Proposed Swaps - End of April + Monthlong May

Proposed swaps I will be posting for the end of April and all of May are listed here.

These are not exact dates, which might change based on my energy availability, stuff like if I'm in too many swaps right now, etc. Because I help host swaps for 2-3 groups and I host a pile of public swaps (not in groups) it's a constant juggle. To join any of these groups, go to my profile and see what groups I'm in. I do not have control over most of these. Admin approval is separate from ability to make swaps.

Please be aware that all of my swaps EXCEPT electronic swaps will be USA only. Also, this year, all 1oz swaps should be weighed. I let swaps for nearly 1oz slide on half what was agreed to this year but in 2024, I will specify requirements more closely and leave it up to swappers to make the call on ratings.

Also recall that I do not get to check comments on actual swap pages. Hosts do not get alerts for them AT ALL. I have a pretty busy life outside of Swap-bot and I deal with a chronic, like daily, series of serious health issues. Those are unpredictable. Checking on individual swap pages before I need to go through users or assign swaps is Extra Work. The best way to talk to me about a swap is to go TO ME- message me! So that I see it! SB e-mails me when I get messages, and I try to check those within 48 hours. 

END OF APRIL:

Today is April 15th! I had to figure out how busy this month would be before I could move more of March's swaps up.

4/21 - 4/27 - 6oz THEMED Profile Supply Swap

4/25 - 4/30 - INTL Email - How is Everyone Doing?

4/23 - 4/30 - Handmade Surrealist Postcard

4/25 - 4/30 - Poetry Month Penpal Letter

4/28 - 5/4 - Make + Mail 5 PCs

GROUPS:

LSRUS (Lovely Swappers R Us)

4/20 - 4/25 - Intl. Email - Thank a Local Business

OO (Oneironauts Only)

4/25 - 4/30 - Intl. Email - Surreal Artwork + Artists (likely to be cancelled if no signups)

MAY:

There are May swaps to come as of this posting. I can't add more until I complete others. Expect an updated post or a May-specific post closer to April 30th.

5/1 - 5/7 - Rainbow #3 1 Stamp - GREEN

5/10 - 5/15 - USA Folktale ATC + Letter
                     USA Newbie Friendly - 2 Items in a Notecard

5/12 - 5/18 - USA Make Good Art #6 - CONSENSUAL WORLDS

5/15 - 5/20 - 15 Songs for Fictional Character YT Playlist

5/20 - 5/25 - Spring Reading List PC

5/26 - 5/31 - INTL Email - Summer Sorting Your Space

GROUPS:

CSS (Cryptid Spotting Society)

5/15 - 5/30 - Movie Watch-Along

5/20 - 5/25 - A Party for a Vampire

LSRUS (Lovely Swappers R Us)

5/5 - 5/10 - USA Fave TV Shows PC

5/15 - 5/20 - 15 Songs for Fictional Character YT Playlist

5/20 - 5/25 - Spring Reading List PC

OO (Oneironauts Only)

5/12 - 5/18 - Intl. Email - All Too Real: Questionable Events

Bigotry has no place in my swaps.

Since some people need a reminder,

Bigotry has no place in my swaps. 0% tolerance.

Let's talk about it. 

Some people feel very safe being a hateful piece of shit because... they are. In a country where the government has sanctioned our deaths, in so, so many ways, people who hate others for our non-Christian religions, our disabilities, our gender or sexualities, whatever their excuses, are very much protected. 

That being said, I can't do much about it besides send postcards, e-mails, and leave voicemails to every local and state representative I have energy for. Bullying corporations, who pay millions and sometimes billions, in lobbying money to our government, has also proven to work- take a recent example: Wendy's "surge pricing" has been repealed before it even went into implementation, because of online outcry. Working on THEM works better than working on our own government. 

And changing our laws isn't going to make hate crimes "go away." If making murder illegal stopped all murders, duh, we wouldn't have them. Yeah, it doesn't. But DOES it give us grounds to prosecute someone for murder? Yes. Otherwise, we'd have to let them go. They did nothing "illegal." 

