AuthorTopic: Secret Santa - problems, and how I want to avoid them next year  (Read 12438 times)

Offline Crow

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Secret Santa is, at least for me, something very special. It's also a bit hectic sometimes, since I'm organizing it, but seeing all these beautiful pieces before the users get to see them makes up for that ;) What's always painful is the waiting for the last few gifts, and the fact that I already know that some gifts will not be sent in on time/at all. This year, I had some very nice people offer their time to create last minute gifts for the ungifted participants :) I'll be making use of their smexy pixeling skills starting tomorrow, once I know who still needs a gift. It's not an ideal solution, though, and I would rather avoid this nonsense. Therefore, starting next year, you'll be mostly making gifts, and I'm afraid I have to scrap most of the likes/dislikes stuff (if nobody comes up with a better solution).

My plan is to have the participants make gifts, and only match people once they're finished. I think that rough "preference pools" could be used here, but nothing as specific as the current likes/dislikes :( It does however allow for everyone who participated to actually get a gift, and I think that's important. I'd like your thoughts on this idea, and possibly also ideas for the preference pools I had in mind - what they could be, y'know.

Also, as minor news for the topic, after it has been brought up multiple already: no bans for this year's SS. Only strikes.
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Offline dustinaux

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Re: Secret Santa - problems, and how I want to avoid them next year

Reply #1 on: December 21, 2014, 05:19:16 pm
I could see how the likes/dislikes could be a bit of an issue since it's just not any fun drawing something you may not personally like the subject of. (Fortunately I enjoyed drawing my subject though, in case my giftee reads this!  :y:) What if you're matched up at the beginning, there are no likes/dislikes, but you are encouraged to look at that users posts a bit to see what they may be interested in. The more active the user, the better idea one could have on what they want. This all with the disclaimer "you get what you get" - it may be in a style you're not a fan of.  It should be all about the giving anyway.

Also @Crow I may have sent you two pm's because they are not showing up in my "Sent Items"  ???
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Offline Gil

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Re: Secret Santa - problems, and how I want to avoid them next year

Reply #2 on: December 21, 2014, 05:25:12 pm
I might pixel some extra gifts too. I had at least one extra planned. I'll let you know. Depends on my week.

I don't mind making the santa gifts less specific next year, getting a present is more important than what it is.

Offline MashPotato

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Re: Secret Santa - problems, and how I want to avoid them next year

Reply #3 on: December 21, 2014, 05:27:25 pm
Aw :( I'm sorry to hear there have been more no-shows this year. Hopefully it's mostly due to people not reading the thread properly and not realizing the due date was earlier than past years, and they'll have the finished pixels ready soon.

While I know it makes things harder, I would like to see the like/dislikes remain. Likes/dislikes makes it more special--making something a particular person in mind not only makes the gift better for the recipient, it also stirs the creative juices of the giver. (also, since pixels only exist digitally, if the gifts are from random pools there's not real "point" in receiving a gift, in that you can see everyone else's gift anyway ;) )

However, I'm not sure what kind of solution there is for no-shows, so if you do decide to go with preference pools, do you mean there might be, say, 5 categories (eg. Robots, Monsters, Nature, Fantasy, Mock-ups), and each person would sign themselves up to a pool (eg. robots), and for their pixel they would be assigned not a particular person, but a group? (eg Nature) If so, then there's still the possibility of there being no-shows (a Robot person not making a Nature pixel), unless people are only assigned to their own group.

(and thanks for organizing all of this!)

Offline HughSpectrum

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Re: Secret Santa - problems, and how I want to avoid them next year

Reply #4 on: December 21, 2014, 05:34:14 pm
The Likes/Dislikes have more than once caused me to tackle subject manners outside of my comfort zone. I'm proud to say I would have never done something like the gift I sent had it not been for analyzing the likes of the person receiving my gift.

Offline Crow

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Re: Secret Santa - problems, and how I want to avoid them next year

Reply #5 on: December 21, 2014, 05:58:20 pm
Yea, I really like the likes/dislikes myself, and they play a huge role. Regarding the preference pools, I considered just letting them pixel a gift for somebody else in the same group. But then again, that's somewhat lame.. but I can't come up with anything else. Anyone? :P
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Offline Ellian

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Re: Secret Santa - problems, and how I want to avoid them next year

Reply #6 on: December 21, 2014, 06:12:53 pm


Personally the person and likes/dislikes played a major role on the idea/inspiration I had for the Secret Santa... so...
Yeah I dunno, why not just keep the pool idea, but use it to dump a bunch of additional gifts? I mean, I'd love to actually make additional gifts right now to give to the people who won't get anything, but since I don't know yet who won't have a gift, I can't start pixelling...

Offline Pizza Tom

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Re: Secret Santa - problems, and how I want to avoid them next year

Reply #7 on: December 21, 2014, 06:18:20 pm
I second the likes/dislikes being a major bonus. I find the best part is challenging myself to make something they would like regardless of my feelings toward the subject matter.

Maybe I'm just not understanding the idea, but wouldn't the preference pool thing be even more complicated to set up? Not only that, making a gift and not knowing who it's for would feel so impersonal, which for me defeats the whole purpose. I dunno. :/
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Offline HarveyDentMustDie

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Re: Secret Santa - problems, and how I want to avoid them next year

Reply #8 on: December 21, 2014, 07:18:08 pm
Good idea Ellian. :y: People can write likes/dislikes and to choose additional 2 options from 4-6 topics. And since there's always people who are willing to draw extra pieces, they can draw something for some of the topics. These extra gifts can be counted and their current number should be available so people can compare them to the pool, and know which extra gift is more required. All users are choosing two topics in case they don't receive their gift and extra gift for one of them is not available. All extra gifts that aren't used can me posted as honorable mentions. :)

Offline Parkerbaby

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Re: Secret Santa - problems, and how I want to avoid them next year

Reply #9 on: December 21, 2014, 07:48:48 pm
I've never participated, but I think the likes/dislikes are what really makes this great. It is not as intimate as a 'gift' if it is just a general pixel painting for anyone. Impose harsher punishments, maybe.