Secret Santa Goes High-Tech

Getting gifts for everyone on your list can be overwhelming, which is why families, co-workers and friends often opt to do a "Secret Santa" gift exchange.

But even the details of "Secret Santa" can get complicated: How do you find out what your person will like without revealing your identity? How do you find out their shirt size without sneaking into their closet late at night? What if you pick the same person as last year?

Oakland resident Peter Imburg has the answer. Mastermind of www.elfster.com, an online "Secret Santa" service that allows users to sign up for gift exchanges, Imburg has taken the stress out of holiday giving.

With more than 11,000 santas registered, Elfster is taking off like a turbo-powered sleigh, much to the surprise and delight of Imburg, who started the site as a way to streamline his own family's gift exchange.

A self-proclaimed "geek" and a software engineer by day, Imburg came up with the idea for Elfster during his daily commute. He spent all his subsequent free time creating the site, which allows participants to coordinate exchanges, update wish lists and "Do Not Need" lists (no more pink piggy statuettes, please) and even set up a charitable contribution network with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Imburg says his favorite feature on the site is the function that allows "elves" to ask each other pertinent questions (such as shoe size, favorite color or musical preference) without revealing their identity.

With the flood of thank-you e-mails and rave reviews that swell Imburg's inbox every day, Elfster is on its way to being the new Rudolph.

Imburg says that if by the end of the season he can break even on expenses and raise a fair amount of money for charities, he'll feel good. In the spirit of giving, Elfster gets an A-plus.