Secret Santa 2006

[Jeff]

I CAN NOT STRESS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GO BY THE INFO IN YOUR 'MY PACKAGES' TAB DO NOT GO BY WHAT SHOWS UP IN YOUR INBOX OR YOU MAY HAVE THE WRONG MATCH INFO

GO BY WHAT IS IN YOUR 'MY PACKAGES' TAB

 

Due to initial technical difficulties and users not following directions we had to delete the 2006 Secret Santa database and start over. All information you have sent and received before the time of this post has been deleted. Yes, the names you received prior to the time of this post, are no longer valid. Delete that information so you do not get confused. The only valid information in contained within the events system, and nowhere else, no matter if you were contacted via email or not. You will need to enter for the event again, and wait for new matching data. We will match the names as soon as we have a decent pool of people to match from.

 

NO FURTHER TECHNICAL PROBLEMS / QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED HERE.

 

If you have an issue submit a support ticket so we can track and correct them. It seems most have been user problems created on the member part. We will try to fix them, but you will need to submit a ticket. Without that ticket and our response, you are responsible to complete whatever is listed in the event system.

 

Support Tickets can be opened by clicking the SUPPORT link at the top of the events system.

 

 

Go to the Events tab just below the banner and have at it!

 

1. If you sign up, you MUST send out your packages - ON TIME (if you can't for some reason you MUST let me know and let your person know as well)
2. Sign up any number of times you wish - each ticket you submit will receive a gift (so you can enter one grey or 10 in one ticket)
3. Package limit is $20 PLUS shipping (yes, you can spend more if you wish, but you are not obligated to)
4. If you are shipping overseas, get your package sent early or send something from the destination country
5. Packages MUST arrive by December 20, 2006. I suggest you have packages mailed by December 12 if you are shipping within the same country
6. If you need to back out, let me know ASAP so I can make changes
7. Packages can be for the greyhounds/pets or the humans
8. You can sign up for non greys - if you are entering a non-greyhound, please indicate that in the comments
9. Unfortunately, we are not able to match/not match based on the type of pet being entered, so it is possible you could be matched up to a non greyhound. If this is a very serious problem for you, let me know, but I won't be able to do much as I'm not going to go into the system and unmatch and rematch people by hand - leaves it far too possible for me to screw it up and somebody not get a gift
10. PLEASE keep track of things in the events system - UPDATE it as you go
11. I strongly suggest delivery conf and insurance if using the USPS - packages have known to be lost or missing
12. Signups are open until Nov 30 - but can (and likely will) be closed early if the sign ups slow down greatly
13. This list of rules can be added to... so please check back often

If you have questions, please post them here so I can answer them here and others can see the answers.

 

The system should be pretty self explanatory, but in case it is not.

 

Once we do the user to user matching, you will get an email, but in case your mail system is strict, check the events system once a day or so.

 

When we make the matches, the status of your packages will change. Click MY PACKAGES to view them. What you should notice is this image.

 

 

You need to click that image to acknowledge that you received your match info.

 

Once you click the above, the status image will change again, it will change to this:

 

 

Now start getting your package together, and obviously click that image when you have shipped the package.

 

At that point you are waiting for the other member to receive it, so the status changes to:

 

 

And once your match receives the package, and updates the system it will change to:

 

 

--------

 

This also works in reverse. In the past those on the receiving end were waiting impatiently, and wondering if the other end knew they had a match or not. Not to worry, the status of incoming packages works very similar.

 

When the sender acknowledges the match, you will see this image:

 

 

And when your package ships, you will see this:

 

 

And finally click that to get back to the all mighty:

 

[Trudy]

My space for updates

CHECK DAILY

 

I CAN NOT STRESS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GO BY THE INFO IN YOUR 'MY PACKAGES' TAB DO NOT GO BY WHAT SHOWS UP IN YOUR INBOX OR YOU MAY HAVE THE WRONG MATCH INFO

GO BY WHAT IS IN YOUR 'MY PACKAGES' TAB

 

If you select (or keep the default) of no preference for your shipping destination, you could end up being matched to all overseas people. Be sure you select your destination for each package you enter if it is important to you.

Overseas shipping is going to be more $$$ because it is already the end of October and surface mail takes forever.

 

Also - same country shipping means just that... we don't have a US or Canada option yet - we'll look into that for the future

 

SS FORUM has been created - here

 

round of matching done 10/25 - I've noticed one person was matched to the same person twice - I'm going to leave it like that for now so the developer can see that bug if he needs to. If you see something wrong with your match, submit a ticket.

 

 

10/26 -

Another round of matching has been done. I looked through quickly and it seems to be okay as far as people not sending multiple times to the same person.

If you see an issue with your match, please open a ticket and I'll look at it tomorrow night after I'm home from work.

