Yulecards: an exciting experimental low-key low-mod card-sending thing
Hello friends! I was thinking it would be lovely if cards were part of the gift exchanges. (I got hooked on card-trading through ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
holiday_wishes, which is being revived by splendid Yuletider ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
doranwen and you should all check it out.) Then it occurred to me that that could be set up very easily as a clearinghouse rather than a proper exchange, so here we are! This is entirely experimental and very informal, with minimal moderation. I hope it will create opportunities for enjoyable interactions among Yuletiders.
GENERAL FAQ
What is Yulecards?
It’s a way to send cards to other Yuletide participants, and request that cards be sent to you.
Who’s the Yulecards mod?
rosefox had the idea and is posting this post on Dreamwidth. Anyone who wants to copy the post to LJ is welcome to, as long as they follow the same rules:
- anon comments are screened and will be deleted (other than feedback)
- any comments that openly share mailing addresses will be deleted
Beyond that, there is no real moderation of this event. The post just provides opportunities for interaction between individuals. Participate at your own risk.
How do I share my address on the internet and not get stalked?
You share ELECTRONIC contact info (email address, Discord PM, Dreamwidth PM, etc.) that would-be card-senders can use to send you e-cards or request your mailing address. Do not post your mailing address. DO NOT POST YOUR MAILING ADDRESS. Mention which country you’re in so senders have an idea of whether they’ll be paying international postage rates, but please don’t get more specific than that, and please really truly DO NOT POST YOUR MAILING ADDRESS.
Am I paired with someone?
No. To request, post your ELECTRONIC contact info and what you would like card-wise. To send, look through the requests and select one or more to fulfill. See the sender and recipient sections below for details.
What stops someone else who knows my address from pretending to be me and sharing it?
Comments with mailing addresses (even PO boxes) and from anon commenters will be deleted. Sorry, anons, I know some of you prefer not to create DW accounts, but I am trying to err on the side of safety (especially for those who would prefer to leave their AO3 names and real-world names unlinked, and those who have existing personal safety concerns), and accounts are free and easy to make if you do want to participate. I'm happy to reconsider this policy for next year, and anon feedback comments are welcome if you have suggestions for ways to balance anonymity and safety.
If someone asks me directly for my address, won’t that spoil the surprise?
I’m valuing safety over surprise. If you want to get surprise cards, you can post your email address and request e-cards.
What’s the schedule?
November 14: this post is posted on Dreamwidth (and perhaps mirrored to LJ if someone feels like doing that). If I do this again in 2018 I will probably post it earlier.
December 15: deadline for adding new comments. (After that I’ll be too busy with YT and holidays to moderate.) If there's demand, I may open it up again after New Year's.
There’s no deadline for sending cards—you can send them all year long if you like—but it’s nice to send holiday-themed cards at least ten days before the holiday in question.
SENDER FAQ
Who can send a card?
Anyone! You don’t need to be a Yuletide participant, and you don’t need to post a request. You may send cards to as many people as you like.
How do I choose a recipient and get their address?
Look down the list of comments for someone whose requests and DNWs match the type of card you’d like to send. For example, if you have a box of Christmas cards that you’re looking to use up, look for people who want cards in envelopes and requested (or at least didn’t DNW) Christmas themes.
Contact the requester directly, using the electronic contact info they provide, to ask for their mailing address. If they request e-cards and post an email address, you can just send an e-card directly to that address.
What should I do with the recipient’s mailing address?
Write it on the card or envelope you’re sending. Do not use the recipient’s address for any purpose other than sending them a single card. Do not share the address with anyone else.
What should I send?
Respect DNWs. Unless the recipient requests otherwise, keep the content (including any artwork on the card) all-ages-friendly, generally cheerful, and appropriate for any holiday(s) your recipient celebrates. (If they don’t mention celebrating any holidays, try “Best wishes” or ask them what greeting would be welcome.) E-cards, postcards, and cards in envelopes are all fine unless the recipient requests otherwise.
Please only send one card per recipient, and please don’t enclose anything in the card.
If you feel like looking up your recipient’s fic or Yuletide requests and tailoring content to that, go ahead, but it’s not required. Include your AO3 handle so your recipient knows who to feel warm and fuzzy towards! And if you’re sending a card to your assigned Yuletide recipient, don’t give the game away.
When should I send the card?
For postcards or envelope cards, within two weeks of getting the person’s address, and at least ten days before any relevant holiday. For e-cards, whenever you like.
What should I do after I send a card?
Feel great about yourself! Once the card is literally physically actually on its way to the recipient, you may optionally comment on the recipient’s comment to say “I sent you a card!”. This will help other senders to prioritize sending cards to people who haven’t gotten any yet.
RECIPIENT FAQ
Do I need to be a participant in this year’s Yuletide to post a request?
