For those of you who are worried that this is illegal, cannot be here, should not be here or that you will get in trouble for playing along I have the okay from  KatyO who is a tour guide and games moderator - here is her response back to me:

Yes, you can host this swap, but it will be unmoderated. This means that the players are playing at their own risk. We (the moderators) cannot help if a player decides to not mail their book, sends an unpostable book, etc. This needs to be stated in your swap.

Also, please understand that this is an exception for the Holidays.

Okay seems to be we have enough interest to try something out.  So we will do Secret Santa Romance Recessionist Version (cause you know we all ain't made of money). 

Rules shamelessly stolen from another board and then modified for my own evil means!

I'll assign each person who signs up a secret buddy. After I have matched all the buddy's up, I'll pm with the buddy's name and address and favorite romance sub-genres (if you like more than one send them to me to make choosing a book easier).  Books do not need to be on a wish list or reminder list but if you want to go ahead and use those for inspiration if you got the $$$.  Books also do not have to be new but should be postable to PBS.  We will go ahead and leave the sign-up period till November 30th - PM me if you want to join in, please include your addy and favorite sub-genres.  And try and post the books by December 15th to get a nice little surprise in the mail in time for the Holidays.

A few rules:

• Used, new - your choice as long as it follows PBS condition guidelines
• The package should be mailed no later than December 15th.
• When the package is mailed, please pm to let me know.
• If you have a problem that will prevent you from being able to send a package to your buddy, please let me know about it just as soon as possible.  Just let me know ASAP! No one will be left without a gift! ;-)
• When you receive your package, post about it and thank your secret buddy!
• If you want someone to get inspiration from your lists your profile and wishlist can not be set to private.
• If you want to add a little something extra to the package, send a bookmark! Anything else will make the package ineligible for Media Mail.

Playing:

• Me of course!  Jeanine (Cheshire-Cat)
• Sherron (Sherron)
• Kayleen (romantic-bk-lovr)
• Kim (rubberducky)
• Karen (karlyp)
• Jan (tjrj1988)
• Sarah (sfields)
• Allie (weebordercollie)
• Kristen (ChicagoCubs)
• Beth (Just-Beth)
• Marcia (dogowner)
• Alissa (pix)
• Jessica (JessicaRabbit)
• Claudia (BrokenWing)
• Diane (Eeyore)
• Monika (bengelchen)

sounds like fun to me. I would be interested. if it's ok to do it.

I wouldn't mind doing something like that:)

Sounds like fun...but I don't have the $$$ to and buy a new book for their wish list.  If it's a book from their favourite genre I would be all for it.

Okay I have stolen and modified some rules and we will take us some sign-ups.  We are doing recessionista style so no one has to buy anything unless they want to! 

Jeanin, I not sure if you can do this here...you should check out the game section and talk to one ofe  thmods there...

Ask Ani.  Seems like she posted most of the game rules in the games forum anyway.  You might have to post it there, but you should be able to post a link to it here.

Other forums are doing it so I don't see why we can't do it also - plus I'm not asking people to pay in credits (and you have to have been part of so many games before you can host one so I couldn't anyway - only part of one game so far and the box hasn't come around yet).

So the way I see it, its not a game - just a bunch of people who want to exchange some books and have some fun.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.  The lack of a credit deposit sort of makes a difference.  Of course you do want to have some way to ensure that everyone participating sends their book though.  It would be unpleasant to send one & not get one yourself.  You should add something to the game rules about keeping the sender secret too.  Maybe like provide a return address but make sure you put Secret Santa instead of your name on there, and then everyone can reveal who they sent a book to when everyone has theirs.

Well I just PMed one of the Live Help people who is also a games moderator to see about the legality of my mad cap plan.  And if they says it is illegal then gosh darn it - I want the other ones shut down too! 

I'll let ya all know the answer I get back - but I figured if someone cops out - as long as they let me know! - I will cover their book so no one will get left behind. 

I just looked in 2 other active forums and didn't see anything like this.  There are some secret santa type things in the games forum but I beleive they are done through the moderators.  The credit deposits and rules (like participating in games first) are to protect the participants. 

This is just a warning not to start something like this here without checking into it first.  PBS could suspend your account (probably just temporarily) but it could cause a mess.

Also I'm not sure I want games taking over the genre forums. JMHO.

