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Using E-cards with Facebook

Facebook does NOT let you send images to those who are NOT your friends (or who have not "friended" you), to group discussion boards, or as part of messages. Fortunately, e-card links offer a handy way to break through the walls without asking your recipient to allow third party software access to his/her profile. E-cards act as simple html links and nothing more.

I can't say whether your recipient will actually click on the link, but you can get it to him/her and that is a start.

Including e-card links on group message boards, in messages, or even on walls is a multi-step process which requires some forethought. With practice though it can become second nature. Here's how you do it...

  1. First visit your favorite e-card website and send an e-card to yourself. For AllPosters you will need to use a secondary/throwaway email address as the sending address. I am not sure why, but they don't like self-sends. Other e-card providers have no problems with them. Below is an illustration of an ecard form at Allposters.

    Here is a postcard selected for sending

    Here is the address form

    Notice the address form. Allposters, does not like identical sending and receiving addresses so I use my forwarding address to send and my main address to receive the card. You can send several cards at a time if you are going to be placing several within Facebook.

    Also make sure you use a reputable e-card supplier. The E-card Information Center warns about Flowgo and other unscrupulous vendors.

  2. The scene of action next shifts to your inbox. Open your email and find the card you have just sent yourself.

  3. Open the card. Within the pickup message is a link to the card itself. If you are going to be working with multiple cards, it is a good idea to open the card to make sure you have the right one. Then return to your email and right click on the pickup link (circled in orange in the illustration below.) Select copy shortcut in Internet Explorer, copy link location in Firefox, or copy link in Safari. Alternatively you can copy the link with Ctrl-C in Windows.

    Here is the pickup letter in email. Note the pickup link

  4. Open Facebook if you don't have it open all ready. Open the site where you intend to put the link to the e-card. In this case, I opened the discussion board on the RAOK Group site. In this case I also started a new thread. You can also add to an existing thread on a discussion board, send a message, or write on a wall.

  5. Write a brief message saying you have sent a card. And then paste in the link. Paste under Edit in most browsers or Ctrl-V works fine for pasting in links. Yes, the link will be quite long, but your recipient(s) will be able to see it is from a reputable e-card provider and not some fly-by-night operation.

    Inserting a link into Facebook

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