GiftMe July 20, 2009 8:02 AM Subscribe
Can we have a gift certificate for a pony?
At last night's The Original Portland (tm) MeFi10, a few of us agreed that we had at some point wished there was such a thing as a MeFi Gift certificate for one membership. I've signed up one person as a gift, and I cobbled together a homemade version of a 'certificate,' and then I had to stand over them as they registered so's I could pay their $5. It was manageable and all. But still, wouldn't it be nice to have this as a ready-to-go, official MeFi item? It makes a great small gift for those certain people that you know really need a little bit of MeFi in their life.
I'm not sure how this would work exactly - somehow the giver needs to pay in advance, and then maybe there's a downloadable PDF certificate you can give as the gift announcement, and somehow the getter has a code or somewhere to go that they can register and make a profile without being asked to pay.
I know this is probably a bad time to ask what with all the post-party chaos, but wanted to ask before it slipped my mind.
At last night's The Original Portland (tm) MeFi10, a few of us agreed that we had at some point wished there was such a thing as a MeFi Gift certificate for one membership. I've signed up one person as a gift, and I cobbled together a homemade version of a 'certificate,' and then I had to stand over them as they registered so's I could pay their $5. It was manageable and all. But still, wouldn't it be nice to have this as a ready-to-go, official MeFi item? It makes a great small gift for those certain people that you know really need a little bit of MeFi in their life.
I'm not sure how this would work exactly - somehow the giver needs to pay in advance, and then maybe there's a downloadable PDF certificate you can give as the gift announcement, and somehow the getter has a code or somewhere to go that they can register and make a profile without being asked to pay.
I know this is probably a bad time to ask what with all the post-party chaos, but wanted to ask before it slipped my mind.
What she said. The gift page is ready for your generosity and stuff, but you'll need to figure out the certificate-presentation stuff yourself.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:07 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:07 AM on July 20, 2009
Oh, I totally didn't know about that feature. So sorry.
So I guess if anyone has a wonderful template for a certificate, this pony is running free.
posted by Miko at 8:45 AM on July 20, 2009
So I guess if anyone has a wonderful template for a certificate, this pony is running free.
posted by Miko at 8:45 AM on July 20, 2009
What, all of a sudden writing 'Metafilter' on a five-spot in Sharpie isn't good enough?
posted by box at 9:10 AM on July 20, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by box at 9:10 AM on July 20, 2009 [2 favorites]
Just cross out "backrub" for "MeFi membership" and you can use all those certificates I sent.
posted by klangklangston at 9:11 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by klangklangston at 9:11 AM on July 20, 2009
I'm glad you posted this; I didn't know about the official gift account thing, and had been trying to figure out how to arrange to pay for an account for a friend.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:12 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by ocherdraco at 9:12 AM on July 20, 2009
-----------------------------------
| GIFT CERTIFICATE |
| FROM: ___________________________ |
| TO: _____________________________ |
| |
| Good for one (1) pony. Stable and |
| pony food not included. |
------------------------------------
posted by Plutor at 9:13 AM on July 20, 2009 [5 favorites]
| GIFT CERTIFICATE |
| FROM: ___________________________ |
| TO: _____________________________ |
| |
| Good for one (1) pony. Stable and |
| pony food not included. |
------------------------------------
posted by Plutor at 9:13 AM on July 20, 2009 [5 favorites]
Users who got here on a gift certificate should have that, plus the gifter's name, in their user profile so we know who to blame.
posted by DU at 9:19 AM on July 20, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by DU at 9:19 AM on July 20, 2009 [2 favorites]
How does it work exactly? You enter their email, you pay via PayPal, they get an email and they're all set to sign up? In that order?
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 9:50 AM on July 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 9:50 AM on July 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
I was given a gift account by a non-member, so you will never know who to blame! Ha!
posted by daniel_charms at 9:51 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by daniel_charms at 9:51 AM on July 20, 2009
How does it work exactly? You enter their email, you pay via PayPal, they get an email and they're all set to sign up? In that order?
