Pay it Forward First (PIFF) — Spreading Board Game Geek Love
- Rainer AhlforsUnited States
Provo
Utah
Click to see this teacher's page.
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I am a firm believer in doing good, in taking the opportunity to make someone else happy. The more unexpected, the better! Interestingly enough, doing good also makes me, as the giver, incredibly happy!
Because of this, more often than not, I proudly wear microbadges promoting these ideas: I practice Random Acts of Kindness Pay it Forward
The board game community is full of wonderful and generous people, as is evident by the Feel the Love forum here at BGG or the annualJack Vasel Memorial Fund auction. However, I also know that there are many other members of the board game community who spread their love anonymously. Some are blessed with circumstances which allow them to practice such Random Acts of Kindness often, while others will only rarely have the opportunity to do so. Whatever your circumstance may be — Thank you for the good that you do!
This geeklist is intended to celebrate and promote such kindness!This is an international chain
Microbadges:
The first item in the list may from time to time be
updated with various announcements, polls, etc.
The PIFFers Guild is a great place to be!
Basic rules:
• Remember that the purpose is to give and spread love to a fellow BGG member.
• Participation is open to everyone, regardless of where in the world you may live.
• All shipping costs are paid for by the giver.
• Gifted games may be new or used. Used games should, however, be complete and in a condition suitable for giving as a gift.
• Home made items, gaming accessories, non-gaming items, etc. are perfectly suitable as gifts. Be creative!
• When gifting to an individual who may not have English as their native language, please inquire as to the preferred language of any game or other written material you wish to send.
• Gift cards are allowed, but discouraged. (See note about shipping above.)
• Gifts solely consisting of geek gold are not allowed (though you are encouraged to tip geek gold generously when so inspired).
To participate:
• Add an item to this geeklist indicating what you will give to the person above you in the list.
• Contact the individual via geekmail to obtain an address.
• Alternatively, for used games, I recommend setting up a one-way trade request.
• Expect nothing in return!
And I really want to stress the last point — If you decide to participate, hoping to receive something particular from someone else, then you are participating for the wrong reason. This geeklist is all about giving, not getting. IF you receive something from a future poster, there is no guarantee or expectation that what you will receive will represent any particular value. While personal circumstances may allow some to be generous with what they give, there is no expectation that everyone will be able to be equally generous or that you will receive something of "equal value" to what you just gave. While I do not want to encourage "being cheap", I definitely wish to discourage greed!
Marco put together a very nice and easy-to-use tool
which allows you to quickly compare your collection
with the wish list of the last person in the chain.
Thanks!
http://draedghawl.shalom.craimer.org/* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * August 23rd is Official Not-a-PIFF Day
On this date, each year, we respectfully ask that you honor the memory of Lexi, a beautiful angel who passed away at a very young age. In memory of Lexi, we deliberately break from one PIFF tradition in favor of another tradition in celebration of the true spirit of giving and of the PIFF community. On August 23rd, we humbly request that only Not-a-PIFF items be posted.
What is a Not-a-PIFF item? It is a gift given to someone else — "just because". Perhaps there is a certain gift you would like to give to a specific member of our community. Simply add an item in which you name both the gift and the recipient! Maybe you have a particular gift in mind, but no predetermined recipient. Simply add an item stating what you are giving away, and specify whether you will send the gift to whoever claims the gift first, or whether those who are interested can go "in", after which you will randomly draw one or more recipients at a predetermined time.
Such Not-a-PIFF gifts celebrate giving for the pure sake of giving. Not-a-PIFF gifts are given in addition to, and outside of, the established PIFF chain.
From time to time, exceptionally generous members of the PIFF community already give Not-a-PIFF gifts.
On August 23rd, each year, we simply ask that those types of gifts be the only ones given.
Lexi — you will always live on in our hearts!* ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ * ❤ *
The culture of PIFF:
The PIFF community and the act of piffing has developed into a BGG subculture that may seem confusing to newcomers. Here are a few nuances you should be aware of.
Gift offers and rejected gifts: Some individuals prefer to "make an offer" to a potential target, typically via geekmail. While the rules state that each participant should have zero expectations with regards to the gift they will receive, these types of offers are acceptable and within the spirit of PIFF — better to ask if a particular gift would be appreciated than to gift something contrary to the other individual's tastes. Naturally, it is also acceptable to reject such offers, provided that such rejection also follows the spirit of PIFF and is not an expression of greed or snobbery.
