What is the UJ Network?
The UJ Network is a collection of entertainment web sites intended for viewers over the age of 18. While many of the sites or communities are considered SFW (safe for work), they are not acceptable for minors. UJ Network sites include: Swagster.com, UselessJunk.com, MediaFetcher.com, UselessJunk.net, UselessJunk.org, HackedPhones.com, and FakeAWish.com (and a few other misc sites).

Can I trust the UJ Network with my personal info?
Sure, you can trust us! Your account information will remain strictly confidential, and we have established the ability for members to utilize 'ship-to alias' names, which are user defined nick-names that are visible to a trade partner when you negotiate a barter of CD's or DVD's, etc with other members. Your ship-to alias will also be visible to the webmaster / sponsor of a swag gift. When a swag (free gift) is listed, a gift sponsor will ship the item directly to you based on your ship-to alias and street address. The sponsor will never see your real name or email address. Email addresses are never released or published anywhere on the site. All communication between swagster.com or affiliated sites will be done by 'new swag listing' announcments - which you can opt-out of at anytime by way of your 'account information' control panel on swagster.com.

Does swagster.com ship swag gifts internationally?
Yes! we do ship swag gifts internationally, but only to Premium members. Premium memberships cost $5.00 USD monthly and include many benefits including more chances to win every gift listed on swagster - compared to basic (free) members. If a 'basic / free' non-US based member of the site wins a swag item, the gift will immediately be forfeited and re-listed on the site without warning and we will not extend a grace period that would allow a reactive membership upgrade.

Is it legal to trade CD's with other swagsters?
Yes, it is legal to trade CD's with other registered members of Swagster.com. Because you are only permitted to trade original versions of CD's with registered members of Swagster, you are not violating any laws. (when using swagster, you are expected to send your original CD via US Postal service to the person you have agreed to trade with, and they are required to reciprocate. You should not send the jewel case or any of the artwork that came with the CD when you purchased it... you are only exchanging the original disc.) This exchange is simply an online barter system.

Is it legal to burn copies of original 'first generation' CD's?
According to the Home Recording Rights Coalition, they say...< quote > In the HRRC view, the law as interpreted by the Supreme Court protects the sale of home recording devices, both video and audio, to consumers, and recognizes that the fair use rights of consumers include private, noncommercial home recording, such as making a tape for your car. < end quote > Read more about this topic on the HRRC website. http://www.hrrc.org/faq.html#six

According to Duke University Of Law... < quote > In 1992, Congress passed the Audio Home Recording Act ("AHRA"), an amendment to the federal copyright law. Under the AHRA, all digital recording devices must incorporate a Serial Copy Management System ("SCMS"). This system allows digital recorders to make a first-generation copy of a digitally recorded work, but does not allow a second-generation copy to be made from the first copy (users may still make as many first-generation copies as they want). < end quote > Read more about this on the duke.edu website. http://www.law.duke.edu/journals/dltr/articles/2002dltr0023.html

How is Swagster different than the illegal 'Peer-to-Peer' download sites?
With swagster, you are simply 'swapping' your CD with another swagster. After you negotiate a free trade, you are required to ship your CD via US Postal Service to the person you negotiated the trade with. Within a few days, you should have an original version of a CD in your hands - in exchange for your original CD. (CD's should cost no more than $.50 to mail within the domestic United States when you use the Swagster.com CD envelopes)

With Swagster.com, you will receive a complete original version CD, not broken songs, or viruses disguised as music downloads. You are also free to enjoy Swagster.com without being required to install software that contains spyware or programs that run pop-up advertising on your computer.

Do I need special envelopes to ship CD's?
If you upgrade your 'free' membership to a 'premium' membership status, you will receive various trader benefits in addition to a 'Swagster Starter Pack'. All premium members will receive a pack of free envelopes when the first upgrade or register a premium membership. These CD envelopes are also available for individual purchase by anyone who is a registered user. The swagster.com CD envelopes are lightweight and sturdy, which are perfect for sending CD's via the US Postal Service. The cost to mail a CD with a swagster envelope is $.50.