Well for those who are interested - here is the one I saw that inspired me here 

And since I saw it and saw that they were already at the mailing stage and that no one had complained or shut them down, I thought it was okay.  I'm waiting back on my answer from the officials - they said they are double checking just to make sure and that it has come up before. 

And jeez why does everyone get in such a tisey about things - if they want to suspend me more power to them - PBS isn't the only book swaping site out there.  And I certainly don't think I am "dirting" up the forum nor do I think me posting this will encourage everyone else to start posting similar things.  It's not like the book bazaar where 50 new topics get added a day and you might miss a new post. 

In my mind it is kind of like TV or the radio, if you don't like it - don't read it and don't participate in it, no need to complain about it.

I'm not planning to participate, because I really don't need one more thing to do, but it sounds fun and I hope they don't shut you down.

well all we'd have to do is move it to the games forum and ask someone to be  a moderator...no big deal...then someone holds the credits and returns them at the end. besides you weren't taking signups and people's credits..you were asking about doing an exchange right?!

If everything works out, then I am in.  Sounds like fun

Cheshire-Cat,

Ooh. . . this sounds like fun, count me in!  I'd like to play!  I will PM you.

If they give it a nod, I'll join in too.  I don't think something like this is actually a game, so I can't see any problem with it being here.  Plus, people post notifications about games here in this forum all the time & nobody minds the clutter.  This, IMO, would be less bothersome than that, and I don't even think of the game notifications as being bothersome.  It really is the easiest way to get the word out to all of us who post here.  I have lots of you on my buddy list, but I don't think I have everyone on there, and if Jeanine's BL is like that, a blast pm wouldn't get the word out to everyone who might want to join in.

If this is okay to do, I'd love to join in. I've been away from the site for awhile, I need to get back into it! 

I know in CMT they had signups for a christmas card exchange and it wasn't in the games forum.

As one of the Games Moderator Co-Coordinators, I just wanted to step in and let you know what the story is.

First off though, as far as the christmas card exchange goes, all that is involved there is mailing cards. There is no exchange of books, or money being spent on books. So that is ok to do in CMT.

As far as a secret holiday exchange in the genre forums, this is ok to do ONLY for the holiday season. It may not be done at any other time of year. tjos is the only exception to the swap not being in the games thread. Also, please be aware that this is an UNMODERATED game. If your buddy does not follow through and send you a book, you have NO recourse through the games moderators as there are no credits being collected. However, if you decide to collect a credit deposit, the swap MUST be moved to the games thread and the appropriate steps followed. Members are not allowed to hold credit deposits.  I have discussed this with Richard and this is what we decided. So again, this is an UNMODERATED swap, and you are playing at your own risk. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to PM me.

Okay everybody we are considered legal so if you would like to play - please PM your address and what you like or reverse don't like.  If anyone has something come up and they can't mail a book to their buddy - please PM me and I will make sure they get a book (no hard feelings, we all know stuff happens and sometimes things come up - just let me know so no one is left out). 

I don't think I was in a tizzy about this. I just wanted to point out that you should make sure it's allowed before you do it.  I don't care if anyone wants to host unmoderated games. Or join them. As long as the genre forums don't get taken over by them. Then I will care. I go the games forum when I want to play a game.  But the occassional one here wouldn't bother me. 

Mary - sorry if I came across as bitchy but more is always better for me.  I would like to see more posts on this board as I enjoy reading them and putting my two cents in whenever I can - these small pleasures give me a break from the madness at work.  

I did not mean to offend anyone, just felt like having a little fun this holiday season and also getting a surprise in the mail.  I have found in the past that books that people give to me that I would not have bought myself tend to be great finds. 

I think everyone just wants what's best for the forum, and to keep it fun & interesting, so it's all good:)  Which reminds me - again - we need to restart the guess the book thread soon.  I may post something tonight if nobody else takes the initiative.  This sounds like fun to me so I just sent my PM.  I just need to update my RL - which I never use:P  And are we using "Secret Santa" on the return address & revealing later, or putting our names on the label when we mail?

I think we should keep it anonymous until the end where we can reveal everyone. 

Also this got me to thinking - can other people see our RL??  I don't think there is a link on your profiles.  If we want others to see them I think we may have to add a link to it in our profile.  ??  I tried to do it in mine but not sure if it will work - someone else try it out for me - go here

Is that link to my RL or does it just load the current logged on memebers?