MeFi CD Swap

June 29, 2005 3:44 PM

So, this MeFi CD swap reincarnated (previously discussed here) has its own page now, but I don't see a whole lot of activity. Are we going to do this thing, or what? (Or am I just being impatient?)
posted by absalom to MetaFilter-related at 3:44 PM (26 comments total)

And CMonkey... you gonna run another swap?
posted by dobbs at 3:52 PM on June 29, 2005

And CMonkey... you gonna run another swap?

Sure, I could do another one, if there's interest.
posted by cmonkey at 5:14 PM on June 29, 2005

Well, I logged in and looked around an lo and behold there is a calendar page after you log on.

The following seems to be the schedule:

July 9th - "opt in" sign ups end
July 15th - swapset info is sent out
Aug 15th - Mailing Deadline for CDs

I was previously confused that I didn't get any kind of activation notification from Dreama, but after some conversation about it over at MetaChat, I found that if I just logged in with the UserID and Password I had used to sign up I could get in and get to the rest of the site.
posted by anastasiav at 5:35 PM on June 29, 2005

I wants in
posted by cyphill at 5:55 PM on June 29, 2005

anastasiav: Yeah, calander is only so good when only 3 people have put in information with about a week to go, though. I thought maybe a helpful reminder posing as a question might get some momentum going. I desperately need new music.
posted by absalom at 6:51 PM on June 29, 2005

thanks for asking this, absalom. I was wondering what was up with the swap (my first!).
posted by Dr. Wu at 8:12 PM on June 29, 2005

OK, you know what? I'm looking at the CDSwap page, and I don't totally understand what I'm supposed to do. I'm a registered user, but that's as far as I've gotten. So, um, what do I do now?

I ask this here (instead of emailing dreama) so that perhaps others with the same question might have it answered, as well. Or something.
posted by Dr. Wu at 9:09 PM on June 29, 2005

Read the FAQ: it gives you detailed instructions.
posted by rhapsodie at 10:07 PM on June 29, 2005

I'm a registered user, but that's as far as I've gotten. So, um, what do I do now?

Make sure you can log into the site with the logon/password link in the upper left hand corner.

Once you've done that, there's nothing to do but wait for it to be July 15th
posted by anastasiav at 11:07 PM on June 29, 2005

Well I've tried about 5 times to sign up with no success. Question: am I supposed to register again? If not, how the hell do I get my password?
posted by salmacis at 1:13 AM on June 30, 2005

You have to register on the MeFi swap site. Then you make up your own password, normal style.
I was wondering, from people who have done this before, how do you decide what to put on a mix? Is there any communication with your mix pal/swapper partner beforehand? Or do you just put whatever you think people should be listening to? I'm not going to send anyone Garth Brooks, but how do I narrow it down?
posted by slimslowslider at 1:33 AM on June 30, 2005

Hrrmm well I've tried to register twice, and then when I go to log in, it tells me I have an incorrect login. And then it won't email me the correct one. Weird.
posted by gaspode at 5:24 AM on June 30, 2005

slimslowslider, you make up what you want. I usually try to pick a theme and play to that. Last year it was Songs About Rain, for example.
posted by jacquilynne at 5:54 AM on June 30, 2005

Make sure you can log into the site with the logon/password link in the upper left hand corner.

Once you've done that, there's nothing to do but wait for it to be July 15th

Actually, I think you need to put your mailing info in, under "Address Book". You'll have to do that each swap, as an Opt-In measure.
posted by Tlogmer at 6:07 AM on June 30, 2005

Okay here's the deal --

I thought that the system informed users when their accounts have been activated, but it doesn't. So when I activate accounts I'm posting a new news item on the front page.

Once you're activated, login and if you intend to be in this swap session, add your mailing address to the address book. It'll automatically assign you to group AC/DC but that will change in the future. Those addresses also need to be okayed by me, and I'll be doing that when we get further into things.

You can also add your website address to the links section.

