Winter Prize Giveaway - enter to win!
Oct 24th 2008 11:14:16 am
Announcing our first Swap-bot giveaway! We wanted to come up with a way to reward our awesome Swap-bot users and make the place a little more fun in the process. We decided to start by doing monthly giveaways of fun prizes. The first giveaway prize features a collection Making Memories holiday crafting supplies. Making Memories is basically a scrapbooking brand, but I love to use their embellishments for all sorts of crafts, like matchboxes, greeting cards, collages, etc. One winner of this giveaway will receive the following (brand-spanking-new) goodies:
- Fa La La Red Poinsettia Blossoms
- Green Cheeky Shimmer Alpha Stickers
- Fa La La Red Shimmer Alpha Stickers
- Fa La La Glitter Foam Stickers
- Fa La La Epoxy Holiday Shapes
- Fa La La Glitter Brad Pack
- Making Memories Glitter Paint Scrapbook Colors in Sea Foam and Cranberry
To enter the drawing for this giveaway simply comment on this blog post with your answer to the following question:
What new features would you like to see on Swap-bot?
Each person can only enter once. You must have a Swap-bot account in good standing (not suspended) with a valid mailing address to enter. You must include your Swap-bot username somewhere in your comment. Answers can be repeats, but we really want to know what you all want so reach for the stars! You must comment before Friday, October 31st (Halloween), to be entered in the drawing. The winner will be drawn out of a hat by a blindfolded Travis on Saturday, November 1st. Good luck!
Categories: Giveaways
telizas on 24 Oct 2008 at 11:27 am #
New features… being able to approve partner assignments and reshuffle as necessary. Thats a biggie. Chat rooms in groups, or even just one on the main page would be awesome. It would be nice to have the Dashboard links on the top of the page all the time, too.
Thank you for all you do R&T!
Clare on 24 Oct 2008 at 11:28 am #
I would like to see categorys for domestic/international mail. I would like to be able to host a swap, but not actually have to do it, especially within the groups. I would also like to be able to reroute partners if someone turns out to be a flaker, or manually assign partners.
Oh and one way swaps would be nice, for like the tag games and that so you can get rated.
Any of these would be really great!
Clareyfairy x
Robin Rodgers on 24 Oct 2008 at 11:39 am #
Well, I think you covered a whole lot of areas in this past week. Looks awesome and many great ideas. The only idea I would have is a place that we could store a file that would help us keep track of all the swaps that we sent and the ones that we need to send out. something clickable. I really think that you have covered so much now. The ideas for the groups are awesome. Take it from me, I finally had to add officers to the Group for the Nuts for Sewing Group. At 458 people it was getting pretty hard to handle myself, but I do go through everyone of them and leave a Welcome to the Group pic.
I think aprons would be under the groups, but I haven’t seen anyone talk about a recipes one or a garden one. Plus I am sending you alot of Love to be able to deal with some pretty nasty people that you have had to deal with on here. You can’t be expected to answer everyone of them. If you ever need anything or any help in anyway, I am only a pm away.
Have a wonderful day.
Robin
Bucket (Kara Christenson) on 24 Oct 2008 at 11:43 am #
I hope that I filled that out right!
I would love a way to see swaps that are totally completed (i.e. I have rated my partners and they have rated me) as opposed to swaps that are just “sent.” That would help me with knowing when I’m ready to archive something. It might also be great to be able to see that for others - maybe that will help us see if they rate or not or if they have a tendency to rate 1’s or 3’s a lot.
I also like Clare’s idea (above) of one way swaps for tag games - though that seems it could be complicated.
Meagan on 24 Oct 2008 at 11:46 am #
First I want to say that Swap-bot is a great site and that Rachel and Travis are wonderful people!
Something I would really like to see is a way to see all the message a specific person has sent me, just like the “View the messages you sent to” drop-down option, but it would be “View the message you received from” instead. That way, when working out the details of a private swap or looking for an address etc, all we would have to do is use that option and all the message sent by userXYZ etc would come up, instead of having to search back through page after page after page, looking for a PM sent weeks or months ago. I hope that makes sense.
As others have said, it would also be nice if partners could be shuffled.
Thanks so much!
~Krazyquilts
thelydia on 24 Oct 2008 at 11:57 am #
I’d really like a search feature in the forums. (if there is one, I can’t find it!) There are times that I’m looking for a specific post I read before, or even worse, a user name.
I also LOVE Meagan’s idea for the mail… I really dread going through page after page of mail to find a certain something…
Thanks!
Linda
Robin Rodgers on 24 Oct 2008 at 11:58 am #
Ok I have another one, Don’t know if it can be done, but something that is listed where we can have it on the dashboard or out profile or the forums where we can give our Angels a Star for all their effort. It takes time and money for these wonderful people to do this. Just a random thought on this. Thanks Rachel and Travis.
