Sue,

I so appreciate all of the effort you put into making Garden Web the place that it is. I can only imagine how much time it takes to assemble these informative threads.

I can tell you since I've been at Garden Web for several years, in my opinion, the biggest challenge is that it can be overwhelming. There are so many forums each with their own FAQ, conversation, and/or gallery pages. Trading is a beast all of it's own, and as I've mentioned to you in another post, it's taken me some time to muster up the courage to attempt it. I can only speak for myself, for whatever it's worth, I think one of the most helpful things you could do is get some of these different threads linked together in one place. It can be exhausting to go through the pages and pages of FAQ's for each forum and then the rant threads or suggestion threads or preference threads. To have everything in place so there can be no question what is expected or preferred of members would be wonderful. :)

Hi Quilt!

Being retired, I probably have a lot more time than most to 'play' here on GW. My day usually starts with GW over several cups of coffee before I get moving....thus some of my posts being very wordy....and that's probably putting it mildly for some.

After I posted this, I got to thinking about other most pertinent forums for those who would be trading (and hopefully) growing from seed.

Like the WSing forum and a link to the FAQ there, that are really great.

A link to Seed Saving as well as the FAQ there.

Growing from Seed
Growing Under Lights

I can tell you since I've been at Garden Web for several years, in my opinion, the biggest challenge is that it can be overwhelming.
Hey, tell me about it. When I first joined GW I was also pretty new to a computer and had never been to any forum before in my life. I didn't know how to get to my member page or my trade list once it was set up. A nice member sent me the URL for both my Member Page and my Member trade list. At that time, I didn't even know how to copy and paste, and it was years and years later before I learned about how to have multiple tabs or windows open. I was sooo computer challenged.

Trade lists with pics...note to self about other threads to include...

Sue

Sue - You are wonderfully wordy and I enjoy every moment of it. I'm a wordy girl myself. :) You have come a long way from computer challenged...you are quite the savvy one around here!!! I too could not find my member page or trade list page, glad to know I'm not the only one! The way it is situated is a little tricky if you ask me, but I cannot complain because as overwhelming as GW may be, I enjoy it so very much. Wonderful ideas and I look forward to seeing and visiting the links that are shared.

How about adding something about the importance of sending the size bubble envelope requested, not smaller and if possible not larger.

The bubble envelope size that is requested is for a reason. The seeds fit in that envelope size and for the postage requested and usually will go for first class large envelope rate.

I know that when I send the info for a BEAP I have used my digital postal scale, weighed the bubble envelope, the weight of the seeds, added to pieces of 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper to the scale and have everything all totaled to go for the first class weight.

The reason I've added to pieces of paper to the weighing is one sheet covers the weight of the paper requested with the list of seeds on it, and the other one covers the weight of packing tape and label.

When someone sends a smaller envelope than requested, the seeds can't fit for the amount of postage sent and the same thing can happen if a larger envelope is sent.

Just in the huge BEAP post I made a few weeks ago, I've gotten quite a few bubblies that where either too small or too large and there wasn't enough postage to send all the seeds.

Most times, a larger envelope will be OK, but not always.

Another thing is the simple fact that it isn't necessary to send the bubble envelope inside another one to get the BEAP seeds.

I've lost count with how many bubblies have come to inside a second envelope, even when I have given the following instruction.s

"just address the bubble envelope to me, put everything inside that I requested, tape it closed and mail it to me. There is no need to but the bubble envelope inside another one to send it to me."

OH, Just thought of another one. Figure out how to explain don't use the the tape seal on the bubble envelope to seal up the bubblie. Most times, they stick so well, that you can't get the envelope open and have to cut the bubblie to open it.
If you just take it closed with package tape, it's much easier to open the bubble without cutting it to do so.

I think it's scotch that is making bubble envelopes now with a shiny material now and if you seal that closed with their seal on it, there is no way on earth that you can get it open without cutting the bubble.

Fran

Hi Fran!

Thanks for your great input but I was going to include links to different threads as opposed to posting specific info all in one thread.

Parchancehaps you would like to start a new thread and post all of the Seeds for Postage offer info and then I could/would provide a link to it. There is a lotta info out there, including a reply in the thread of mine addressing newbie and newer member issues, but I'm sure you could improve on it, besides it having a thread all of its own....Maybe something with a catchy Subject of Posting line like Nothing to trade? Then you or others could add input about how to acquire seeds to trade (collecting, inexpensive purchases), or that other things can be traded for seeds (so long as the other things don't appear in the Subject of Posting Line in the trade).

Whatcha think? I will be collecting, acquiring, and sorting links to threads for quite a while so it will include most of what is needed to know, a lot of misc good to know info, as well as fun stuff. There's no rush.

Sue

Hi Sue,

I like this idea of yours.
As a semi-newbie now, I remember being confused in the beginning (not hard for me) because there seemed to be multiple places to post the same thing. Ex: there's at least 2 'Name that Plant', 1 in Forums & 1 in Galleries. I've also noticed seed trading requests in various forums rather than just seed exchange.

How about something like:
"First time? Start here", with a link to an Outline page with topical links? The Outline titles would also let newbies know about things they might not even have thought about. For ex: I didn't know I needed to learn about BEAPs when I first started. But if I'd seen the title in an outline, it would've alerted me to something I needed to check out.

I don't know if this is along the lines of what you were asking, not having the experience of longer term members (notice I didn't say older) :), but I sure appreciate all the time & effort you put in to making things run smoothly. Thanks!

Marsha

You should put in the search terms too for the particular links Sue, that way when they go stale the folks can still find similar info. Stale links are a bane of the internet, so in a place with limited thread storage like GW, it's vital to provide the search terms for future users. Like you said, one of the links is from a four year old post--which may or may not be here months from now.

T

I haven't been here too awful long and I have came and read a lot just to see who is here and what do they have to say. Being a newbie just this last year (2009) and this will be my first garden year for flowers (2010) I have been very busy this winter on my first winter sowing, first time starting seeds in the basement and watching them grow. All the work in planning what I am going to plant and where, doing a lot of research about the plants and the colors to look forward to. I was thinking that maybe there needs to more information and easier information to get. Sue you have A LOT OF FANTASTIC IDEAS with such a personality that goes along with it, and with the easy steps you have told me and got me going and informed, Just keep it up