I certainly sympathize with those boxers who have voiced their frustration with the slowness of postal rings. I have had long time periods with no postals getting to me and then a flurry of them.

Before going to the extreme of having a separate accounting of good and bad postal participants, I have a few reminders and suggestions for all of us.

Remember that when you join a ring you are making a committment to a group of people much like yourself, who have a passion for the theme and love to share with others. Also like yourself, they have busy lives, other committments, and are counting on every member of the to follow postal ring ethics. (logging finds, notification of problems to ring leader, and sending postals on in a timely fashion (determined by the ring leader)

It seems that a lot of the slowdown with postals occurs when people have joined so many postal rings that they are overlapping... so try limiting your participation in rings. I know this can be hard with so many good ones out there...but remember many of them come around again or go out as singles.

I try to only join rings that are set far apart on the calendar. I also try to remember that the larger the postal ring the longer it is going to take even without unforseen delays. I try not to join large rings (more than 12).

I am also putting myself on a postal diet after my current postal rings end. I will not be particiapating in rings at all. My diet is due to finances and I know my calendar is going to be too full with other things (jobs, family, travel, etc)

Besides, I think single postals are a better way to go for those of us who are frustrated with rings. I hope to see more single postals listed. It would also be great to title them as singles so they are easier to find on atlasquest and stand out from all the PLBs tied to rings.

While I agree that people shouldn't sign up for more than they can reasonably handle, there are those of us who can handle being in numerous overlapping rings without a problem. I don't think anyone would accuse me of being a bad postal letterboxer, and I have had 6 or 7 rings going at once. Unfortunately, all the good advice in the world doesn't help when someone just decides halfway through a ring that they don't care anymore, or that they are too busy to deal with the postals that are coming their way.

TG

I personally dont think 6 or 7 is a lot...I think the 30 or 40 rings at one time is a lot. I would like to see people put on their "rules" a number of days that it is acceptable to hold on to. Yes real life occurs, but if the expectation is to turn it around in 3 days or less, then holding it one more day is ok...but if there is no suggestion then how do you know if they just havent gotten to it. And what do people do with these when they get them. I am only in two right now, and they have arrived at busy times, but honestly I look thru the book, stamp it and pack it up. I dont spend hours looking at it, I dont go back and look at it again 3 days later. I look at it, spend some time admiring it, showing the kids and hubby, then move it along. Maybe 10 minutes tops.

I do hear the frustration with them, and have felt it as well. I have been on the receiving end of a long wait. Hopefully no one after me gets the frustration. As its been said before, COMMUNICATION is key!! If you know you are going to be out of town or extremely busy, i think people appreciate a quick note.

vicki

Plus, I noticed it took a ridiculously long time for my HH from the exchange to reach WA from WI. So, sometimes communication will let the person on the receiving end know it's in transit and that I'm not just a slacker.

LG.

...I think that was a sentence, but my head isn't working right today...

FYI..sometimes in Alaska the postal service doesn't happen very quickly. Living on a small island has its disadvantages. (no duh) If the plane doesn't get here neither does the mail. This could be due to weather, the plane crashing, ice on the runway, moose on the runway, bears on the runway or seagulls getting caught in the propellers. That being said i'm only in 4?? 5 or is it 6 rings??? i will communicate if the USPS is having trouble.
A short USPS story. The Saturday before Xmas the planes did not make it onto the island. Our new postmaster asked the postal workers if they would give up their Sunday before Xmas to deliver the mail when and if it got in. 100% of the workers said yes! The plane did land on Sunday afternoon and the Xmas gifts were delivered before Xmas morning thanks to the generosity of the workers. (this is one of the ADvantages of living here. Great Community!)

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While I agree that people shouldn't sign up for more than they can reasonably handle, there are those of us who can handle being in numerous overlapping rings without a problem.

I hope no one is avoiding participating in rings with me just because I'm signed up for lots of them. I go to the post office almost every day anyway, and there's a branch in a grocery store near my house that's open evenings and weekends. And I sign up for rings that interest any of the five of us, so if you divide the number of rings by the number of people in our house, it doesn't look so bad;)

The kids love seeing what comes in the mail, all the different logbooks and things people do. It's fun for when we aren't able to get out on the trail, because of time or schedules.

it really doesn't take that much time to admire the logbook, stamp in, repackage it and send it out again - that can all be done in an evening, and sent back out the next day. I usually send next day, and I don't think I've ever kept one more than 3 days.