RobinT on 24 Oct 2008 at 12:09 pm #
I’d like to see a new category for Dotee dolls on the type of swaps listings. I also have an idea for being able to read all the messages sent to one person or from one person, like a threaded discussion type thing if that makes sense.
Having some way to recognize angels would rock, too.
Maybe having a ‘block’ or ‘ignore’ feature for those lovely people that aren’t so nice some times.
And what about a feature that allows you to see who is online.
SB is lots of fun and I’m fortunate to have made a couple of really close friends. I’ve had good swapping experiences and I’m really glad to see good things happening for everyone.
Many thanks to Rachel and Travis.
RobinT
agnetha on 24 Oct 2008 at 12:13 pm #
I would like to have a bit more control over the assigning partners. Sometimes when there’s a international swap you hope that you will get a partner from another country, but instead you get from your own country and it might happen to more then to one person in the swap. I wish there was an option where you could mix partners yourself. I hope I don’t sound to fuzzy but you undestand what I mean.
Panda2778 on 24 Oct 2008 at 12:30 pm #
I’d like a way to see who has not rated you for a swap. I don’t keep track of my ratings except for larger high-effort stuff. It would be nice to be able to see at a glance if an envie of ATCs or a postcard hasn’t been rated before the receipient PMs or rates a 1.
I want a limit on how many swaps you can sign up for. It makes no sense to me for a swap such as the 09/09/09 postcard swap to be in the top ten. Are there really that many psychic people on the ‘bot? With so many people joined already, it is going to be a nightmare for the host to sift though those that leave, get suspended, or have issues in the next year. This is what the watchlist is for.
Make comments necessary and kill the hearts. The hearts are not being used properly, never were. Too many people think that no heart means the received did not like the swap. I think that the comments say a lot more than a heart or lack thereof.
The comments should be required, as well as a character requirement on it. “Thanks” is not a comment. It is just an aknowledgement that something was received. Maybe some kind of system or menu where you can select points and elaborate on the comment. Such as “What did you like about this swap?” “Was this swap sent in a timely manner?” etc. Too many people leave a 5 with no comment, so you never know if they did/not like what they received.
As a host, I’d like to see a more random way of assigning partners. right now the server seems to just go by who signed up most recently and on down the list. I’d like to see a way to shuffle the names so that in smaller “series” swaps the same people are not sending to each other all the time.
That’s all I can think of right now… I like swapping and I’m glad that you guys are trying to improve the site overall.
Iluffyew769769 on 24 Oct 2008 at 12:47 pm #
I have seen so many wonderful new things, but would like to see catigories for international and intranational swaps.. For example, us only and Europe only etc.
Stephanie on 24 Oct 2008 at 1:31 pm #
I would love to see a better way to search. so many threads on the forums turn into something else, and i forget where the something else is…. if possible, a way to search everything accessible to that swapper(me), so it would include my groups, but not others. (i know, that’s a tall order. may not be possible, but i’m listing it anyway, just in case.) oh yea, and definately, ways to section off areas in group forums. they get a bit jumbled when you have more than 10 pages…. love this new idea here! thanks!
Stephanie (dreamerkins)
Amberly on 24 Oct 2008 at 1:44 pm #
I love the new changes but have mixed feelings about the 6 month limit on rating. I just had a member contact me about making good on an old swap, but I can’t change her rating to reflect that. But I do think it’s nice to not have to worry about someone getting mad and changing an old rating. Wish there was a way to do both!
neopostretro on 24 Oct 2008 at 1:57 pm #
I’d give my left arm to be able to host swaps without having to participate in them. There are lots of times in my group when a swap theme is suggested that’s not something I’d really want to do or have the money for, but I host the swap anyway.
dBowie on 24 Oct 2008 at 1:58 pm #
I think a Dotee Doll category~as others have said. I also agree with some new sort of “search” for the forums. Also think a seperate area for games would be good. Maybe just a game in and of itself.
Awesome site you guys to an awesome job!
CherylLaVon (Cheryl Hemenway) on 24 Oct 2008 at 2:06 pm #
I would like to be able to search for my friends by name if I can’t remember their username.
Also, I think that a person who starts a forum thread should be able to delete the entire thread. I personally think it would cut out the forum drama 10-fold.
If a person starts a thread out of anger (lets say) and then later cools down it’s too late to end the drama. Or, in the case of lets say the forum thread about Jenn… aka weeatcrayon’s drunk driver accident where the thread was only posted to ask for prayers and turned into a HUGE fiasco totally off topic. Had she been able to just delete the thread, MANY of the things that were said that upset people would have/could have been avoided and you wouldn’t have had to step in and babysit and close the thread. I don’t think that anyone should be able to go back in and delete any of the posts in the forum once they are said to cover their own tushies just because they’ve gone in and made a butt of themselves and shown their true colors, but I do feel that the starter of the thread should be able to go in and delete the entire thing.
wanda on 24 Oct 2008 at 2:09 pm #
I would really like a general chatroom for all members. I think that would be so much fun and a great and faster way of getting quick info on how to do some kind of craft or just some good tips and things. Besides that it would be so much fun to talk to each other.
