Ann - I'm glad you mentioned this. As someone new to swaps, I wouldn't have know that was the protocol. Once again, I will be happy to participate full throughout the process. I'm looking forward to this.

Lynn.

Thanks Ann, I wouldn't have known that either... :(

I promise to post. We're on vacation for the next 10 days (through Columbus Day) so if I seem to be MIA...I'll try to check in every couple days or so. We're going to be "at sea" in our boat & we don't have internet hookup onboard...maybe next year. This year, we installed NOAA weather radar reception which seemed more important....duh! Too much electroncis!!!! I need a degree to go near our helm anymore... :(

I'm very excited about the swap...head is spinning with ideas. Not being able to ship liquids, gels, etc. into Canada is a bummer. That "might" alter my plans.

Tricia

This is just amazing to me. This is why many of us don't do swaps and don't come to this site anymore...way too many "rules" from people who are members, not administrators.

Marilyn

Sounds to me like common courtesy...
But of course you don't ever even have to thank someone for a gift...it's just something polite people do.
Linda C

Thanks Tricia and Lynn. I knew that there were some members that weren't aware of this. And I appreciate you taking the "Reminder" the way it was intended.

Together, we have set certain guidelines and they need to be communicated especially when new people join in the fun. Sixty two people seem OK with .

Ann

Since this is the biggest swap to date, I can't imagine how long the list of participants would be if the "so many who don't participate in swaps" played, too!! LOL

I agree, Linda. Sometimes common courtesy is not so 'common'! Thanks for the reminder, Ann.

Lori

Way to many rules"????

When someone puts together something as large as some of these swaps are, I think that there needs to be rules in place so this can be an enjoyable experience for us all. If you don't like the rules then don't play. Thats all. I don't find there needs to be a direct attack on anyone that puts time and effort into something that way more people enjoy... than not!

Thank you Ann for all your hard work that you put towards these swaps.

I'll chime in with another big THANK YOU to Ann for putting these swaps together.

Hmmm... a swap with no rules or guidelines, with 62 people participating.... well, actually I'd have to bow out of that one. It would be chaotic to say the least, and I can't imagine it would be very enjoyable!

As riverrat points out, no one is forced to play. I can't imagine the motivation to say something hurtful to Ann, though!

administrators don't organize the swaps - why would they set the rules? or make suggestions? or explain the common courtesies involved?

And if people are so offended that they don't visit the site anymore, then how do they know what we're doing?

And if people are so offended that they don't visit the site anymore, then how do they know what we're doing?

That was my question. If you are not participating in the swaps then why do you care? personally I am very grateful that Ann posted this reminder of part of the fun of swaps. I work very hard at putting together the packages for my swap partner and after fretting and worrying I like the pat on the back that i did a good job from others. When I receive my package I like to show off how lucky i am and have my partner rewarded for making me happy (and maybe a smidge of jealousy form some of the others LOL). It is all part of the community here. It is also a little like sitting in a circle and opening gifts at a child's birthday party.

Bravo Ann for all you do!!

-Robin

I second what Linda, Lori, River, lowspark, stacy and robinkate said. Very well put, ladies.

I try to check out the swaps and post a comment on many of them even when I'm not participating. I still like to join the fun in seeing what everyone got/sent and there are always interesting items that I notice and comment on.

Unfortunately, this one comes at a time when I am just too darned busy to deal with the shopping, during canning and harvest season. Still, I'll want to see what everyone else did, so I love it when people post pictures and descriptions of what they got in the swaps.

Annie

I appreciate the information, too -- I didn't know about this requirement (and maybe there are others, too?). I'm not criticizing the comment requirement or complaining, but I am afraid I will have to bow out. Of course I would thank the person who sent something to me, and post about it here, but I am worried that I will not be able to post comments about 60+ other swap packages. It sounds like a lot of fun, and I am disappointed, but if I can't promise to do everything that is expected, I'd better not participate.

Sorry for the inconvenience, Ann, and thanks for all your hard work. Have fun, everyone!

Well, I certainly would have sent a huge "thank you" to whoever sent my package and, probably, would have posted to a few of the threads. But, I most likely would have missed some also...not through any attempt to offend...just 'cause I didn't know about the posting thing. It is a lot of threads BUT it seems to me like the swap is rather like a party where we're all the B-Day recipient. Now that I stop to think about it...if we were together in a group...we'd all be "ooh, aahing" over all of the presents verbally. Since we can't do that, it only makes sense that we would take the time to do it in writing. It makes perfect sense to me...just had never thought of it in the proper context.

So, my "thanks" Anne for this thread & I'm looking forward to my first swap!

I'm sure that not all of the people will comment on all of the gift boxes. The comments and the sharing are what makes the exchanges so much fun. No one is keeping track of who says what when.

I appreciate you Anne!

But if you tell me I can't add my stupid emoticons, well...

(just kidding)

Gellchom, I'm sorry that you have decided not to participate. And I appreciate your honesty in posting the reason. Maybe this will change your mind though. Just to qualify, I know that it is difficult to post to every thread, especially when there are over 60 of them. I am just hoping that everyone will try their best to post to as many as they can. It's not meant to be an added burden to anyone - just want everyone to feel appreciated, as a giver and as a recipient

Let me know if you would still like to participate.

Thanks

Ann

Triciae, you echo my thoughts to a "t"! This is my first swap and I appreciate the guidelines. Ann, thank you for organizing this swap!

