The Great Grand E2 Artifact Exchange

This is a little idea I came up with and I think that Everythingians far and wide could benefit from it. The advantages are many:

Here is how it works:

Everyone signs up by /msging me with your mailing address (due to the international nature of E2, please specifiy if you are willing to ship internationally). I will put your name in the list below (with location, but not full address). On Friday, February 6th I will pair each noder up with someone on the list who lives pretty far away. You then will then send that person a gift. Here is the catch. Whatever you send must be accompanied by a letter, and that letter must contain a complete cultural history of said artifact. This history should, ideally, be noded here on E2 (assuming that it is not already noded in an extravagant and complete manner) with a link to this node and a statement of what item was sent. At that time you can /msg me and I'll add a link to it here. That means that E2 laws apply; no cut-and-paste or printouts of websites. We're looking for a complete and well-researched history. If you are of a religion that is not the most common in the locale of your recipient, then religious artifacts are definitely something to consider. The fun is dramatically heightened if you do not reveal what you have sent until said item is received.

The point is twofold: To teach someone about something, bringing them to a history, and then sending them a piece of that History.

Examples:

  • Small statue of Anubis: This should be accompanied by a brief history of the ancient Egyptian civilization, including first known appearance of said diety, and an extensive explanation of the diety's purpose in that society, his effects on the culture, and any lasting effects his image or ideal has had on society.
  • A desk gargoyle: This should contain an explanation of the intended and stated purposes of the gargoyle, as well as an explanation of the difference between a gargoyle and a grotesque. Some Roman Catholic Church lore, and some mythology of the pagan influences would also be a good idea.
  • A mala: This should be accompanied by a history of the Buddhist tradition, a full explanation of its intended use, and references to any Hindu influences that linger in Buddhism related to this artifact.
  • Glacier water (in some sort of vial): This should be accompanied by a natural history of the continent in which the Glacier resides, as well as a description of the area it was gathered and even a photo is possible.

I will continue to handle the logistics of this until the end of February 2004, matching up newcomers with partners.

This is also a great way to help the young'uns in your family become more globally aware. If you have a niece, nephew, grandchild, ect. who is around the age of five or six (or even younger) you could encourage their intellectual and cultural growth indefinately by establishing this sort of exchange. It would require you to learn to write on a level which is much easier to understand, and the things you get back might end up to be the sorts of things you keep forever. Spread the knowledge, and happy noding.


Concerns have been expressed concerning the definition "artifact." By this I mean any object that has some Cultural or Natural historic value. These items may be brand new if they are influenced by a cultural tradition.

Noders registered:
I have been forced to assign a few people who did not specify international or otherwise to international partners. I kept this between the U.S., Canada, and England to minimize the inconvienience. If I have removed you from this list in error please send me your address (again or for the first time) and I'll hook you up with someone else or myself. If I have managed to send you your own address in the confusion of all this, you should let me know, I'll get you the correct one ASAP.

Items received:



This quest seemed to present it's greatest failure in the amount of trouble the participants had to go through. Perhaps a lesson in entropy is to be learned here...

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