Secret Santa 2014 input wanted

[DonnaD]

So is shyness the reason people can't even be bothered to post a thank you reveal??

People put a lot into their gifts.  I think EVERYONE wants to see reveals.  

Maybe you can't force people to be active participants but you can make them post a reveal or be disallowed further participation.  

My ss never posted a reveal.  Everyone knows I crochet and I had 4 or 5 people ask me if I had taken pictures of what I made her so I could show them.  I don't think my person was shy.  I think she didn't give a crap.

 

[SaraP]

I just found this thread and spent the last 20 min reading though it, here's my 2 cents:

1. It should be mandatory that the gift is revealed and the sender acknowledged in the thread! This is simple common courtesy. Failure to do so should exclude you from future swaps.  

2. While no one can force participation in the threads, it should be strongly suggested on the initial sign up page. Now I'm a chatty cathy (and some might wish I'd just shut up! lol), but everyone can answer the occasional question. Threads move fast, so tags would be helpful and although not every question has to be answered, it really makes the swap fun. I love hearing what people like, do, need, or enjoy...even if they aren't my buddy.  

3. "Value" to me is that I had a wonderful time interacting with you all. The gift is a bonus and the reveal was outstanding (wasn't a part of it, but seeing the fun made me happy). 

4. Links on the 1st page for all the other threads connected to the swap would be helpful. Links to how to do things (insert spoiler, find buddy posts, make a know me thread) would be good too...

4. Our ss had a survey, but it wasn't sent out. That was fine because most people made a "get to know me" thread. I subscribed to all of them!! One or the other is needed. 

 

[kawaiimeows]

I really don't think people should be forced to publicly thank someone and post pictures if they don't want to. Is not thanking someone rude? Certainly, I would never do that.

But getting hung up on not being thanked/revealed to the entire forum is a very egotistical thing to get hung up about, and I don't think it is what secret santa is supposed to be about. Its about surprise gift giving and that's it. Revealing is just one facet of it because of the nature of the forum, just like posting deals, and hauls, and just talking about what we're doing or how we're wrapping our presents are other facets. I hardly even paid attention to any of the reveals.

 

[DonnaD]

1. It should be mandatory that the gift is reveled and the sender acknowledged in the thread! This is simple common courtesy. Failure to do so should exclude you from future swaps.     2. While no one can force participation in the threads, it should be strongly suggested on the initial sign up page.

Exactly.  There is no reason short of illness or family emergency that a person can't post a reveal.  Sure, stuff happens and you might have the odd person be unable to post a reveal ON TIME but they need to have an explanation for it.  Making people who went out of their way to get you the nicest things possible feel like crap isn't the goal here, is it?

 

[BSquared]

To me, I think the biggest cause of nerves or issues for givers in a swap is "is my person going to like her gift", at least it was for me. I don't care a WHOLE LOT about regular posting (I was lucky enough to get someone who posts so maybe I'm just optimistic) but I think it would be beneficial to make the requirements 1) you need to fill out a survey when you sign up. If you have the time to post in a thread that you want to do it, you have time to shop, and you have time to ship, I am confident you can find 10-15 minutes to fill out a survey. This way your buddy has at least some guidance if you never post again. Don't fill out the survey? (Maybe even make it pretty basic like 10 questions of "I like this, I hate this, here's what colors I like, then other optional questions for more details) you ain't signed up. Make the survey part of the sign up process. 2) no reveal or acknowledgement of receipt? you are not allowed in future swaps. Reveals are the fun part and I get how hurt someone could be if their gift wasn't acknowledged. You're super shy? PM your buddy and say you got it. You hate your gift and think your buddy is a mega weenie? PM a mod so at least they can let your buddy know it's received.

Just my two cents on what may help alleviate some stress for people.

 

[SOSRedAlertSOS]

I really don't think people should be forced to publicly thank someone and post pictures if they don't want to. Is not thanking someone rude? Certainly, I would never do that.

But getting hung up on not being thanked/revealed to the entire forum is a very egotistical thing to get hung up about, and I don't think it is what secret santa is supposed to be about. Its about surprise gift giving and that's it. Revealing is just one facet of it because of the nature of the forum, just like posting deals, and hauls, and just talking about what we're doing or how we're wrapping our presents are other facets. I hardly even paid attention to any of the reveals.

I agree that the person shouldn't have to be required to post pictures, though I do think it's nice to see everyone's gifts. It does seem nice to see your present being acknowledged though.

 

[DonnaD]

I really don't think people should be forced to publicly thank someone and post pictures if they don't want to. Is not thanking someone rude? Certainly, I would never do that.

But getting hung up on not being thanked/revealed to the entire forum is a very egotistical thing to get hung up about, and I don't think it is what secret santa is supposed to be about. Its about surprise gift giving and that's it. Revealing is just one facet of it because of the nature of the forum, just like posting deals, and hauls, and just talking about what we're doing or how we're wrapping our presents are other facets. I hardly even paid attention to any of the reveals.

I fail to see how one person's rudeness automatically makes a person who'd like to be acknowledged for their gift an egotist.

Ya know, I'm so put out and pissed off by the things you are saying, I don't even want to be in this thread anymore.

I don't know what exactly is fun about this for you seeing as how you don't look at reveals or care if your person posts or even simply thanks you.  I don't know if you're just being contumacious or seriously don't care.  Either way, I'm unfollowing this thread now because I am actually really feeling angry.

 

[SaraP]

 Is not thanking someone rude? 

Yes, it is.

I guess to me the reveal part seems less like "look what I gave you", rather it's wonderful to see what others received. People that we have gotten to know during the swap, I'd liken it to when we open gift at Christmas we don't go all "free for all", but take turns opening and enjoy seeing each others excitement.  

 

[Kelly Silva]

Is not thanking someone rude? Certainly, I would never do that.

I think it's extremely rude, I'm one of those people who still sends thank you cards for every gift i receive. But I mean dropping off the forums, not acknowledging you even received your gift or anything on here, and not sending anything to your person is very rude.

 

[kawaiimeows]

I agree that the person shouldn't have to be required to post pictures, though I do think it's nice to see everyone's gifts. It does seem nice to see your present being acknowledged though.

I agree 100%, it is nice to see your present get fawned over and all of that. I'm just of the philosophy that the point of secret santa isn't that self-gratification, even though its a nice side-effect of secret santa.

 

[kawaiimeows]

I think it's extremely rude, I'm one of those people who still sends thank you cards for every gift i receive. But I mean dropping off the forums, not acknowledging you even received your gift or anything on here, and not sending anything to your person is very rude.

Its rude, but that doesn't mean they should be banned from participating in the future. If they sent out a present and they received a present, they successfully completed secret santa. Precluding someone from participating in the future for anything out side of not sending a gift, or sending an extremely shoddy gift is excessive and way too police-like and I don't think it is what makeuptalk signifies.

 

[SOSRedAlertSOS]

I think my greatest issue with having someone not post or acknowledge that they have received their gift is whether or not it arrived to them safely. I don't always trust USPS shipping and I think that posting within 24 hours of your tracking saying delivered is completely do-able by most people. This is why we asked on the Midsummer page to post if you would be going on vacation... But that obviously didn't work out as well as it should have.

Posting "I got it" takes about 15 seconds, you can access the site from mobile, desktop, etc.

 

[SOSRedAlertSOS]

I agree 100%, it is nice to see your present get fawned over and all of that. I'm just of the philosophy that the point of secret santa isn't that self-gratification, even though its a nice side-effect of secret santa.

But we wouldn't set up reveal threads if this weren't important to most of us. I don't think seeing my gift fawned over makes me egotistical though. Honestly, I just want to be able to see pictures to make sure all the gifts I sent arrived safely.

 

[SaraP]

I saw a few in the mid-ss who couldn't post photos, they took a few minutes from their day and wrote about the wonderfulness that the box contained...not that hard and should be required.

 

[BSquared]

I don't think it's unreasonable to require that someone at least acknowledge they received the gift. Whether that's through 180 pictures on the reveal thread, a quick post that says "yep got my gift and I love it thanks!", a pm to your buddy saying the same thing, or asking a mod/fairy/roadie whatever to pass along a message.

I did the swap not because I want someone to gush "omfg I love you so much you are the best you bought me such good stuff!" But because I wanted to make someone happy. I took time to stalk. I took time to shop. I spent money on someone I don't even know. If that person never even acknowledged that.....I'd be kind of bummed, not gonna lie. I'd also be concerned. Did her gift actually arrive? Did a neighbor steal it? Was it delivered to the wrong house?? Did she die or something??

Asking for a post singing your praises and telling you that you are a wonderful person complete with careful photo documentation of the gifts, yes that's egotistical. Asking for a simple thank you or acknowledgement of receipt is just basic common courtesy.

Just my two cents while I wait for my nail polish to dry.

 

[Kelly Silva]

Its rude, but that doesn't mean they should be banned from participating in the future. If they sent out a present and they received a present, they successfully completed secret santa. Precluding someone from participating in the future for anything out side of not sending a gift, or sending an extremely shoddy gift is excessive and way too police-like and I don't think it is what makeuptalk signifies.

I disagree, I've seen people get their feelings hurt because after all the hard work, time, and money put into a thoughtful gift, the receiver couldn't be bothered to say anything to anyone about it. I for one, would be crushed if my person didn't say anything, and would be cautionary about signing up again. I don't think Secret Santa should be about hurt feelings either.

 

[Dashery]

Never fear, @@SaraP! We never get tired of your chit chat!

And I totally second your idea to have links to "how-to's" and other relevant threads on the first page.

That is all.

 

[kawaiimeows]

But we wouldn't set up reveal threads if this weren't important to most of us. I don't think seeing my gift fawned over makes me egotistical though. Honestly, I just want to be able to see pictures to make sure all the gifts I sent arrived safely.

My SS giftee didn't post pictures. That was such an inconsequential detail to me that I had to actually go back through the thread and look to see if that happened because I seriously did not remember. So no, it wasn't most important to me.

 

[SaraP]

I think it's important to people other then the sender. I found joy in the reveals from mid-ss and I was just a fairy. As the sender I want to know you got the gift and as a swap participants I think we all want to share in your happy. 
 

*No not most important, but still important. 

 

[SOSRedAlertSOS]

My SS giftee didn't post pictures. That was such an inconsequential detail to me that I had to actually go back through the thread and look to see if that happened because I seriously did not remember. So no, it wasn't most important to me.

I totally understand that it was insignificant to you, and from what I'm collecting it seems that you don't think a reveal thread should even be in place (correct me if I'm wrong). However,  I think that would be a huge disappointment for a lot of us as the reveals help extend the joy of SS a little bit further.