Ask The Admin (10/07/2013)

[Lanzer]

Hello Everyone,

Hope everyone enjoyed the mini event. There's a lot more work to be done on our end, but we're excited about this year's event mechanics, and hope that we're building something that we can expand on in the future.

Not a lot of exciting movies in October, but Gravity was certainly an exception. I'm a big space and science geek so I must mention this movie, especially that it's actually very enjoyable and meaningful.

Welcome to ATA!

[frozen_water]

Hey guys, me again~

Some concerning images surfaced yesterday, and I was hoping to get some staff feedback on the matter.



Apparently the images show Gaia Interactive's COO Jason Lioa giving a presentation for "Manos Accelerator" where he discussed the implementation of "Gamification". The second image even has our very own Flynn used as an example.

The implications of these images are deeply troubling to myself. I am aware that "Gamification" is common business practice and it's not inherently insidious. However, The idea that business tactics involving manipulation and addiction are being used as a business model for a site targeting users as young as 13 is disturbing. Common business practice or not, I've come to expect a lot more moral integrity from this site.

In addition, while I understand the... "interesting" bulletin notes may have been intended as a joke, I do not find them to be humorous or acceptable. The users have already began to feel the deep impacts of these "strategies" and the idea that shamelessly manipulating the marketplace and community that has been built up over years just to turn a quick profit is somehow appropriate material for a joke is appalling.

Your users aren't a joke, they aren't cash cows, they're human beings. The site I came to love since joining in '03 was centered on the community, and it's become blatantly obvious that Gaia's recent actions have not had the best interests of the community at heart.

My questions now are:

- To what extent does the COO's vision reflect that of the general staff?
- Is there any real hope of returning more to a community focused site rather than just a revenue source for Gaia interactive?
- Can you ease up on all the controversial descisions?

NOTE: This was not a presentation given to Gaia staff or the Gaia interactive company as clarified by Uncle Kenny in this thread.

[Castiel Lover]

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. ZOMG: They are in maintenance mode only and do not ever plan to expand or use it for events ever again. They fired everyone that could work on it. It was not making back it's costs, and Gaia can't see the forest for the trees.

2. Guilds 2 and Alchemy: Both are put off for later because they have to monetize Guilds and they wish to do this before they fix the fatally flawed Alchemy. And when they do get around to revamping alchemy, don't hold your breath that it will fix anything. They don't seem to understand how economics work to be able to build a system that requires perfect balances of supply and demand, to make doing it worthwhile.

3. Towns 1: Yes, it will eventually be closed, because of security reasons, when they are done and happy with towns 2. When this will be? Who knows. They can't seem to set dates and stick with it.

4. Pets: Has been delayed until after Halloween AND Christmas, because Gaia only sees fit to have one guy working on both (Kenny). They are making hand over fist, fired a bunch of staff, but can't afford to hire needed developers and people to work on guilds/alchemy/zomg/events/towns/pets/MANGA/PLOT(?) to get them out a little more efficiently.

5. Anything regarding the cash-grabbing policies since Summer Sale: They won't answer because the people that are here don't have answers for you. Try writing snail mail to the new CEO to demand change - and speak with your wallets: Stop buying cash.

6. WHY DID YOU RE-RELEASE FLYNN'S ASSETS AGAIN!?!?!?! WHY IS SMASHBOX PUMPING OUT SO MUCH GOLD?!?!?: .... Good question. Well, Gaia??

[2sarahgate]

THANK YOU for decentering the reply page. best to start an AtA with something positive for once, eh?

it's still useful to decenter gaia with greasemonkey.

can you decenter the post submitted page as well? that still seems to be centered (the greasemonkey causes centered pages to snap back to superior left align, so i can tell what's centered and not.
centering sucks, i still wish we had an option to go back to left align. it's not like previous redesigns where it was a complete code overhaul. it's a simple CSS file.