Place holder items and dibs: It is common for individuals to add "placeholders" or to call dibs, particularly when they desire to make an offer (as described above). Sometimes, while the offer is being considered by the target, another individual comes along and likewise calls dibs on the would-be new target (assuming the offer is accepted). It is not uncommon for there to be a chain of place holder items and this practice is both allowed and a marvelous sign of the kindness and generosity which abounds in PIFF. However, we request that no items be sent until prior holds or offers have resolved, since it is possible for an earlier placeholder entry to become invalid, thereby making the rest of the placeholders also invalid.
Redirects: From time to time you will find that particularly generous individuals will give a gift to one individual and then request that the next offer be redirected to someone other than themselves. Such generous gestures should be met with respect and the redirect request honored. Some individuals participate only to give and never wish to receive anything. Others will only occasionally redirect. Please note that redirecting is not at all required of anyone.
Some friendly reminders:
Paying it Forward First can easily become very addictive! Please consider any and all personal obligations before participating. This is not meant to discourage anyone from participating! This is simply a friendly reminder to help avoid any unnecessary strain on your time and finances. Again, I want to stress that there is no expectation that your gift will hold a certain value. Be kind, be generous. But, most of all, give for the sake of giving!
I would also like to discourage anything but the most positive attitude toward our fellow geeks! Online social interactions are wonderful, but also precarious. Board Game Geek and Pay it Forward First are filled with individuals from all walks of life, all cultures, and all circumstances. Let's do our best to invite love and kindness, celebrating those things which draw us together. Let's avoid treading topics which can potentially cause hurt feelings or prevent someone from remaining with our illustrious group. We must all carefully consider how anything we write may be perceived by others, especially where our mother tongues differ.
If you have any concerns about a particular member, their actions, gifts given, or whatever it may be — feel free to contact me directly! While I would not expect anyone to participate in this effort maliciously, I will be happy to help resolve any conflicts in private. Please refrain from addressing disagreements and concerns in public, in order to preserve a positive atmosphere and avoid misunderstandings.
FAQ:
Q: What if I don't have anything that matches the other person's wish list?
A: This list is specifically based on the idea of having zero expectations. While striving to gift something you know the other person would like to receive, don't feel that you have to restrict yourself to the other person's wish list. Maybe you know of a game that has escaped their radar, or one which fills a hole in their collection, or a game which matches other interests they may have. Be creative! Remember that gaming accessories or other non-gaming items also make for great gifts and are often very well received. If you are uncertain — just ask them!
Q: Can I make an entry for a trade exchange?
A: No, this list is not intended for such exchanges. The idea is that you give a gift to another geek, without receiving anything in return from that individual, nor expecting anything in return from someone else.
Q: Can I participate more than once?
A: Yes, definitely! You can participate as often as you like. However, we ask that you do not make a new entry if you have two previous entries which have not been fulfilled yet.
Q: Is it okay to reciprocate (give a gift to someone who just gave me a gift)?
A: Of course! As long as the spirit of the gifting is maintained and the exchange was not a predetermined mutual trade, go ahead!
Q: Can I ask to be skipped? Can I also give a gift to someone who is already getting a gift from someone else? This list has inspired me and I would like to share my off-list giving. Is that okay?
A: Certainly! This chain exists to promote kindness, generosity, and to celebrate the sharing of board game love between geeks. However, in order to keep the list coherent and avoid creating forks (which can otherwise become very confusing), I ask that you adhere to the following guidelines:
• Only add a new item if you are giving a gift to the person above you (or in response to their last entry, in the event that poster has asked to be skipped or for the gift to be redirected to someone else). If you wish to be skipped, please make sure to state this clearly, and include the name of the next recipient.
• If you would like to add to a gift entry, please post in the comments for THAT entry (e.g. "I would also like to send something to John Doe").
• If you are spreading the love, but not necessarily as part of this chain, and simply wish to share how you are paying it forward, please post in the comments at the bottom of the list itself.
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- Edited Today 2:10 am
- Posted Tue Jul 7, 2015 11:47 pm
- [+] Dice rolls
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