I encourage people to get online and tell companies, publicly, BOTH what you like (encouraging them to do it more!) AND what you don't like (I would give you money, but...)

Those are the real people who change labour laws, housing laws, education programs, regulations on what is safe in your foods and what things can 'slip' (like why we have so much e. coli now, that regulations on CLEANLINESS have been repealed.) 

Secondarily, get familiar with your local reps, which have the most immediate impact, and people from your region and state. I have a "cheat sheet" printed out with their names, ranks, registered parties, public addresses, and phone numbers. I also have a template for leaving voice mail. Representatives almost NEVER pick up their phones and voicemail needs to be under 1 minute, 30 seconds. Preferably, under 1 minute, while still clear-spoken. I use 5Calls.org frequently, which gives local numbers to certain reps depending on your zip code.

Okay, so what about Swap-bot? How does this apply?

Because *certain people* are SO comfortable, some have chosen to exploit the Swap-bot features (or lack thereof.) 

I've talked about not getting alerts for comments on posts before. This is one feature some people have decided to exploit in order to leave hateful, blatantly bigoted comments which generally target the intended audience of a swap.

Because hosts get no alerts, I don't know when someone is using this feature to target others of a group they Don't Like, whether it be LGBTQ+/mogai people, people of a certain ethnicity or religion, etc. Hate crimes are on the rise for a reason and the vast majority of hateful conduct does not qualify for legal pursuit. I can't fix that. 

What I CAN do is delete those comments and keep screenshot records of them. I CAN ban users from my swaps and block them on my profile. tbh I'm not sure if blocking a user on my profile also blocks them from my swaps, but I'll try to look out for them. I DO review every single user for ratings before assigning a swap, which is why it can take 24 hours after the deadline to assign them.

Blocking a user, in general, does not prevent you from being paired with them in other swaps. Another great "feature" in Swap-bot. 

That is why I try to keep a list of harmful users to manually remove them from my swaps at all. If I am a host, I'm in charge. You can't get paired with a bigot (who may keep your address to lash out at you) if I don't let them in. 

What kinds of comments am I trying to moderate?

"Moderate" is such a funny word to me. 

Look, if someone calls me fat, eh. They suck and clearly they have things to work on. If someone goes on some rant about how I'm a worthless monster because I'm fat, that's a Problem. 

The person in question said some specific, hateful things about queer and trans people. Autoban. You've heard of the Autobahn? It's like autoban, in that I'll do it very, very fast. 

Someone has a general criticism of some religion or country? I criticize my country all the time. I'm not going to pretend that America is the perfect paragon of the best that humanity has ever offered when I'm surrounded by homeless children and literally hundreds of empty condos, all in ONE of many buildings in a 10 minute drive. Criticism of a general thing happens, including by people who are part of that thing. 

Telling people that they're all unbelievers, doomed to burn forever, they're r-pists or paedos or something for being of ____ religion, auto-ban.

If you get comments attacking you/your group for race/ethnicity, gender, sex, religion, disability, the formerly-protected stuff, TELL ME. Follow this guide to do so. 

You are NOT making trouble or whining. You are not the problem. Telling others that someone is attacking you or your group is letting me know that there is a problem. I do not want someone who hates you to have your address or the addresses of other potential targets.

(As an aside, I had a fundraiser for RAINN last summer during the hate campaign against queer people. Every time someone called me a groomer, paedo, or similar on Instagram, I paid RAINN $10. On credit because I don't have money like that, but what is the company gonna do, take the money from my dead hands? lol people like me don't live that long, sweaty~ good try, though.)

 

You can also follow the "What if someone is rude to me?" guide to learn about blocking and other steps you can take.

 

If you are being harassed or threatened via Snail Mail, that is a federal crime. Even if you don't think that person is "actually serious" or capable of carrying out the threat, the reason that person feels so comfortable SENDING threats is because no one has sufficiently held them accountable.

