Suspected DP Forum Criminals. WANTED! Read Inside.

[digitalpress]

We are NOT going to be easy on people who balk at the rules of the Secret Santa event. This was a carefully planned process where you simply had to send a gift in order to receive one.

Two DP Forum people received gifts and DID NOT send them. At least at this late stage, their recipients have not received them, which is in itself some measure of irresponsibility.

1. The Young Game Collector. He's already been banned from here once, and at least one moderator is calling for his banishment again. Shortly after the Secret Santa started we saw posts from him that he was having trouble finding a gift. Lo and behold, no gift has arrived.

2. Nikkita. DP spokesmodel candidate has been MIA since December 26th. She seems pretty honest to me but has also apparently gone the way of Wilykat (last year's MIA after Secret Santa). I hope for her well-being but the APB is out.

This may all seem a bit heavy-handed but keep in mind that it was made VERY CLEAR that there would be consequences and repercussions to not playing fair. As such, it is my responsibility to call these two to everyone's attention, give them an opportunity to redeem themselves, and get back to business.

Thank you for reading. That is all.

[michael]

I'm not a BIT surprised TYGC flaked...in fact I'm questioning why he was even allowed to do the Secret Santa.

But I AM surprised Nikkita didn't send...

[kainemaxwell]

TYGC I'm not surprised about but Nikkita..I haven't seen her online on AIM in weeks since beginning of December actually..

[Magus]

Man, its pretty bad when you can't even trust the people in your own community....shesh man.

[Arrrhalomynn]

It's sad that there are always people spoiling a fun initiative like the secret santa event.

[Rogmeister]

Around the time we were getting and sending our gifts, I exchanged a few e-mails with one of those that were in the previous year's Secret Santa and he said he decided not to take part this time because he worried he would be paired with TYGC...I'm not sure if he feared he would get anything or if he feared he might get something incredibly common...like a 2600 Combat or something. Sadly, it looks like he made a wise choice.

[Nature Boy]

This may all seem a bit heavy-handed but keep in mind that it was made VERY CLEAR that there would be consequences and repercussions to not playing fair. As such, it is my responsibility to call these two to everyone's attention, give them an opportunity to redeem themselves, and get back to business.

I don't think you're being heavy handed at all. In fact, I don't think you're heavy handed enough - I wouldn't have let TYGC participate until he could prove he actually came through on a deal. Which is to say never.

To be honest I'd rather see somebody banned for jerking people around on something like this than I would for acting like a jerk. Although I'd certainly give somebody the opportunity to explain and redeem themselves (if I thought they warranted such a chance that is).

I didn't participate last year because I didn't know anybody. This year I think I know lots of people but still didn't participate because I knew something like this would happen. It's a shame but that's the reality. And that's why I get so freaking angry at the offending people.

[Six Switch]

Well that sucks.I was too late to join but I will do this next year.And I won't screw up.TYGC,kids these days...... :o >:( x_x

[The Young Game Collector]

i did send! i sent his gift the same time as i sent a package to chickenpuppet. see if he got his!

[autobotracing]

i did send! i sent his gift the same time as i sent a package to chickenpuppet. see if he got his!


I cought him !!!!!! is there a reward !!!!!!!!!!! :D

[digitalpress]

i did send! i sent his gift the same time as i sent a package to chickenpuppet. see if he got his!

You should have a tracking receipt. Knowing that you were entering this event on thin ice to begin with you should have considered this. Also note that I no longer believe in extreme coincidences - and the fact that you are... well, YOU and it "just so happens" that yours is the only gift "lost in transit" falls into that category.

You need to make good on this, and pronto.

[Sniderman]

If TYGC asks for leniency because he has terminal throat cancer, I'm disappearing - never to be seen again. :roll:

[hamburgler]

I'll watch out for the other person.

[Kid Fenris]

At least TYGC is trying to explain himself. Nikkita has yet to show her face at all. Perhaps she's the one with the malignant throat tumors.

[ubersaurus]

Shit, Nikkita hasn't even been online since mid december...so I couldn't even tell you what's up there.

