Hello, everyone! My apologies for the delay on the 2026 season update post – shortly after my last update, my laptop gave up the ghost. I’m convinced there’s an event runner’s curse that functions similarly to the AO3 writer’s curse.
Please read for a list of changes for the 2026 event season. These changes will soon be reflected in the rules, though this will be delayed a bit; the theme needs a few updates for accessibility’s sake. A TL;DR will also be available at the bottom of this post under the line 'DNSS V2.6 Changelog', though it is still required that the rules be read in full by the time of a participant’s entry.
Receiving Assignments
Given the blog’s previous shadowban, it’s safe to assume that assigning prompts via DMs is no longer an option if the event is to be kept safe from Tumblr’s spam filters. Following the success of the event restoration method of assigning prompts via email, this will be the way Santas receive their assignments going forward. Participants will be emailed at the address they provide in a short-answer response on the entry form.
This method was significantly cleaner and easier to keep track of than sending Santas their assignments via Tumblr DMs. In the past, it was necessary to break assignment messages into multiple parts or host the text submission on another website. Distributing prompts via email removed this issue and allowed prompts to be distributed in their original form in an accessible, mostly plain-text PDF format. This also made it easier for Santas to refer back to their assignments. I’m confident in saying that this change will be a net positive.
I know a few have previously expressed concerns with this method, mainly involving not wanting to take the event off of Tumblr, legal names, and lack of desire to create another email. (To the second point, I can offer some reassurance that Santas are never referred to by their legal names, only by URLs and the names publicly listed on their Tumblrs, and this information is not stored anywhere.) If this change to the event means you are unable or unwilling to take part, I wish you the best and hope you find an event that works for you.
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Event Time Frame
The general time frame for any given iteration of the event will look something like this, to be explicitly outlined at the start of each season:
August: Promo/reminder post about the upcoming season published.
August – September (range): The entry form opens and promo is conducted.
Depending on demand, the entry form will stop accepting responses between a month and a month and a half from its opening. Entries to participate will stop being accepted no later than October 31st.
End of entry period – December 24th (roughly two months): Gifts are created.
December 24th – January 2nd: Gifts are to be posted during this time.
January 31st: Last day to publish late gifts without penalty if you have requested an extension. As in all previous years, if your gift is going to be late, you must notify the mod of this without being prompted in order to avoid probationary statuses for the next year’s event.
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Entry Form Response Length
The response length for any given answer on the entry form (what are your likes, what are your dislikes, what do you not want to receive, etc.) will be capped at 250 words per response going forward.
I recognize that some of you have very specific wants and squicks. This change is being put in place to ensure that all Santas are asked to put in roughly the same amount of work to fulfill their prompts. I’ve received feedback that extremely long responses are a ‘barrier to entry’ where prompt fulfillment is concerned. In addition, a lot of work goes into running this event, and it’s harder for me to pair people when there’s 1000+ words of an entry to read through.
I’m hopeful that this change will also lead to folks getting more personalized/thoughtful gifts since their Santas are less likely to become overwhelmed. As always, Santas will be provided with their giftee’s URL and are encouraged to reach out via anon ask if they would like more information.
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On-Time Gift Fulfillment Prompting
One of the changes for the 2025 season was that all participants who have not submitted their gifts within two days of the gift week’s end will receive one (1) message asking about the status of their gift. This change turned out to be a good idea that helped a few folks get back on track, so it will remain in place. As before, this message is not personal and is just an effort to ensure everyone gets a gift.
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Late Gift Fulfillment Prompting (or lack thereof)
For years, the rules have read that if your gift is going to be late, you are to inform the mod without being prompted to do so to avoid disciplinary action. I have been a little bit lenient on this and have sent ‘courtesy check’ messages about late gifts to participants who have not reached out. However, this has consistently resulted in a handful of people promising dates that come and go without fulfillment, resulting in me needing to follow up over and over again. Technically, these individuals should have faced some sort of event status effect for failing to follow the rules.
In 2026 and beyond, the responsibility to follow event rules re: late gift notification will be strictly enforced. I will not be performing any sort of courtesy outreach if your gift is late and you haven’t reached out – you will be issued a ban from the event as outlined in the current (and future) rules. As reading the rules in full is a requirement to participate, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
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Conduct Expectations
There’s not an easy way to present this one – if you have been rude in the past, please be nicer, or you will not be permitted to participate. The vast majority of you are absolutely lovely. Unfortunately, there’s a handful of people who are not.
Across the multiple years this event has run, I’ve only had one instance of an event participant being rude to another. However, when it’s specified to be nice to your other participants, this includes the mod. There have been instances of participants acting extremely rude and/or entitled towards me across the years, and it’s recently increased to the point where this needs to be mentioned. I honestly hoped I wouldn’t have to say this, but please remember that I am a person with a job, life, and feelings outside of this event, not just a faceless mod.
If I have missed a stated and promised deadline, please bring it to my attention. However, do not email/message me angry about a completely arbitrary deadline of your own making that was never stated anywhere. If you are contacted because you broke the rules, do not throw insults at me or state that the rules are unfair – you’re welcome to feel that way, but you consented to them when you entered the event. If you’re asking a question, please be polite; don’t be passive-aggressive or take the opportunity to couple that question with an insult about how the event is run. Don’t act like a dick in whatever way you may be reading this and wondering if you can still get away with. Just… don’t. Please.
I have been kind of a pushover and have brushed off all but the most egregious occurrences of this, because I don’t like to ban, but this is an event that I run in my spare time out of genuine love for the fandom, and I should not have to put up with being treated like a punching bag. Behavior that is against the rules is noted once it occurs, and it’s not one strike per event season – it is one strike, period. If you are rude in the future, you will be given one neutrally-stated warning. If you continue, you will be permanently banned from participating in this event.
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Thanks for reading! That's all from me for now; my next task will be to update the theme to make it a bit more accessible, then synchronize the rules to fit with these changes. As promised, TL;DR below.
TL;DR
DNSS V2.6 Changelog
Specified permanent switch to email for the method of prompt distribution.
Specified the general time frame for this event.
Added a cap to entry form response length of 250 words or less per item.
Encoded the two-day courtesy message near the end of the gift fulfillment week as a permanent process step moving forward.
Removed courtesy outreach to late Santas to match the rules and expectations of this event.
Asked participants who have been or are inclined to be rude to please give me a break.
