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Announcement: Decided Issues/Where to Suggest (Up: 8/10) READ HERE FIRST!!
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Post: 6641016_16 created on Fri May 05, 2006 3:02 amPosted: Fri May 05, 2006 3:02 am
Tattoos/Piercings/Contacts Update: 6-18-06
Body art! Avatar customization to the max! You want a butterfly on your stomach? Maybe a spider on your arm? Earrings or other body piercings? Contacts to change your Avatar's eye color? Clothing is not the only form of self expression, eh? These are all on their way. In fact, we have earrings already in the Barton Jewelers shop.

At the recent FanimeCon 2006 convention, the admins also said that tatoos will be coming very very soon, and are currently waiting on some alterations to the avatar system. No word on when we'll see the contacts yet.

All topics asking for tattoos, piercings, or contacts will be recycled. Suggestions on specific tattoos, piercings, or contacts to be made available should be submitted to the Item Suggestion Thread.Discussion on how tattoos/piercings will work is allowed so long as (you guessed it!) there are not too many already existing threads on the topic.
 
     
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Post: 6641016_17 created on Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:22 amPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:22 am
 
Jobs Update: 5-12-05
So you don't want to simply explore the site and talk to other users and do your own thing, eh? You'd like more direction and something specific to do to earn your gold. Besides, it's a role-playing site, right? So let's work for our gold! No details have yet been released on this planned feature, but it is coming.

All topics asking for jobs will be recycled. If you'd like to discuss ways to implement this feature, feel free to do so as long as there not too many already existing threads currently discussing this topic.
     
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Post: 6641016_18 created on Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:27 amPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:27 am
More Games/Mini-Games Updated 6-18-06
Games games games games!!!! We know you want them! There was even a poll for them a while back which allowed us all to say what kind of games we'd prefer to see.

Currently we've got the Slots and Blackjack at the Casino, the Fishing game, and Towns (if you consider Towns a game). They also announced a new 'Word Bump' game at the FanimeCon 2006 convention which is currently being worked on.

Threads created asking for 'more games', 'mini-games', etc.. will be recycled. Threads created asking for a certain type of mini-game will also be recycled, since the poll already served to let Gaians say which type of games they prefer.

If you have more specific suggestions on games you'd like to see in Gaia, such as, "I'd like to see a game like leap frog, where you have to try and get through moving objects." or, "I'd like to see a poker game where I could play against other users." you can feel free to make those suggestions.... however, those threads really belong more in the Gaia Gaming Discussion Forum than here in Site Feedback and might be moved there if they are created here.
 
     
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Post: 6641016_19 created on Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:29 amPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:29 am
 
Wigs Update:6-18-06
Wigs Wigs Wigs! A long-time request of many Gaians, it might be nice to know that aside from the recent wig released with the Casino prize items, and the Sasha wig released during the storyline event, more wigs are in Gaia's future. However, there will never be wigs obtainable from the existing hairstyles. Like the real world, it will always be true in Gaia that not all hair is a wig. Ouch! No pulling! Mine is real!

All topics asking for wigs, of any type, will be recycled. If you want to suggest a particular type of hairstyle for a wig, please place these suggestions in the Item Suggestion Thread
     
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Post: 6641016_20 created on Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:31 amPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:31 am
More Stores! Update: 3-30-06
Gaia needs more stores and more shopkeepers! Rest assured that the admins have heard your cry. As Gaia has expanded in the past as the need came with new stores it will continue to do so in the future. As always, the were and the when of this are a mystery, but something new is always in motion.

Any and all threads that say, "I think we should have more stores" will be recycled. Other discussion about the details of a new store: what it looks like, what it contains, etc., are most welcome here so long as they do not conflict with one of the other topics listed in this thread. Ie: No threads asking for a weapons store, etc.
 
     
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Post: 6641016_21 created on Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:36 amPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:36 am
 
Impracticalities: Deletion of old/unused/neverlogged/etc.. accounts
Why this isn't done and never will be....
  • Deletion of an account would create various other problems for which there are, with Gaia's make-up, no solutions.
    Simply said, deleting accounts would cause other parts of the site to break. Deleting an account means removing data, much of the data is used in many parts of the site and removing a portion of the data would cause more problems than just leaving it there.

