Computer Bytes - No. 22 Bookmark this page !       Send this page to a friend!  " Everyone enjoys getting greeting cards in the mail and we also enjoy sending cards to those we want to remember, especially during this holiday time of the year. However, if you are 'green' minded or shudder at the rise in postage rates, the sending of cards may have become an environmental or cost concern. An environmental-friendly and cost-effective way to address these concerns and still send greeting cards is to send an e-card. An e-card is a card that is sent via the Internet to the person's email address. These cards can be simple cards, contain personalized greetings, music or video. There are many sites on the Internet that allow you to send e-cards. Some sites require you to join (fee based), some require you to download files while others are free. Most of the sites mentioned in this article are free. Sprint offers e-cards at www.sprintsweets.com but is slow loading if you are not on DSL or satellite. HD Greetings at www.HDgreetings.com is free and offers video, music, personalized e-cards containing your own pictures and messages but will also be slow loading if you are on dial-up. Hallmark has its own site at www.hallmark.com with free e-card as well as offering shopping on line for flowers, ornaments and other gifts. There is also a link to seasonal craft ideas on their page. To send an e-card from Hallmark, you will need to navigate to the e-card page from the top bar of the home page. Blue Mountain is one of the more recognizable names in e-cards however they are not always free. They are offering a free one month trail period after which you will need to join. They also offer other services such as sending flowers, printing cards, free calendars and reminders. If you want to send a theme based e-card, two sites to visit are www.angelhugs.com and www.visionsofheaven.com. Angel Hugs not only has angel cards but also puzzle cards, Thomas Kinkade cards along with other free printable offers. Visions of Heaven allows you to customize your e-card with music and a personal message. There is even an e-card site for the kids. Visit http://kids.yahoo.com/ecards for cards that are specially designed for the younger set. This site also has games, jokes, homework help and lots more. And if you are looking for something other than what is shown here, you can do a search on any of the search engines by typing in the name of the theme you want, for example, snowman, mountains, elves, etc., followed by 'free e-cards'. This will display a list of sites you can visit that specialize in your theme search word. Quite a few of the free sites have pop-ups so you may want to turn your pop-up blocker on beforehand. E-cards can be sent to anyone, in any country so long as the person you are sending to has access to email. Save time, save money and share the holiday spirit . . . Send an E-card. Computer Bytes Index Send Us an Email | Home Page Copyright 2007-2008. All rights reserved. Computer Bytes articles may not be reprinted, published, quoted, copied, or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of David Moncrief.