How to do private giveaways

[JollyGood]

This will be an excellent feature for those that might need another way to drum up publicity for their name/brand.

I'm not sure that anyone will ask to set up this sort of giveaway, but I wanted to mention the possibility. If more than a few people ask me to set these up, I'll probably make it so that anyone can set them up themselves.

[theymos]

Would you consider allowing a random contest to be performed this way? For example, there will be only one item being shipped chosen from all entrants. If only one person is receiving an item, there is no reason for everyone to send their shipping address, and choosing out of unpublished codes can lead to possible claims of not actually giving anything away.

Sounds like a nice system for the Collectibles section. Would it also be possible to make the giveaway accessible to anyone, limiting the giveaway to the first [insert random amount] people, preferable with a rank above Full Member (or a different prefered rank)?

Those are possible under the current framework. For limited numbers, you can just stop accepting codes after a while. For random winners:
 1. Have people send you a Bitcoin address along with their code instead of their mailing address. Also have them save a copy of their code just in case.
 2. Every time you receive a code, publish a hash of it.
 3. Choose a winner from the public list of hashes using an acceptable method. The winner should contact you with a signed message using the Bitcoin address you negotiated before. As a fallback, they can also just give you their code again, since only they should have it, though I'd be uneasy using this as the primary method of authentication.

I think that this feature is very niche. Maybe I'm wrong, but I expect to get on average fewer than 1 giveaway-creation request per month. So I don't want to create a big, complicated system for it.

[mocacinno]

Here's the first trial: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5226618

Let's see if this works 

[ChiBitCTy]

I got what is Theymos's idea but sending a package with just an address and not a name when the package/gift you are receiving is expensive is risky. I wouldn't take a chance of not sending my name

You could use your real name with your real address. That information is probably not very secret anyone for someone who knows your address.

This feature would surely improve privacy on the forum if it is utilized. I have once mentally declined participation in a contest cause it could potentially compromise my identity and location on the forum.

I've never bought anything physical nor joined any physical giveaways because of privacy concerns. Even with this newly changed system I don't think I'll join.

Thank you Theymos for taking the time to mock this up! As I was reading it, I had LoyceV in mind.  I've had several giveaways that I wanted them to be a part of, which they surely deserve more than most. I guess there is really nothing more then that can be done,

@LoyceV ... I wonder if where you live there is some sort of service that you could get packages dropped off and held to be picked up (through prior arrangment) under an alias?  Surely something like this exists? Just a thought. Would like a service like this for myself.

I will likely do another giveaway for Iasenko and the SpamBusters soon and will definetly want to use this. Thanks again.

[LoyceV]

As I was reading it, I had LoyceV in mind.  I've had several giveaways that I wanted them to be a part of, which they surely deserve more than most.

Thanks

@LoyceV ... I wonder if where you live there is some sort of service that you could get packages dropped off and held to be picked up (through prior arrangment) under an alias?  Surely something like this exists?

I don't think that's possible. Some shops allow packages to be delivered and picked up, but they always want to know who you are. I guess it would be too easy to abuse for ordering illegal stuff if uses an alias.
I can think of a way in which someone burries a package on the beach, and sends me GPS-coordinates, but that looks like a fiat ransom payment delivery.

I will likely do another giveaway for Iasenko and the SpamBusters soon and will definetly want to use this. Thanks again.

Can theymos work with the requirement "any user who posted in topic 4720640?

[sabotag3x]

Can theymos work with the requirement "any user who posted in topic 4720640?

@theymos

Similar question.. Is it possible to filter by: User has received at least 5 merits in the Portuguese board in the last 30 days?