Calling card exchanges

This is my experience regarding calling card exchanges...

1. People keep hitting me up for my card, totally out of the blue, without even introducing themselves first
   
2. If I decline, they try again
3. OK, flying away now, being chased and asked again
4. OKAY MISTER LEAVE ME ALONE
   

What is with this? Why do people insist on exchanging calling cards with total strangers without even talking to them first? If I accept I will be notified every time they log on or off. I really don't want that or see any point to it, at all. I don't mind exchanging cards with people who actually take the time to talk to me for a whole entire minute, or with friends in the real world, or with Lindens (since I might actually need to ask them something)... but this tenacious card mining is really getting on my nerves.

I don't want the notifications to go away altogether since I do have people who I like to hang out with and I like to know when they log on.

Well, one reason people do this is because rhe more calling cards, the better "High score" you have - and the bonus stipend is calculated off this. Which means, the more calling cards you gather, the more you can afford. Just like every other system, you will have people who skip the use its intended for, and try to milk the benifit. Like Smokey Bear says: Only YOU can refuse fly-by cardings.

Is this true? I though it was just your ratings that went in to the stipend calculation.

Also, perhaps the mods would like to move this to the General Discussion forum.

I have a slightly different reason for those rare times I initiate an exchange with someone without too much conversation. If they are someone I've identified as a useful person to stay in contact with, I need to gather the card. If they are busy, or otherwise indisposed to chit-chat, then it doesn't make much sense to tie up both our time by "arranging quality time" just so I don't run the risk of a mis-understanding.

If they aren't busy, I love to chat. Sometimes I chat when they really aren't in the mood, so I tend to err on the side of not pushing myself on folks.

If I ask for a card, and it's refused, I generally leave things be. I might try again some other time.

Now, I built up a collection of over 300 cards without, I hope, being too intrusive. (Those cards are indespensible to a journalist.) I think, as some may expect of me, that people can achieve all sorts of impressive goals without sacrificing good manners

As a merchant I like to network and have lots of contacts. Between that and mentoring, I have a bunch of cards. If someone refuses, I also leave it at that. I have however seen people chase people down and demand cards, insisting that its rude if they dont comply. Personally, I dont "get" that technique but hey, whatever works for ya.

Are cards part of the bonus? I thought it was just ratings too.

I sometimes initiate the card exchange before i've talked to someone. Not because of any bonus i might get. But merely because i like seeing who is in world. I like keeping my connections open, and having a long list of people to make friends with down the line is great

hi guys - great discussion, i moved from new world notes to this forum since it's a broad topic.

I tend to agree with Huns on this one... calling cards are a good way to keep track of people you care to keep track of, and they're a general nuisance in every other way.

so and so signed on
so and so signed off
so and so signed on
so and so signed off
hi Chip how's it going?
so and so signed on
so and so signed off
so and so signed on
so and so signed off
Chip?
so and so signed on
so and so signed off
so and so signed on
so and so signed off
Why are you ignoring me?
so and so signed on
so and so signed off
so and so signed on
so and so signed off
huh? oh! Sorry... missed your messages because the calling card spam scrolled them off the screen in a nanosecond.

How about a toggle so that we can choose who we want to see a signon and signoff message for, rather than for everyone we have a calling card for?

I wouldn't mind that either....to be able to turn it off. Sometimes i get so many people joining and leaving, not to mention pm's, and linden event messages hehe. It gets confusing when half my bottom screen is full of white text

So here's a question. Do you think of a calling card as: a business card, a phone number, a set of house keys, or some other object?

What i mean is, how promiscuous are you with exchanging cards and what are the cost/benefits? I think of calling cards a bit like a mobile phone number – I wouldn’t give it out to just anyone because they can track me online, IM me, i get some console spam when the person logs on/off, etc.

I see it as a business card /phone number. I dont see it as a mobile phone since there is cost incurred when you receive calls on a mobile phone.

I do wish that landmarks could be placed in calling cards so they could be more like a business card and the recepient could also have your "address".

Buisness card - you hand um out to everyone when you meet so they know how to get a hold of you later. The junk faxes are just a side effect of taking a metaphor to far.

bbc

Combination of business card, phone number (actually a speed dial button), and fed-ex delivery dude since I can give stuffies to people via their card when they're nowhere near me. I'd love to be able to think of them as Western Union as well...

I agree with others that it would be nice to be able to toggle on/off the "is online/offline" messages, either across the board or on a card-by-card basis.

#!

I agree let us pass money from afar. So then thats two requests... add $ function and landmarks please!