FIRST RULE: Be polite to other listmasters. They have their own lists...run their own way.  Be as rude and crude to your LIST as you want to be...your members may have signed on just for that.  But other listmasters deserve the same respect that you expect to get yourself.

AD SIZE: The maximum size for all text ads is 10 lines (including blank lines) and 72 characters per line. Be aware that some lists are TEXT only, not html, so your fancy colors and fonts will disappear when they run your ad.

Keep you ad simple.  Yes...everyone knows that your list is the BEST...but what MAKES it the best. What is different about your list that gives the reader a reason to pick yours? Keep ads short and to the point.

 AD FORMAT: If you want the biggest draw of new members, you have to make it easy for them to join. Some maillist hosts, like Yahoogroups and Googlegroups want you to register for some ID just sign up for a list FROM THE SITE. You may have forgotten that as you've been a member of the website for so long. But it stops alot of surfers dead in their tracks when they have to give up any info to a website (ex: for a YahooID). Or if they aren't already a member of your group they get little data at your site link.

Here's an example...
http://groups.google.com/group/Freedomcycle

But ALL of the maillist hosts that I know of (I may be wrong, and I'm sure you'll let me know if I am) will let a member join with an email subscription. So every ad SHOULD have a way for the member to join by email. Include the website link if you'd like so they can get more info from your front page about the group.

There are also some folks that love to sign up for lists that have no web-access, only e-mail access. They will ignore your ad if there is no way for them to join your list.

If you have a website that's not just the maillist host page, it's usually good to let prospective members go there and get a good feel for what you're all about. BUT...they can get so caught up in the wonders and splendors of your site that they forget all about joioining your maillist. Your call.

Of course, if you're running your OWN maillist server, use what works best for you.

VERIFICATIONS: If the ad says the owner wants a verification...then send a verification. Period.

The NEW way to verify is to send them a copy of the entire issue you put out. This way the other listmaster can see exactly when and how you placed their ad, if any changes were made, etc. You ALSO get so show off your issue to the other listmaster, who may just sign up himself for your issues. (I've signed up for many lists myself from ad-swap verifications just seeing how cool another's list is.)

Most of you get your issues delivered to you, because you want to make sure it came out correctly. When it arrives in your mailbox simply FORWARD a copy of the entire issue with something likeVERIFY AD-SWAP in the subject, addressed to the appropriate listmasters. If you have a high traffic list and only get the Digest version, just copy the post you sent from the digest that has their ad and send it to them.

If you actually only publish your list on your personal website (NOT the maillist server like Yahoo or Topica), then just mail them the link to your webpage so they can see their ad there.

If you just send an email verification that only has a copy of their ad...it LOOKS to the other listmaster that you did nothing except to read their ad. The other listmaster wants to know that HIS/HER ad made it INTO your issue.

This mis-understanding comes from listmasters who publish thier lists as a magazine...where only they publish to their lists. They need to understand Sharing groups, where anyone can send stuff to a list. These lists consists of a bunch of mails that go individually to each member. When the listmaster posts your ad to one of these groups, what his members GET...is just a mail with your ad on it. SO...when you get a verification that IS only a copy of your ad, it WAS mailed out to that group. It just looks odd...but that's how those groups work.

Listmasters with Sharing groups need to make it easier to recognize their verification. So in the SUBJECT please put something that will notify WHICH GROUP you sent it to. (Ex: AD SWAPS with DIPSY-DOODLE). When you post this to your group just blind copy to any verication addresses. You members won't care that you put the name of your group in the subject, and it will help clear up this mis-understood with other listmasters.

This STANDARDIZES the entire issue of Verifications. You should send out your verifications like this. You should expect to get verifications like this.

This SHOULD cover how to do this for almost all of your lists. If you have a problem with how to do it, write me and I'll help you work it out.

For too long there's been too many ways to do this, with so many wanting verifications back the way they put them out. Pissing contests have flared into wars, listmasters have stopped swapping with other lists, chaos and destruction have ruled rampant. ENOUGH!

Some of us run our lists for just the fun of doing it...some are out there to make a living off of it. But we are all too busy to deal with hassles. If you want to swap ads with other lists to increase your memberships, you need to send verifications when requested. This way is rather easy, and everyone can be happy if it's done correctly.

So, what do you do if you DON'T get a verification? Easy. First, see FIRST RULE above. Send a polite note asking what's going on. Most likely their list didn't even go out because of some act of God or Windows. We all have bad weeks publishing. Don't make it worse for your fellow listmasters by dropping a can of Whoopass on them.