"Keep any letter that attempts to scare, threaten or extort you in any way, and report it to the Postal Inspection Service by calling 1-877-876-2455. If you or anyone you know is being bullied, online or in person, tell a trusted friend or a loved one."

Art Inspiration Sites

I decided to start a list of art sites I read through and get inspiration from. (Sites active throughout 2024 will be dropped here. I'll make a new list next year.)

Many people do not know that Pinterest is a search engine of photos, not a 'website.' It's great for making mood boards or saving collections of ideas, but it isn't a 'source' in itself. The source of a photo or craft on Pinterest is not Pinterest, it's another site or artist.

As such, I'd like to post sites and Youtube accounts of artists and crafters who can help inspire us with a variety of type of art! You can work in different styles or add elements of different crafts to your swaps.

Art by Ro - A crafting blog, mostly about drawing, ATCs, and some art history.

Tin Teddy - Actually, this is a diecuts website, but they talk about ATCs, papercrafting, craft sales, journaling, and more. This site also has some free downloads for your crafting!

Art for Charity

Crochet with Tiffany Han - This particular video is a list of 10 crochet/knitting charity organisations

Comments on Swap Posts

This is such a pervasive issue that it needs it's own post. If you've seen this before, that is probably because you have seen it before.

Image: Comment Section on Swap Description Page

lol check that out. that comment on the bottom of the swap, in the Swap Discussion section?

yeah.

NO ONE is ever gonna get an alert for that. Not the winners of this bonus envelope giveaway, not me (the host,) not anyone. 

The framework for Swap-bot was out of date 10 years ago. The coding was already very basic for 20 years ago. I coded pages like this ~2002. There are no longer Admins for the site. It basically runs on ads and untouched servers. The comments and profiles are overrun with spam bots. We will not be getting notifications on comments ANY time soon. Unless you personally plan to buy the website and implement funding and a dev or three to update it all, this is not a thing that will happen.

I post comments on RAKs and Bonus swaps so that people can publicly see them, but I ALSO message individual users.

If you leave a comment on a swap, there's not much chance someone will see it- or see it *in time* before the swap is assigned!

please just directly message the host.

one thing:

If you see spam or bots posting a lot of weird messages, especially with links, or a normal-sounding username but with a comment that has nothing to do with the swap topic, MESSAGE THE HOST. We are the only ones who can delete these comments. And it's very important: the more spam is allowed, the more spam is 'ranked' as important and the more people are exposed to malicious spam and bots.

Help us keep swap-bot safe for everyone!

------------------------------

I apparently have to add this on: y'all. All y'all. Swap-bot is NOT a job. I do not clock in and clock out precisely when their servers say it's time to assign swaps, and I don't spend hours of my week checking for comments that have no notifications on all swaps I run from the past month and onwards. I frequently run 30 swaps a month, putting up new ones when others close out. That is HOURS spent checking and re-checking swaps that have NO notifications. 

lol no. 

A screenshot of (Disney's) Kronk talking to Yzma.
The text explains that chronic illness does not get
better. It is chronic, ongoing. Yes, I am STILL sick.

Again with the chronic illness. The very serious one that typically kills people. The one that I experience chronically, which is why it's called a chronic illness.

NO, I cannot spend literally hours of my week checking on these swaps Just In Case. That is why I say to send me a message. I get e-mails for new messages. People who don't get e-mails do get a bright red notification next to their messages when they log in, which says NEW! 

This is not an issue I am budging on. You cannot guilt me into sacrificing more of my daily abilities to ::checks notes:: read a comment on a swap when you could not be tossed to click THREE buttons (my username -> Message -> Send) to talk to me.

When a host tells you in the swap description to send a message, and you agree to sign up for the swap, it means you agree to adhere to swap rules. That means if the host saying not to comment, you will not expect your comment to be read. No one is forcing you to sign up for anything. I will enforce not reading comments unless I am checking on something else, and by then, it is likely too late to answer your question. 

YOU will also NOT get a notification for the response to a comment you left! So if you are a frequent swapper AND you, say, have a "real life" with responsibilities and stuff, you might not even remember exactly what swap you commented on to begin with- which means you won't read my response anyways! 

