patricej

1. Please contact me directly. The other mods will refer it to me, so you can save time by sending me a pm first.
2. The "say Hi to 20" suggestion appears to be a logical idea and i know the suggestion was made with the absolutely best intentions. however, when i evaluate a posting history to see whether or not an exception is warranted, i look for something more substantial than what might appear to be a simple attempt to run up the numbers. i look for participation in the form of suggestions to those asking questions, taking part in discussion of different topics, posting photos of things a member has made, requests for advice on a specific project, etc.

it's about getting to know each other. i call it "a bonding process" that leads to some degree of familiarity and comfort. this is such an easy group to join and have fun with. we just like to know that you really want to be "one of us". we can buy from strangers anywhere. here is the place to buy from buddies. ;-)

patricej

we don't have a system for that. there's no way to create one that would keep all the members safe from con artists. it would also require several full-time workers to maintain.