Ratings for forum tags would be wonderful too.
I love this place!
Laura on 24 Oct 2008 at 2:19 pm #
Thank you, Rachel & Travis! :)) I love giving hearts! You two deserve hands & feetfuls!
The partner shuffle could use some more variation. I would like to see a ‘feedback given’ option so I can see what kind of feedback a participant leaves for their partners. This would help on the host end of swapping. Everything you have been doing is fantastic! Thanks for all your hard work! oxo myrrhmaid
anodyne on 24 Oct 2008 at 2:21 pm #
I would love to be able to have more control over partner assignments in swaps (ie, the host could match people up), but not as a replacement for the existing method. Perhaps hosts could choose in they want random assignment or to do the assigning themselves. I would also like to be able to see a history of how a member has rated others, to see if they have a tendency to give poor ratings. Even if these aren’t added to swap bot, though, I still think this site is great.
redwing480(Kim) on 24 Oct 2008 at 2:26 pm #
I think that all the recent changes are great and am glad that the heart system is staying, but perhaps it needs to be a bit more clarified, maybe on the rating page itself.
I would really like to see a way to search the forum threads and for games and tags to be in their own category, I would also like to see something in which I could view any posts that I have started or comment on, that would also indicate if there had been new activity on that particular thread, this should be a private option(you can only view your own).
I would also like to have a friends list that would only be viewable to yourself (private) with the ability to make short notes about each friend. I think a host should be able to see how many people have their swaps on a watchlist.
One last thing, I would like to see a better pm system, with folders, searchable, etc.
oneofthosegirls on 24 Oct 2008 at 2:31 pm #
Not sure if this counts as a new feature, but my main suggestion would be to have fewer “clicks” necessary to see info when you are on a swap page. I think that, once partners have been assigned, much of the information that can now be accessed through the links in the yellow box should appear directly on that page. There should be a box with the (clickable) usernames, real names, and addresses of the partners you send to and whether or not you’ve sent and a box with the usernames of those who sent to you and whether or not you’ve rated. And, even before partners are assigned, there should be a list of the people who have joined (with clickable usernames) and maybe a list of those who are watching (although I don’t mind about not having that info too much). Once the swap has started this list should update with sent or not sent yet info. The host should definitely have this list, even if it still needs to be linked for others.
I find it cumbersome to have to click on a lot of links to get to the info I need and I’d rather have it all show up in one place. It reduces the chances I’ll forget something. Especially annoying is when you get the popup box with your partners’ names and addresses, and you click a username to look at someone’s profile and it loads in the main window, navigating you away from the swap page, but leaving you with the popup window. My computer is really old (8 years!) and slow, so I prefer to only have to load a page once. I also use my Ipod Touch to navigate Swapbot a lot of the time, and the new window navigation is really annoying on that too. Just my two cents, and overall this site is awesome! Thanks!
I also like the suggestions of having a tab for swaps I host on my dashboard and also some way to distinguish who I haven’t rated yet without having to find the swap page and click on the “rate” link.
lisajhoney on 24 Oct 2008 at 2:50 pm #
Since i started on swap-bot about a year and a half ago so many things have changed on the site and its got better and better. The one thing i’d love to see improve is the pm system. I’d love to be able to click on a person and see all the pm’s not only sent to that person but also received. I so often lose messages and have to pm them again.
Thanks for all the great work x
Sue VanLandingyham (bordercollielover) on 24 Oct 2008 at 3:42 pm #
Maybe this has been covered somewhere else….I would like to find other members easier. On Ebay, you click on community and enter a user name and it takes you the members page. Perhaps some version of this too. Sometimes, I am trying to connect with someone but have had difficulty locating them.
Thank you for all the fun I have had…I have “met” the nicest people here!
Kind Regards,
Sue
telizas on 24 Oct 2008 at 3:49 pm #
Another idea, if there could be more *types* of swaps. Right now they are A-B, B-C, C-D, etc. Could there be round robin set-ups? Where things go down the line and end up with the swap host? Or where everyone sends one thing to everyone else? I know these are set up informally in groups, but to make them more official (and ratable) would be nice.
Belen Rodriguez (TiaBel) on 24 Oct 2008 at 4:00 pm #
I agree with so many others that Swap-bot gets better all the time.
At the top of my features wishlist would be additional navigation for the forums:
1) A “Follow this thread” option
2) A “Threads you’re following” section on my dashboard
3) A way to view the foums list with some distinguishing mark (star/bold/highlight) for threads with posts that are “new since your last login”
Zefaniya on 24 Oct 2008 at 5:41 pm #
I think it would be cool to have the option to add friends but have it not be on public view though.