[gamergary]

I never got my nesworld secret santa present and i have to ask spoon if mgourlate sent my frickin present. If not then is :2gunfire:

[ManekiNeko]

The reason I didn't want to get involved with the Secret Santa project is that I couldn't guarantee I'd be able to send a gift. I'd much rather surprise someone with something nice when I know I can afford it, like the time I sent Captain Wrong that copy of Action 52 for the Genesis.
Yeah, yeah, Action 52 was a crummy game, but he wanted it, so it still counts as a nice gesture! :-D
Anyway, I think Joe should find an Emergency Rudolph for next year. He or she would be willing to fill in for anyone who didn't fulfill their obligations, and in return Joe himself would give them something especially cool. That's not to say that The Dumb Game Collector or La Phlegm Nikkita should be excused for letting their fellow Secret Santas down, but it would give the people they screwed over something for their trouble.
Another suggestion: hit the offenders with a special Christmas themed ban warning... replace their hit counters with lumps of coal, instead of the angry Evil Otto heads.

JR

[k8track]

Just be careful not to make it too much like a witch hunt. You don't know what has gone on in someone's personal life to make them be offline for a while. There could be some intense personal strife going on that they have to attend to, like an accident, the death of a loved one, a bad breakup, or something more pleasant like an extended vacation. I'd just hate to see Nikkita come back from holiday only to find several negative postings leveled in her general direction.

TYGC, on the other hand, is a different story. While I certainly don't hate him, and would like to believe him, I think his history speaks volumes. Deceit, immaturity, and bad judgement seem to be the hallmarks of his character. Thin ice, indeed. He's already fallen through.

However, despite this glitch, the Secret Santa exchange seems to have been an overwhelming success. Kudos to everyone who did participate.

[Raedon]

..must have over 500 posts..


problem solved.

[Rogmeister]

I don't know if you can totally go by number of posts. 500 posts is nice...but I'm not even at 400 yet and I've managed to take part in two exchanges now and I think the people I sent them to got them in a timely manner and, just as importantly, seemed to enjoy what I sent them. At any rate, I guess I should get busy just in case...I think I need about another 140 posts to meet that requirement...

[kainemaxwell]

Who, or what, is chickenpuppet?!

[digitalpress]

Who, or what, is chickenpuppet?!

He or she is a member of these forums.

[Masco73]

I would not go by post count either. I have participated in both Secret Santas and have been lurking around these boards since DP guide 5. That was over 2 years maybe 3. I am just not much of a poster and more of a reader. I have just started picking up with the posting as I get more comfortable on the board. Kind of like being quiet when your around new people until you get to know them a little.
I am sure there is a solution, but I don't think post counts are it.

[punkoffgirl]

I heard from Nikkita on New Years Eve. The last time I'd heard from her before that was on the 11th of December, twenty days prior. I only got that one email from her in all that time, and one PM, and that was after complaining to Joe that I hadn't heard a thing from her. Joe heard from her on the 26th. Even if she was on vacation, she obviously still had some internet access during that time period. In her case, what she attempted to do was buy gifts from eBay and have them shipped to her Secret Santa person. The first attempt, apparently the seller accidently shipped it to Nikkita instead of Chocobokick. Nikkita doesn't seem to have followed up on the second attempt beyond winning the auction, sending payment, and assuming since the package didn't show up at her house that it was sent to the correct address. The second auction was ended on 12/11 (she sent me the link), and Nikkita said the seller had told her he/she would be shipping it out the next day (she picked it up on a BIN). I don't know if she's had any further contact with the seller at this point.
However, I've browsed through this seller's feedback. He's had prior complaints of payment sent/no item recieved, and apparently is notorious for not responding to emails even when items ARE shipped.
And she did say in her PM that she would buy a third item if need be.
But a couple things still concern me. Communication is one.. No posting, delays in responding to emails, etc. It doesn't seem like she's too concerned about it.. And she still hasn't left this seller ANY feedback at all. Granted, twenty bucks isn't that big of a deal, but if it was me, I'd be a bit more proactive.

