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"It's more rewarding to give than receive (or so they say), and the holidays are no exception.\nBut if your family and friends are geographically spread out, or too busy with work, present-buying can be a difficult task \u2014 especially if you don't know what the person you're shopping for really wants.\nSee also: 15 Holiday Gifts That Give Back\nElfster is an online platform for gift-giving. Launched in 2004, the website serves as a social media network for \"Secret Santa\" schemes and holiday wish lists. It's free to use, so long as you have an email account, and it has more than 1.8 million users.\n\n\n\n\n\nWe talked to founder Peter Imburg about the platform's earnest roots, its just-released iPhone app and the future of online holiday shopping.\nQ&amp;A With Elfster Founder Peter Imburg\nImage: Peter Imburg\nSo how did this whole thing start?\nIt all began in a basement \u2014 seriously. I was living in Oakland, Calif., in 2004, and it was around Thanksgiving. I was trying to think of a way to help my family organize our Secret Santa gift exchange. We had all gotten kind of spread out, with different people living in Portland, Florida, Utah, Washington. The whole \"pull-names-out-of-a-hat\" idea wasn't really an option. I had a background working in finance and tech, and some coding experience, so I threw together a site just for us to use. It was a huge hit.\nSee also: How to shop discreetly at work\nWhen did you make it available to the public?\nThat same year. 2004 was kind of the era of Friendster, so we thought the name \"Elfster\" would be funny. I didn't have high expectations at first; I was just putting it up for free because it had gone over so well with my family. But that first year it had about 24,000 people sign up \u2014 and I thought, \"OK, I might be onto something here.\"\nPeople who sign up for the Secret Santa feature can choose from a list of selected gifts. How do you decide which gifts to feature?\nThe gift ideas are largely organic; they mainly come from reviewing and curating what people are putting on their wish lists. We're just looking at what's popular and what's new, then categorizing the next big things.\nWhat are some of the newer features you've added since you first launched in 2004?\nThere's the iPhone app, which we're really excited about. We're launching an app for Android devices soon as well. But we've added a lot more to it since 2004. It's still a Secret Santa service, but you can also make online wish lists and see which gifts are most trending.\nThere's also the \"secret\" Question and Answer section, where you can anonymously ask someone a question without them knowing it. So, say you've started a Secret Santa and you're not sure what to get the person you've been assigned. You can send them a question through Elfster, with your identity hidden, and find out more about what they'd like. I've found it's important to let people know what you want \u2014 and especially what you don't want.\nDo you think this takes away from the intimacy of traditional gift-giving and -receiving?\nI don't think so. It's a variation of a classic for our times; it enhances it, if anything, and makes it possible in situations where it might not have worked for people in the past. It helps foster connections for spread-out families, too. This fun, traditional game of Secret Santa, you know \u2014 this just delivers the same idea of generosity to places where it was previously impossible.\nYou can sign up for a free account of your own online.\nBONUS: 20 Secret Santa Gifts Under $20\n\n\n\nGeeky Secret Santa Gifts Under $20\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1. 'Like' Line Picture Hangers\n\n\nTotally Perfect for: That Facebook fanatic at work who is always first to \"Like\" everyone's posts. \nCost: $11.99\nImage: Fred and Friends\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n2. Camera Hand Mirror\n\n\nTotally Perfect for:  That insatiable selfie snapper who's been guilty of a few duckfaces in their time. \nCost: $4\nImage: GAMAGO\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n3. Reboot Power Charm\n\n\nTotally Perfect for:  That person whose answer to everything is \"have you tried turning it off and on?\"\nCost: $2.99\nImage: Perpetual Kid\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n4. Year of the Critter 2014 Calendar in Corgi\n\n\nTotally Perfect for:  That person who is constantly sharing corgi pics, vids and Vines. \nCost: $11.99\nImage: ModCloth\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n5. 8-Bit LED Holiday Wreath\n\n\nTotally Perfect for:  That person who always takes decorating their cubicle one festive bauble too far. \nCost: $15.99\nImage: ThinkGeek\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n6. Creative Outlets Stickers\r\n\n\nTotally Perfect for:  That person who thinks googly eyes are a perfect solution to any problem. \nCost: $2.99\nImage: Perpetual Kid\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n7. Hands Magnet Kit\n\n\nTotally Perfect for:  That guy from the IT department who doesn't seem to have any personality... sorry, \"hobbies.\" \nCost: $10.90\nImage: Meninos\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n8. MirrorBook Air\n\n\nTotally Perfect for:  Mac fan boys.\nCost: Varies; available for under $20\nImage: w3shstore\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n9. Ledokalkulator Ice Tray\n\n\nTotally Perfect for: That person from the accounts department that needs to chill out a bit. \nCost: $11\nImage: Art Lebedev\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n10. Shark with Frickin' Laser Pointer\r\n\r\n\n\nTotally Perfect for:  That person whose presentations could use a little extra pizazz. \nCost: $12.99\nImage: ThinkGeek\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n11. Uglydoll Android Ox\n\n\nTotally Perfect for:  That Android advocate that will talk your ear off about how superior Google's mobile OS is.\nCost: $17.10\nImage: Google\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n12.  LEGO Business Card Holder\n\n\nTotally Perfect for: That grown-up executive person who you know would rather be building something awesome with bricks.\nCost: $14.99\nImage: LEGO\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n13. iPhone Lanyard\n\n\nTotally Perfect for:  That person whose iPhone never leaves their hands. Even in the restroom. \nCost: $4.99\nImage: Perpetual Kid\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n14. Instagram Woven Patch\n\n\nTotally Perfect for:  That person who is always up in your Instagram feed. \nCost: $4.99\nImage: IDHatShop/Etsy\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n15. Pantone Universe Artist and Writer\u2019s Notebook\n\n\nTotally Perfect for: Creative types who still use pen and paper. Hipsters.  \nCost: $14.95 \nImage: Pantone\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n16. Hashtag Chalkboard\n\n\nTotally Perfect for: That person who actually uses the word \"hashtag\" in conversation. \nCost: $15\nImage: sliverpicker/Etsy\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n17. DIY Comic Strip Photo Frame\r\n\n\nTotally Perfect for: That person who still hasn't got over their comic book phase.\nCost: $19.99\nImage: Spinning Hat/Amazon\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n18. My Cuppa Coffee\n\n\nTotally Perfect for: That fussy, sorry, particular person who is rather prescriptive about how their coffee should be made.\nCost: $14.48 \nImage: Suck UK/Amazon\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n19. iCube App Puzzle\n\n\nTotally Perfect for: The office fidget.\nCost: $2.59\nImage: Office Playground\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n20. Color Me Good: Ryan Gosling Coloring Book\n\n\nTotally Perfect for:  Are you kidding? Anyone.\nCost: $13.99\nImage: ModCloth\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.\nImages: Flickr, Jennifer C.; Peter Imburg"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2013/12/05/elfster/>