Barbelith Dance Card
From Barbelith
Barbelith Dance Card FAQ
The original barbelith thread is here (http://barbelith.com/topic/21812).
1. What is a Dance Card? What is it used for?
It's a collection of the addresses of some members of Barbelith. PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTED ON THE DANCE CARD CAN SEND EACH OTHER MAIL WHENEVER THEY WANT TO, without asking the recipients for their addresses in advance. This means there is opportunity for providing people with a pleasant surprise in their mail box when they least expect it. It's a lot of fun!
2. What am I allowed to send?
Essentially, YOU CAN SEND WHATEVER YOU LIKE, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT HATE MAIL. Postcards from your holiday, birthday cards, housewarming gifts, craft projects, presents from peoples' wishlists, homemade cookies, Christmas presents, CD exchanges, old comics, wandering notebooks...
3. What happens if someone is found sending hate mail?
ANYONE FOUND SENDING HATE MAIL WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST IMMEDIATELY AND POSSIBLY FROM THE BOARD AS WELL. Just don't do it.
4. Can I send anonymous mail?
You can send regular postcards anonymously, if you want to, though bear in mind that if they are anonymous then the recipient can't thank you. YOU CAN NOT SEND ANONYMOUS SEALED MAIL.
5. I'm not on the list, so how do I get hold of the list of peoples' addresses?
YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP YOUR OWN ADDRESS TO GET A COPY OF THE LIST OF EVERYONE'S ADDRESSES. This doesn't prevent you from individually exchanging your addresses with one another or with people on the Dance Card, though.
6. Is it okay if I pass along someone's address to someone else?
YOU CANNOT DISTRIBUTE ANYONE ELSE'S ADDRESS WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION.
7. It's awkward to have packages delivered to my regular address. Can I use a c/o address?
One c/o address is acceptable. This means you can submit an alternative address if there's a possible issue with receiving packages over a certain size, for example (if you're doing this, please specify the size limits for each address). If someone on the list has one c/o address, don't assume that you can only send packages there, because smaller things will reach them there, too.
8. I've moved house. How do I update my details on the Dance Card?
Send them to to Anna or bitchiekittie. You can send a PM via the board, or email them.
9. How often is the Dance Card updated?
You can send your details at any time. UPDATED VERSIONS OF THE DANCE CARD WILL BE SENT OUT BI-MONTHLY ON OR AROUND THE FIRST OF THE MONTH. The next one is October, then December, then February and so on...
10. If I receive something in the mail from a Dance Card member, am I obliged to send them something in return?
If someone sends you something, you don't have to send them something in return, but PLEASE BE COURTEOUS AND ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF ANYTHING YOU ARE SENT. You can do it by sending an email or PM, if you want to keep things private, but it's more fun when everyone else gets to share the joy, too. If you have a livejournal, it's also fun if you can make a cross-post on the Barbelith Dance Card community on Livejournal, so that it shows up on peoples' friends-lists (sometimes it's more likely to be noticed there). Sign up to the Barbelith livejournal here: http://www.livejournal.com/community/barbedc.
11. I hate Livejournal! Why the heck did you choose there?
Livejournal seemed like the best idea, because it's free, provides convenient aggregation, and a number of Dance Card people are already members of Livejournal, so it made things simpler. You don't have to use it, but don't knock it 'til you've tried it first!
12. Can we see photos of the things people have sent each other?
Visuals can be more fun, but ultimately, that's up to the people who have sent and received things. Just in case, thougth, there is a Flickr group for posting pictures, so if you want to see pictures, maybe you should post some there: http://www.flickr.com/groups/barbe_dc.
13. I live in [insert country here], can I still sign up?
Of course! This thing is international, just like the board is.
14. I want in on this! How do I submit my address?
You can send a PM to Anna or bitchiekittie via the board. WHEN SUBMITTING YOUR ADDRESS, PLEASE ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING FORMAT, as it makes it much easier to cut and paste. Please don't use all-capitals or all-lowercase, because it takes a while to correct...
- (Barbelith fictionsuit) aka (Real name) e.g. Fictionsuit aka John Doe
- (apartment number) Apt #31
- (street number and name) 29 River Street
- (City) Townsville
- (postcode) SC 20201
- (country) USA
- (email address) fictionsuit@www.com
- (birthday) January 1st
15. I thought this was for snail mail addresses. Why do I have to include my email address too?
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU SUBMIT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, OR YOU WON'T BE INCLUDED, as there won't be any way to get the list to you.
16. I don't want anyone to know my real-life name. Do I have to include it?
You do not have to include your real-life name if you don't want to, as long as you are sure that mail will reach you under a pseudonym.
17. I don't want anyone to know my birthday!
Then don't include it in your address. You're not obliged to receive birthday cards! (And including it is no guarantee that you will receive any.)
18. I want to surprise someone with a present. Is there a way I can find out what people have on their wishlists?
There's a thread listing peoples' wishlists in the Conversation. Run a search for "wishlists" and it'll come up.
19. How do I get off the list again?
Same way you got on: send Anna a PM asking to be removed from the next update.
20. What do I have to do to make sure my details stay on the list?
Once you're on the list, not a damn thing. Unless you've moved, or want to add your birthday or something. But for now, updates are just additions and alterations unless specific removals are requested.
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