Page 1 of 1

Elf Giving Rules!

Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 9:18 pm
by Lucy Took
It's that time again! Time for Elf Giving!
And this is your place to find all you need to know about it- how it works, what the schedule is, and who's in charge of what.

Q: What is Elfing?
A: It's a fun time we have each Christmas season when we get to give gifts to our friends, anonymously, through the Elf account.

Q: How does it work?
A: Simple. Just post your wishlist to Father Christmas in the "Dear Father Christmas" thread (he'll pass it on to the Elf ;) ).
Each day during the event, you will have the opportunity to get on the Elf account and give other members something they asked for in their letter to Father Christmas, or something they didn't ask for but you thought they would like.
After the days of giving are over, there will be a revealing thread where you finally get to tell who you were Elf to. We might even have a thread allowing you to discuss your suspicions of who your Elf is during the days of giving, but no telling until the revealing thread is open! You don't want to spoil the fun, now, do you?

Q: What kind of things can I ask for/give?
A: Just about anything, as long as it can translate over the computer and complies to all TLC rules. The most popular sort of gifts to give are pictures, sig/avvy sets, youtube videos, web pages, computer wallpapers, poems, games, recipes, fanfics, etc. Your wishlist can even just be a list of things you are interested in, movies or books you like, your favorite musicians and bands- anything to give your Elf ideas for something you would like. If you need to, check out the wishlists of others. Looking at the lists of those who have participated in years before can give you plenty of ideas of things to ask for.

Q: Can I give to anyone I want?
A: Yes! When you log into the Elf account, you can give to anyone you want- even if they didn't sign up for the fun. You never know who might check out the threads.

Q: How long do I have to post my wishlist?
A: The sooner you post your wishlist the better, but there is no deadline this time around. (Remember after you post your wishlist, if you wish to add to it, to edit your original post, not make a new one)

Q: When does giving start, and how long will it go/when is the last day of giving?
A: The first day of giving is Now. We will be giving all the way through Christmas Day (Dec. 25), but the giving threads will remain open on Dec. 26 and 27 for those who had to miss a couple days for one reason or another, and still wish to give more. After that day, the giving thread and the discussion thread will be locked, and the revelation thread will be opened.

Q: Do I have to give every day?
A: No, you do not have to give every day, though it is more fun if you do. Elf giving is at will, you can give in there multiple times a day, or never at all.

Q: Do I have to be completely anonymous in my giving?
A: Yep, it's all part of the game. That anonymity not only means keeping your screen name a secret, but also that you don't give anything that might give away any personal information. Safety at all times.

Q: Do all link, fanfic, original works, and graphics rules apply to SS as well as the regular site and forum rules?
A: Absolutely. If you need a refresher as to what those are, just follow these links:
Forum rules (link posting rules are in here)- viewtopic.php?f=47&t=25
Graphics rules- viewtopic.php?f=47&t=38
(Unfortunately we don't have FanFic and Original works rule threads up yet, but the basics are: Must comply to TLC rules, be family friendly, not higher than G or PG in rating [K or K+ by FF.net rating], and NO Harry Potter or Twilight.)

Q: I'm a Knight or higher in rank, so I don't need to have any sort of links approved, right?
A: Wrong. Due to the anonymity of the event, we will need all links of any sort needing to be posted by any member to first be pre-approved and tagged with an approval statement so we know those members of non-Senior rank are not avoiding the rules.

Q: Who can I go to, to get my links approved?
A: If it's for a regular web page or a video, you can PM it to any of the Admins (White Rose, Ajnos, Tooky, Swanwhite), and make sure you post a note with a disclaimer and one saying who approved the link. If it's a graphics link (make sure it's the direct link, not the page link), you can PM the link to White Rose or Tooky for approval, and the approval statement must be noted. Using an image as a link (including a small image linked to a larger size of the same image) counts as a graphic link and needs to be pre-approved!
Keep in mind the new PM system requires URL tags around a link in order for it to show up in a message. So, when sending a link for approval, make sure your link looks like this before sending it:
[ url ] link%for%approval%here [ /url ]
Only without the spaces.

Q: Do all graphics and pictures have to be posted as a link?
A: No. Any graphics that are small enough not to resize the page should be posted to the page directly by using the IMG tags, like so: [ img ] image's%20direct%20link%20here [ /img ]
Again, without the spaces.
These do not need to be pre-approved.

Q: Can I post items from deviantArt.com?
A: Not directly. dA is not an approved site, but if you want to give something from there, there is a way. Simply save the item to your computer, then upload it to tinypic to get an approvable link for giving.
Reminder for dA links and other pictures you post: It is good etiquette to credit the artist! At the very least, mention what their screen name is, and even warnings if necessary. We can get into trouble if we post copyrighted pictures and do not credit the artist! Please, don’t forget!

Q: If I have a graphic or picture to give that is big enough to need to be a link, how do I give the link anonymously?
A: Tinypic lets you upload pictures and graphics to get links for them without creating an account, and the links are completely anonymous. That's the site we recommend most. DO NOT HOTLINK ANYTHING!!!
Warning! Tinypic can have some nasty stuff, so while we endorse using it for graphics links, we do not suggest rooting around the site for stuff. You never know what you might find, and not in a good way.

Q: I want to give a person a graphics set, but I don't know how to make one! Is there anywhere I can get some help?
A: Of course! Just take a stroll through our graphics threads or talk to White Rose or Tooky. There are several very talented members here who would be more than willing to help. Just find the person you want (or the person suggested by White Rose or Tooky), and PM your request with a few details to them. Voila!


Reminders!!!


- Please do not check the "Remember Me" box when signing into the Elf account. This will automatically log you in under Elf, making you post under that account and leaving it unavailable fore everyone else.

- Only log into the Elf account with the purpose of posting in the thread. This is a privilege account, and an account used by many people, and should not be used longer than necessary nor for what its purpose is. If you want to read new posts throughout the forum, you should be reading them logged in under your own name. Likewise, you should also make sure you log out of the account immediately after you finish your giving.

- Please do not change the avatar or signature for the account without the permission of White Rose.

- Please do not PM link approval requests (or anything else) under the Elf account. Everyone logged in as Elf can read the PM and you might not know which PM is for you and which is for the next person in disguise. So please, PM under your REAL SCREEN NAME so that this confusion doesn't happen! Making sure you use your real screen name also allows we Admins and Mods to be able to know who we need to talk with if any concerns come up.

- Remember to keep each thread to its specific purpose. There should be no comments or conversations in the wish list or giving threads. There will be a separate thread for discussing who you think you or someone else’s Elf is, but no giving anything away until the reveal thread is up at the end of the event. There will also be a thread for thanking your Elves, but remember not to reply to the thanks there…you can do that later after you reveal.


Any more questions, feel free to ask!

Have fun!!! :D

Re: Elf Giving Rules!

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 5:29 pm
by cor
How do you log into the elf account?

Re: Elf Giving Rules!

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 5:53 pm
by jesusgirl4ever
I'll PM you the password, Cor.

Re: Elf Giving Rules!

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:17 pm
by smaug
Can you PM it to me :D

Re: Elf Giving Rules!

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:17 pm
by narniac101
:mrgreen: Me too? :mrgreen:

Re: Elf Giving Rules!

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:18 pm
by albero1
Me, too :p

Re: Elf Giving Rules!

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:26 pm
by jesusgirl4ever
viewtopic.php?f=67&t=182#p8355
Here, ya'll; Tooky says it here. :D

Re: Elf Giving Rules!

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 6:42 pm
by Lucy Took
You're allowed to reveal now if you want but giving will be going on until the end of the month.

Have fun :)