As far as the Young Game Collector, he can go suck eggs. I hope someone with admin abilities will change his custom title to "LIAR AND THIEF" every chance they get. His prior track record was already against him, but hey, I'm nice enough that I didn't want to single him out and tell him that he couldn't participate. It was his chance to redeem himself in my eyes. I don't believe in this large of a coincidence. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. And you want to know what? I thought I could even beat the system.. I figured I'd just have HIS Secret Santa not send a gift until he told me he'd sent his out; that way, I figured he wouldn't get something if he didn't send. But, maybe I'm naive, since I expected he'd be honest and at least not say anything if he didn't send a gift, instead of flat out lying. I do consider him a thief; he was sent a gift on the stipulation that he would send one, and by not following through on his end of the deal, someone is getting ripped off.

[Six Switch]

wow.

It would suck to be TYGC right about



now.

I just hope the Secret Santa thing will still happen next year,please! :o :D x_x

EDIT:And about TYGC,isn't he like 10 or 11?I mean,why should someone at that age be doing this or even have the money to do this?Whatever......... :roll:

[video_game_addict]

http://goinside.com/98/11/mk4-16.jpg

[kainemaxwell]

Really sad this had to happen. POG goes out of her way to do this for us here which we all appericate and someone like TYGC screws it up for the rest of us...

And on the eBay issue, I'm having that same issue about a possible bad seller in a SS on another board- least the person sent me a card too (and she lives in NYC)!

[chocobokick]

Well TYGC if he was smart at least kept his receipt if he didn't get a tracking number. Almost every post office I've sent from has the zip code sent to and some info about the package on it.
I really hope that Nikkita comes through, I've tried not to let it bother me but this has dampened my usually very festive holiday spirit. I deal with ebay all the time but I still make sure a seller is more reliable then not before buying.
Although it does kind of figure, I had an attitude about DP's spokesmodels so one of the contenders screws up my Christmas :/

Who got Nikkita for SS anyway, they're also kind of getting cheated because their hard work hasn't been announced.

[punkoffgirl]

RJ had Nikkita, and Masco73 had the Young Game Asshole.

[RJ]

I saw Nikkita's message in Off-Topic that she was glad she got FFVII from me. This was when members were prematurely posting their SS info. I'm glad she's happy she got it, but I'd appreciate a little thank-you. ;)

P.S.> she didn't have much on her list, & what she DID have (besides FFVII) I wasn't about to buy/ship to Canada...

[Ascending Wordsmith]

Well, there is no feasible way to solve this problem. We can't count on the number of posts due to its exclusive requirements. Some people with 50 posts may be more reliable than someone with 350 posts.

I had one idea but the work involved is just too time-consuming and too complex. So, I guess the only thing we're able to do is trust that our SS is actually a person that cares enough to give a little something to someone they've probably never met.

On the brighter side, let's enjoy the success rate. I have no idea how many people participated in the Secret Santa, but only two people didn't come through (one of which, nobody really expected to come through). I'm guesstimating that about 60 people participated. At a percentage rate of 1.67 per head, there was a 97% success rate. Pretty damn good don't you think? Besides, now we actually know who NOT to include.

How many people were in the SS, POG? just curious

[Kid Fenris]

A question about Nikkita's problem: If the item from the first auction was delivered to her house, why didn't she just ship it to Chocobokick herself? Is postage from Canada to Oklahoma that expensive?

[Marco]

Joe,

Reading this, I suddenly realized that I never told you I didn't receive anything in the 2001 editon of Secret Santa. I sent out my gift, to England. I forgot the ID of the person that was supposed to send me a gift. :(

Cheers,
Marco

[Goblin]

Not only should TYGC be banned from these boards, I propose a little backyard justice. Why not post his name and address. He has made it clear he likes to recieve things in the mail, and I'm sure I can find plenty of "gifts" to send him.

As for the contest, I participated last year and thought it was a great idea. I passed this year, partly because I didn't need the added hassle at this time, but mainly because I sensed it had gotten too big and the rules not clearly defined. Then when I saw some of the names chiming in when it was announced I figured it best to stay away.

If it continues in the future, you really can't go by arbitrary measures like post count. I mean look at TYGC's posts:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/search.php?search_author=The+Young+Game+Collector
He has over 70 and I don't think one of the posts has contributed positively to any discussion in anyway. Yet there are others who have fewer posts, but each time they post they actually have something constructive to say.

