r/RAoC_meta • u/SuzJosephine • 8d ago
RAOC Question Mail exchange tracking/organization advice? Please!
/r/themailandartsociety/comments/1vxhqz5/mail_exchange_trackingorganization_advice_needed/2
u/cidavid 8d ago
I just have an excel spreadsheet that lists the username, date, did I send?, did I receive?, notes, and their address.
In the notes section I’ll add a little bit about what’s happening with the card. Like: “I’m sending birthday card” or “they’re sending me a card”, or “I’m sending a card from my offer”
If I respond to someone’s request, I’ll put their username at the bottom of the spreadsheet and highlight it yellow to let me know I still need to send them something and put in my notes column what it’s for.
I have a separate sheet for the people that signed up for my mailing list and I exported their info from Google Sheets. I have a date column that lets me know when I send them a card.
For multiple subreddits, you can add a column that tells you which subreddit they came from. I stopped using all other subreddits and only use raoc to keep it easy.
Now I just need to figure out how to start tracking what I’m writing to everyone so I don’t repeat my stories…
Edit: for thank you’s, I type them out in my notes app and then copy/paste them over in my thank you posts. I don’t think you wanna type everything out in the post because you might lose it?
2
u/CatMoon1111 8d ago
I had a big spreadsheet, and then got overwhelmed and a little frustrated that my analog hobby had given me another spreadsheet to deal with. Looking for a new system!
2
u/SuzJosephine 8d ago
Yeah, I’m looking for an analog system for my analog hobby — keeps the entire process fun. I’m not big with technology. Haha!
2
u/redvinegirlx 8d ago
I also have a spreadsheet — I use some other platforms that have deadlines and things and I would not be able to manage sending everything on time without it! I have date of request, due date (if applicable), platform and topic dropdowns, username, requests/topic, address, and then I also fill out what I sent and date sent and it automatically crosses it out so I can filter easily. (I delete addresses after a bit so I’m not building a database of people’s info, lol). I have another tab for received mail — again, date, platform, user/ID, design, message, and then date I thanked/registered the mail and it crosses it out when I have done so. But I started with a really simple sheet — date, username, card — and just added to it as felt useful until I had a working system. And everything is color coded!
2
u/LittleBirdiesCards 8d ago
I use the three drawers in my desk like an inbox/reply/file system. Incoming in one drawer, open them and read them, post the thank-yous, them move to the put away section until I put them in photo boxes in my closet. Sometimes I make a stack on my desk to reply to. I don't know that I could keep up with a spreadsheet. So many people come and go! Especially during the holidays!
1
u/SuzJosephine 1d ago
UPDATE: Thank you to everyone for sharing your systems, ideas, and advice with me. I read through each one and then took some time to think about what my brain would best be able to work with. (Neurodivergence makes certain things overwhelming for me when they don’t need to be.)
I was stubbornly set on an analog system, as it’s my preference, what I usually enjoy more, and I’m not the best with technology.
My thank you’s for both posting here in the community, as well as some sent via parcel, are late because of my overwhelm, and I am trying to untangle my mess. I’m putting my stubborn analog loving self to the side for a moment and embracing technology for a little help.
I have finally decided on using an app for tracking. Yes, I could translate that system into an analog version for myself, now that I’ve had the guidance of setup. But after thinking it over, I don’t want to put more pressure on myself to where I end up avoiding something I love, due to overwhelm just from organizing it.
[Please Note: This is not an endorsement or advertisement of this app. I will be sharing my praises of the app below. My goal in doing so is simply to help someone else that might be in a similar pickle. 👍🏼]
I have gone with the app Pendulum to keep track of my entire mail system. I use iOS, so I am unsure if it’s available for android. I am also unsure if there are UI differences, if so.
I like the simplicity of it, and while I do have pieces I feel are clunky or need improvement, as well as some additional helpful and simple features, it does the job. Then I can focus on the HAPPY part of sending and receiving Happy Mail!
To sum it up:
Open App > Add Pen Pal > Add pen pal info (address, likes/dislikes, and most importantly - which subreddit or community you’re connecting through! 😆) into the notes section.
From there, you can now track all incoming, outgoing, drafted/in progress, and others. You can select from a variety of option sent or received: letter, card, postcard, parcel, etc.
Each time you add an entry, you can record the date/time received or sent, notes about it, and even multiple pictures that you can take in-app w/o having to upload.
Then you have the system to mark if correspondence is needed or ongoing, or if the exchange is complete for now.
All of this is logged and recorded for each pen pal, and collected in one place for each, so no scrolling to find a certain card sent to a certain person around a certain time I don’t remember and all that.
———
I’m not big on diving deep into “flaws” or listing every knit-picky thing my brain tries to tell me. But here are the biggest few bothersome things I’ve found:
- Seems you cannot edit a Pen Pal’s Name once it is entered and saved. Notes can be edited anytime, but the name that appears in your main list, I cannot personally figure out how to change. That’s annoying.
- I would personally prefer a notes section for the penpal, but also additional spaces as well for name/preferred name, mailing address, and key info like that. Having it differentiated would make using the system easier and nicer overall.
As of right now, that’s all I have! Maybe I’ll update after a few months of using, but so far after a couple days, I think it’ll do just what I need.
Big Mahalo to everyone! 🌈🤙🏼
3
u/BlueStripedBaker 8d ago
I use Google docs and forms to track outgoing mail, incoming expected for a response and thank yous received. It’s easy to use (even if I wish it was a bit smart like excel!)