wouldn't secret santa be fun?

[StephanieCD]

I have a crazy idea. I don't know why or if it would work - I'm pretty much new around here, even though I post quite a bit :)

Is there any way we could do a secret santa game? I don't know if everyone know it but it's a simple office game.

Names are put in a hat - sometimes with a small questionairre to give an idea of what you'd like.
Everyone picks a name.
It is your mission to buy the person you chose a gift for under a certain amount and be secretly nice to them for the chosen time period.

I know it really wouldn't work since we're anonymous and all but there are other things we could do for each other. Or entrust one person to be the postmaster so mailing addresses were only known by one. Or we could buy each other $10 gift certificates to places or something.

I don't know - I know it's crazy but we're doing a secret santa game where I work and I thought "how cool would it be to get an anonymous package in the mail, open it up and find a lipstick and some nylons or something" ya know? Since we have to respect privacy and such we couldn't really do it like I imagine but does anybody have any ideas?

Maybe I'm just being silly. Oh! I know maybe a place with wish lists? You know, you can buy something for someone at their amazon wishlist and amazon just ships it to them?

Then again, it'd be hard to ensure everyone'd be fair. Oh well, maybe it was just a fun idea. :(

[Sweet Susan]

Why?

[StephanieCD]

No particular reason other than fun. I have to think about what to get my person at work and then I also get the try to figure out who has me. It sounds dumb but it's actually fun. I have more fun talking here with all of you than most of the people I know - I just connected the two in one silly thought is all.

[Sweet Susan]

But the logistics of it seem like a nightmare. Many of us really couldn't participate because of privacy, etc.

[StephanieCD]

Yea, I know - didn't really think it through. Just a post junky now and started typing away.

Still - it'd be fun.

I WOULD like to play some kind of game with some of you ladies... I'll think of something!

(I like games ;) )

[Stephanie Brooks]

Oh, but there's a neat way to do it. The gifts could be small images of things.

We do the selection as StephanieCD (still love the name, sweetie!) suggested. Then we go out and find a reasonable size image of what we would get our chosen person. We then post it on a gift thread.

Logistics? (Here comes the programmer/organizer in me.) Here's a sample of how this might be done.

1. November 27. A thread is posted to invite people to join in a Secret Santa gift exchange. Participants post to the thread indicating they want to join, along with a description of what they'd like from Santa. People have until December 4 to join. People can only post one time on the honor system, and should not use it for any other communication (in other words, no message replies).

2. On December 5, matches are made between participants as to who is to find a gift for whom. Matches can be made through a simple computer program (quite easy and fast, actually). To keep it as "secret" as practicable, people are matched by posting message numbers. A single message will be added to the participation thread with all of the matches.

Say StephanieCD posts on message 50 saying she'd like a little black dress, and I post on message 220. If she were chosen for me, I'd see something like this:


Gift giver......Recipient
#220............#50


I know I'm 220, and I look up 50, and I see she wants a little black dress. If StephanieCD has been a Good Girl this year, she won't look to see who's giving her a "gift"; otherwise she knows she'll just get a lump of coal in her stocking. :p

3. On December 11, everyone posts their gifts on a new Secret Santa thread. We have a virtual world celebration for the day.

I'd be willing to program the matches. That's easy. Collecting the data is simply a matter of picking up the message numbers on the thread. Even if everyone participated, currently 4475 members, programming it and running it is trivial.

Would people want to do it? Would they be willing to scour the net for pics of dresses, pretty undies, wigs, shoes, BOOTS, flowers, or whatever? Would they know how to post the images? If not, they could simply write about the gift!

If you go back to the example I gave, say it's now December 11. I cannot for the life of me get a bloody image to post. In my post to StephanieCD, I tell her, "Hi StephanieCD! Here's my gift to you, a little black dress from my favorite little boutique." By doing it this way, I remember StephanieCD in the Secret Santa exchange without the embarassment because I'm not an alpha geekette.

Okay, so there's a way to do it. Does it make sense? Is it doable? Would anyone be interested?