EDIT: linking response to response so people can find it after AtA is closed. domokun stargate

[Krissim Klaw]

And my internet crashed right when I went to post. Editting since all my text was lost.


I am back because mantises are just that hard to shake.




What is the chance that the last reward in Jack's Ponzi Scheme Donation Drive is a praying mantis? emotion_awesome

[Parexus]

Hello Lanzer and the rest of the Admin team!

I was wondering if you plan on doing a sponsorship in Mecha Neko with Sentai Filmworks (The North American Licesnor/Distributor) of the anime K-ON!

[Zef]

heart I hope you all had a swell weekend!

[Xya]

ninja

[Madame Xiva]

Hi Admin and Happy Monday!

I hope the Halloween event is going well. Just a few quick questions, please:


1. When we can count on a manga update aside from the inevitable Halloween one?

2. When if ever any LOW priced cash items are going to be introduced since there haven't been any under 20 bucks in a while?

3. Are there any plans for Aquarium Updates; new items or development on the Booty Grab front?

[Mama Gen]

FIX SMASHBLOX

Those payouts should have ended back in September after the halo giveaway. Go check the announcement YOU GUYS made. That stupid game is pumping 1bil worth of gold on the site a day.

[Platonix]

USEFUL LINKS

The home of past Ask The Admin topics: Ask the Admin Archives subforum

AskED the Admin: Answer Compilation (built and maintained by yours truly)

[Sagebomb]

Hey guys. Nothing too deep from me this week but...*Attempts to ask everystaff member who will be here something*

Lanzer - You mentioned plans for other gold sinks and tournament games. Was this meaning games beyond Word Blitz and Stack Attack. Or was it pretty much meaning those? Gaia PvP poker could allow for greater "gamification" XD. (jesting with this, but I still would love poker).

Uncle Kenny - Really looking forward to the event, will the gold sink end when the forum opens or will there we a slight over/under lap. How close are we to getting the forums *salivates a little*

siskataya - Hows progress with the loyalty store going? Also thanks for carl junior, I really hope you get to have more mini events which evolve this story.

Seems you have been a bit busy to give us any journal updates for those who follow. Is there one coming in the near future?

Zero Omega - As our devoted brony king. Have you dabbled any futher into understanding the community...prehaps watched a few eps?

starzXnight - Still getting used to you being a admin....I dont really know what I need to bug you about yet. What is most of your admin time spent doing? (So prehaps I will know how to bug you more in the future about updates)

codemonkey37179 - I dont really have anything to ask you emo how are things looking in the flash world, besides fixing issues of the past week, have you had much development time?

Jak Bauer - Hows that Chaos Cash to Gaia Cash conversion looking this week?

Princess Angelishia - You have mentioned "our"/your focus now is on halloween. May I ask what you are working on for this halloween? (no spoilers needed)

Narumi Misuhara - Things must be pretty busy. Your journal updates are always very informative. Prehaps a monthly update, or just a montly journal entry to inform us of stuff we may not know/appreciate. You have been close to bi-monthly. I know I would definitly love to hear from more stuff at your level.

tahoerelay - Do you have anything to say that isnt advertising sales? ninja

Im sorry If I missed anyone who will be turning up.

[Darc Nightgale]

Hello!
I can't wait until the Halloween event starts. whee

As for the smashblox game I would like to see games that we could pay gold to play, and in exchange instead of winnin' gold maybe we could win tickets. Right now it's pay to play. I know you have one you can play for free, but in the end you win nothin' from that.

I was also wonderin' why the payout is so high? It's addin' so much gold into the economy. The gold sink that we have now isn't really takin' that much money out. (A little over 3 days worth of gold from smashblox atm.)

Speakin' of the gold sink. I would have loved to see another personal award between 100k-1000k, and 1000k-10000k. Might get more people to donate. Could be items or maybe another achievement. emotion_kirakira

As always thank you for takin' the time to read my post.

[V]

ninja