No, any member of the extended Yuletiding community who has a Dreamwidth account (or a LiveJournal account if the post is mirrored there) is welcome to post.
If I post a request, am I required to send someone else a card?
It’s on the honor system, but yes, if you post a request please do send at least one other person a card of a type you requested.
What’s the deadline for posting a request?
December 15.
What should my request include?
See the template at the end of this post.
Should I post my mailing address?
No.
Do I have to give out my mailing address to anyone who requests it?
No, you always retain control over your mailing address and should only give it out at your discretion.
What kind of requests and DNWs can I list?
Some examples of requests: postcards, cityscapes, cards sent to arrive by a given date, glitter.
Some examples of DNWs: e-cards, religious themes, hand-drawn decorations, glitter.
Please don’t request that other items be included in cards, even small things like sheets of stickers or a tea sample. (If you want to get involved in a thing for requesting gifts like that, seeholiday_wishes.)
How can I maximize my chances of getting lots of lovely cards?
Post your comment early and minimize your DNWs. I can’t guarantee that everyone will receive at least one card, but I certainly hope everyone will!
What should I do after I get a card?
Cherish it! Please ping the sender to say “thank you”. You are not obligated to send a card in return, but of course you may do so if you like. If the sender didn’t leave a “card sent” comment on your request, you may wish to comment on your own request to state that you’ve received a card.
What if someone sends me a card that doesn’t respect my DNWs?
If you know who it is, let me know and I will restrict them from posting a request next year (assuming I do this again next year). Unfortunately there’s not much I can do beyond that. You can inform the Yuletide mods if you feel moved to do so, but this is not an official Yuletide event.
Will everyone who requests a card get one?
I can't guarantee that, but I certainly hope so! I'm sure many senders will look for requests that haven't been fulfilled yet, so if you do receive a card and your sender hasn't left a comment, please comment on your own request to say that the completionists can check you off the list.
REQUEST TEMPLATE
To request cards, comment on this post on or before December 15 in the following format:
[put your AO3 handle in the subject field too]
AO3 handle:
Electronic contact info:
Country where you live:
Seasonal holiday(s) you celebrate, if any:
Card types (e-card, postcard, envelope card):
Requests:
DNWs:
Other info:
If your requests and DNWs are long, please add line breaks before and after for easier reading.
FEEDBACK
Please share comments and suggestions for next year! The first comment on this post will be a comment-catcher for feedback; please put your feedback there. Anon feedback comments are welcome. Thank you very much for participating!
holiday_wishes, which is being revived by splendid Yuletider doranwen and you should all check it out.) Then it occurred to me that that could be set up very easily as a clearinghouse rather than a proper exchange, so here we are! This is entirely experimental and very informal, with minimal moderation. I hope it will create opportunities for enjoyable interactions among Yuletiders.GENERAL FAQ
What is Yulecards?
It’s a way to send cards to other Yuletide participants, and request that cards be sent to you.
Who’s the Yulecards mod?
rosefox had the idea and is posting this post on Dreamwidth. Anyone who wants to copy the post to LJ is welcome to, as long as they follow the same rules:- anon comments are screened and will be deleted (other than feedback)
- any comments that openly share mailing addresses will be deleted
Beyond that, there is no real moderation of this event. The post just provides opportunities for interaction between individuals. Participate at your own risk.
How do I share my address on the internet and not get stalked?
You share ELECTRONIC contact info (email address, Discord PM, Dreamwidth PM, etc.) that would-be card-senders can use to send you e-cards or request your mailing address. Do not post your mailing address. DO NOT POST YOUR MAILING ADDRESS. Mention which country you’re in so senders have an idea of whether they’ll be paying international postage rates, but please don’t get more specific than that, and please really truly DO NOT POST YOUR MAILING ADDRESS.
Am I paired with someone?
No. To request, post your ELECTRONIC contact info and what you would like card-wise. To send, look through the requests and select one or more to fulfill. See the sender and recipient sections below for details.
What stops someone else who knows my address from pretending to be me and sharing it?
Comments with mailing addresses (even PO boxes) and from anon commenters will be deleted. Sorry, anons, I know some of you prefer not to create DW accounts, but I am trying to err on the side of safety (especially for those who would prefer to leave their AO3 names and real-world names unlinked, and those who have existing personal safety concerns), and accounts are free and easy to make if you do want to participate. I'm happy to reconsider this policy for next year, and anon feedback comments are welcome if you have suggestions for ways to balance anonymity and safety.
If someone asks me directly for my address, won’t that spoil the surprise?
I’m valuing safety over surprise. If you want to get surprise cards, you can post your email address and request e-cards.
What’s the schedule?
November 14: this post is posted on Dreamwidth (and perhaps mirrored to LJ if someone feels like doing that). If I do this again in 2018 I will probably post it earlier.