Josh on 24 Oct 2008 at 5:56 pm #
I think there should be the option of when a person doesn’t rate you that you still get credit for it. Because a lot of time there are people who sign up on swap bot for swaps that never even come back to the site.
oneofthosegirls, again on 24 Oct 2008 at 6:11 pm #
Sorry, didn’t mean to spam this post, but I just wanted to say that I think a longer list of “newly added swaps” would be nice, too. Even if it came at the expense of shortening the “top swaps” list. The “top swaps” list doesn’t change very often at all, while the “newly added swaps” is constantly updating and it’s hard to keep up.
neopostretro on 24 Oct 2008 at 6:38 pm #
Ooh! Just adding that I agree with everything that telizas wrote! That would be awesome to make WTAs and the sort ratable.
Terry Franks on 24 Oct 2008 at 6:42 pm #
I would like to be able to host swaps without participating in them. Thx! TerryF
thecatsmeeeow on 24 Oct 2008 at 7:55 pm #
I only found this site a couple of months ago and this it’s great! One thing that might make it better for newbies is some sort of an intro to swapping (if such a thing is here I didn’t find it!) For example, what happens when you sign up for swaps, how the process works, suggestions for packaging or what types of extras might be included. Thanks for an awesome opportunity to share what we make!!!
Gayle Erwin on 24 Oct 2008 at 10:52 pm #
I’m really happy with Swap-bot. I do like the suggestion about a way to follow the threads your reading easier. It’s sort of a pain to have to page though the lists.
Robyn Mclean (ozrob) on 25 Oct 2008 at 4:10 am #
I would love to see some kind of icon that instantly tells us if a swap in USA only or international, I believe that is being introduced soon so I can’t wait to see it.
Also a chat room would be great! for the general forums and groups if possible.
And possibly a way to re-assign partners but that it can only be done once or twice.
pgk on 25 Oct 2008 at 7:33 am #
♥ It would be so wonderful to see some sort of “mark” next to the groups that we/others have founded on our profiles. If we really ♥ this swapper, we may want also join their group.
♥ I would love to see that when we reply to a pm, the original message is included so that we don’t have to go back to the message and make sure we answered everything.
♥ Having the “discussion” part of a swap that is within a group or a private one, be viewable by only those involved.
♥ When viewing the groups homepage, it would be awesome to have an asterisk on the avatar of those swappers that are partially suspended. This would help in “pruning” the list.
♥ Having our received pm’s some how divided in the months received. For instance, it would be so cool to be able to click on a certain “date” and then view the pm’s that we received that month.
♥ When inserting a url anywhere in the forums or otherwise instantly appear as a clickable link.
♥ It would be awesome if there was a line of page numbers either at the top or bottom of each forum page, otherwise you have to spend all kinds of time scrolling through.
♥ On the “Find Swaps” page, it would be cool to see the number of people already signed up for that particular swap noted without having to click on the swap.
♥ Within the groups forums, being able to highlight **very** important notices with color would be fabulous!
♥ Having graphic’s in the forums automatically “sized” so that they arn’t so large that they flow into other things.
♥ Being able to edit our thread titles within our groups would be so cool!
♥ Being able to delete a post within our groups would also be awesome!
Okay, I think I’m done for now. heehee Oh this place ROCKS!!!
MrsAnnaSue on 25 Oct 2008 at 8:33 am #
I am really enjoying your website and thank you for all the effort you put in to keep it running so well.
Suggestion 1: To make a long story short, I do a lot of swaps with postcards and now need to keep track of who receives their swaps or not. I keep a spreadsheet offline of them but it would be really helpful if there was something within the site that does this, all in one place. There are some over-eager raters that will give one a “1″ without contacting first, and this instantly blemishes one’s score and makes signing up for new swaps more difficult, and if you are an officer of group it is a bit embarrassing.
Suggestion 2: A chatroom would be great.
Suggestion 3: All pm messages (sent and received) listed together. It is hard to follow a thread.
Thanks again for this wonderful site - MrsAnnaSue
Suggestion 4: Perhaps if you could archive the forums after there has been no activity on a thread for 90 days. There is a lot of old stuff that just lingers. If someone want to find the information they could plow through the archive.
Suggestion 5: Any chance there could be a buddy/im system, so that you could have a buddy list and know when someone is on-line and have a pop up window to instant message?
Suggestion 6: Some way to rate for tags.
Thanks again for this wonderful site - Anna
Lela (onigiri885) on 25 Oct 2008 at 8:54 am #
I think it would be really cool if there was a ‘friend’ system, where you could add people as your friend and have easier ways of contacting them instead of just pm’s or profile messages. ^.^
pgk on 25 Oct 2008 at 9:16 am #
Oh my goodness…one more thing!
