I've been told by the higher ups they don't have the ability to cross post this for me, so I gotta do it manually. With that out of the way:
Happy Holidays, and welcome to the 2023 Ars Technica Secret Santa (also known as "Sekrit Santa")! Secret Santa has the blessing of Caesar, but is unofficial, run by forum members as forum members (not as staff or mods or whatever else), and is not officially associated with Ars Technica or Condé Nast.
We continue to reserve the right to ban whoever we choose from the exchange. Participation in the 2023 Sekrit Santa is optional; if you find yourself uncomfortable with the rules or risks, please don't sign up.
--- THE RULES ---
0) Don't be an asshat.
1) The "game" is open to everyone: US and International Arsians, subscribers and non-subscribers. No, we won't put a minimum post count on people who register; don't ask. You do have to have been registered on the forums for at least 45 days in order to participate.
2) The recommended spending is ~$25 plus shipping. Most of you won't listen to this, but don't say we didn't tell you.
3) Someone on Ars will see your address in addition to the 2023 Secret Santa Team. If you don't like that, don't sign up.
4) You can indicate that you prefer a recipient in your own country, but we can't guarantee that you will get that assignment. If you don't like that, don't sign up. Elfster makes this easier and we'll do the best we can but if you're the only Arsian to sign up from your country...
5) We recommend you sign up on the site with your Ars username. Once you have registered on the site, you will need to send a Private Message, aka PM, (on Ars)to any of the Secret Santa Team listed below to verify your sign up and tell us what name you are using on Elfster.
6) You may get a shitty gift. If you don't like that, don't sign up.
6.5) There is also some chance that you will receive a very stupid gift. That's part of what makes Secret Santa funny. If you are unwilling to take this risk, don't sign yourself up.
7) Don't send a shitty gift, jerk.
7.5) No, we will not make sure that you don't get the name of someone you hate. Deal with it.
7.6) You can tell Elfster that you are someone's partner and it will not pair you...and you can have more than one... :eyebrow:
8) In order to remove yourself from the default deadbeat list, you must submit confirmation that your gift has been sent. If you have a tracking number, you can simply submit it through the Elfster site and it will be noted promptly. Otherwise, you must send a PM to one of the Secret Santa Team members with one of the following:
If you don't send a shipping confirmation, you're not off the deadbeat list, and promises mean nothing. Don't even bother telling us your lame excuse if it isn't also attached to a confirmation.
A word about shipping and tracking numbers:
If you're shipping (and not using small winged deer for delivery), we strongly encourage you to shell out a few extra bucks for whatever service level includes a tracking number. This is not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged and it really does help when shipments disappear in the night. If this is a problem for you, we encourage you to not sign up.
9) Shipping deadlines are earlier than the absolute deadline most shipping companies post. This is so that we can establish potential deadbeats in enough time to ensure that they can be replaced. If you don’t ship or at least order your gift before the deadline, you will likely be deadbeaten and replaced.
10) If you are currently or may soon be in financial hardship, don't sign up. If you are living paycheck-to-paycheck, don't sign up. If you are one family, pet, or medical emergency away from being in dire financial straits, don't sign up. If you don't have $25 + shipping to put toward Secret Santa right now, don't sign up (unless you plan to hand-make a gift). If you don't like that, don't sign up.
Telling us that you thought you could afford it when you signed up but now you can't won't mean anything. Cold and heartless? Yes. Has this excuse been used by dozens of you in years past? Yes.
11) Don't whine.
12) Don't break the law. This includes, but is not limited to, the sending of live animals, biohazardous materials, explosives, etc. I shouldn't even have to say this, and yet I'm sure that someone, somewhere, will try to send someone else poo.
13) Don't be a grinch.
14) The final deadbeat list will be posted by January 1, 2024 at the latest. Whoever is on it at the time will be outed. Deadbeats this year will at minimum be barred from participating next year.
*In addition to these rules, we (more importantly, I) request that everyone do their best to make this a safe Sekrit Santa for all. This includes:
Quote:
A) Boxing up early (and putting that boxing date on the outer packaging)
B) If you are making your gift please choose materials that are easily deconed.
C) Food items are discouraged unless they are non-perishable items that you did not make yourself. Please, no frozen fish this year.
