Is this something that usually happens?

[winter_blossom]

First time making a non-Guardian-centric post here. This is not a trend I intend to continue, but I'm sufficiently confused that I consider it justified.

Anyway!

Today I got an email which said, "Someone has chosen to upgrade your Dreamwidth Studios account."

My first thought: It's spam mail. Went and checked my profile. It now says "Paid Account, expires on 2020-12-06."

Second thought: OMG, I accidentally bought an account while sleep-surfing the web! (Sleep-surfing is something I really do. Granted, I'm just incredibly drowsy, not actually asleep ^^) Went and checked my debit card balance: still intact. Phew! (The exchange rate is at its most brutal these days, and I can't afford to spend a single USD)

Third: Christmas promo from DW. But if that's the case, they'd have said so in the email, right? Plus, I joined only in April so they have no reason to reward me with anything.

Fourth: Someone actually... Gifted me a paid account!? Having spent 18 years on the interwebs and receiving nothing more than a handful of compliments and/or critiques on my meta/review-writing skills means I found this the hardest to believe, somehow ^_^

So! If this isn't a fluke and someone did gift me: Thank you very much! I'm honoured!

If it is a fluke: lucky me, I guess? Lol. Hope they don't/can't revoke it!

But now I have a different problem: I have no idea what to do with a paid account. Maybe I can finally post that "Guardian characters' Hogwarts houses" poll I've been dying to make... Though everyone here is probably a bit too mature for Harry Potter, so more than just my inability to create a poll has been holding me back. (I literally grew up with HP: the 7th book came out barely 5 months before my own 17th birthday, and I unironically adore everything about those novels - have no interest in seeing the movies - although there seems to be a universal agreement among fantasy fans that it isn't all that. I rarely read/watch western fantasy, so I have no idea whether they're right or not ^_^)


Oh, and! I'm not sure whether acknowledging anon gifts in public is against Dreamwidth etiquette. If it is, I hope someone will let me know so I can delete this post. ETA: I guess not? Okay, then!

Comments

[glymr]

Hey winter_blossom! I was not the one who gifted the paid accounts, but some nice holiday fairy does seem to have gone through the Guardian fandom and gifted a bunch of them this morning. For example, here and here!

This used to be common practice in ye olde Livejournal days, for people who could afford to do so to anonymously gift paid accounts to other users as birthday or holiday gifts. :)

As to what to do with it, it can be useful to upload images, increase icon slots, etc. You can also upload a custom mood theme (like Naye's!) I'm sure your mysterious benefactor wasn't trying to pressure you in any way, and if it's not something you can make a lot of use of, don't worry about it. You may discover as you hang out on DW over the course of the next year that there are things you can do that you couldn't before; if you do, enjoy them! :) No matter what, I'm certain that you won't lose your access (until it expires), so relax and have fun with it while you've got it.

I, personally, would love to see a Hogwarts House poll. I tend to have strong feelings about such things. XP XD

[winter_blossom]

Thanks for the info! That's good to know.

Since both you and clevermanka have expressed their enthusiasm, I'm gonna go ahead with the poll. Since now I'm sure there'll be at least 3 participants XD

[goss]

Hi hi! Here via Network - Just popping in to add to the other people who commented about the popularity of Harry Potter.

Though everyone here is probably a bit too mature for Harry Potter

GURL YOU HAVE NO IDEA. I think that particular fandom defies age. The fandom is/was HUGE - many of the folks round these parts were probably into Harry Potter at some point. I still enjoy the occasional fic. In fact, just yesterday I was trawling around the internet looking for HP-themed Christmas ornaments to add to my tree. ^___^

And at work today, a whole bunch of staff, all 30-40 years old, were squeeing over the latest line of Pandora bracelet charms. The theme? That's right...HARRY POTTER. *g*

[winter_blossom]

Those charms!!! *_*

Now I consider myself honour-bound to do that poll, considering all the nice responses I've been getting about the idea :D

[clevermanka]

Though everyone here is probably a bit too mature for Harry Potter
HA HA HA HA NOPE #Slytherin5Evah

What a lovely gift!

[winter_blossom]

What a lovely gift!

It really is!

My Pottermore house is Slytherin. I was 100% game for any house other than Hufflepluff (sorry, Hufflepuff!) but I really didn't think Slytherin suited me. Went and took a "more accurate" questionnaire and ended up with Ravenclaw, which is more my speed, tbh.

[clevermanka]

Hufflepuffs are my ride or die! If I was less Machiavellian I would probably be one. Just took the linked test and my numbers for Slytherin and Hufflepuff were the exact same. =D

[winter_blossom]

Someone else who took that questionnaire said they also got 50-50 on Hufflepuff and Slytherin, which made them doubt its accuracy. I kind of agreed because... Those houses are polar opposites? (Not doubting your results, of course! Just wondering about their processing method. Still, it gave me the exact right House so I'm still gonna believe it more than Pottermore XD)

I've always thought the distinction between Gryffindor and Slytherin was the least clear, despite them being presented as polar opposites, because the classic Gryffindor self-righteousness sounds like something that could easily go in the wrong direction, or be used to justify a hella lot of manipulation and double-crossing in the name of "doing the right thing."

[clevermanka]

I agree Slytherin and Hufflepuff are the two most diametrically opposed houses, which is why we work together so beautifully. Also fun confirmation that I contain multitudes. =D

[trobadora]

Lots of people read Harry Potter as adults, so I don't think there's such a thing as "too mature for HP". :)

[winter_blossom]

Haha good to know! HP is strictly considered "kids' stuff" in my country, so I never let on to anyone irl that I still love it more than, say, Game of Thrones.

[ratbones]

Congrats on the gift! I'd be down for the Hogwarts house poll. I'm a Gryffindor. This will probably surprise no one. :D

[winter_blossom]

You're right, it doesn't surprise me at all ^_^ Though you'd probably be good for Ravenclaw, too.

As I was saying to clevermanka, just above, Pottermore put me in Slytherin. I was totally okay with the House itself, only it didn't suit me at all? I took a "more accurate" test and ended up in Ravenclaw instead, which really is more accurate, imo. Though who knows? Maybe the Sorting Hat would find hitherto undiscovered reserves of ambitiousness and manipulativeness in me ;)

[ratbones]

Aaand that test also put me in Ravenclaw. o.o Well, it only asks what I'm good at, not what my values are, so that's not so surprising. You definitely do seem more Ravenclaw-ish to me, though!

While we're listing quizzes, this one is weird and interesting. It basically puts you in two Houses, so I don't take it too seriously (was I taking any of this seriously? lol) but it's fun. It considers me Gryffindor primary, Slytherin secondary.

[abyss_valkyrie]

Who is too mature for HP?! *typing while checking out the HP mini-fest*
I think the best thing is that you can have lots of userpics.NO MORE WORRIES ABOUT SPACE!
PS.I got visited by the fairy too.XD I thought it was an April fool's prank until I remembered that it was November.

[winter_blossom]

I'm definitely gonna do the poll, considering how everyone who replied to this post said the same thing you did ;) Just waiting until the Yuletide, New Years' etc., rush dies down.

I thought it was an April fool's prank until I remembered that it was November.

LOL!