. For example, while saying you like socks is great, saying you like knee-high cotton socks with silly designs or stripes is a lot more helpful.

    5. Are in-thread questions required?

     

    Not as a rule. Posting them is definitely not essential. It is within the discretion of individual organizers to declare them required, or highly suggested, depending on the nature of the swap. Again, the more involved you can be, the easier it will be for your sender to provide you with a package you love. Particularly for folks who are relatively new to the forum or to circular swaps, these questions can help make the difference between something you kind of like, or something you love (or hate for that matter).

     

    6. Are wishlists required?

    This is another thing that falls into the realm of "the more detail, the better". Having an up-to-date wishlist for BPAL at minimum, is extremely helpful for senders, since that is something that by definition, everyone here likes and might want to receive. Wishlists for other sites/companies or Goodreads lists and the like are also great ways for people to get ideas about what you like and want, even if they don't actually purchase something off your Amazon wishlist or Goodreads to-read list. Personally, I (Em-) have dedicated an entry in my blog to WIshlist links and other sundry info for circular swaps that I link in my signature and drop into the relevant place in questionnaires so that I know I always have the right links and such handy.

     

    7. Is a camera/photo required?

    Not as a rule, but photos may be required at the organizer's discretion. It is highly suggested that as a sender, if there is anything you want to see a photo of, or that you would be upset if it were not viewable in-thread, that you take photos before you ship, because not everyone has access to a camera or other means of posting photos.

     

    8. How can I post photos?

     

    Most folks share through dedicated photo sharing sites, like Flickr or Photobucket or https://postimage.io/ (which does not require an account).

     

    9. Do I have to post in the thread?

     

    Yes. At absolute minimum, you must publicly acknowledge receipt of your package. This usually consists of thanking your sender profusely and describing the vast and varied wonderfulness that they sent you. Sometimes such a reaction may not be appropriate, but when you receive something, you must acknowledge it and you will receive negative feedback for failing to do so. Participation throughout the swap is encouraged, since it makes things more fun for everyone, but it is not a hard and fast requirement, unless so stated by the organizers.

     

    10. How much do I have to participate?

     

    As much or as little as you want, depending on the guidelines of the individual swap and subject to the hard and fast requirement to publicly acknowledge your package.

     

    11. How can I keep up with all of the posts in the thread (or threads in the forum)?

     

    At the top right corner of a topic or sub-forum page, there is a button allowing you to "Follow this thread" or "Follow this forum". Those buttons will allow you to set up options for receiving email notifications about new posts/threads/etc.

     

    12. How do I start a new swap or discussion topic? Related: I started a new topic, but I can't see it!

     

    New topics in Circular Swaps are limited to actual swaps organized in accordance with the Circular Swaps Guidelines. We do not permit threaded discussion of swap ideas or general interest gathering. All questions, comments, ideas, criticisms, etc related to past or future swaps or circular swaps should be consolidated in the General Circular Swap Discussion thread. In order to ensure that new swaps contain all necessary elements of a circular swap within the guidelines, all new threads in this section require moderator approval. Any new threads which are not related to actually initiating a new circular swap round of some sort or which do not comport with the guidelines in full will not be approved. Depending on the situation, threads will be archived, or a moderator will contact you with instructions on how you can make any necessary updates.

     

    v1.1 updated 2/21/17 by Em-

    v1.0 posted 2/2/17 by Em-

  22. Posted

    I'm thinking maybe a back-to-school shotgun swap where we send a book to read under our desk, a school supply of some sort (cute notebook, pencil case or something similar), a snack for lunchtime and a surprise for recess. Maybe? The idea to keep around $20 or so.

  24. Posted

    Llamadolly should have submitted our Altoid tin swap for approval so as soon as it gets approved, we are live! A little teaser, it will be Fandom themed

     

    I don't have anything.

     

    Also, don't forget to message me after you hit submit y'all. And if you have any questions about your rules, I'm happy to vet them via PM before you actually post.

  25. Posted

    Just a heads up that I am going to be gone and unable to approve any new swaps for 2 weeks beginning NEXT MONDAY JULY 11. So if you do want to get something started, please do so ASAP. Other mods can technically approve circular swaps, but for the smoothest experience, get those posts up by Sunday.

     

    I am definitely feeling the itch myself, so I will probably start something up late July when I am back from vacay.

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