Okay... so why don't you at least change the names on these accounts? (I knew you'd ask that!)
    Banned Accounts
  • It's always a possibility... no matter how unlikely in most instances, that a mistake was made or a decision will be reconsidered and an account will be unbanned.

    Zero Posts
  • Even if an account has zero posts, it doesn't mean that it's not being used. It simply means that account hasn't participated in Gaia's forums. It could be used as a storage mule by someone with a more active account, or perhaps by someone who likes to participate in the non-forum activities on the site.
  • Users also sometimes make accounts and then don't use them very much... look around, leave, and come back later on when something about the site interests them.

    Never Logged In
  • Many of these accounts are because something glitched and the activation e-mail was never received. Even months after the fact, these accounts are sometimes eventually activated and then used.

Any and all threads asking for accounts to be deleted/renamed/etc.. will be recycled.
     
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Post: 6641016_22 created on Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:37 amPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:37 am
Impracticalities: Shut down the site for a week to fix everything!

Brief Summary: Gaia runs on a live code base. This means that if the site is shut down, there is no way to find the errors. Much less fix them.

An excerpt from the Gaia journal of VO, one of the Gaia Admins:
"VO"
I'd just like to clear up some misconceptions about the site.

We are not a single collective person that works on one feature and then puts everything else on hold in order to finish it.

Item updates have NOTHING to do with the site stability or the bugs and glitches you find around the site. The reason we are having problems is because we are suffering from what is called "growing pains."

As you may or may not know, our userbase is constantly growing(FAST). As such, our infrastructure needs to be able to scale with the size our our userbase. It's not just a simple matter of, shut the site down and fix it. That's really not even a solution because there is no way to know what's causing a bug to happen unless people are using the site.

If there was some magic guide book that tells you how to build a system to handle the massive load we get from users posts, item granting, avatar rendering(and all the other bazillion things our site does), believe me, we would be using it. People need to understand that few have ever built a site like this, and that we're still figuring it out ourselves.

Threads that ask for the site to be shut down so that errors can be fixed will be recycled.
 
     
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Post: 6641016_23 created on Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:40 amPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:40 am
 
Impracticalities: Fix all the bugs before you add new features!!

Brief Summary: Bug fixes are always being worked on. Forcing all staff to stop work on new features would not get bugs fixed any faster. New features are already sometimes delayed while waiting on bug fixes.

An excerpt from the Gaia Journal of VO, one of the Gaia Admins:
"VO"
I just wanted everyone to know that the Gaia developers are always constantly working on the site. Things are glitchy now, but we are working on it. Our backend system is still developing(which is why we are still in Alpha phase). It is still developing because it needs to work fast when ultimately millions of people will access it all at the same time. We're definitely not ready for that yet, but we are doing the best we can to get there. If you've been on Gaia last year, you'll see that we've made great strides in making the site more stable and much faster. We will continue to iron out all the bugs as we go.


As for new features, I cannot say this enough. New features do not affect bug glitches. In fact, many new features are delayed because developers have to stop working on new features in order to fix bugs. We are not Pikmin. Just because you put more than one developer on a bug fix, that does not mean it will be fixed faster. In fact, it is probably more likely to slow down that bug fix because of many things. For example, there's no way two developers can adjust code at the same time and not overwrite each other's work, etc, etc...

Threads that ask for feature implementation to cease/slow down until all/most bugs are fixed will be recycled.
     
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Post: 6641016_24 created on Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:40 amPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:40 am
Impracticalities: 18+/R-rated/Adult section
It's been suggested and argued for and various means of implementing it have been discussed innumerable times. Time to own up to the truth and the solid facts.

  • Gaia is a site that has a majority population of teenagers and young adults.
  • Implementation of something like this would not prevent users from posting such material in the non-adult forums. They'd do it anyways.
  • This -would- give them a reason to hack accounts that have access to the 'adult' or 18+ areas just to see those areas.
  • There will never be segregated areas for users to have content that is over the limits of what is allowed in the rest of the site.

Bottom line: This just isn't that type of site. There's really not much else to say about it.

If you really must have R-rated conversations, porn, etc... look elsewhere. There's plenty of places on the internet that do allow it. This just isn't one of them, and never will be. Gaia will remain PG13ish.