That is why you just message us.

I swear, the next person who tries to passive-aggressively tell me that my ratings would be better if I checked comments (because SB *allows* comments) is getting banned from my swaps.

Pointing out that Swap-bot *allows* you to leave comments, therefore it is an expectation that hosts should be checking them all the time, does not actually work out. It just shows me that you haven't paid attention to the listing or what hosts have actively taken time to tell you. It tells me that you fully intend to be disrespectful. If I wanted to deal with that crap, FOR FREE, I'll go visit my family.

I am moving in March. Here's April's Swaps!

SO. I had a bunch of swaps proposed for March. And then a few weeks ago, we got this bogus letter (not properly filed, litany of complaints for the first time in 3 years, just so happens to be a week after they had inspections on buildings majorly out of Code... when I and some other people live in a well-kept building on the desirable ground floor apartments. K. Not suspicious at all.) But I'm not worried about it. It's a LOT of work. But I think this will be a good move. I wanted to stay in one place for awhile so that elderly Squeak E. Mouse could have her retirement in peace, especially since she can't see very well, but it can't happen here. 

As such, there has been a LOT going on. I am exhausted. Even when I "actually stop" doing things, I feel burnt out. As one friend commented, if *I'm* feeling burnt out, I probably have been for quite some time. Well... yeah, I feel like I have not stopped since October. 

It's mid-February. Over six weeks of the year and I feel like I've barely gotten in two. And there's only two left. And two after that, and it's moving time. For the whole week because I need to secure utilities, move the cats, take all the move-in photos, and and and...

Swapping will resume for me as a host in April. There are a few swaps up right now but they'll finish out soon, or they're listed for April.

APRIL:

Some of these may change, or I'll add more. I can host up to 20 swaps at a time across all groups. All swaps except e-mail are USA only.

4/1 - 4/6 - RAINBOW SWAP #3 - YELLOW

4/5 - 4/11 - RAINBOW SWAP #3 - ORANGE

4/5 - 4/12 - 6 Washi Samples + A Note

4/11 - 4/15 - Quick Turnaround! Newbie Friendly 2 Items + NC

4/15 - 4/20 - 6oz Craft Supply Swap #5

4/15 - 4/20 - 1 STAMP Ephemera + Book Pages #5

4/21- 4/27 - THEMED 1oz Swap - Profile Based! (This will be a choice of a few themes. Users will leave a comment to share their preferences of 1st and 2nd choice; senders will build a 1oz envelope to match that theme, taking hints from the user profile. For example, the user may say 'no fabric or ribbon,' or 'no religious items.')

4/25 - 4/30 - How is everyone doing? 

 

GROUPS:

Lovely Swappers R Us

4/5 - Favourite Vintage Movies (1940s - 1960s) PC

4/18 - 10 Song Non-English Youtube Playlist

4/20 - Fave Locally-Owned Business PC + Email

Oneironauts Only

4/7 - USA Surrealist Handmade Postcard

4/18 - Inception Inspection: Fave Movies with a Dream Trope EMAIL 

4/25 - EMAIL 5 Fave Dreamy or Surreal Artworks + Artist

Cryptid Spotting Society

4/5 - Favourite Cryptid 

4/11 - Gravity Falls: Favourite Episode or Monsters

Proposed February + March Swaps

Proposed swaps I will be posting in Feb. and Mar. are listed here.

These are not exact dates, which might change based on my energy availability, stuff like if I'm in too many swaps right now, etc. Because I help host swaps for 2-3 groups and I host a pile of public swaps (not in groups) it's a constant juggle.

Please be aware that all of my swaps EXCEPT electronic swaps will be USA only. Also, this year, all 1oz swaps should be weighed. I let swaps for nearly 1oz slide on half what was agreed to this year but in 2024, I will specify requirements more closely and leave it up to swappers to make the call on ratings.