 

Be aware I'm not likely to answer tickets/PMs about SS too quick... I hit my 40 hours this afternoon and the week still isn't over - this is what it will be like for much of the rest of the year for me with a week of slower time here and there - so I'm not ignoring you, I'm just busy

 

Somebody asked today, but I can't find who or where it was asked (maybe I was dreaming??) - they received an email about a match today... that we deleted with the system yesterday...

GO WITH WHAT SHOWS UP IN YOUR "MY PACKAGES" - that is who you are supposed to be sending to

 

 

10/27

To see the member name of your match, CLICK on their name

In the match you receive, it will tell you the names of the pets you are shopping for. You buy for THOSE pets (or pet) - that could be one name, that could be 10 names - the gift you send covers ALL names for your $20 before shipping price

 

I matched 10/25 and 10/26. I'll do another round tonight and then I'll likely wait a few days before matching again. Not everybody is aware of the match right away as not everybody visits the board all the time, so it could be a day or two before a match is acknowledged

 

 

10/31 -

another round of matching was done tonight

Next round will likely be after the weekend as sign ups are slowing down a bit.

 

 

11/4

comments will now be a mandatory field for new entries

I'll make another match by the end of the weekend.

 

 

11/5

- Next matching will not happen today, waiting for a few bugs to be worked out (some of you don't see the comments you added to your own package - so far your SS sees them, but we'd like to fix whatever is causing you to not see your own comments)

- when you send your packages... if you are sending out small teasers, you don't need to mark the package as sent - I'd like you to do that when you send the real package. If you are sending your package a piece at a time, then you can mark it as sent when you send the first piece.

- Also - make sure with everything you send, you mark it as a SS package and make sure you reveal yourself so people know who to thank (if you are sending teasers and stuff, you don't have to reveal until the last package - but you do have to let them know who you are) - if you don't, I will, and I'd prefer not to answer 98 PMs asking who their SS is, so PLEASE... reveal yourself at some point.

- and please send a private thank you to your person... even if you post it on the board, not everybody sees all the posts. You can do that via PM and you can track it so you know it has been read or you can send emails through the board (to some, not all elect to have email sent to them through the board)

 

11/8

Matches have been made again. 2 remain unmatched for now.

We'll leave signups open through this weekend and match again and then close the signups.

 

11/15

Last of the matches have been made. I had to unmatch a few people as the first matches made by the system had issues. PLEASE check your "MY PACKAGES" tab - that's where your real match info is - ignore the 2302 emails you got as a result of match, unmatch, rematch I did. MY PACKAGES - that's where it's at

[MauCarden]

[Hollis]

thanks for doing this guys. I'm sorry we screwed it up some how....

[cello]

Jeff and Trudy you two are so greyt to spend all this time to let us on Greytalk have a fun time. Thank you so much for all that you do. You are both very much appreciated.

Cello

[Guest K9_Lady]

Edited October 26, 2006 by K9_Lady

[Hollis]

hey, thanks for the quick matching. Its almost like I dreamt the whoooooooole thing.

 

do do do do, do do do do

 

 

 

ok, that was supposed to be Twilight Zone ish....

[Guest D_MansMommy]

Thank you for all the hard work you both are putting into this

 

Would it be easier if we just mailed you our names and you could put them in a hat?

[Jeff]

96 of the 100 current packages have been matched. That is all that will be done this evening.

[Guest argolola]

Thanks for all your hard work, Jeff and Trudy.

[tammystroops]

I appreciate all the work you two do!!!!!!

but really... You need to get out more!

 

 

by the way.. I did re enter myself as the instructions said.

 

Tammy

[Guest OnecoRose]

Many thanks to you both, this is such fun. I signed in again, waiting to hear who I get this year.

[Beltane]

I signed up again! I can't wait to see who I am matched with!

[Guest minnie]

Thanks !

[Bevd]

I'm heading in to sign up...

[Guest JJStingersMom]

Thank you for the update. I will throw away my match that I recieved. And start over fresh.

Edited October 26, 2006 by JJStingersMom

[Guest patti909]

I resigned up...and threw away my old names, Right???

[ShantisMom]

I just signed up again and tossed my old as of 10/25. Thanks for fixing it!

[Guest VaGreymom]

I signed up my girls.

 

Thanks Jeff and Trudy!!!!

[Guest D_MansMommy]

I just signed up again. Can't wait for my match

[Guest greytmonty]

PM me i f you get Diane (burpdog). I had all her stuff figured out....

[Guest 2greysforme]

I want to join, how do I?

 

Peggy

[Guest D_MansMommy]

I want to join, how do I?

 

Peggy

 

 

 

I don't think you have been a member long enough to join. You need to be an active member with a certain amount of posts to be eligible.

Edited October 27, 2006 by D_MansMommy

[tammystroops]

you need 50 posts

[Guest D_MansMommy]

Yea I got my match