♥ I would so love categories in the group forums too! This would be so much **easier** for the members to find things! YES!
picxie on 25 Oct 2008 at 11:56 am #
ohh some very very good ideas there already!!! and some really cool suggestions from rachel in the forum thread…
which leads me nicely onto my request
I would love a way to see the forum posts (both public/group) to keep track of threads i posted in and when those threads get another answer.. please, that would be great
And some way to keep track of swaps would be great, maybe a flag type of system, where, once a partner rates you get amber, then, when i rate my partner it goes to green.. those are just silly examples of course.. but some way to see when a partner has rated me and also a way to see if ive rated… maybe even only a reminder when i go to archive my swap…
anyway.. thanks for all the upgrades so far
Sebbe on 25 Oct 2008 at 12:38 pm #
I would love to see a live chat on swap-bot where everyone can have a great time!
Also I want some kind of punishment for the members who don’t rate, not only members who don’t send.
// Sebbe at swap-bot
Emeraldcharm14 on 25 Oct 2008 at 5:22 pm #
I would like to see more direction for newbie’s. I’ve been having a hard time navigating around and I think if there was abit more direction it would make things easier.
I also think another way to keep track of the swaps would be great kind of like once you sign up you have your own personal swap-bot page to keep track of it all for reference.
I love swap-bot I am so glad I found it. Keep up the great work!
Emeraldcharm14
salfra (Sally) on 25 Oct 2008 at 8:12 pm #
First, just wanted to thank you for a great site and all the fun I have had here:)
Suggestions:
- I’d love to be able to see the ratings a swapper leaves for others, mostly as a way to make sure they rate. No one likes having to chase someone for a rating or never get one at all.
- It would be a tremendous help to be able to host a swap without having to participate in it - even if this feature were limited to group swaps, that would be great too and it would help keep the groups more active.
- I think group chat rooms would be fun.
- I’d like to be notified as a group founder if one of my members deletes their account, falls below a certain rating (I set the minimum rating), or becomes particially or fully suspended.
- It would be helpful to be able to suspend a group member without removing them from the group so they get there ratings back up or you could watch a member that is suddenly colleting 1’s. Only the group founder would be able to see the suspended members so as not to cause drama or hurt feelings.
Thank you again for all of your hard work:)
Sharlene on 25 Oct 2008 at 8:23 pm #
I’ve loved mostly everything about swap-bot since I’ve joined. The only thing I would suggest is having a place where you can use a keyword to search for a certain swap. I tried typing a keyword on the left hand side but only old searches come up ( like from 2006!!)
Krista on 25 Oct 2008 at 9:10 pm #
New features I’d like to see on swap-bot? I’m not sure if this is a feature, but I’d like to see more swaps where you give things that are new as a gift-as if you were buying for a friend’s birthday. I think those kinds of swaps would be fun, because some of the swaps I’ve done (not on swap-bot), I have been very disappointed with the quality of others’ work.
Also, I’m hoping it’s a lucky thing that you draw on my 20th birthday! Woot!
And, my swap-bot name is twopixiedolls
xoxo
~Krista
http://twopixiedolls.blogspot.com
Athina Ramirez a.k.a. ArtsyAthina on 25 Oct 2008 at 11:14 pm #
OOohhh How generous of you Rachel & Travis!!! I would love to see an actual chatroom. We have been using Gabbly, but I think if we had an actual chatroom, we might get more people to talk. I found that I got to know a lot more about some people in the chatroom. Other than there likes and dislikes!!
Can’t wait to see what fun new changes you make
Love,
Athina <3
Steven Roste (hypnoticpeach) on 25 Oct 2008 at 11:40 pm #
I would love to have a “fan” option. Where, perchance, you could become a fan of a certain user. This could also benefit for swap hosts. There are many people who deserve more than a heart, and I would love to show my appreciation by becoming a fan of them.
autumn on 25 Oct 2008 at 11:47 pm #
i’d like to see a way to personalize my profile with a background.
Ellen (ellie1200) on 26 Oct 2008 at 6:02 am #
You guys have done a fantabulous job with swap-bot!
One option I would like to see is the ability to PM someone without having to go to their profile and click a link. Perhaps a “send new message” link on the PM page then a form such as this comment form where one can type in the username she wishes to PM.
telizas on 26 Oct 2008 at 7:06 am #
It would be nice to be able to do a group email or PM all members of a group at once.
redwing480(Kim) on 26 Oct 2008 at 7:28 am #
telizas-I was just thinking the same thing, I would also love to see this as an option on the participant page for swap hosts.
Hell0Z0mbie on 26 Oct 2008 at 10:10 am #
I would love to see a Swap Bot facebook application that integrated Swap Bot with our facebook profiles, publishing stories or making it easy to find facebook friends on Swap Bot!
rachel on 26 Oct 2008 at 10:39 am #
Hi everyone! Thanks for all of the awesome comments! Travis was also reading them over and liked lots of the ideas.
