An Update on Changes to SantaTrackers.net

Over the weekend we introduced a new interactive elf community here on SantaTrackers.net. It is the basis for a lot of new additions and capabilities Santa wants elves and fans alike to enjoy this year.

The new platform is designed to get elves talking and sharing. But it will also serve many useful purposes for the North Pole. We will be rolling out those features in the weeks ahead. Our goal is to have them all in place by Christmas in July. Santa wants to make sure we are ready for what he calls “an explosion” in Santa tracker activity in 2021.

We (the intrepid staff of SantaTrackers.net) are not sure exactly what Santa means by that. But we do know what he wants us and you to be able to do here.

So, in answer to your many questions, here is an overview of what is coming and, frankly, a summary of what I know that I can share with you at this time. I am writing this to answer some of the more anxious questions we have been receiving (which are mostly about new elf jobs that might open — and believe me, there are a TON of them:

• Two kinds of elves – Over the years we have struggled with two kinds of elves: those who come here wanting to work for Santa in a private kind of way and those who want to work as part of the overall elf community. We have found a way to meet the needs of both. Going forward, we will have elves who we will call Free Agent Elves and others who will be North Pole Contracted Elves. Free Agent Elves will have access to tracker news and reporting capabilities, so they can help Santa get around the world from wherever they are. These are elves who work alone and report to no one. They are free to contribute as much or as little as they want – they are their own elf boss. North Pole Contracted Elves will work within the Elf Community here at SantaTrackers.net. They will have an elf supervisor, access to the Elf Activity Wall, and the ability to take on special positions within Santa’s Department of Elves. These are elves who are serious about having an elf career, perhaps even working at the North Pole someday as an elf. These are the elves who will take advantage of all the features listed below (and a lot of others). There are millions of Free Agent Elves…and relatively few North Pole Contracted Elves. As always, there is no charge here at SantaTrackers.net for participating in any way.
• Activity Points – Elves in the community will be awarded points based on their activity. This system is still under development. It will be a means of recognizing those elves who do good work by being active in elf affairs online. We may even use it now and then to award special elf prizes.
• Badges – As elves participate in the work of being elves they will be able grow skills and be awarded badges for their accomplishments and the jobs they hold. The badges are shown in profiles and in “About Me” sections of the community.
• Ranks – The more points you acquire, the longer you participate in the elf community, and the more you do to help Santa recruit more elves, the higher you will rank as an elf.
• Groups – Groups of Elves of all types will be added to the community over time. These can range from geographical tracker groups to groups dedicated to something in elf culture. You can be in a group and participate in their activities or even run your own group.
• Podcasts – A number of tracker elves have expressed the desire to host their own podcast. We will make this happen by certifying elves for podcasts served right here on SantaTrackers.net. That’s right: we’ll host your podcast, help you get it published and share it with the elf community. All you have to do is create the podcast it, record it and upload it.
• News Reports – We welcome the written reporting efforts of Santa Trackers all over the world. In fact, we want to share what tracking news you have out there where you are from. We will provide a process for becoming an elf reporter and sharing your news — all right here on SantaTrackers.net.
• City Captains – We have several city captains now. And we’re looking for more.
• State Representatives – We likewise have open positions for State Elf Representatives to fill this year. Many of them!
• Country Ambassadors – We have almost 200 country ambassador positions to fill this year. In a change, you don’t have to live in a country to represent that country (though we would prefer it). Our goal is to get every one of the countries on the globe represented.
• Editorial Positions – We have other needs for editorial positions as part of the News Department at the North Pole. As an official writer for the North Pole Public Relations Department your work might be featured here, or at SantaUpdate.com or at NorthPoleFlightCommand.com. We need elves who can share their talents on everything from Christmas movie reviews to recipe sharing.
• Media Jobs – Other media jobs include North Pole Radio News reporters, social media managers, and digital media specialists. If you have creative talents in these areas and you’d like to do them as an elf, we’ll make use of your abilities.
• Group Managers – We have some groups of our own creation that will need managers.
• Community Moderators – We will need moderators to help keep the elf boards moving and safe. We need help meeting the needs of elves who come here from all over.
• Social Media Elves – If you are an expert on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Snap Chat or other social media platforms we have elf work that needs to be done!

This is just the beginning.

Please do no respond to this post by asking ME for a new job. These things will be rolled out over several months. Please watch the appropriate places in the groups set aside for jobs. Elf Sandy Claus of the Department of Elf Resources will be handling the posting of these jobs and the application process. I’m just your friendly neighborhood web geek with NO IDEA what goes into getting new jobs for anxious elves. Our new community is all about keeping things organized. So please be patient, learn the new platform, and be ready to address your questions to the right elf.

And that’s another thing: you’ll see more elves here online than ever before. Some you’ve never had personal contact with. This is one of Santa’s requests: to get more of our more well known elves here on the boards and interfacing with you. Santa isn’t giving them more time to do this. This is work above and beyond what their usual duties are. So be patient with them. They are learning these things right along side you. They need time to get used to it.

As always, we appreciate your ideas and suggestions. The work between now and Christmas in July will be to get all this stuff in place and working. Those of you who are dedicated enough to being here are appreciated for your loyalty and dedication. You will be the first elves we recognize. Please don’t be shy in sharing what you think we should be doing or where we can improve.

Elf Ernest may be making announcements on the new features briefly discussed above as they roll out. Or, he may ask me to do it. Or maybe Roger Star will have a hand in it. In any event, we’re going to roll them out one-by-one and do our best to answer your questions as we go along.

Thanks.

About this Elf: Elf Max

Elf Max is the webmaster of SantaTrackers.net and Executive Director of the Elf Community. Max has worked in computer systems web development for many years. He has been an anchor for the tracker elf program and has been with this project from the very beginning. When he's not tweaking the website he's running off to fix someone's computer.