Opinions Requested: Finding a win/give balance.

Things can be done at the same time, keep entering giveaways and from time to time create some if you can, even small games are appreciated :)
Even taking part in the community is a big plus, don't worry too much about it :p

There are no strict rules and everything is based on common sense and personal preferences. I'd say just try to give back as much as you're comfortable with and it should be fine, because it's really nearly impossible to make any strict definitions. Let's say we'd say that if someone wins 3 times more than he donated we should consider him a greedy leecherb - on first it may sound fair, BUT - let's say now we have 2 users, let's call them Anna and Adam. Anna created 2 public GAs for GTA V preorder and Valve Complete Pack, but she won 7 GAs! 3 of them were from private group for bundle leftovers and had just 3 entries each for games worth few cents, one of GAs was from ultra hard puzzle Anna solved, 1 was from Contributor GAs (Valve Pack and GTA V earned Anna higher level), 1 was for soundtrack DLC worth 99 cents and one ended up being fake, still will count towards number of GAs Anna won. Adam on the other hand is a great user, because he also created just 2 GAs but only won 5 GAs. But his won GAs are 5 times big games, and in return he gave Avencast while it was avaiable for free at IG and free gift copy of Gun Monkeys that appeared in his inventory. But as he's below 1:3 ratio he's much better and valuable user than Anna ofc! :>

Get a ratio like mine, its the only way I shall ever respect you¹.

¹ - Not actually true.

Each one forms their own personal opinion regarding the topic but statistically global average must be way below one (wins/gifts). Personally I find the point where one can no longer play wins at the pace new ones are incoming to be a good point to have a break. Why keep collecting games if one cannot play them when somebody else could have them instead?

It shouldn't be necessary. The point of giving is to give what you can spare to those who can't afford it, mainly. Of course, nobody likes a leecher either, but it shouldn't be enforced in any way.

I gave away more games than I've won, but it wasn't always the case. I mostly give away a few games from time to time and barely ever enter giveaways lately.

I try to maintain the value of my created GA higher than the value of my wins... but that is just me.

In any case, I think everyone should contribute as they can/wish.

Do not feel like it is never okay to enter a giveaway if you have the required points, level, group, colored list, etc.
Enter it and hope to win. The games are given away for others to enjoy. Don't feel like you shouldn't just because you have won.
It is all on personal opinion though, if you do not feel like entering, then don't. If you do, then do.
If you can give then give, if you only take then take. If not you, someone else will be doing it anyways.

I, for some years, was in a position were I could hardly afford to give games away. I won some games here, some ones I played a lot, and I'm grateful for that, but my ratio wasn't balanced at all.

Now, I can afford to give a little more (sadly I can't because of region restrictions). My point is, not everyone that has a high win to give ratio is because they don't want to give away, but because they can't.

Bundled games I often give with no requirements and I don't care if the person that wins does not give back on SteamGifts. Non bundled games, I normally place a minimum Level on (depending on the value and age of the game), to encourage people to give to the community, but that is just the way I do it...

I don't have any such "personal rules", I just keep making GAs as long as I have games to give, and as long as I can afford to buy non-bundle games to give...and I still only enter gibs for games that I will actually play

There will always be leechers. But I think most of us are generous and like to share with others because we are grateful for the games that we have won.

I find myself going back and forth between entering anything on my wishlist (mostly stuff that has trading cards) because I'm a collection addict, and then other times only entering games I really want. Sometimes I don't enter because I think "Someone might really want to play that game, whereas I only want it for the cards, so I'll let someone else win this time. It depends on how greedy I am feeling at the moment. And there's also that euphoric feeling of winning. That's how compulsive gamblers get in trouble. And eBay addicts. They get that rush of feeling when they win, but the feeling doesn't last so they want it again. When I start getting that way I try to remind myself that I have over 1000 games and have more than enough to keep me busy.

I am rich, so I don't like to win. I'd like to giveaway more but sadly my Steam store is region-locked.

Only enter GAs for games you will actually play. The new site update makes that easy since you can hide all GAs for games you don't want. I'm hiding +1,300 games already.

Ps, whitelisted ;)

EDIT: almost everyone who posted in this thread is whitelisted already!

For me, the rules now are ok.

I want to thank everyone who has given their opinion on this subject so far. I may not be responding to anyone, but I am reading them and have found them all to be meaningful. This may change how I personally use steamgifts.com, a different outlook on what I believe is fair for everyone. Again, thank you all for sharing. :) (Mods, please keep the thread open for the time being for anyone else that wants to talk.)

I think it's already very fair from you to even think about the possibility too many wins could be unfair. Personally I like to keep my giving ratio clearly above my winning ratio. I so love this site. Gifting is the fun part, doing puzzles and stuff. Of course I enjoy winning too. As my Steam library is getting bigger I find less and less GAs to enter though, so I only enter for games I intend to play.

Like some said it already, if you are thinking about it you're already on the right path, I think the best is to give how much you can and feel confortable giving since winning is mostly luck. And well remember there's always sites like msf.org or any other of the many otther ways to be generous(or just a proper Human Being), one of the big reasons I don't judge people who wins more than they have given here, it does not mean this person is not as charitable as you, no matter how much I like this site in the end it's just a site for gifting and winning games.

I don't usually think of it as a win/give balance, but more of a buy one for me, buy one to give away balance; the rest takes care of itself. I figure if I'm giving myself a treat, I may as well share a bit.

Opinions Requested. So..

I join Steamgifts because I want to Share. Winning games is good, but Sharing is my top priority.
Some though may join /only/ to grab all the gifts on sight, but hey! That doesn't mean it's a bad thing (At least for me) because I'm okay either ways and I think it's the purpose of us joining Steamgifts in the first place. To share or To win.

The truth is I don't care much if no participants leave me a word "Thank you" in the first place. Or How many games they give. Or How many hours they play. etc.

I live a happy life by not over-thinking it too much. And I don't want to make things complicate.
"Happy doing it, then Go for it!" Simply as that.