A few people have written to me saying that they are having trouble commenting. I don’t know what could be going wrong as everything looks A-ok on our end, but feel free to email me your comment at rachel [at] swap-bot.com if you are unable to comment here on the blog.
Thanks!
nolagirl on 26 Oct 2008 at 11:43 am #
I would love to be able to send PMs to multiple people at the same time. This would make group messages so much easier!
Hazelette on 26 Oct 2008 at 1:22 pm #
Games in their own section… I wrote a whole essay on this in the site suggestions topic on the forums.
Add a *direct link* to the “Messages” in the left sidebar. There are already links to our Profile and Dashboard, but we have to go to one of these first to restore the header bar containing the link to the Messages page. This would save 1 click each time we want to check messages… and that should translate to a small monthly bandwidth savings as well.
user5719 on 26 Oct 2008 at 2:43 pm #
Being a newbie, first timer, etc. I think a list of top ten hints of participating in a swap would be nice. I’m so new I’m not actually sure on all the steps required to participate in a swap, how to list my preferences, how to check on my assigned partners preference, how to acknowledge receipt of a swap, etc. As far as I know there may be such a list that I don’t know about.
ladybegood on 26 Oct 2008 at 3:51 pm #
I think most of the suggestions here are very good ones. But, I especially like the suggestion of having some kind of spreadsheet or form to be able to keep track of all the pending and completed swaps. Along with who your partners were, what was sent, what the ratings were, etc. I am doing that manually with a notebook and it can be confusing and time consuming, to say the least. Thanks for all the work you do on the site!
solarts on 26 Oct 2008 at 6:48 pm #
I have a few new ideas for swap-bot.
First one is to have the option to be able to add our own background where our profile info. is.
There would be a variety to choose from a number of box selections to choose from and click one of the background picture skin to be able to add as a background on our site.
2nd one- Easy step by step instructions of being able to load a photo of our swap where the launch gallery photo section is on each of our swaps. Loading a photo of a swap that we received or planning to send.
3rd idea-
What we type in our profile of likes, etc. the swap member would be able to click in a like section that they typed in their profile. For example “love cats” and automatically be sent to a list of other swap members who also love cats. Or favorite films, crafts, map cards, travel etc.
4th idea-
Where we live either in the U.S. or Internationally. When the swap member types where they live either their country, or state etc. in their own profile they have the option of being able to click into that country or state name and it would automatically send the swap member to a list of other swappers who live in that same area.
there would be a list of other swap members who have the same interests like we do.
VivaLaDiane on 26 Oct 2008 at 9:03 pm #
i absolutely love swap-bot. i would love to see who i still have to rate and who has not yet rated me without going to each swap. something like ebay has, you know? where you complete a transaction and it shows that you have that feedback to leave? does that make sense? i hope so.
i would also like to wish that there be a way to limit the number of swaps one can be involved with at one time. with the ‘watching’ catergory i think many people dont have the need to be in a hundred swaps at once. this includes hosting and ones they’ve joined. i think it will reduce the number of angels it takes when yet another person flakes on a ton of people. i know initially you can only be in 5 at once, so i think that when you are more involved in swapping 25 or 30 at one time should be plenty. the rest can be watched.
otherwise, it looks like the bulk of the ideas are fairly interesting and some very necessary.
Jenn Vaughn weeatcrayons on 26 Oct 2008 at 9:04 pm #
I think a regional/international catagory should be added. Sometimes I can only do US swaps but a lot of times I love international. I’d like to be able to find just those swaps that I can join up at that time!! Otherwise all you’re doing is great!
VivaLaDiane on 26 Oct 2008 at 9:07 pm #
oops. swapbot id is vivaladiane
Kassrose on 26 Oct 2008 at 9:13 pm #
I would have mods for the forums
VJP (Vicki) on 26 Oct 2008 at 9:21 pm #
Thanks for all of the hard work and for continuing to allow us to have input, thereby shaping the look and useability of the site.
I think it is very important to see how swappers rate (or don’t) other swappers. I feel that is a very important and missing element of a swapper’s overall credibility on this site. In my opinion, that tells me more about a swapper than the number of hearts they have received.
? ? ? THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO ? ? ?
Gamerboy on 26 Oct 2008 at 9:31 pm #
Now I understand this is mostly a site filled with women, and while that’s all good and done I would love to see more swaps or something a little more tailored to men. There isn’t many swaps or stuff relating to this catagory but maybe you could do something to help us out a bit as there is only a few men on the site as it is now! Maybe if you have a catagory for us or something related to us (I don’t care to make a dotee doll or sew or alot of what is offered in the catagories now). But maybe a little something for us too? They’re might just be more men sign up!
Certified Scrapaholic on 26 Oct 2008 at 10:14 pm #
My two or three cents, I have left extended information in the forum, too much to list here but would like to leave a summary.
- A way to see whether I have or have been rated on a swap in an easier fashion.
- Love the digtal RAK idea!