EXCLUSIONS: I will continue to honor your requests to not swap with a particular group as I understand conflicts of interest and that you must look out for your readers with regard to the content you expose them to. BUT... I STRONGLY suggest you keep these to a minimum as excluding others could have a negative effect on your own swapping ability. The more lists you swap with...the more new members you get.

The two main reasons in the past for wanting to exclude another group is because of verifications (which I address above) and some other misunderstanding which leads to a squabble which almost always ends in a pissing contest and excluding them from swapping with each other. Please refer to FIRST RULE above. In exchange for a small pile of gold or your first-born son I will be glad to help referee

Now that the verifications have been standardized, it's time to look back at any group you may have excluded in the past. Exchange hostages, make a treaty, or whatever you have to do to kiss and make up. Because the bottom line is....the MORE groups you swap with, the more new members you will get.

DEVIATIONS: Under NO circumstances are you to deviate from the assigned swaps. If there is a group you don't want to swap with, tell me now, not after I've already given it to you. If you get a swap you don't want then let me know and I will adjust the template.

Also, if you simply send a nice email to the other owner and just tell them that you feel their ad would not sit well with your members; they will understand I assure you. They may even send you a different ad to use in your list that you can live with. But please do not decide that you don't like the ads you've gotten and pick others that you want to run in their place.

MINIMUM SWAPS: All groups will now be required to do at least one swap per week. For those of you that are unable to do so, please tell me why and I will try to accommodate you.

MAXIMUM SWAPS: The maximum number of swaps per week will be seven for the clean list and seven for the adult list. I chose seven for the clean and adult as that gives you one per day.

SWAP PROCEDURES: HOW is this all figured out? It's a combination of magic, divination, and a dart board. But DO realize that it takes an incredible amount of time and sacrificed turtles to get it done each week. Every time you send in some change or new exclusion...another turtle's life may be at stake. When it's done and posted....that's the way it is. You'll never be able to figure out who you will swap with next, so please don't just pick a swap and publish it early.

CHANGES: Listmasters are encouraged to change their ad content. Stale ads that have run over and over on everyone else's list will be ignored by the members. Find a new angle about your list to promote and hook all you can with a new ad.

For my part, stopping and doing changes constantly is a total pain. So, all revisions will be published at the 1st of the next month. Anything sent in after the 1st of the month will wait until the beginning of the next month. Your new ad will take a month or so to run through all the other lists anyway, so only one change per month will be allowed. No turtles will be harmed during this monthly change.

Of course, if you have a new verification address, or bad signup link change, or some such important thing, it will be corrected before the next weeks swaps go out.

NEW lists can be added at any time.

BOUNCING: If you change your contact email address...TELL ME RIGHT AWAY. If the email address I have for you bounces when I send out the swaps, I will wait 48 hours and retry.

Do realize that this is an incredible pain in the butt, as other groups are already assigned to swap with you, and you're not returning the favor. Those groups who do run your ad will be properly miffed when they send a verification and it bounces.

No swaps will be set up for you for the next week. If you bounce for three consecutive weeks you will be removed from the group. You can always be re-instated to the group when you get your address sorted out.

HOLD: I understand that circumstances arise when you need to not swap for a while, and I have no problem putting your swaps on hold for as long as you need. If you give me a date when you'll be back, such as "I'm taking off all summer and will return at the end of August", then no problem.

However, if you just tell me that "I'll be gone for awhile," you may only be placed on hold for four weeks at a time. After four weeks you will automatically receive a reactivation/continuation request via email that you must respond to prior to the next swap...just to let me know you are still alive. If no response is received, either to be reinstated or to continue holding, you will be removed from the group. The sole purpose of this is to cut down on the held groups that end up becoming defunct without ever letting me know. If you are removed, you can ALWAYS get back in the group later.

EAZY AD SWAPZ LIST : One of the swaps in the rotation is for the EZ AD SWAP, or EAZY AD SWAPZ.. It's a promotion for this swapping group. The ad is out there solely to promote to other listmasters like yourself. This brings more lists to the group...and more new members you can grab. You are required to run this when assigned, but you will get no ads back, as there is no maillist here...just a site page to get more members.

REMEMBER: Surfers that sign up for lists all tend to sign up for more than one list.  By survey, for example, folks that sign for joke lists get on an average of 5-6 lists.  They SIGN UP for more...but drop off the ones that they don't like.  Once you get a member, it is up to you to amuse them enough to stay with your list.