D) If you receive a gift and are concerned about cleanliness but don't have the right cleaner available:
D.1) The tables in THIS Lancet study can guide you to know how long to let it sit and decay.
D.2) A picture of the arrival or marking it at Elfster is enough to keep your Santa off the deadbeat list. You don't have to open it until you are comfortable.
E) If you are worried about leaving your home or unable to do so you can schedule pickups by many services to get your box of joy from outside your residence: ebay guide on shipping
F) If your country has suspended postal service please inform the Sekrit Santa Team ASAP so that deadbeatings aren't unnecessarily delivered.
--- THE DETAILS ---
Secret Santa 2023 is NOT limited to subscribers. That said, you do have to use your Ars username in order to participate.
How to sign up:
1. Go to Elfster and fill out the signup form. Try to sign up with your Ars username, weird characters and all. This will help your Santa stalk you around the forums looking for what you like (or hate; I can't control which list Santa puts you on).
2. Send a PM (Private Message) to Thorvard; it doesn't matter what it says, we check your Ars username against the one you signed up with on Elfster. However, if you use your legal name on Elfster please include that in your PM.
NOTE: If you do not verify yourself via PM, you will not be a part of assignments.
That's it! At that point you're signed up, verified, have shipping details on file, and are ready to rock.
--- THE TEAM ---
Thorvard (Lead Elf)
Nekojin, the infrastructure elf!
pasorrijer
--- CONTACT ---
PM the Sekrit Team list above
--- THE SCHEDULE ---
--- OFFICIAL SHIPPING LABELS ---
Label on black
Label on white
--- REPLACEMENT SANTAS ---
Inevitably, there are always a couple of packages that the delivery service manages to lose, or 1 person who never sends a gift at all, or a couple of people who ship so egregiously late that nobody is sure if their recipient will receive a gift at all. In these cases, we turn to volunteers to make sure every participant gets a gift.
If anyone wants to volunteer to be a Replacement Santa and send an additional gift to a participant who is being deadbeated on or otherwise stiffed by, PM someone on the Team and let us know.
Happy Holidays, and welcome to the 2023 Ars Technica Secret Santa (also known as "Sekrit Santa")! Secret Santa has the blessing of Caesar, but is unofficial, run by forum members as forum members (not as staff or mods or whatever else), and is not officially associated with Ars Technica or Condé Nast.
We continue to reserve the right to ban whoever we choose from the exchange. Participation in the 2023 Sekrit Santa is optional; if you find yourself uncomfortable with the rules or risks, please don't sign up.
--- THE RULES ---
0) Don't be an asshat.
1) The "game" is open to everyone: US and International Arsians, subscribers and non-subscribers. No, we won't put a minimum post count on people who register; don't ask. You do have to have been registered on the forums for at least 45 days in order to participate.
2) The recommended spending is ~$25 plus shipping. Most of you won't listen to this, but don't say we didn't tell you.
3) Someone on Ars will see your address in addition to the 2023 Secret Santa Team. If you don't like that, don't sign up.
4) You can indicate that you prefer a recipient in your own country, but we can't guarantee that you will get that assignment. If you don't like that, don't sign up. Elfster makes this easier and we'll do the best we can but if you're the only Arsian to sign up from your country...
5) We recommend you sign up on the site with your Ars username. Once you have registered on the site, you will need to send a Private Message, aka PM, (on Ars)to any of the Secret Santa Team listed below to verify your sign up and tell us what name you are using on Elfster.
6) You may get a shitty gift. If you don't like that, don't sign up.
6.5) There is also some chance that you will receive a very stupid gift. That's part of what makes Secret Santa funny. If you are unwilling to take this risk, don't sign yourself up.
7) Don't send a shitty gift, jerk.
7.5) No, we will not make sure that you don't get the name of someone you hate. Deal with it.
7.6) You can tell Elfster that you are someone's partner and it will not pair you...and you can have more than one... :eyebrow:
8) In order to remove yourself from the default deadbeat list, you must submit confirmation that your gift has been sent. If you have a tracking number, you can simply submit it through the Elfster site and it will be noted promptly. Otherwise, you must send a PM to one of the Secret Santa Team members with one of the following:
- A digital photo of the box, preferably with a readable tracking # on it
- A copy of your receipt from the post office, preferably with a readable tracking # on it
- A forwarded e-mail shipping confirmation, preferably with a tracking # in it
- Whatever else you have that proves you shipped a gift, not merely that you purchased one
If you don't send a shipping confirmation, you're not off the deadbeat list, and promises mean nothing. Don't even bother telling us your lame excuse if it isn't also attached to a confirmation.