- Love the hearts, but need more clarification
Keep up the fantastic work! I love Swap-Bot!
Nancy H. on 26 Oct 2008 at 10:38 pm #
I would love to see a ratio of ratings left to assigned partners added to Profile Rating overview section.
Non-raters could be weeded out from swaps if hosts are so inclined.
I would also like to be able to sort messages by sender, but not as much as I want to weed out non raters!
Swap-bot is a FANTASTIC site, thank you!!
luvcatzzz on 26 Oct 2008 at 11:29 pm #
would love to be able to see a list of participants BEFORE you actually sign up for a swap… so you can determine if you want to sign up due to potential issues with a swapper who has already signed up.
thanks for all you guys do!
debbiesw on 27 Oct 2008 at 12:11 am #
I would love to see a Received or not received little section which would make it easier to keep a track on what swops you are waiting for and which you have received. Currently you have to go into your swops sent and have a look at each one.
szreader on 27 Oct 2008 at 2:30 am #
First of all, I absolutely LOVE Swap-bot. <3
I’d love it if there was a way to automatically keep track for each swap how many ratings I’d left (1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3) for those who sent to me. Also how many ratings I’ve received from those I sent to. Then when all ratings for a swap are ‘in,’ I could get a message, “Archive this swap?” That would just be deluxe!
Thank you, Rachel and Travis.
Ann on 27 Oct 2008 at 3:07 am #
I would like to see the number of swaps that people are in limited. There are some people who have 75+ swaps in which they are registered. Have come across several with 100+ swaps. They can always put swaps in the “Watchlist” category and add them as they get closer to the time of the swap. Thanks for considering this suggestion.
dulcimer on 27 Oct 2008 at 3:40 am #
I would love to be able to change a negative rating if the swapper who rated hasn’t participated in a year. a negative rating
dulcimer on 27 Oct 2008 at 3:41 am #
I would love to be able to change a negative rating if the swapper who rated hasn’t participated in a year.
Rayne on 27 Oct 2008 at 10:53 pm #
I would love to see more bento swaps. Also a guide that is easy to find that tells how to do things like put images in your profile.
Jenna Z on 28 Oct 2008 at 6:17 am #
I would definitely like the option as a host to assign partners to specific people so that we can facilitate special requests and tastes. Also,
myshabbycottage on 28 Oct 2008 at 9:42 am #
I like a lot of the new updates! In addition, I’d like to see my current swaps (those with partners already assigned and due to go out) in a separate category from ones that I’m signed up for but partners haven’t been assigned yet. The dashboard is great, but separating out these categories of swaps would be so nice!
As a host, I’d like to see how many swappers are watching my swaps so I have some idea if it’s a good swap and there is at least some interest!
While we’re wishing for stuff…as a host, I’d also like to see which swaps have been rated and which are still pending right on the view participants page. Thanks again for all you do!
Pam M on 28 Oct 2008 at 9:44 am #
Let me first say that you guys are doing a great job!
I would love to be able to see all my pm’s on one page and be able to look at all pm’s from one person that kind of thing.
DosLittleMonkeys on 28 Oct 2008 at 10:55 am #
I would like for it somehow to be easier to find out what swaps have already been done. I also think if someone has a ton of ones and a low rating that they should NOT be allowed to host a swap.
mwquilt on 28 Oct 2008 at 11:03 am #
I think it would be good if one could view the particpants in an open swap without having to join it first, with the proviso that one should have to log in before being able to do so. That way one could see if there were any “suspect” swappers trying to sign up before deciding whether to join. The only way to do it now is to join and then drop straight away if you decide that there is a reason that one would prefer not to be in the swap…and that seems kind of rude to the host.
Thanks for doing a great job, though and for being open to ideas
WendyHue on 28 Oct 2008 at 12:03 pm #
I’m a newbie here, and a faq’s section would be nice. If you have one, I haven’t found it, yet - probably because I’m constantly looking at new swaps
Some things to consider for newbies like me would be a definition list (I finally found out the other day what an angel was) and just when am I not considered a newbie anymore.
Thanks for this opportunity, I think the site is really great.
Mscasanova on 28 Oct 2008 at 12:48 pm #
I would like to be able to delete a forum thread if I was the one who started it. Might help cut down on the bazillion pages! lol I liked what I read about being able to host a swap but not be in it.
I havent been on here in a while but i LOVE the new changes Ive noticed.
O and a search for the forums.
and a sign up date on everyones profile would be cool.
Thats about it. Keep up the great work!
Rachel Hillman on 28 Oct 2008 at 1:26 pm #
I would like it to be evident on the “sent” page if you haven’t been rated yet–marked with an icon or the font in a different color.
Also, I would like to be able to sort my current swaps on my dashboard. By type sometimes rather than just by date.