Amanda's right, though, I do have an addiction.
(but they're so much fun!)

Mariette
(hopeless Stamp Tramp)

I too am in a lot of postal rings, however, I am not working due to health reasons (none so bad that I can't make it to the post office 2-3 times a week) and my kids are teenagers so I have nothing but free time most days.

When postals arrive I open them, admire them, log them on AQ, stamp them, repackage them, address them, fill out customs form, add them to outgoing mail pile, then go to the next one. I find it is easy to go to the post office if your mail is ready to go. If you have to gather up everything and get it ready, it is easy to say I'll do it tomorrow. But if all you have to do is grab ans go....

We also have a postal outlet in a grocery store that is open to 9 pm in the evening so even on days where I may have needed to take medicine that prohibits me from driving, I can still go because my fiancé is happy to take me there after dinner.

I also carve and get my logbooks ready well ahead of time, I have a number sitting here waiting for their start dates.

That being said, I would drop out of a ring(s) if I was getting overwhelmed. I would much rather email the leader and tell them to bypass me than get a huge backup of packages. Communication is key, it's not embarrassing to say you need to drop out, it is embarrassing to say you have a whole bunch of packages just lying here and you can't get around to taking care of them. Logging in and communicating with the others in the group makes such a difference and really helps keep people reassured that your not dropping the ball.

Red Soup

Moose on the runway? And I thought living in the Adirondacks was isolation......

I have followed all the plb turn-around msgs this AM. I rarely post on the big board, however, am going to put in my $0.02.....As a full-time student, mom, and wife (in no particular order!), I can at times become a small black hole. I have always tried to be prompt with at least letting my groups know what I have and what is going on. I also am VERY mindful of my time constraints and won't sign up for more than one DVD-type ring at a time. I have an hour+ commute to and from school everyday with a full course load...plus clinical days which are 12 hours. I try to get to the PO at least once a week, yet sometimes that just doesn't happen. I guess, bottom line, what I would like to convey is that yes, I understand the frustration at backlogs (I am in a ring that is like molasses), at the same time, I also understand LIFE can get in the way. I am doing my best to keep my house and son/hubby happy and contented, get my homework done, study for exams, prepare for clinical days, write reports after clinical days, and still have a few minutes of personal time for me where I can be awestruck at the talent that arrives to me in my mailbox! Sorry, this has gone on too long and it doesn't look like Emory is closing due to ice....(even though I have to drive THROUGH the icy areas to get there.) Y'all have a great day! TexasRaggedy

I see my original post has generated a lot of talk about this subject. Let me say I was not trying to be critical of anyone. I just should have clarified my reasons for responding to the board in the first place (which I must say I have never done before). I wanted to try and give frustrated PLBer's some perspective, and let them know that I have felt the same as they do...but that this is a wonderful hobby and has its risks (as someone else pointed out). I was not speaking as an authority or for other boxers.

I guess I should have also explained that these are my suggestions based on my viewpoint. I know there are boxers who can handle the # of rings they join. I guess I just know that I would not be able to handle a lot. I did not mention any specific # of rings as being to many by the way. I just know how many I can handle now that I have had some starting to crossover in time periods.

In my original post I had this paragraph:
Remember that when you join a ring you are making a committment to a group of people much like yourself, who have a passion for the theme and love to share with others. Also like yourself, they have busy lives, other committments, and are counting on every member of the to follow postal ring ethics. (logging finds, notification of problems to ring leader, and sending postals on in a timely fashion (determined by the ring leader)

I just want to highlight that I know EVERYONE has a busy life and life is hectic. I was trying to give the frustrated boxer a reality check...I understand your frustration but don't let it interfer with your life or love of this hobby.

And as someone else responded (it just takes honesty and good communication to keep the frustrating moments to a minimum)

Sorry again if the first post sounded critical or all knowing, which certainly was not the intent.

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I see my original post has generated a lot of talk about this subject. . . . . . . . Sorry again if the first post sounded critical or all knowing, which certainly was not the intent.

I think that we all have those kind of days, IMHO I think that this thread has helped some of us with the same flustration. I am in several rings right now that are moving as slow as cold tar (and one I am the ring leader) I would not say that any one person is the black hole, things just are not being moved very fast. I am wondering if people have lost interest in the ring or what but I am hoping that the boxes will creep their way home.

I think that a thread like this just helps with awarness, and hopefully will help with a few boxes moving on their way.

Mystic Dreamer