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:50 PM
As someone who has given accounts - yeah, pretty much. They get an email with a URL that allows them to sign up, choose a username/password etc. All prepaid.
posted by vacapinta at 9:57 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:50 PM
As someone who has given accounts - yeah, pretty much. They get an email with a URL that allows them to sign up, choose a username/password etc. All prepaid.
posted by vacapinta at 9:57 AM on July 20, 2009
Okay, thanks vacapinta.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 10:10 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 10:10 AM on July 20, 2009
MeFi, the gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving. Especially if you're UserFriendly.org
(wha wha whibble)
posted by jerseygirl at 10:31 AM on July 20, 2009
(wha wha whibble)
posted by jerseygirl at 10:31 AM on July 20, 2009
Cool thing: The system remembers what certificates you've given, so if you go to the gift page again, it presents you with a list of people you've sent them to.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:38 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:38 AM on July 20, 2009
Hey, nifty! It totally does!
posted by ocherdraco at 10:57 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by ocherdraco at 10:57 AM on July 20, 2009
Doesn't the existing system reveal your username to the recipient? What if you want to give someone the gift of metafilter without sharing your own metafilter identity?
posted by prefpara at 11:00 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by prefpara at 11:00 AM on July 20, 2009
DU: Users who got here on a gift certificate should have that, plus the gifter's name, in their user profile so we know who to blame.
I endorse this idea although I don't know why.
posted by shakespeherian at 11:05 AM on July 20, 2009
I endorse this idea although I don't know why.
posted by shakespeherian at 11:05 AM on July 20, 2009
prefpara: if you don't want to reveal your username, just log out. The gift link works all the same.
posted by daniel_charms at 11:20 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by daniel_charms at 11:20 AM on July 20, 2009
Users who got here on a gift certificate should have that, plus the gifter's name, in their user profile so we know who to blame.
My workaround for this is adding the gifted accounts to my contacts as soon as I know they've signed up. Luckily so far no-one to whom I've given the gift of MetaFilter has been very participative.
posted by carsonb at 11:22 AM on July 20, 2009
My workaround for this is adding the gifted accounts to my contacts as soon as I know they've signed up. Luckily so far no-one to whom I've given the gift of MetaFilter has been very participative.
posted by carsonb at 11:22 AM on July 20, 2009
Oh, also, I think the only way to get to the 'Give an Account' page is via the FAQ. I think more exposure for that feature would be nice; maybe the process could be incorporated into the Shop subsite, or at least put a link there too.
posted by carsonb at 11:25 AM on July 20, 2009 [4 favorites]
posted by carsonb at 11:25 AM on July 20, 2009 [4 favorites]
Crap, sorry to delmoi all over this thread (and apologies to delmoi for verbing his nick), but I recently gave an account to someone I don't know well and I'm not sure how to find out when/who as/or if they took me up on it. Can't remember if I get a memail or not when they complete the process. Does that happen? If not, could it happen? That would be a radpony.
posted by carsonb at 11:41 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by carsonb at 11:41 AM on July 20, 2009
NARF. Nevermind, I see that the Gift Account page lists all I've invited, and their current status (active, active, waiting for registration [with a link to re-send the invite, sweet!]), so I'm set.
posted by carsonb at 11:43 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by carsonb at 11:43 AM on July 20, 2009
Now, how do you make the people you gifted accounts to actually use them? Not that I mind having donated extra $ to MeFi this way, but c'mon people, I did not do this for my health!
posted by grapefruitmoon at 11:44 AM on July 20, 2009
posted by grapefruitmoon at 11:44 AM on July 20, 2009
The email you get (I got):
Metafilter member ***** has given you the gift of a Metafilter account! Metafilter is a community weblog.
To activate your account, visit the following URL:
http://www.metafilter.com/gift.mefi?invite=11B8F5C9565BFAC227xxxxx
Welcome!
