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I count things.

This year I have mailed out, to date, 118 pieces;

I have received 66 in return.

A 56% return rate. And you might think that's not very good.

BUT, I have done two 'blind' mailings to people I didn't know but who were my Friends*, and one totally unnecessary Group mailing, making a total of 25 pieces, for which I only received 3 back.

If I exclude these from my mailing totals, I then sent out not 118 but 93, and received not 66 but 63.

The return rate is then 67%, better but it means that one in three pieces sent is not reciprocated.

But that's the Rules of the Game.

To which I have adapted, and now only send pieces to people who I know are likely to reciprocate.

So if you are reading this you might feel (remember I told you that I count things):

1. indifferent

2. guilty that you haven't replied to me

3. that you will send me something knowing that i will reply to it. I will, I promise you.

4. other

John, incidentally, is one of the people I exchange mail with on a regular, totally reliable basis.

Regards, Val

 

*Sometimes i wonder what a 'Friend' is, if the person in question doesn't reply.

thanks everyone, thats really helpful. I shall start creating exciting things ASAP!

Hi! I'm new here and a little overwhelmed! Am I supposed to post pics of  the mailart I send or what I receive? Do I post my received cards as my photo, or do I send a message to the sender and post it in the message? Help!

@ Jessica : Yes, there is a lot going on. Just start with some of the things you suggested and see how people react. You will find a way to make this place work for you. There are no fixed rules. Just enjoy and participate.

Re Jessica's ...Help! Ruud, why don't you prepare a short and simple 'Welcome to IUOMA' package so that people like Jessica, Plush Rose Mc G and others will have some idea of how best to partcipate in IUOMA when they join? It is not very clear what new members can expect or should do. Regards, Val

Thanks Ruud and Val! Here goes nothing...

Mail-Art means something different to everybody. There is no standard welcome package possible. Jump in and absorb what you see. Then decide on which road you like. It is that simple. "Mail-Art changed my Life" is a simple statement. This can happen to everybody that stumbles onto mail-art. Meet new people, meet new views, change your views, change your life. Basic things that Mail-Art has in its power since human beings communicate on a creative and a direct way.

'It is that simple' if you have been a Mail Artist for 31 years, and are the Founding Father of IUOMA.

It's not simple at all if you havebeen a IUOMA member for 31 seconds!

Regards, Val

Something Anything TODD RUND Grin

Question is TODD RUND grin going to SMILE @t ODDs N EVE Un gallery ?

Hi Jessica, welcome! I've been on here a long time but am still finding my way around.  I post pictures of my own work on my page and then post received art on the blog section at the top of this page. I send mail art out randomly to everyone and anyone I can find by looking at their pages and finding their address. It's the sphagetti on the wall method but it seems to be working for me. At first I just added as many people as friends as I could. I'm sure other people have a more methodical and productive method than I.

methodical ; now that is an interesting approach. Which methods could one use?

As a new member to IUOMA, I appreciated the welcoming MA I got from people like Angie and Snooky, Elizabeth Parsons, and a couple of others! That was so magical! My "method" was to reciprocate. And, yes, I had questions about sending original or photocopies of my work collaged. Then I started absorbing the fun and perhaps irreverent haphazardly love of communication and as expressed by Ruud Janssen. I'm feeling quite "freed" to try anything. About using all the resources on this fluent IUOMA site--well my method is to spend some time each day seeing what is going on, and to try something. Suspend judgment and see what happens. I am having a hoot!

Can someone tell me how you set to notify you when a friend adds photos to their page ? Ty

What´s the difference between upload fotos and post fotos in the  Blog. Are there any rules where to do what?

thx frieder

Hi Ruud, i will send to IUOMA the Membership Form signed by me with my address and the date when i start to involve in Mail Art, but i would like to know if this is the right address:

IUOMA

P.O. Box 1055

4801 BB - Breda

Netherlands

 I also would like to know if i will received any kind of membership card and if the same is lifelong?

Thanks

Some people have problems with the Ning platform which are sometimes caused by an update of their browser programm. There are some computer skills needed to solve the problem. Sometimes it is just push the right button on the settings of your browser (using IE9 you need to select the new or old website-settings. In Firefox 4, everything seems to work, but some scipts don't work at all.

IE9 and FF4 have different firms behind them who are fighting a battle on who will have the best standard. That means that some old and new websites who have applications from the other firm in it, have a tendency to cause problems.

Not an easy time. I hope they solve the problem quick in their behaviour.....!

Hi Ruud! Is it the case that things have changed and now everyone can read everything sent? Is there any way a 'private' message can be sent -- for example from me to you and only you -- without 1837 other IUOMA members being able to read it?

Regards, Val

Bonsoir Angie & Snooky! Thanks for your message. Because Im stupid, I don't really understad it; It seems I can limit what i send to i) Anyone. anyonen in the whole wide world? ii) Members (but who are the non-members in this?), ii) my Friends, iii) My Friends, and that seems sensible, iv) Just me -- but if i want to communicate with Just me then i will talk to myself in a non-IUOMA way.

