On Mon, Dec 14, 2009 at 5:20 PM, Gregory Maxwell <gmaxw...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Mon, Dec 14, 2009 at 6:51 PM, phoebe ayers <phoebe.w...@gmail.com> wrote: >> Hello Wikimedians, >> >> Austin and I thought it might be fun to have a Secret Santa New Year's >> drawing among Wikimedia friends! We're basing it on the MetaFilter >> community Secret Santa drawing, which has 256 participants and uses a >> website called Elfster. >> >> Totally optional of course, but totally fun to get random things in >> the mail from other community members. > > http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/freakonomics/pdf/WaldfogelDeadweightLossXmas.pdf
LOL. Is this the dreaded "sweater return problem" in economics? :) Anyway, such economic analysis make the assumption that the gift is worth a fixed, intrinsic value to start with. A piece of paper, envelope and (domestic) stamp costs about 50 cents, but a letter from a friend is, as the commercials say, priceless. I like to sign up for gift exchanges, send postcards when on vacation, and keep penpals because all of these activities help build community and friendship, and it's a lot of fun to receive something that you know someone thought about and wanted to surprise you with, and to do the same for someone else. I blogged my thoughts on gift-giving, from a U.S. non-religious-but-still-celebrates-Christmas perspective, last year at this time: http://www.phoebeayers.info/phlog/?p=566 But the reason I said this exchange was optional is because, obviously, it's optional :) only people who find such things fun and valuable should sign up. I also forgot to mention that I can set up do-not-draw lists for people if you're concerned about not getting paired with someone. -- phoebe -- * I use this address for lists; send personal messages to phoebe.ayers <at> gmail.com * _______________________________________________ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l