---
By the way, you can check out *****'s profile on Metafilter here:
http://www.metafilter.com/user/*****
posted by The Straightener at 11:45 AM on July 20, 2009
Metafilter member ***** has given you the gift of a Metafilter account! Metafilter is a community weblog.
To activate your account, visit the following URL:
http://www.metafilter.com/gift.mefi?invite=11B8F5C9565BFAC227xxxxx
Welcome!
---
By the way, you can check out *****'s profile on Metafilter here:
http://www.metafilter.com/user/*****
posted by The Straightener at 11:45 AM on July 20, 2009
grapefruitmoon: You beat them into submission.
posted by daniel_charms at 11:47 AM on July 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by daniel_charms at 11:47 AM on July 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
Cool thing: I have given 30 gift accounts. I bury them in my expense reports under "postage stamps"
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:51 AM on July 20, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:51 AM on July 20, 2009 [2 favorites]
grapefruitmoon: Now, how do you make the people you gifted accounts to actually use them?
I have found that the only way to really guarantee this is to lock the person in a basement, preferably one that is a windowless stone cellar empty of anything aside from a chair, a table, and a computer, and leave them there for at least three weeks with only very bland food like bread and sawdust. After that, they're bound to be a Metafilter addict.
posted by koeselitz at 11:58 AM on July 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
I have found that the only way to really guarantee this is to lock the person in a basement, preferably one that is a windowless stone cellar empty of anything aside from a chair, a table, and a computer, and leave them there for at least three weeks with only very bland food like bread and sawdust. After that, they're bound to be a Metafilter addict.
posted by koeselitz at 11:58 AM on July 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
Remember, gifts are all about building patronage networks so you have your base in place when you move for power, perhaps even years down the line.
/in China too long.
posted by Abiezer at 12:19 PM on July 20, 2009
/in China too long.
posted by Abiezer at 12:19 PM on July 20, 2009
Now, how do you make the people you gifted accounts to actually use them?
"The way I see it, you have two choices, you can either use the Metafilter account I got you, or I can release these crates of termites into your house. One way or another, you're going to be a part of a community, you just need to decide right now how many legs you want the other members to have."
posted by quin at 12:23 PM on July 20, 2009 [5 favorites]
"The way I see it, you have two choices, you can either use the Metafilter account I got you, or I can release these crates of termites into your house. One way or another, you're going to be a part of a community, you just need to decide right now how many legs you want the other members to have."
posted by quin at 12:23 PM on July 20, 2009 [5 favorites]
What happened to the list of quotes?
We decided there should be MattMoney/MefiBux or something, and they should come in denominations. It's all about the Jessamyns.
posted by Eideteker at 12:41 PM on July 20, 2009 [2 favorites]
We decided there should be MattMoney/MefiBux or something, and they should come in denominations. It's all about the Jessamyns.
posted by Eideteker at 12:41 PM on July 20, 2009 [2 favorites]
That's right - I forgot about the MattMoney. Matt is the $1 (user #1), Jessamyn the $10, and Cortex is, of course, the $20 - same as in town. pb would be the rarely-seen $1000, and vacapinta would be Wild Card.
posted by Miko at 1:30 PM on July 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Miko at 1:30 PM on July 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
What, all of a sudden writing 'Metafilter' on a five-spot in Sharpie isn't good enough?
Same as downtown!
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:52 PM on July 20, 2009
Same as downtown!
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:52 PM on July 20, 2009
Now, how do you make the people you gifted accounts to actually use them?
I could effectorize them if you want. Or vaporize. Or magnetize, demonize, simonize; shit, any kind of izing you want done to them, I can do it myself or I can hook you up with a particularly pervy GCU and they'll do it.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 5:14 PM on July 20, 2009
I could effectorize them if you want. Or vaporize. Or magnetize, demonize, simonize; shit, any kind of izing you want done to them, I can do it myself or I can hook you up with a particularly pervy GCU and they'll do it.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 5:14 PM on July 20, 2009
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posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:04 AM on July 20, 2009