December 15: deadline for adding new comments. (After that I’ll be too busy with YT and holidays to moderate.) If there's demand, I may open it up again after New Year's.
There’s no deadline for sending cards—you can send them all year long if you like—but it’s nice to send holiday-themed cards at least ten days before the holiday in question.
SENDER FAQ
Who can send a card?
Anyone! You don’t need to be a Yuletide participant, and you don’t need to post a request. You may send cards to as many people as you like.
How do I choose a recipient and get their address?
Look down the list of comments for someone whose requests and DNWs match the type of card you’d like to send. For example, if you have a box of Christmas cards that you’re looking to use up, look for people who want cards in envelopes and requested (or at least didn’t DNW) Christmas themes.
Contact the requester directly, using the electronic contact info they provide, to ask for their mailing address. If they request e-cards and post an email address, you can just send an e-card directly to that address.
What should I do with the recipient’s mailing address?
Write it on the card or envelope you’re sending. Do not use the recipient’s address for any purpose other than sending them a single card. Do not share the address with anyone else.
What should I send?
Respect DNWs. Unless the recipient requests otherwise, keep the content (including any artwork on the card) all-ages-friendly, generally cheerful, and appropriate for any holiday(s) your recipient celebrates. (If they don’t mention celebrating any holidays, try “Best wishes” or ask them what greeting would be welcome.) E-cards, postcards, and cards in envelopes are all fine unless the recipient requests otherwise.
Please only send one card per recipient, and please don’t enclose anything in the card.
If you feel like looking up your recipient’s fic or Yuletide requests and tailoring content to that, go ahead, but it’s not required. Include your AO3 handle so your recipient knows who to feel warm and fuzzy towards! And if you’re sending a card to your assigned Yuletide recipient, don’t give the game away.
When should I send the card?
For postcards or envelope cards, within two weeks of getting the person’s address, and at least ten days before any relevant holiday. For e-cards, whenever you like.
What should I do after I send a card?
Feel great about yourself! Once the card is literally physically actually on its way to the recipient, you may optionally comment on the recipient’s comment to say “I sent you a card!”. This will help other senders to prioritize sending cards to people who haven’t gotten any yet.
RECIPIENT FAQ
Do I need to be a participant in this year’s Yuletide to post a request?
No, any member of the extended Yuletiding community who has a Dreamwidth account (or a LiveJournal account if the post is mirrored there) is welcome to post.
If I post a request, am I required to send someone else a card?
It’s on the honor system, but yes, if you post a request please do send at least one other person a card of a type you requested.
What’s the deadline for posting a request?
December 15.
What should my request include?
See the template at the end of this post.
Should I post my mailing address?
No.
Do I have to give out my mailing address to anyone who requests it?
No, you always retain control over your mailing address and should only give it out at your discretion.
What kind of requests and DNWs can I list?
Some examples of requests: postcards, cityscapes, cards sent to arrive by a given date, glitter.
Some examples of DNWs: e-cards, religious themes, hand-drawn decorations, glitter.
Please don’t request that other items be included in cards, even small things like sheets of stickers or a tea sample. (If you want to get involved in a thing for requesting gifts like that, see
holiday_wishes.)How can I maximize my chances of getting lots of lovely cards?
Post your comment early and minimize your DNWs. I can’t guarantee that everyone will receive at least one card, but I certainly hope everyone will!
What should I do after I get a card?
Cherish it! Please ping the sender to say “thank you”. You are not obligated to send a card in return, but of course you may do so if you like. If the sender didn’t leave a “card sent” comment on your request, you may wish to comment on your own request to state that you’ve received a card.
What if someone sends me a card that doesn’t respect my DNWs?
If you know who it is, let me know and I will restrict them from posting a request next year (assuming I do this again next year). Unfortunately there’s not much I can do beyond that. You can inform the Yuletide mods if you feel moved to do so, but this is not an official Yuletide event.
Will everyone who requests a card get one?
I can't guarantee that, but I certainly hope so! I'm sure many senders will look for requests that haven't been fulfilled yet, so if you do receive a card and your sender hasn't left a comment, please comment on your own request to say that the completionists can check you off the list.
REQUEST TEMPLATE
To request cards, comment on this post on or before December 15 in the following format:
[put your AO3 handle in the subject field too]
AO3 handle:
Electronic contact info:
Country where you live:
Seasonal holiday(s) you celebrate, if any:
Card types (e-card, postcard, envelope card):
Requests:
DNWs:
Other info:
If your requests and DNWs are long, please add line breaks before and after for easier reading.
FEEDBACK
Please share comments and suggestions for next year! The first comment on this post will be a comment-catcher for feedback; please put your feedback there. Anon feedback comments are welcome. Thank you very much for participating!
Re: Gryvon
Re: Gryvon