Sites That I've Been a Part Of

These are several of the sites that I have been a part of longer than the ones in my last post. The first two sites I have been a part of for around a year and a half, while the last one I have only been a part of for three and a half months. 


Paperbackswap.com





This is definitely the site that I have used the most. Basically you post the books that you would like to get rid off onto your "Bookshelf." Members of the site are then able to order your books. If your book has been wishlisted by someone it will be put on hold so that the member can accept it. They have a certain amount of time to accept before it either goes to the next person in line or back to your "bookshelf." 


When someone requests one or more of your books you are then prompted to accept or reject the order. The normal amount of time given to mail a book is two days, but there is an option to extend that date. If you accept the order you are then able print off a label with the recipients address on it. After you mail the book you then have to click a button indicating that you have done so. It is your responsibility to pay postage for the books you send. Most books are mailed media mail, which costs $2.38 unless the package weighs past a pound; then it will cost $2.77 and so on and so forth. 


When your book is received the member will mark it as such and one credit will be added to your account. With that credit you are able to order any book you like. If it is on someone's shelf you may order it immediately, if not you can then wishlist it. There is also a "reminder list" for books that are in the system that you want to keep track off, but do not currently wish to order. 


So far, I have received 97 books and have mailed out 73. There are also forums and a chat on this site so that you can interact with other members. This site is only available to people in the United States.

Swaptree.com





On this site you can trade more than just books. You are also able to trade movies, video games, and music CD's. Just like with the other site, you list what you would like to get rid off. However, with this site you must create a "wishlist" of things that you would like to own. If a person posts something that you would like to have and they have something that you posted on their wishlist, then you may swap with them. When you receive your item you must then rate the other member either as "postitive," "neutral," or "negative." You are also able to leave a comment at this point. 


The system also sets up three-way trades where the person you are sending to is not the same person you are receiving from. Also, all parties involved in the swap must accept it before addresses are visible. If everyone accepts then you may print out a label. Once you accept a swap you CAN NOT cancel it, so make sure that you have the item. 


When you first join you are limited to the number of swaps that you can become involved in, but the more you swap, the higher that number climbs. I have completed 38 swaps using this site.


King.com





This site is all about playing games. Currently there are 119 games, with more being added frequently. When you first join you create an avatar and have a mini-profile type page. You can play whatever game you wish; some are single player, while others include multiple members. Each game gives you "jewels" which are basically experience points. If you are playing a multi-player game the winner is usually awarded the most jewels. Whenever your jewels reach a certain number you basically level up. This unlocks avatar items, website functions, and profile items. 


With your profile you are able to build a "castle" with stars that you acquire from getting certain scores in single player games. The rest you have to unlock, but when you do you are given a guestbook that people can leave comments in, able to send "gifts" and challenges (basically a bunch of people that play a single player game trying to get the highest score), send messages to members, and register yourself with a town. 


My top three games that I play are Dice King, Quiz Queen, and Pool. The first is Yahtzee, but with a different name that can have up to four players. The second is a quiz game where your score is based on how fast you answer a question correctly. This game also goes up to four players. The last one can only have two players and is self explanatory. 


Some games you can not play based on the laws of your state. For example: I live in Michigan and am not allowed to play any of the card games.  


Here are my usernames for each site:


PBS = Apollyn
Swaptree = Caligistic
King = Aryce_72

New Sites That I've Become A Part Of

Recently, I thought about how it might be fun and interesting to have a penpal. I absolutely love to receive things in the mail, so it would be very fitting. I also thought about sending postcards as well. These are the websites that I decided to join:


Postcrossing.com.





This site, after you join, has you click a "Send Postcard" button and randomly chooses a person, that has also signed up for the site, from around the world for you to send a pc to. At first you can only click that button five times, indicating five different people, until you have sent twenty pc's. After that the number of how many pc's you can send increases by one. Here is the chart:


0-19 = 5 postcards
20-39 = 6 pc's
40-59 = 7 pc's
60-79 = 8 pc's
80-99 = 9 pc's
100 - 149 = 10 pc's
150 - 199 = 11 pc's
200 - 249 = 12 pc's
And so on in increments one postcard for each fifty you send. 


Each time you click the "Send Postcard" button you are then entered into the system to receive them. This means that someone else in the world will end up sending a postcard to you. The site assigns each postcard an ID number that the member must write on the pc before mailing it. This allows the person who receives it to enter it into the system so that it is marked received. The only time your address is visible is when you are randomly assigned to a person, and even then it is only visible to them. 


The site is really easy to use and to understand. I have sent my maximum of five pc's out, but have not received any yet since I've only been there for a little over a week now. 


Swap-bot.com





This site allows you to check out everything about it before you join. Each swap is user created, so there are many different categories of swaps. Filling out your profile well on that site is highly recommended; almost required. At first you can join up to five swaps. There is also a "Watchlist" that keeps track of the swaps you are interested in. Swaps can either be regional or international as well, so make sure you check that out beforehand. After each swap is completed you rate your partner either a one, three, five, or a five with a heart. The last one is the best rating, and the one is obviously the worst. The swaps range from being electronic to envelopes to packages. I've decided to not participate in package swaps for now since I don't really have the packaging materials for them and do not wish to spend too much money. 


Interpals.net





This site allows you to search for penpals and friends. Whether you want to correspond via snail mail or email is up to you. After joining the site you have a profile that you can fill out and are allowed to post pictures as well. You also have a "Wall" (like Facebook) where people can post messages to you. They do give you the option to block people if you are being harassed and if someone's profile is inappropriate there is a "Report to Moderator" button. 

Besides just the profiles they also have a chat and a forum. I am mainly in the forum since it's a good way to waste time. Be aware that you may piss some people off with your posts. 


I have only been apart of these three sites for a little over a week now. They all seem to be pretty good though, but make sure that if you get involved with the swapping sites that you go through with each swap you join completely. 


I'll most likely have updates when I really start swapping and receiving things.