Can you advise me on the following specific pint: is there any way I can send a message to you two that no one else will be able to read? (If not, how can I ever express my true feelings to Snooky??)

Regards, Hilton

on sending messages:  I go into "compose" which comes up, but the friends list does not and no slide scroll...does that have to do with "privacy" settings?

on uploading photos: can't upload in the message box or the comment box

on the adding friends:  can't "uninvite" people that have not responded to friend requests..

I did receive some response from Ruud, but it wasn't helpful...sorry...

Amy Irwen

 

Go to the profile of the member you want to send a message to. (if you can't find him/her, go to 'members' and search.

When on the profile. Click on send message. This will be a private message.

If you enter a comment on the public page of a member. It will also be listed on the main page.

Hope this helps find your way.

Ruud Janssen

yes, I've tried that...push the "Send" button and nothing happens...

Maybe you use the new Internet Explorer 9.0 on a Windows machine. Try to use the browser Firefox instead. The browsers sometimes can't handle the new scripts used on websites. I know some functions don't work for me as well in IE9, and then I switch to Firefor and can do what I want.

It is a difficult work with Internet now the browsers are competing for users and techniques they support.

Let me know if this helps. Maybe I have to look further into this.

The send button works with a Java or Flash scipt. So that is the reason I believe it is caused by this... So a compuer problem / software problem.

thanks Ruud...we have Java, I believe; I'm not much of a computer geek...but I will try your suggestions...thanks...Amy : - )

I am up and running properly...i switched to google chrome and I have access to all the sites functions...

thanks, Ruud

So it was a browser problem after all. Good to know. When others experience the same problem this is a good things to know. Thanks for the information!

Ruud

The best is to ask mail-artists if they want to exchange. If they react, you know the status. You can also go for surprises. Sending out bdoesn't always bring you a reply. That is also typical mail-art. But once your address is out there the mail also can come from unexpected corners...... That is mail-art at it's best.

Sending without expectations has proven to be surprisingly delightful.

Hi, all. I'm getting into some Add-and-Pass groups - lately the one for Cavellini - and wondered about some protocols. Is it appropriate to circulate your finished page within the group or just send it out there and hope it gets passed on? The "zombie" add and pass seems to be mostly circulating within the group, since it's kind of a special interest.

Add & Pass is an interesting concept. Some papers do vanish when they are send out randomly.

Is there an easy way to find people interested in being the next person to receive an add & pass sheet or item? Do I just send, or ask, or is there some sort of list? I am new to these, and have been enjoying them very much and would love to keep them going!

Good question. There is a facebook list going on, but I'm not sure if we have one here. I've been know to add and pass.

Last year, when I signed up, I had some problems with it. Basically, it wasn't letting me on the site. I thought there might be a glitch, so I re-signed up, using a different email and then it worked perfectly. I have recently discovered that I have 2 pages; so how do I get rid of the unnecessary one? Thanks.

@ Louise : Send me the name of the account (or a link to the page) and I should be able to delete the account. You can also do it yourself if you enter the network under that specif e-mail address and choose option : settings , "leave"

Thanks, Ruud. I will look into this later on today.

@ Louise : I found the second account (the one without a profile photo). Shall I delete this one (all entries will nanish there too....). Just let me know.

Yes. It's the account with no profile photo. Delete it.
Thanks again for you help, Ruud.

@Louise : should be gone now. Hope the other account just works o.k.

Works fine, Ruud!

great!

Is anyone allowed to join IUOMA? ( I was invited by an established artist- just wondering how others have joined?)

@Dorothy : Yes, anyone with a creative attitude is allowed to enter the IUOMA.

 

@Helen : Is the Edit button is there, you can edit that wey. At the blog menu it is a special option in the menu to edit the blog (only for the author)

 

hope this helps you further.

@Helen : The homeaddress is normally just posted, otherwise you can't reach someone. If they don't want an address to be published, I don't do so, but it means they don't get a surprise mail-art in their mail-box either.

No fixed rules there either.

I found it interesting that people would join a group that sends art through the postal services and not give there land mail address. If an e-mail address is given, I write for the address & usually hear back from the person. Surprises in the mail are what is so wonderful about IUOMA.

Typical in mail-Art: there are unwritten rules, and when people start to write them down, we all see things differently. I also see a list of DO and DON'TS in the making. The fun in mail-at is sometimes  also to break a few rules. Experimenting in communication is also discover new ways and visions.

When art becomes a routine matter is actually is craft.

didn't get such an e-mail

It is after midnight in Europe and I fear that Ruud is already off line.

How do we stop a spammer?????

 

First thing I did was remove the spammer this morning. Thanks for watching out and warning people Katerina!

The spammers get more clever each day to enter the platform......