There's no problem with privacy. Everything is kept within the forum.

There's no problem with cost. Everyone can participate and give the gift they want to give without breaking a tight budget.

People can "shop" for images from the privacy of their computer in between reading messages on the forum.

Everyone on the forum can potentially participate! If everyone participated, on December 11, we'd probably have a new record of members online at once.

So what do you think?

[Sweet Susan]

Fracto Girly, that's not only a lot to think about, but that's a lot to read, digest, figure out, and sort through. Whew! How do you think like that? Still, it does seem like an idea.

[JoannaDees]

I want a Triumph Rocket III. Who is my Santa???? Gen??? You owe me babe!

[Stephanie Brooks]

Fracto Girly, that's not only a lot to think about, but that's a lot to read, digest, figure out, and sort through. Whew! How do you think like that? Still, it does seem like an idea.
You mean everyone doesn't think like that?! :eek:

Thinking like that is what I do. At work that's my job, and I actually enjoy my work!!!!! The Secret Santa thing to me was just a simple little game and a way to give back to the people on the forum. I solve problems. Someone wants to do something, I try to see if there's a way to do it.

I try to simplify things. Sorry for all of the material in the post. I get like a madwoman, you know. Geez, you know the program I mentioned in the post? I was essentially programming it in my mind while I was crafting my response.

Anyway, I hope it wasn't too complicated. I was trying for something we could actually do.

[Wendy me]

ok i am in line up girls ok i wait a sec. ready..........?no pushing one at a time .......now ........no time to mail this to all of you.........................so open this now.............and often..................HUGE HUGGS TO ALL YOU GIRLS........................
love you all

[crispy]

McClaren F1 ??

who's buying ?

If I'm nice from now to Xmas will you all club together and buy me one? I'll let you know the delivery address - no more secrets, promise :)

happy Xmas everybody.

[Charlotte Elizabeth]

crispy...I've got a scalextric maclaren f1 car you can have.only got 3 wheels though..and I notice your post count is 666....oh the temptation...

[Georgette]

A Maseratti wouldn't be bad, but it has to be a convertible.

[StephanieCD]

Stephanie!!

I dropped this post for a day only to come back to find... wow! I was just gonna suggest a person we all trust put names in a hat and PM everyone their matches! ;)

The images thing could be fun... not sure how many'd be interested though? I would - if you wanna handle the selection process any way you see fit from your cerebrally gifted chair, go right ahead! Let's see if anybody cares to join though. Otherwise - I'm still thinking of other ideas... I'm gonna post one soon - I swear ;)

[Stephanie Brooks]

Stephanie,

This is yours, not mine. All I wanted to do was give you some possibilities as to how you might do it. You have a great idea! You also said things like "I know it really wouldn't work," and "Since we have to respect privacy and such we couldn't really do it like I imagine but does anybody have any ideas?"

The brain was thus engaged.

It's like putting any of us in a room full of girl clothes and asking us if we'd like to play dressup.

Secret Santa is your idea Stephanie. If any of my ideas can help, whether directly or as a lead to other ideas, great!!!!!! If I can help in any way, including a little programming magick, please let me know!!!!!!!

[Chandra Marie]

Anyone have an extra Enzo ferrari? I'm not pickey, I guess I could live with a black one.:D

[Stephanie Brooks]

Since there's an AUTOerotica theme that seems to have started, here are a few favorites of mine:

Acura NSX
BMW M3
BMW Z4

Okay, the list can grow lots from here, but these would be my top choices, cost no option. The M3 would be my choice if I could only pick one.

[Sharon]

Does this mean I have to practice my copy and paste technique? :eek:
The only things I want are clothing (a Cyd Charisse type flowing dress that she wore in those Fred Astaire movies!). And then there's jewelry -- anything diamonds, gold, pearl, or turquoise(sp?)
Geez, I guess I do want a lot!! :)

[Georgette]

Anyone have an extra Enzo ferrari? I'm not pickey, I guess I could live with a black one.:D
My Massertti can beat your Ferrari LOL