Sadly you can never entirely prevent this type of problem, however maybe next year it needs to be by invite only. Perhaps all the moderators get together and decide who is likely to follow through with the deal and go from there. But even this method only creates more work for someone and doesn't guarantee a high success rate. Well we have another year to ponder, but let's get back to the real issue:

The tribe has spoken, away with TYGC.

[YoshiM]

Kid F: I don't know how expensive shipping from Canada is, but I DO know it takes a while for stuff to come from the Great White North. When I bought an Atari XE off of EBay from a person in Canada it took 3 weeks to get. Possible customs issues/delays and what not. So Nikkita could have been trying to shave the export time by having the seller ship instead (as I'm sure it takes a while for stuff to get to her as well).

[hades]

I'll keep my opinions of TYGC to myself -- however how about posting who (It may have been posted, but I havne't seen it) did NOT recieve their gifts from their SS and provide us with a list of stuff they wanted.

I'd be willing to look around and see if I can help out. I didn't participate in the SS, but I don't see why people who did should be 'jipped' out due to immature/stupid people.

It may not be a great solution, but atleast it's something.

..... on a side note, I believe someone in charge may want to give TYGC's mother/guardian a phone call explaining what he got himself into... the mother is generally the achillies heel. :|

[punkoffgirl]

Number one: I am definitely NOT posting ANYONES name and address in this forum, and that should be the end of that. That's beyond consideration. So is contacting his MOTHER. Let's get back to reality a little bit, people.

Number two: Someone mentioned sending gifts to those that got stiffed (and I think it's actually been quite clear who the people were who didnt get anything.) The executive moderator team is working on something already, but thank you for the offer.

Number three: There were 44 participants this year. And geeze.. everyone's talking about rules but it was SECRET SANTA. Who (normally) wants to be a hardnose about THAT?

[The Young Game Collector]

Just listen. I sent a pc game called Panzer General. My dad is looking for the tracking recipt, but if it doesn't get there by next friday, I am sending somthing else. OK? And, GEELW, I need a list of some other things you want.

[spoon]

POG-I would like to say thanks for doing it. I had a great tiem with it, and I got soem great things(thanks againVGA).

I thought this was a great idea, so I decided to do it on another message board. Needless to say, I learned a lot about the whole thing and can relate to the situation. I wil do it again here and on The other board.

I second the idea of posting the lists, then maybe that way the two whom have not recieved anything, could get practically everything from their lists. But I am sure that the Mods will come up with a good idea.

[kainemaxwell]

I really enjoyed doing the Secret Santa here and hope I can be part of the next one. Here's a suggestion: Why not look at those with posistive reviews in the "Quality traders" thread?

[WiseSalesman]

That's an idea, but I don't trade, and I would still like to participate next year.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I am definitely NOT posting ANYONES name and address in this forum, and that should be the end of that. That's beyond consideration. So is contacting his MOTHER.

Thank God someone's being level-headed here.

Not trying to defend TYGC, or TCBY, or TG&Y here, but let's deposit a little reality check here, eh, folks? Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? I'll admit, TYGC's history stacks the deck against him, but let's put this in perspective:

We're talking about a Secret Santa gift exchange on an internet message board. That's all. Really. Trust me.

It's bad news if one or two people BS'ed their way to free gifts, but let's get real here - the worst I think can happen here is they lose their access to the boards, and that's up to the mods. Even the people who have wound up being shorted their gifts are taking this rather calmly. The whole lynching party starting up around this thing is the mob mentality at its worst. Surely we're better than that here, aren't we? I've noticed a recent tendency to gang up on certain individuals here, but this is the worst I've seen yet.

My advice...chill. Chill until we know what's going on. And if a final determination is made that there has been screwage-overage here, I'd say it's a good bet we won't hear another peep out of the offender(s) on this board. And we sure as hell don't need their addresses.

So much anger lately. And here I thought I needed to get laid.

[digitalpress]

You're right PDF, but I did want to stoke the coals just a bit. It doesn't have to be a lynching but I'm not happy about people pulling fast ones in this community, either.

That said, I think it's time we put this one away. For now.

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