HOW TO: Host An ATC Swap

I trade doing a search and can't seem to find the answer. What are the requirements for starting a PIF? :)

Thanks.
 
I'm asking this question here so others can see it in the future if they need the answer.

Once my swap is filled with players, how do I get it moved from Open to Active? and then from Active to Closed/Archived???
Thanks
Maryellen
 
Do I have the right to not allow someone into a swap I am hosting, or do we just have to allow everyone who asks, to be in our swap?
 
May I make a suggestion? How would everyone feel about requiring swap hosts to proactively send their mailing address to all participants upon signing up?

I joined 6 swaps recently and only got a PM with a mailing address from 2 hosts. Since I am somewhat of a procrastinator, in addition to being very new here, I got my cards ready at the last minute and came to the site to get an address for my envelope only to realize it hadn't been sent to me.

I know if I had misssed a deadline, it would have been totally my fault, I should have taken care of it sooner. But I was in such a panic--because time was running out and there was nothing I could do but send a PM and wait, and hope they wrote me back immediately. I just think this problem is such an easy one to solve, for both newbies and veterans alike, by having a PM with an address be standard practice.

Thoughts?
 
I gave it some thought before deciding which way to do it for my first swap. I decided to have them pm me for my address, because then I know who is sending and when, because not every participant tells you that. I like to know whose cards to watch for in the mail, and who might be late, and who might not even send me any at all. Then I also know who to chase a bit at the end if I haven't heard from them yet. I think I'll continue to do it this way.

Also, I'm on here every day with very few exceptions, so anyone asking for an address would get it within 24 hours.
 
I don't send my address out when players sign up because I don't want my address floating around -- there are plenty of people who sign up for swaps but never mail cards. I don't know what other hosts think about this though.
 
I won't send my address in advance. If a 'player' has to request it...it's another check for the host to know what's going on with that person.
 
I think for the most parts hosts check in their PMs very frequently, and I agree with the idea of not liking my address all over; but if you ever run into this situation again you could try PMing another player, most of us keep mailing records and another player might be able to give you the address sooner.
 
I am somewhat of a last minute player myself. I don't like the panic. I also will not give out addresses of a host when requested (or anyone else's addy...that is personal information, and I don't want anyone else passing my info around, either). I think that if a host puts you on their sign up list, then that player (me) should get their address promptly. If a host feels you are a risk, then you should be disqualified from the sign up list to start. I am tired of tracking down hosts. Many do not keep up with their threads. When I sign up...and you say yes...PM your addy. That simple.

I will add that transportation to the Post Office is an issue with me. I often don't know until the night before whether or not that I have a ride. So days between having the address has caused me great stress in the past.
 
Last edited:
Even when a host has a personal policy to give out addresses as the players are ready to send, there is nothing stopping someone from emailing that host early on in the swap and requesting the address, whether cards are done or not. I still think it's very useful to help track players.

That's true, jklee, in desperate times there are usually others available with the needed address.
 
Last edited:
I just put the following in my opening statement for each swap.

Once you see you are on the list of players below, PM me for my address.
Click to expand...

I don't tell them to ask for it immediately or to wait until their cards are done. That is up to the player. If a person knows they are a procrastinator that is the thing to work on. If you know you procrastinate down to the last day, maybe it would just be good to make a point of getting the addy early on so you don't have to potentially run into the problem at the end of not being able to connect with a hard to find host. Ya think? :yes: Personally I frequent the swaps I host more than once every day. I read my PMs all the time throughout the day.
 
I like that hosts have the freedom to run things the way they like. If there were very strict rules on how things had to be done I would be much less likely to host swaps.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom