[Peter]

another forum I post a lot on has an annual secret santa, its awesome. I think it'd be quite amusing to have one for MacNN.

Anyone else agree? We'd need quite a few (~20+ users) to get involved ...

[Dakar V]

I'm curious how the hell you do secret santa on an internet forum.

[Peter]

someone acts as Santa
everyone PMs that person saying they want to be involved
you pair that person with another person
people buy presents for their assigned person
people PM "Santa" when they've posted their present

voila

[Dakar V]

Wait, you buy real **** for people?

[osiris]

What about the users with multiple personalities?
Still, a noble idea.

[shifuimam]

Crap. I just posted on the Christmas thread that we should have a Secret Santa.

I'm in.

Peter's method should work. There should be a price maximum that can allow the chilluns on the board to participate - say, $20? I imagine Amazon wish lists would work well for this kind of thing, too...

We don't need anyone buying the hot intern an iPod, after all.

[osiris]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

Wait, you buy real **** for people?

What do you want, a frickin e-card?

[Peter]

aw, come on Dakar you'd be great at this? $20 maximum?

[Dakar V]

Sorry, I find the concept of spending money on people I've never met/never will meet perplexing.
Outside of a charitable sense.

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by osiris 

What do you want, a frickin e-card?

Does it have kittens?

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

Sorry, I find the concept of spending money on people I've never met/never will meet perplexing.
Outside of a charitable sense.

But by giving out your personal address you're greatly increasing the chance that you will get stalked by meet someone from the board.

I'm in.

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

But by giving out your personal address you're greatly increasing the chance that you will get stalked by meet someone from the board.

I'm in.

I can't wait til RAILhead offers to personally pierce shif's nips for Christmas.

[osiris]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

Does it have kittens?

If you like. But I can't guarantee their condition.

[SpaceMonkey]

I'm up for it. There is a 50% chance that my gift will be pony-related, however.

[Peter]

you make that sound like a bad thing ...

[dcmacdaddy]

Count me in. And I like Shifiumam's idea of a $20 limit* and to use the Amazon wish list as the way to indicate one's desired gifts and/or to make purchases. You can buy the gift on the wish list and have it shipped to the recipient without them ever knowing who it is from.

I would nominate Glenn as Santa-- he is pretty jolly after all--but he might be overwhelmed with real-life work. Maybe you can do it, Peter. It was your idea after all. Whoever does this, I am totally into participating.


*We'll have to set some kind of exchange rate for this to work properly. Say US$20 = CAD$18 = £11 = €16. (Someone correct me if my figures are wildly off.)

[moep]

Cool idea.
The only thing I worry about is that the shipping fee for just about any item from the US to the EU (or the other way around) would already exceed the $20 limit.

Also what about wankers that sign up, send nothing but receive a gift?

(my sympathy for the person that receives a box from besson)

[Peter]

we can match close people with close people...
and also shipping from US to EU isnt too expensive if done via USPS
the other thing to do is to simply have stuff shipped from local retailers to your person. So if I got a US person maybe I'd order from thinkgeek and post it direct to your receiver

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by moep 

Cool idea.
The only thing I worry about is that the shipping fee for just about any item from the US to the EU (or the other way around) would already exceed the $20 limit.

Hopefully the Santa would be clever enough to pair up people within the same country. Or what about buying something from the recipient's local eBay/Amazon and having it shipped straight to them?

edit: Peter beat me to both suggestions

Also what about wankers that sign up, send nothing but receive a gift?

There'd definitely have to be some trust involved. But that Santa would know who was supposed to buy gifts for whom, so if someone didn't receive one, Santa would be able to out the deadbeat for public humiliation.

[besson3c]

I would like a new toilet seat k thx bye.

[osiris]

I'm in.

I can use a new "laser". oh, the $20 limit...

[Laminar]

Well let's get a running list going:

Code:
-Peter
-shifuimam
-osiris
-dcmacdaddy
-SpaceMonkey
-Laminar
-Dakar V (or else!)

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

There'd definitely have to be some trust involved. But that Santa would know who was supposed to buy gifts for whom, so if someone didn't receive one, Santa would be able to out the deadbeat for public humiliation.

In that case, we'll need a special waiver for the "no threads about other members" Lounge rule.

[calverson]

Being the only person in South Africa (as far as I know) that participates in the lounge, I will have to forfeit cause the shipping costs alone would be about $20.

[Peter]

we'll only let people enter if they're reasonably trustworthy, eg no nigerian newbie members ...

If we can get that list upto 10 or 15 I think we can roll?

start PM'ing people!

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by calverson 

Being the only person in South Africa (as far as I know) that participates in the lounge, I will have to forfeit cause the shipping costs alone would be about $20.

Yeah, but you can still accept an e-card.

[Peter]

or we could buy you something from a south african retailer
or get another SA member so we can pair you up!

[calverson]

True. Someone send me $20 via paypal and I can get myself a bottle of Jack, rent some cheap porn, and have the best christmas ever!

[Peter]

only if we can send you a webcam too

[besson3c]

Yeah calverson, you talk a lot about bagging a lot of women, but we don't really have any evidence of that, and won't until you get some webcam action going.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by calverson 

True. Someone send me $20 via paypal and I can get myself a bottle of Jack, rent some cheap porn, and have the best christmas ever!

It's easy enough to gift music, movies, and tv shows on iTunes, too.

[besson3c]

I'm getting calverson an e-card anyway.

[calverson]

iTunes music store don't work in my country!

besson3c, I have a feeling you wanna give me a sh*tty card. Apple Mail 3.0 will be great for that!

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Peter 

only if we can send you a webcam too

I’ll sign up for that.

[ort888]

A few people on the political board can send me their home address' and I'll have a some gifts sent over.

[calverson]

Errr... if you read my sig you will see that I have a MBP with iSight.

But a USB webcam does allow for some interesting angles...

[calverson]

Originally Posted by ort888 

A few people on the political board can send me their home address' and I'll have a some gifts sent over.

No white powder.

[IceEnclosure]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Yeah calverson, you talk a lot about bagging a lot of women, but we don't really have any evidence of that, and won't until you get some webcam action going.

Webcams end up revealing your nekkid self along with the bird, so I'm not a fan. I'd rather get them to hold still for a few shots before or after, snap snap.

Merry Christmas folks.

[calverson]

I am fairly adept in FCE and I am sure that I could censor what is needed, like my face.

Plus, that way I could start a new thread entitled "Rules for shagging women. Please Add."

[Laminar]

It would be an immediate hit.

[calverson]

As are many of my threads. (Not.)

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by calverson 

Errr... if you read my sig you will see that I have a MBP with iSight.

But a USB webcam does allow for some interesting angles...

You're doing it wrong.

[calverson]

You are going to have to elaborate.

[Peter]

you may only discuss the idea of calversons loins being broadcast around the internet if you want to get involved in secret santa.

[calverson]

??? Who do I PM. I might as well. And does the package need to arrive on the 25th?

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Well let's get a running list going:

Code:
-Peter
-shifuimam
-osiris
-dcmacdaddy
-SpaceMonkey
-Laminar
-calverson
-Dakar V (or else!)

List updated. Peter, do you want to be Santa? If not, I can handle it.

[calverson]

Is cats ceo around these days? He would be an eeeasy person to buy for.

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

List updated. Peter, do you want to be Santa? If not, I can handle it.

As much as you'd love the chance to send me a photo album comprised solely of pictures of your car, I am not participating in this.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

As much as you'd love the chance to send me a photo album comprised solely of pictures of your car, I am not participating in this.

I don't think you realize that the "or else" is also a photo album of my car, so either way you're getting it.

[calverson]

Made with iLife iBet.