You can ship your CD's in many different types of envelopes that can be found in Walmart or Office Depot, etc, however, it will be extremely difficult to find the simple 'Peel And Seal' envelopes that only require 1 $.50 stamp to mail... at a price that beats Swagster.com. (we pretty much give the CD Envelopes away at cost as an incentive for you to use the service)

Note: When shipping CD's with swagster envelopes, you should take the following steps to ensure that the CD travels safely:

1- Mark your envelope with the following message on all edges of both sides of the envelope: 'FRAGILE - HAND SORT!'. Ideally you should write this message in bold red ink.
2- According to the weight of the package, shipping is only $.37, however, if you use a $.50 stamp, it should trigger 'hand-sorting' of your mail, thereby limiting the chance of damage to your disk that mail processing machines might otherwise cause.
3- Add a blank CD to your swagster.com envelope in addition to your 'Original Music CD'. The presence of a second CD adds an exponential amount of support and rigidity to your envelope that will sustain almost any amount of pressure from the mail processing equipment – even if the postmaster fails to 'hand-sort' your envelope. (The cost of two CD’s in one swagster.com envelope is still actually $.37 according to weight, however, the extra postage should ensure hand-sorting).

What is a 'ship-to alias'?
To help swagsters remain somewhat anonymous, yet still be able to use the service, we created a 'ship to alias' feature within your personal profile.

With the ship-to alias, you can use a name that will protect your identity, yet the postmaster will still hopefully be able to deliver your CD's in the mail. For example... if your name was Brad Pitt, and you wanted to remain somewhat anonymous, you could use a ship-to alias of 'Bradley Pits'.

Other swagsters will never see your real name, however, you must keep accurate records in your registration profile so Swagster management can better serve you and retain the integrity of the sites. Failure to retain accurate information could result in termination of your account and the inability for us to process envelope orders or premium membership requests.

How can I be certain that someone won't rip me off by not sending a CD to me?
When you are a 'Premium Swagster', you are protected by 'traders insurance'. As a basic / free member, you are trading at your own risk. It is highly recommended that you become a 'Premium Member', or seek out 'Premium Members' when trading. When you trade with a 'Premium Member', you can be assured that they are a serious trader, and that they have accurate information on file (if they have bogus info on file, the credit card authorization would fail).

Free / Basic member trading is ideal for circles of people who know each other from forums or other online communities. When you trade within circles of people you know from other areas of the Internet, it is likely that you will have a good experience.

Swagster.com also embraces the power of positive 'feedback'. All premium members have the ability to leave feedback for other users. It is important to review feedback for every user before you exchange CD's with them, and it is equally important to leave positive feedback for other swagsters after a successful trade, as it will help buid their positive reputation and trading power.

Why can't we trade the jewel case and artwork from a CD?
The key to a positive experience for all members is simplicity. When trading CD cases and artwork, there will be additional postage fees, custom envelope sizes, and the quality of the case and artwork will vary greatly from user to user, or CD to CD. Rather than an even exchange of a CD-Disc, some trades will not be equal, as artwork from some users will be damaged or missing. When trading the CD by itself, the postage fees won't typically exceed $.50 (this should cover both the original CD and the blank CD that provides strength for the envelope), the envelopes will always be the same size, and the CD will be as expected --Original, and playable. (if a user sends a damaged CD, they will likely receive bad feedback and harm their reputation and ability to negotiate good trades in the future.)

Why does sponsor swag only allow 5 word comments?
Admittedly, we were inspired in part by the 9th Annual Webby awards reception format which restricted award recipients to 5 word acceptance speeches, in addition to our desire to keep the site clean and easy to read. Allowing members to post unlimited free-text would result in long-winded rants and spam. 5 simple words can say a lot more than you think, and it also caters to the short attention spans of the average site visitor. (score | some | swag | my | friends!)