reellis67
04-18-2006, 08:19 AM
What is the Postcard Exchange?
One of the exchanges conducted on APUG is the Postcard Exchange, in which, as the title suggests, the participants send each other postcards by a specified date. The postcards sent are predominantly B&W prints, but there have been alternative processes (some stunning examples), inkjets and colour machine prints - anything is welcome as long as it originated on film. Some prints get sent in envelopes if the maker thinks the print needs the extra protection but usually these would alt process prints as regular RC paper goes through the post fairly unscathed. The postcards do receive various postal marks, stamps, and barcodes, which add to the 'postcard' feeling
How does this thing work anyway?
In the past, the Exchange was organized into 'Rounds', where everyone on the list sends everyone else a postcard during the 'print and post' month. The 'Rounds' concept is still in effect, but we now allow for people to participate without having to print a postcard for every participant if they do not want to. However many cards you choose to print is the maximum number of cards that you will receive – optimally, you would get exactly that number in return, but each round there may be someone who does not send all their cards, so please be aware that you may get a few less than you send due to this drop out. For more information on not fulfilling your commitment, please see the section titled Commitments.
Sometimes, perhaps due to their small size, a postcard has gotten lost or damaged in the mail. If you think that you didn't get a card that you were supposed to get, please post a note to that effect in the thread for that Round of the Exchange so that the sender knows. In most cases in the past when this has happened, the sending has been more than happy to send another postcard. You may also contact me directly if you are unsure and I'll be happy to find out the status of your card.
Paper Choice:
Ilford make a nice black and white RC paper (in both glossy and matte) whose back is imprinted with the stamp/address template seen on the back of 'regular' gift shop postcards that is very popular in the exchange, but you can certainly make your own with whatever paper you choose. To receive special postcard postage rates, your cards may have to conform to your countries postal service requirements. In the past, people have sent postcards using both RC and Fiber based paper, as well as the Ilford Postcard Paper. Most of the fiber based postcards seem to do fairly well in transit, despite the softer paper, with the exception of the corners, which sometimes get bent.
Schedule
The Postcard Exchange Schedule is based on a 3 month cycle (4 times a year). For the current round schedule, please check this forum Postcard Exchange Forum (http://www.apug.org/forums/forum179/). The current Round, Round #14, is underway - the next round, Round 15, sign-up will open in September 2008.
The schedule follows the following format...
Round #
Month 1 : Sign on
Month 2 : Print and Post
Month 3 : R&R (rest and time for people to get caught up who may be running behind)
Examples
Feel free to print just about anything that you want, but please keep in mind that some subjects may be viewed as controversial, or even unwelcome, by some people. If in doubt about what you would like to print, please either post your concerns in the Postcard Exchange Forum (http://www.apug.org/forums/forum179/) or send the co-coordinator a PM or email. Some examples of cards that have been sent are in the Postcard Exchange Prints (http://www.apug.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=512) APUG Gallery.
Commitments
In Round 9 we had 34 participants, and this seems to be about the average number for any given round, so please consider the time and cost (paper, stamps) involved before committing to the full number as people who do not fulfill their commitment will not be eligible to participate in the Postcard Exchange again until they fulfill their previous obligations. This rule is in place due to a large number of people who, in the past, have signed-up and received postcards from other people in the Exchange, but did not themselves send the cards they promised to send. It is important to note that this rule intended to keep things fair for those who follow the rules, not to keep people from participating, so please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions about this rule.
How to Participate
If you thing you would like to participate in the next round of the Exchange, please send RST the co-coordinator, a PM or an email (just click on his name in this post below this one) with your full name, postal mailing address, APUG name, a valid email address, and the maximum number of postcards that you would like to print (or that you have no limit) and I will contact you with the details. Again, you are not required to print the full number of cards if you do not want to, but it is important that you be sure to state the maximum number of cards that you wish to print in your sign-up email so that there is no confusion.
Thanks, and do not hesitate at all to contact me (reellis67) with any questions you might have.
