2009 Christmas Card List-Tally Up!

[Pedersen]

I figure it's about time for me to ask, since this thread is likely to be unstickied and drop to oblivion soon: Now that everybody has seen the whole tool, what changes would you like to see for next year's version?

I have a long list of minor changes already (stuff like having PepSquad show totals on the posts she makes about who's signed up, alphabetizing the lists, etc). But I want to hear your ideas. I'm not promising I can or will implement all of them, but hearing what people want usually manages to steer the result in a better direction.

Speak up, and tell me!

I look forward to hearing the ideas.

[AdminAssistant]

Speak up, and tell me!

Is there anyway to standardize addresses? Example, on this list some put "USA," some put "United States," and some put, "United States of America." Ditto on states, most abbreviated (KS, NY, PA) but some spelled out the state name. Perhaps my OCD is kicking into overdrive, but that's little stuff that drives me batty.

Also, I know it would've been helpful to me if the address list were organized by country.

Thanks to JM and Ped for working so hard to get this event organized!!

[Sonoma]

This is the first year I've participated, but I was very happy with the who process. The only issue I had was finding the instructions to get the list to print out correctly. Ran through a couple 'trial' sheets before I found the changes to my printer settings that I needed to make.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Is there anyway to standardize addresses? Example, on this list some put "USA," some put "United States," and some put, "United States of America." Ditto on states, most abbreviated (KS, NY, PA) but some spelled out the state name. Perhaps my OCD is kicking into overdrive, but that's little stuff that drives me batty.

Glad to know I'm not the only one . I hand-addressed the cards, anyway (just cuz), so it didn't really matter.

I don't know if the post office really cares, but I was always taught to use proper postal abbreviations.

[Ree]

If she only put a generic comment (i.e. "Seasons greetings"), opening it up wouldn't tell her who it was intended for.

True.
That's why I always put the member's name on the inside. (I guess I just assumed everybody does. )

It makes it a lot easier for me to know who the card was for, just in case I lose track and forget to cross it off my list before addressing the envelope.

[BookstoreEscapee]

True.
That's why I always put the member's name on the inside. (I guess I just assumed everybody does. )

It makes it a lot easier for me to know who the card was for, just in case I lose track and forget to cross it off my list before addressing the envelope.

I addressed all my envelopes first, then wrote the cards (I use names inside the cards, too, but I took them from the envelopes as I went through the pile. Don't know if anyone noticed, but on the back of the envelope, where the point of the flap would be glued down, I wrote the person's screen name after I had addressed the front).

[Pedersen]

Is there anyway to standardize addresses? Example, on this list some put "USA," some put "United States," and some put, "United States of America." Ditto on states, most abbreviated (KS, NY, PA) but some spelled out the state name. Perhaps my OCD is kicking into overdrive, but that's little stuff that drives me batty.

And this, right here, is why I asked. This was actually in mind as something to do, but I forgot to write it down. And that, of course, would have led to me forgetting to do it, which would have left the same old mess. Thank you!

Also, I know it would've been helpful to me if the address list were organized by country.

I think I'll extend this even a bit further: Country, State/Province, Postal Code. That's the fields that will be looked at (and in that order) for sorting.

Thanks to JM and Ped for working so hard to get this event organized!!

For my part, this was me learning a new framework for web development stuff, so not much "work" at all.

[Ree]

For my part, this was me learning a new framework for web development stuff, so not much "work" at all.

You say it was just a learning exercise, but we all know there is a lot more work to it than that.

Don't downplay what you've done.
If you do it, then others will, and you actually deserve a huge debt of gratitude for all the hard work behind the scenes that nobody sees.

[McGoddess09]

Pedersen, seriously, you did an amazing job. I am so glad that you took the time to pull that whole thing off. It worked pretty well, given it was its first run.

I would like to ditto Admin about the organizing it by country deal. It would be a little easier to scan and figure out how many stamps one would need for overseas.

The program was great altogether and I look forward to next year!

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I received a card Monday from Artic Chicken

[Sarlon]

To all those whom got my cards you might want to keep them...someday that autograph may become famous...

Look forward to doing this again next year ^^

[DGoddessChardonnay]

To all those whom got my cards you might want to keep them...someday that autograph may become famous...

Look forward to doing this again next year ^^

Actually, next year is now this year . . . and I'm quite looking forward to doing this again too.

[Kiwi]

But I want to hear your ideas.

when you say your alphabetising the lists do you mean the tally list as well (the one we click when we have received the cards) because that was the ONLY thing I could fault at all. Searching through the list was a little difficult because it was jumbled.

I think you did an amazing job and next year I will be able to actually buy the labels!!

[Pedersen]

when you say your alphabetising the lists do you mean the tally list as well (the one we click when we have received the cards) because that was the ONLY thing I could fault at all. Searching through the list was a little difficult because it was jumbled.

Actually, I mean all of them that you can see. When PepSquad posts the list of people who have signed up so far, that will be alphabetized. When you view the list (during the sign up period, before tallies open), that will be alphabetized. When you view the tallies list, that will be alphabetized.

Basically, if it can be sorted, it will be. That was one thing that was annoying to me, but I didn't see during testing because we had such a (relatively) small number of testers. Me, JM, and the mods is only about 15 or 20 people, which means the list is small enough to fit on screen. Never an overwhelming thing.

But, for the next list, it will be fixed

I think you did an amazing job and next year I will be able to actually buy the labels!!

Cool. I'm glad they're able to be used by the folks who want to use them.

[Bandit]

Pedersen: THANK YOU for your efforts! If it wasn't for the pre-printed labels, I don't think I would have participated. For someone with a really wonky wrist on the writing hand, doing all the envelopes by hand is just too much.

EVERYONE: THANK YOU for the great cards! I'm looking forward to doing it again later this year.

I can only think of two things that would make it even better:

1) As mentioned before, sort the labels by country.
2) Eliminate your own address from the label sheet. I came this >.< close to sending myself a card. However fun it would have been for the posties to see, it's not a good thing.

B