Hard Truth: Because I Won’t Let the Evil Algorithms Keep Joy Down

On Friday the 18th, my friends Scott Stratten and Alison Kramer launched their 3rd annual UnSecret Santa mission. They invite people to post their Amazon Wishlists openly on the Unmarketing Facebook page and there, people from around the world can go to a list, make a purchase, and fulfill the Christmas wish of a complete stranger. For those with more money than time, they also share how you can send Scott and Alison an Amazon gift card directly and they’ll go shopping for you.

Not only did I send Scott and Alison a digital gift card, I tried to share their amazing mission to my Facebook page.

Twice.

And you know what happened? Facebook said, “Hey, this is stupid. We’re not going to show this to your audience.”

As of this morning, both posts have been seen (COMBINED) by only 800 people out of 30,000+ on the page.

And that’s bullshit.

I refuse to let the evil Facebook algorithms keep the holiday joy down this year — especially given that I just wrote this about how we have to create our own joy, especially when it comes to social media.

So today’s hard truth is that you can’t let some bullshit keep you down when you’re on a mission to be a part of the good shit in this world.

That’s why I’m dedicating an entire post to the Unsecret Santa Mission.

There are 2 ways to get involved: You can BE an Unsecret Santa or you can ASK for help from an Unsecret Santa.

Because let’s face it — the holidays can be a tough time when the world’s decided to kick you in the ass at the wrong time of year. While there’s never a good time, the holidays can be hard, especially for people with kids, when you’re doing your damnedest to keep on keeping on.

If you want to ASK for help from an Unsecret Santa

Just head on over to the Unsecret Santa thread and post you Amazon Wishlist. BE SURE YOUR LIST IS SET TO SHIP — THIS IS IMPORTANT. Note that your shipping address will remain confidential and your Unsecret Santa won’t see it — they’ll just select “ship” and magic will appear on your doorstep. Here’s how to set up a list of your very own. Otherwise, people can’t send you anything! BOOOOO. I think it’s amazing that people are being vulnerable enough to share why they’re asking for help. What I’d also like for you to do is post your list in either the blog comment or on my Facebook page so our community can choose to help one of their fellow community members.If you want to BE an Unsecret Santa

Just head over to the Unsecret Santa thread and start scrolling through the wish lists on the thread. I’ve chosen to work from the bottom up on the thread so those lists get attention. But do what you do an how you do it.

If you don’t have time to shop and just want to help the cause, you can send Scott and Alison an Amazon gift card or Paypal donation to use for the cause via email to: scottprivate AT un-marketing dot com.

And if you don’t have the means to help but you still want to help

Why not share Scott and Alison’s post with a friend you know of in need this holiday season? You just might be the person who didn’t spend a dime and helped someone else have a more cheer-filled holiday.

And that’s it. We can choose to be a part of the good in the world. So go forth and santa the shit out of something for a stranger. Ask for help if this is your year to need a helping hand.

And never forget — there’s good shit in this world. We CHOOSE to be a part of it.