Just a week and a bit away until the start of February. I should be excited, but this year, I am not. I have participated in the February letter writing projects since 2012 but this is the second year I am not ecstatic about both A Month of Letters and International Correspondence Writing Month. Both want you to send nice mail every (postal) day. However, for some, it is just a check box exercise, rather than seeking meaningful connection and penfriendship.
Also, the decision to allow an account on LetterMo to seek addresses for a prisoner have worried some people, even declining friendship request is met by another request with no ability to say F OFF. It is one of the reasons I deleted my account. And while prison penpals can be a good thing, it should be for the "free" person to seek postal contact with an inmate via a prison penpal website.
Then, this year, a post appeared on the InCoWriMo address exchange page for 2025, from this same person requesting penpals for the inmate. It has since been deleted as has the LetterMo account (edit - 6th Feb 2025 - there appears to be a new account for him). The person claims not to be grabbing addresses for the prisoner, but I'd take that with a pinch of salt.
The account I set up for myself on disqus is having comments marked as spam. Even my upvoting is invisible. (edit - 6th Feb 2025 - I can comment again).
It is such a shame... the idea for the projects is good, but...
I've never participated in those projects. I think it's a good idea, as you wrote. However, I have always seen it like that check box exercise. Also, I don't feel comfortable with posting my address online (although I give it privately to almost everyone).
ReplyDeleteIt was "funny" one year.. you logged on the LM site what sort of things you sent and whether you used more than one stamp, or a different posting box or used something fancy... There was a point system... and by the end of one February, someone had almost 1000 points, though I suspect they may have been entering in their ebay sales sendings - even that would count.
ReplyDeleteYou know how I feel about all that spamming and the address grabbing.
ReplyDeleteI haven't removed my profile from LetterMo... yet. I'm just going to do my own month of letters.