I activated everyone (whose MeFi membership I could verify) who registered as of 5:30 (GMT -5) Sunday afternoon. I'm travelling right now and didn't expect to be online at all, and I don't intend to work on swap stuffs while I'm on vacation so I'll be activating the next batch of users this coming Sunday. If you have registered and cannot sign in, you're probably not activated yet. Check back on Sunday evening.

Any other questions can be shot my way via e-mail, that's the best way to find out specifics about your status or your inability to login, etc. (Unless you're Dobbs, my server automatically rejects Dobbs's e-mail for reasons I cannot fathom. What can I tell you Dobbs? It just doesn't like you. It's not me!)
posted by Dreama at 8:01 AM on June 30, 2005

Thanks, Dreama! I done registered.
And, for the record, I'm perfectly content to be associated with the AC/DC group. Those guys rock.
posted by Dr. Wu at 9:30 AM on June 30, 2005

I was wondering, from people who have done this before, how do you decide what to put on a mix?

I put whatever I feel like on, because that's how I roll, buddy.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 9:32 AM on June 30, 2005

Essentially, the point is to prove how much better your musical taste is than everyone else's, so you put on whatever it is you think will make you come across as the kind of person that you want the listener to think of you as. I'm putting Limp Biskit and Korn on mine, because I want people to think that I'm a douchebag.
posted by Jart at 9:48 AM on June 30, 2005

If you were previously registered for the 05q1 swap do you need to re-register for the new one?

Also, where is this promised list of people who signed up but never sent out mixes for 05q1? I would like to make sure I don't get stuck in a group again with any of them as it really pissed me off that I managed to put in the time and effort and the expense of mailing someone a mix only to not get the same in return.
posted by spicynuts at 11:44 AM on June 30, 2005

Ok, forget my first question as the FAQs answered that. I still need the second issue addressed though.
posted by spicynuts at 11:47 AM on June 30, 2005

A good mix creates a certain mood or story, and has a lot of thought behind the order of the songs. This might be purely musical transition, maybe purposeful contrast.

I've been lately making mixes of certain types (all instrumental, or focusing on strings) - my challenge is to not make it too much of all one thing, as much as I like that thing. So I purposely branch out, while still remaining in the confines I've set for myself. It's fun when it's a challenge.

But, of course, there's always the "my favorite songs to listen to to be very happy" or "my favorite songs to be blue to" mixes - I did one of those (sad, then happy) and had a lot of fun with it. I listen to it a lot still.
posted by jb at 1:19 PM on June 30, 2005

Next mixes I do (not likely for a while, too busy), I'd like to try an all non-English mix, and a mix of "barebones" songs - (either just voice, or voice and one acoustic instrument) that one is going to be hard to fill, and maybe not mixed enough (too much all the same).
posted by jb at 1:22 PM on June 30, 2005

Yeah, so....I suck at making mixes. So...can I still participate?
posted by graventy at 2:16 PM on June 30, 2005

I'm still confused - presumably I'm already registered since I participated in the last swap. How do I get it to tell me what my zarking password is? Clicking the button marked "send me my password" does nothing.
posted by salmacis at 12:58 AM on July 1, 2005

spicynuts -- the nixer's list still resides in my pointy little head, I'll be publicizing it before the swap sign-up period ends but you have no reason to fear being stuck in a group with any of those people again because once someone is verified as a nixer, they are forevermore banned from the swap unless they can prove that they neglected to send their mixes because their house burned down or some other similarly intense tragedy prevented it.

salmacis -- let me check the system and see what's up with your registration. At the moment, I don't remember activating your account yet, so that's probably it.
posted by Dreama at 7:39 PM on July 1, 2005

Oh wait, salmacis, I just re-read your comment more closely. NO ONE is already registered due to past participation. There's a whole new system in place, everyone who wishes to be a part has to register themselves now.
posted by Dreama at 7:40 PM on July 1, 2005