Please do note though, that while Gaia does not cater to 'adult' subjects, Gaia also never claims to be fit for very young children. Swearing is, and will be, allowed. Touchy subjects are, and will be, allowed - so long as users don't get over the line with graphic descriptions or become abusive towards one another. This is no more a site for young children than it is the type of site that will have 18+ areas.

Any and all threads created asking for Adult areas, 18+, or similar features.. will be recycled.
 
     
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Post: 6641016_25 created on Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:41 amPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:41 am
 
Impracticalities: Remove the time limits on posting! (Flood Control Issues)


This has been suggested a lot at times due to a few glitches that caused false flood control error messages to appear.

Basic Summary: This is simply not something that's practical for any forum, especially a forum of Gaia's size and scope. Flood control reduces spam and reduces strain on Gaia's servers and databases.

Flood control is the technical term that means you can only repeat a specific action after a certain amount of time has passed. Gaia has flood control not only on posting, but also on PM's, on saving avatars, and possibly a few other areas that I'm forgetting. Flood control serves more than one purpose:
  • It cuts down on spam in the forums, since there is a wait period between posts, regardless of the size of the post. Imagine what Gaia would be like if we could all post one-smiley posts as fast as our net connections would allow.

  • It helps reduce the number of queries/requests that Gaia's databases need to process and deal with simultaneously. This is especially important on a forum of Gaia's size, since the sheer number of simultaneous users constantly causes challenges in getting things to run smoothly.

Any and all threads created asking for the removal of posting time limits, or any of the various flood control features in place in the forums and Gaia's other features will be recycled. Please note that this doesn't apply to threads that might be about flood control errors, only to those asking for the limits to be removed/shortened.
     
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Post: 6641016_26 created on Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:41 amPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:41 am
Impracticalities: Allow Naked Avatars!
This has been suggested frequently, especially by users who are upset that they cannot keep the avatars they've saved with the various 'nakie' glitches.

Brief Summary: Because Gaia is a PG13 site, Gaia's avatars are not meant to be portrayed as completely naked, without the default undergarments.

The official statement on this issue:
Announcement by Lanzer, Oct. 14th, 2005
"Lanzer"
During our recent avatar upgrades, a lot of buggy avatars were created. Some had missing limbs or items, while some avatars appeared naked. Those avatars were never meant to be made the way they are, and we ask all users to please re-save your avatars if your avatar is buggy.


Any and all threads created asking for Gaia to allow naked avatars will be recycled.
 
     
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Post: 6641016_27 created on Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:52 amPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:52 am
 
Impracticalities: Interest Earning Bank Accounts

Brief Summary: While allowing users to collect interest may seem like an easy way for some users to make gold at first, it really wouldn't benefit the economy in the long run, and is not suited for Gaia since it allows a way of earning gold without effort.

This has been suggested many, many times. Collecting interest for gold invested or deposited in the bank seems like a fairly easy, no-fail way for users to gain gold and keep up with inflation. However, inflation is governed by supply and demand, therefore the more gold users collect, the more gold they are willing to spend, which causes prices to go up on rare/limited items, leaving users exactly where they started.

As interest most benefits those with the most gold to invest, interest would be a way for the rich to effortlessly get richer while those who are new and struggling and would still need the most assistance to keep up with inflation or purchase expensive items. Rather than thin the gap between the finances of old and new users, it would likely only widen it.

Last but not least, to give users the ability to automatically make gold without working for it goes against the type of site that Gaia is. Everything you DO on Gaia earns you gold.... but you do have to DO something to earn it, not nothing.

Any and all threads created asking for Gaia users to collect interest via the banks will be recycled.
     
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Post: 6641016_28 created on Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:52 amPosted: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:52 am
Impracticalities: Free Gender Changing
This has been suggested frequently, especially by users who wish to continue to change gender with no limitations.

Brief Summary: Changing gender is and has always been a temporary addition, not a permanent one. It will never be free.

Originally, the ability to change genders was created in response to a glitch that changed member's gender when they did not want it to be changed. The cost was put in place to prevent users from constantly changing genders and abusing this feature. Changing genders also affects many features and is taxing on the site. The ability to change gender is not intended to be permanent, and will eventually be removed.

Any and all threads created asking for Gaia to remove/alter fees for gender changing will be recycled.
 
     
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Post: 6641016_29 created on Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:08 pmPosted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:08 pm
 
ninja
     
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