It is never a "requirement" that people ooh and aah, but it is a common courtesy. That doesn' mean that you have to respond to all 62, although I know many of us do. All Ann is trying to say is that part of the fun is posting your gifts and having others tell you how lucky you were, or what a good job the sender did. It makes us all feel just wonderful. And if she had not posted this reminder, many of the newbies would not have known about it. She was NOT being the swap Nazi, lol. Ann is dedicated and hard-working and should receive kudos for all the hard woek she puts into this. I, for one, bow down to you Ann, O Keeper of Addresses and Queen of the Swaps!!!
Sherry

Requirement? Chore? Nah, just fun to see and ooh and ahh!

Well put Tricia and Sherry.

Marcia have fun with the emoticons. LOL!

Okay, I haven't heard back from Gellchom so I'm going to assume that she isn't participating this time. I'm still waiting to hear from Diana with her address. But I am going to start matching up partners. With this many participating it could take a while.

It was interesting to note the number of members that have participated in 8 or more swaps.

Gina and Katie have both participated in at least 10 so far.It is possible they might have played in a couple more. I only have records on the 10 that I have organized. This will be the 11th.

Diane, and Sharon have both been in 9 and David, Lori, Alison, Teresa, Jessica, James have been in 7 or 8.

Ann

So Ann, I was wondering today if you're going to have to email all 62 people to let them know who their partner is. "That's a lot of work!" I thought to myself, cause it's not just a cc email, but 62 individual emails to send. Wow! Thanks for all your efforts.

I didn't know about that rule, either. It doesn't bother me. I may not be super prompt in posting to all of the threads about what everyone got, cause I have limited time at the computer, but I'll do my best. I'll eventually get an ooohh in here and an Ahhh in there until I've managed to post in most, if not all of them.

Are these threads supposed to be on the exchanges page or the discussion page? I just want to know where to post my thank you and to look for all the others.

Sally

Ann, if you have an uneven number and need to eliminate someone, make it me. I think I was the last to join this swap.

I try to respond to every post, I love to see what everyone has received and how creative everyone is, but I may miss a few, but don't intend to. I agree, just a common courtesy!

Thanks Ann for all you do!

Trixie, I'm cutting and pasting from another of Ann's posts to answer your question:

Catherine, Because we don't pair partners it doesn't matter if we have an odd number. One sends to two, two to three, three to four, and four to five and five to one.

Ann

Sally- Please put all posts about the swap on the Exhange Page. Some other posters seem to be annoyed when they come to the cooking forum and the main page is all about swapping. Everyone who's involved or interested will check in over here.

Thanks.

Sally

I want to join in with the thanks to Ann for all the organizing. And there is a difference between a requirement and an expectation.

I think that half the fun is seeing what everyone got and how different people interpreted the rules. And if you are going to look then you should comment. It's not like Ann said we have to be original in our comments, thank goodness. LOL

It would be incorrect to think that any of the guidelines that are posted are the work of just one person.

Over the years there have been some things that have happened that made a swap unpleasant for one or another. I am sure Ann gets the bulk of that feedback via emails and trys to work out guidelines that ensure the swaps are a pleasant experience for all.

Input received from "swapers" is very valuable in ensuring this happens, input from non "swapers" is less valuable.

btw, I was thinking it would be nice if folks did not post that they have received a box until they are going to actually describe the box. If you receive a box and do not have time to post a description right away either send an e-mail to your partner or we can start a thread of boxes received.

I am one of the people who really tries to respond to all the boxes but when all the threads get started before there is anything to read about I cannot keep track. Hope folks don't mind this suggestion.

-Robin

That's what both my partner and I did last time - we emailed when the package was received and said in the email that the post would be up once it was photographed and there was time to describe it, which happened within 24 hours. I agree that it is confusing when someone posts about having received a package and there is no description. I did this once when I posted pictures of the items unpacked but still wrapped, and I won't do it again! They were wrapped in Hanukkah paper, which suggested to me that I was supposed to wait for Hanukkah, and Hanukkah was not that far off. Anyway, I unwrapped them within an hour and posted more pictures the same day.

So, in case anyone gets confused, there is no need to wait for Hanukkah or Christmas for the packages to be completely unwrapped. If you don't have your partner's email address, you can email Ann, and she will forward it.

Lars

Robin, I think that's a great idea! What's most important is that your partner and Ann know that it was received, the rest of us can wait until it's described and photographed (if possible- and if not then you can ask your partner for their photos!)

Chase--well said!

I agree with Robin, I too have a hard time keeping up with a thread where there are several posts before the package has been opened.

My preference is to have a thread with nothing except people posting that they received their package. No additional comments necessary, so that the thread ends up with 62 posts. That would make it so easy to see who has received in addition to just being an alert that your package made it through ok. Thread could be titled something like "Post a note here when you receive your package".

I think this is an excellent idea.

Ann

My preference is for a thread that we post that we have received a package and from whom as well. That way Ann is not stuck being the middle man, and if Garden webs e-mail is funny it can still be timely.

-Robin

Thanks to everyone posting about what works and what doesn't. As a "first timer" it's good to understand how others feel about rules/posting/etc. I would always have the common courtesy to let my partner know the package was received. I would love to post pictures and describe my package (gee, that's like being in the limelight....and I'm a LEO!! grin)

But....since I get my emails at work, my schedule varies from day to day and week to week. I may not be the first to celebrate with you...and on occasion, I might miss a couple.....but I love a party!!!!

I agree that's half the fun!
Deanna