- Randy
One of the exchanges conducted on APUG is the Postcard Exchange, in which, as the title suggests, the participants send each other postcards by a specified date. The postcards sent are predominantly B&W prints, but there have been alternative processes (some stunning examples), inkjets and colour machine prints - anything is welcome as long as it originated on film. Some prints get sent in envelopes if the maker thinks the print needs the extra protection but usually these would alt process prints as regular RC paper goes through the post fairly unscathed. The postcards do receive various postal marks, stamps, and barcodes, which add to the 'postcard' feeling
How does this thing work anyway?
In the past, the Exchange was organized into 'Rounds', where everyone on the list sends everyone else a postcard during the 'print and post' month. The 'Rounds' concept is still in effect, but we now allow for people to participate without having to print a postcard for every participant if they do not want to. However many cards you choose to print is the maximum number of cards that you will receive – optimally, you would get exactly that number in return, but each round there may be someone who does not send all their cards, so please be aware that you may get a few less than you send due to this drop out. For more information on not fulfilling your commitment, please see the section titled Commitments.
Sometimes, perhaps due to their small size, a postcard has gotten lost or damaged in the mail. If you think that you didn't get a card that you were supposed to get, please post a note to that effect in the thread for that Round of the Exchange so that the sender knows. In most cases in the past when this has happened, the sending has been more than happy to send another postcard. You may also contact me directly if you are unsure and I'll be happy to find out the status of your card.
Paper Choice:
Ilford make a nice black and white RC paper (in both glossy and matte) whose back is imprinted with the stamp/address template seen on the back of 'regular' gift shop postcards that is very popular in the exchange, but you can certainly make your own with whatever paper you choose. To receive special postcard postage rates, your cards may have to conform to your countries postal service requirements. In the past, people have sent postcards using both RC and Fiber based paper, as well as the Ilford Postcard Paper. Most of the fiber based postcards seem to do fairly well in transit, despite the softer paper, with the exception of the corners, which sometimes get bent.
Schedule
The Postcard Exchange Schedule is based on a 3 month cycle (4 times a year). For the current round schedule, please check this forum Postcard Exchange Forum (http://www.apug.org/forums/forum179/). The current Round, Round #14, is underway - the next round, Round 15, sign-up will open in September 2008.
The schedule follows the following format...
Round #
Month 1 : Sign on
Month 2 : Print and Post
Month 3 : R&R (rest and time for people to get caught up who may be running behind)
Examples
Feel free to print just about anything that you want, but please keep in mind that some subjects may be viewed as controversial, or even unwelcome, by some people. If in doubt about what you would like to print, please either post your concerns in the Postcard Exchange Forum (http://www.apug.org/forums/forum179/) or send the co-coordinator a PM or email. Some examples of cards that have been sent are in the Postcard Exchange Prints (http://www.apug.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=512) APUG Gallery.
Commitments
In Round 9 we had 34 participants, and this seems to be about the average number for any given round, so please consider the time and cost (paper, stamps) involved before committing to the full number as people who do not fulfill their commitment will not be eligible to participate in the Postcard Exchange again until they fulfill their previous obligations. This rule is in place due to a large number of people who, in the past, have signed-up and received postcards from other people in the Exchange, but did not themselves send the cards they promised to send. It is important to note that this rule intended to keep things fair for those who follow the rules, not to keep people from participating, so please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions about this rule.
How to Participate
If you thing you would like to participate in the next round of the Exchange, please send RST the co-coordinator, a PM or an email (just click on his name in this post below this one) with your full name, postal mailing address, APUG name, a valid email address, and the maximum number of postcards that you would like to print (or that you have no limit) and I will contact you with the details. Again, you are not required to print the full number of cards if you do not want to, but it is important that you be sure to state the maximum number of cards that you wish to print in your sign-up email so that there is no confusion.
Thanks, and do not hesitate at all to contact me (reellis67) with any questions you might have.
- Randy