"Gifts"

The Gifts feature you are all seeing on your home page is apparently something our network server, Ning, put up. It's basically a moneymaking thing for them- you buy credits, send virtual hugs or flowers or kittens or what-have-you. As this is a not-for-profit site I'm looking into having Gifts removed. For now, you can just ignore it.

(I myself don't see the value in virtual gifts. In fact, if someone gave me a virtual pony, I'd assume the person was making fun of my deep-seated desire to own a real pony.)