I love the new improvements that have been made recently! Great job!
brokenfaedoll on 28 Oct 2008 at 7:31 pm #
I would love to see links to each page of pm’s in our messages so we can get to them without having to keep going back over and over again.
Susan Kennedy on 28 Oct 2008 at 8:18 pm #
I would like to search for swaps that are US or International - specifically. Also, I would like to have a swap where I can actually invite a specific group of people and assign partners myself.
Thanks for everything you do - it’s a great place to be connected to!
Susan (aka: swapbot name = skturbokitty)
Mouseybrat on 28 Oct 2008 at 8:38 pm #
I would like to see the sign out option on all screens. It doesn’t show up in the forums and groups.
I would like to be able to “sort” the forums by the column headers.
colodad on 29 Oct 2008 at 3:01 pm #
I would like to see a favorite links page. Links to techniques, great art, supply sources and such. I see these frequently in swap descriptions and forum posts, but would like a place where they are listed with brief descritpions that would serve as a great resource page.
David aka colodad
Shesins on 29 Oct 2008 at 4:09 pm #
Hmmm… I’d like to see the inbox improved, something with file folders that I can drop messages into. It would help me keep organized so much better. Thinking along the lines of hotmail or gmail, or really an other type of email system.
Lunaria on 30 Oct 2008 at 8:35 am #
I would like to see the groups easier to use. Having to click on the group, then on forums, then on the thread, just to see i f something is going on that might interest you is cumbersome, especially if you belong to a lot of groups. Would there be some way to have something on your dashboard that informs you of new postings on your groups?
Gaye Miller (SEMOkraftee) on 30 Oct 2008 at 2:13 pm #
First let me say, that I’m so glad I discovered Swap Bot!! Thank you, Rachel and Travis for all that you do to keep it running smoothly.
I am also one who would like a better way to manage PMs. It would be great to to be able to go to PMs that I’ve received from one swapper or another.
Just about everyone who has posted has had some good ideas. I can’t wait to see how you use these comments to enhance the site.
Belinda Stewart on 31 Oct 2008 at 5:49 am #
I think that Swap-Bot is a well-managed site. I don’t have a lot to offer for changes, although some of the ideas mentioned above would be great.
The one thing I don’t understand is that there is no rating of a “4″. I guess my one suggestion would be to re-work the rating system, leaving the heart in place.
CLASSYCHICA on 31 Oct 2008 at 11:27 am #
I would like to see a feature if when you are ill or there is a real life emergency you are able to drop from all your swaps even the swaps you’re in with no penalties with the exceptions of finding a angel for that swap .
I would also like to have a personal signed picture of crusher …bur that really isn’t a feature so I think I’m done ……
Amanda Cunningham ( Nomorerain3) on 31 Oct 2008 at 11:51 am #
I am new to Swap-Bot and finding new swaps is easy but the “swapping terminology” is hard to follow sometimes. Maybe you can list a bunch of definitions somewhere on the site. Thanks a lot for this awesome site!
mypoohbear60 on 31 Oct 2008 at 2:35 pm #
Hi, I’m a newbie too.And like Amanda I have gotten totally lost in the terminology of it all. I’ve Googled everything I can so far. I don’t have my own web site or anything that fancy but I like what I have found on here so far. I intend to join a swap soon.
dandelion on 31 Oct 2008 at 2:58 pm #
Wow, everyone has such great ideas! Rachel & Travis, you two have really done such an awesome job with SwapBot! Thank you!!!!
I would really like a little more functionality out of the message system, either a search function or a way to bring up all of the messages between myself and another swapper.
Christy on 31 Oct 2008 at 5:58 pm #
I would like to see a different organization to the dashboard. Now when I mark a swap as sent, it is immediately put in the sent column; however, just because I sent it doesn’t mean that I have received mine. When it’s time to rate, I have to go into the sent in order to leave ratings. It would be nice to have the ability to just mark a swap sent without moving it to another tab. Would also like a way, in international swaps, to indicate a preference for either either a domestic partner or an international partner — especially with cost of everything increasing.
Felicia on 31 Oct 2008 at 7:50 pm #
I would really like when I click on an external link for the page to load in a new window. Also, like others have mentioned, a better navigation panel. I’d like to access messages from any page rather than just the dashboard.
I really don’t care for the hearts system. And I think the rating system should be different. I don’t like the 1, 3 and 5. It confuses so many people. Maybe something similar to Ebay’s feedback system. where you can rate on different aspects of the swap. Say, Quality, Timeliness, WOW factor…. Something along those lines.
oh, I really like the angel idea for those who angel swaps.
Of course, Rachel and Travis, you two are doing a fantastic job. Thanks.
- Felicia or @fleasha
Swap-bot Weblog on 01 Nov 2008 at 4:58 pm #
[...] winner! This morning, I printed out all of the names from the comments that had been posted on the Winter Prize Giveaway (we had a total of 85 unique entrants). Then, Travis covered his eyes and drew a random paper slip [...]