Also recall that I do not get to check comments on actual swap pages. Hosts do not get alerts for them AT ALL. I have a pretty busy life outside of Swap-bot and I deal with a chronic, like daily, series of serious health issues. Those are unpredictable. Checking on individual swap pages before I need to go through users or assign swaps is Extra Work. The best way to talk to me about a swap is to go TO ME- message me! So that I see it! SB e-mails me when I get messages, and I try to check those within 48 hours. 

FEBRUARY:

February's swaps are already listed! I don't think I'll add more for February.

2/1 - 2/7 Intl. Serpent Day Scavenger Hunt (1 Stamp)

2/1 - 2/9 1 Stamp Rainbow #3 - RED

2/1 - 2/10 THANK A MAILMAN DAY! on Feb. 4th

2/5 - 2/9 - 6oz Craft Supply Swap #5

2/5 - 2/12 Let's Make an ATC! 

2/12 - 2/18 INTL E-MAIL: Fave Black Artists, Actors, Writers, Etc.

2/15 - 2/20 Leap Year Wishes Postcard 

2/18 - 2/23 Write to an Elder Letter

2/27 - 3/7 Make + Mail 3 Journal Embellishments

GROUPS:

LSRUS

2/1 - 2/10 THANK A MAILMAN DAY! on Feb. 4th

2/12 - 2/17 Dream Destination Note + A Flat 

2/12 - 2/18 INTL E-MAIL: Fave Black Artists, Actors, Writers, Etc.

Oneironauts Only

2/1 - 2/7 Dreams: Recurring Themes 

 

MARCH:

There are March swaps to come as of this mid-January posting. I can't add more until I complete others. Expect an updated post or a March-specific post in mid-February.

3/1 - 3/9 Rainbow #3 1 Stamp - ORANGE

3/27 - 4/1 Famous or Historical Trans Person

2024 Weight Requirements in Posts

This year I have a weight requirement on swaps. I didn't have one in 2020-2023 (and didn't host much before 2019, actually, so I wouldn't have needed it.) In 2024, it's time.

The weight rule is being specified because of issues with previous year's swaps weighing much less than the swap required. 

If you agree to a swap, please make sure your item meets or exceeds requirements. 

 

In previous years, I would specify a 1 ounce swap, but other swappers would receive maybe .3oz (including the envelope.) 

This is just an error sometimes! You can often fix this by just messaging a person and asking questions, before launching into demands and accusations. For example, "Hey, I got this swap. The requirements were near 1 ounce but it came with .5oz. Could you send the other .5oz please?" as opposed to "I got the swap and the requirements clearly say it's supposed to be 1 ounce. You didn't even send HALF of that. I'm rating you low. Apparently you can't be bothered to check." (Y'all, chill out. It isn't that serious. If it doesn't work out with the other user, just message the host. We're here for a reason?)

I had one swap where someone messaged because my envelope only weighed ~.6oz. I weigh them before they leave, but it looks like my scale needed to be replaced. I got a digital scale, not a postage scale, after that. A postage scale is fairly* accurate for how many ounces something is, used for mailing, like I'd done for the Etsy + Ebay shops until 2020. No problem! But a digital scale can calculate grams and portions of an ounce, being much more accurate. A resend was easy. No big deal.

To avoid this whole thing, swaps that are 1 ounce/1 stamp swaps that are 'random items' may specify a 'finished weight.' That way one person doesn't send 1oz and get .4oz back. It also keeps users from sending messages like "This swap was 8oz but I got 7! The envelope weighed an ounce!" That's why I write things like, *when fully packed* you should be paying the 8oz postage amount. The expectations are up-front for everyone. No confusion and less chances of accidentally upsetting someone.

For example, it'll say that 1 stamp = 1 ounce maximum, but the minimum is .85oz when the envelope is sealed. Everyone pays the expected 1 stamp price and doesn't get too little in return.

Swaps where a specific item is listed, such as my ATC or art swaps, they generally cost 1 stamp but of course, one ATC + notecard (NC) will not weigh the same as the next. It is unreasonable to have a weight requirement on that type of swap.