A word about shipping and tracking numbers:
If you're shipping (and not using small winged deer for delivery), we strongly encourage you to shell out a few extra bucks for whatever service level includes a tracking number. This is not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged and it really does help when shipments disappear in the night. If this is a problem for you, we encourage you to not sign up.
9) Shipping deadlines are earlier than the absolute deadline most shipping companies post. This is so that we can establish potential deadbeats in enough time to ensure that they can be replaced. If you don’t ship or at least order your gift before the deadline, you will likely be deadbeaten and replaced.
10) If you are currently or may soon be in financial hardship, don't sign up. If you are living paycheck-to-paycheck, don't sign up. If you are one family, pet, or medical emergency away from being in dire financial straits, don't sign up. If you don't have $25 + shipping to put toward Secret Santa right now, don't sign up (unless you plan to hand-make a gift). If you don't like that, don't sign up.
Telling us that you thought you could afford it when you signed up but now you can't won't mean anything. Cold and heartless? Yes. Has this excuse been used by dozens of you in years past? Yes.
11) Don't whine.
12) Don't break the law. This includes, but is not limited to, the sending of live animals, biohazardous materials, explosives, etc. I shouldn't even have to say this, and yet I'm sure that someone, somewhere, will try to send someone else poo.
13) Don't be a grinch.
14) The final deadbeat list will be posted by January 1, 2024 at the latest. Whoever is on it at the time will be outed. Deadbeats this year will at minimum be barred from participating next year.
*In addition to these rules, we (more importantly, I) request that everyone do their best to make this a safe Sekrit Santa for all. This includes:
Quote:
A) Boxing up early (and putting that boxing date on the outer packaging)
B) If you are making your gift please choose materials that are easily deconed.
C) Food items are discouraged unless they are non-perishable items that you did not make yourself. Please, no frozen fish this year.
D) If you receive a gift and are concerned about cleanliness but don't have the right cleaner available:
D.1) The tables in THIS Lancet study can guide you to know how long to let it sit and decay.
D.2) A picture of the arrival or marking it at Elfster is enough to keep your Santa off the deadbeat list. You don't have to open it until you are comfortable.
E) If you are worried about leaving your home or unable to do so you can schedule pickups by many services to get your box of joy from outside your residence: ebay guide on shipping
F) If your country has suspended postal service please inform the Sekrit Santa Team ASAP so that deadbeatings aren't unnecessarily delivered.
--- THE DETAILS ---
Secret Santa 2023 is NOT limited to subscribers. That said, you do have to use your Ars username in order to participate.
How to sign up:
1. Go to Elfster and fill out the signup form. Try to sign up with your Ars username, weird characters and all. This will help your Santa stalk you around the forums looking for what you like (or hate; I can't control which list Santa puts you on).
2. Send a PM (Private Message) to Thorvard; it doesn't matter what it says, we check your Ars username against the one you signed up with on Elfster. However, if you use your legal name on Elfster please include that in your PM.
NOTE: If you do not verify yourself via PM, you will not be a part of assignments.
That's it! At that point you're signed up, verified, have shipping details on file, and are ready to rock.
--- THE TEAM ---
Thorvard (Lead Elf)
Nekojin, the infrastructure elf!
pasorrijer
--- CONTACT ---
PM the Sekrit Team list above
--- THE SCHEDULE ---
- Signup closes on November 6th EOD
- Assignments will be sent by November 8th
- International shipping deadline: December 1st
- Domestic shipping deadline: December 6th
--- OFFICIAL SHIPPING LABELS ---
Label on black
Label on white
--- REPLACEMENT SANTAS ---
Inevitably, there are always a couple of packages that the delivery service manages to lose, or 1 person who never sends a gift at all, or a couple of people who ship so egregiously late that nobody is sure if their recipient will receive a gift at all. In these cases, we turn to volunteers to make sure every participant gets a gift.
If anyone wants to volunteer to be a Replacement Santa and send an additional gift to a participant who is being deadbeated on or otherwise stiffed by, PM someone on the Team and let us know.
