Comments on: Because it's too big a sack for one man to carry.

Because it's too big a sack for one man to carry.

FlamingBore — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 07:13:39 -0800

Elfster is a free web-based utility for automating Secret Santa gift exchanges. My office is Holiday-Cheer-Challenged this year, but after finding Elfster, things are looking up. There's nothing a tech company likes more than a new-fangled spin on a classic.

By: fungible

fungible — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 07:35:41 -0800

Because pen, paper and hat is too hard?

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 07:41:50 -0800

No, apparently because it's «Too big a sack for one man to carry.»

By: dhoyt

dhoyt — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:04:01 -0800

Too big a sack for one man to carry I've heard that can happen from iodine deficiency.

By: piskycritter

piskycritter — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:40:22 -0800

Because pen, paper and hat is too hard? Because in an office with four people, we went five rounds with someone drawing their own name each time. This seems like a neat idea for very large companies too, ones where a hat is impractical.

By: dhoyt

dhoyt — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:51:35 -0800

My company (15 people) is actually using Elfster this year and it's pretty "fun" (in a relative sense). Your Secret Santa can ask you questions anonymously through the interface, and he you can browse your Amazon WishList if you post one.

By: GirlFriday

GirlFriday — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:54:41 -0800

This is all too convenient for my group of friends. With the distance between all of us, Elfster definitely makes it easier for everyone to get a name.

By: tracicle

tracicle — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 10:23:28 -0800

We just used this on MoFi and it worked like a charm. It's a brilliant idea. (Hint for next year, mefites!)

By: riffraff

riffraff — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 18:30:03 -0800

Wish me and my friends had come across this a week earlier. We're currently in the throes of an e-mail bombing frenzy about who's buying what for whom after several of our automated Secret Santa program mailers were spam-blocked. That'll teach us to geek out and come up with our own php match randomizer.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 21:49:21 -0800

Does it work with wish lists? I'm running a secret santa ring at the moment for 8 people .. keeping track of the wish lists and which people have bought what to avoid duplicate gifts .. while keeping everyone anonymous .. is very complicated and time consuming.

By: kartooner

kartooner — Wed, 15 Dec 2004 08:16:42 -0800

I could never get into the Secret Santa thing, especially when the secretary demands she keep a record of who's who. It kind of ruins the whole "secrecy" aspect of it.