The Situation with Gaia.

[Kahlan_BrightBlade]

judithvaldez

what about the poor people who are on disability or welfare or other social problems who come here to forget there problems AND cannot spend there money because they cant afford to
and then they find out they gotta spend that money on gaia to do things AND buy things
it is like saying we will rob anyone to get our money for the website
SHAME ON GAIA ONLINE
i am not saying i am gonna quit over this but it might make the decision easier in the near future to do so if i wanted too

This is something Optional, and if you read the announcement they’ve already said they are working on rewards for others users too so saying Shame on Gaia online is going a bit overboard. They are a website, they need money to run , sites don’t run on rainbows and unicorns. Heaven forbid they earn a bit of an extra profit too.


As to you OP, it doesn’t matter when you joined so adding that is pointless . I joined in O4 but you don’t see me telling people that and I’m happy with Club Verge being optional since I understand that it takes a lot to run a website ,especially a big one like Gaia. You want to leave that’s fine but you’re going to find that other websites do it like this too, except some only let you use money to get items while Gaia doesn’t.

[idaruishinee]

judithvaldez

what about the poor people who are on disability or welfare or other social problems who come here to forget there problems AND cannot spend there money because they cant afford to
and then they find out they gotta spend that money on gaia to do things AND buy things
it is like saying we will rob anyone to get our money for the website
SHAME ON GAIA ONLINE
i am not saying i am gonna quit over this but it might make the decision easier in the near future to do so if i wanted too

The thing is that this is very much optional. If you don't have the money, you don't have to buy anything at all. No one is trying to force anyone.

Those people have their money to spend on something important. If I were in their position, I wouldn't spend something where it doesn't benefit me in real life. If they do have the little extra money to do so, then good for them.

[Doom Lemons]

judithvaldez

what about the poor people who are on disability or welfare or other social problems who come here to forget there problems AND cannot spend there money because they cant afford to
and then they find out they gotta spend that money on gaia to do things AND buy things
it is like saying we will rob anyone to get our money for the website
SHAME ON GAIA ONLINE
i am not saying i am gonna quit over this but it might make the decision easier in the near future to do so if i wanted too

What about those on disability and welfare that have ********' bentleys? Yeah, no. And they don't "gotta" spend money on here. Shits in the MP. I'm more pissed that they're calling this a reward. Ain't no reward in putting items on for ricockulous prices. Call it what it is, a uber-premium shop. The dernier-cri of cash shops. Don't make it exclusive. Don't call it a ********' reward.

[phoebe-chan]

What do you think keeps Gaia up and running? Fairy dust and unicorn horns? No it's money that keeps Gaia running. The money people give to Gaia to when they buy Gaia Cash. So it would make sense that Gaia would give something to the people who are willing to give Gaia the money it needs to keep up and running. If it wasn't for the people who give Gaia money Gaia would have become a pay-to-play site or it would have shut down years ago. And with the layoffs Gaia's had to do in the last couple of months it would make sense that they'd try to get people to spend money on the site.

Also it's not like people can't get cash shop items (or even the items from CV's shop) if they don't have the money. They can make Gaia Cash via the free cash offers. There are a lot of people in CV who made their Gaia Cash that way. Plus if people don't want to do the free cash offers or spend real money to get items they can always use gold. It's not like gold is hard to make nowadays. Sure you'd have to work for it a little bit and save up but nothing in life is free. We all have to work for what we want.

Are you going to complain about the perks that Gaia will be giving out to people who haven't payed money?

[Prism Rose]

dragonmaster14

While the middle class is still spending money on GC and not getting any rewards for it. So yes they are losing something. The ability to be in this "club". Also the only reason I stated that I have been here since 2004 is to show that I have been here for most of the ups and downs. Not that I should be treated different than any other user because of being here for so long. It was my choice to stay. I did so because I wanted to not to get any special treatment. Everyone is going to have a different opinion about the situation but, this isn't just about this "Club" it is about how greedy Gaia has gotten.

Why on earth do people believe this is greed...

The population isn't struck that way by the userbase itself from our own definition. I've been around since 2003 and I have rarely bought Gaia Cash since I have been on the site but that does not make me a "middle class" citizen- I would never consider myself one. That distinction is characterized by choosing necessity over frivolous in order to live. My spending habits on Gaia do not mark me as anything more important to the userbase because I am still a contributive member of this community in more ways other than just having a registered account.

Someone who spends $1000 is better in the financial sense to Gaia's buisness because they are generous enough to do so, but I can't argue with that when they are spending that Cash to help pay for improvements, Staff wages and other common expenditures that any business faces, such as paying their electric bill and paying the rent.

In the end, it's a business. Gaia is not a publicly-traded company so the hoo-ha'ing over it being greed, being an unworthwhile decision or otherwise because of the ostentatious nature that some wish to focus on is a waste of time. Those who do spend the Gaia Cash to keep this site afloat deserve some perks, just as their posts about it also show that those who do not and have longevity with the site also do. I am aware I am not a Verge member by design but this doesn't make anyone any better than me in the long run to the community, no matter how much money they spend.

I say kudos to those who do spend that Cash because it doesn't hurt nor hinder me in the least.

[Mage The Red]

judithvaldez

what about the poor people who are on disability or welfare or other social problems who come here to forget there problems AND cannot spend there money because they cant afford to
and then they find out they gotta spend that money on gaia to do things AND buy things
it is like saying we will rob anyone to get our money for the website
SHAME ON GAIA ONLINE
i am not saying i am gonna quit over this but it might make the decision easier in the near future to do so if i wanted too

You don't have to spend money. That's completely optional. Stop implying that you absolutely have to spend money to be on the site.

[Il Karma Il]

We, who don't pay their paychecks, don't like it because it's bullshit. It was okay when it was in the form of ONLY items that would be released in MP anyway. Now, the ones that can dish out the most cash get a better site experience than the ones that don't. AND THAT is why it's bullshit. They like to say that the site is a "community" it's not. It has become a corporation. If you have the most money you get the best playing experience. That is what pisses everyone off. Gaia is acting like it's entitled to our wallets because they are a free site? There are other free sites that don't do what this one is doing. Yes, paying the money is optional, but not if you want all the perks the site has, if you want to be able to experience everything the site has to offer, you HAVE to dish out cash. That is why we are so pissed and THAT is why a lot of people are just saying ******** it and going to a different site. I'm in the process of looking for a new site now as I type this and I have loved gaia since I was 10. I'm 18 now and i'm just fed up. And BTW gaia could dish out cheap items and release them on a mass scale. Like 25$ or so. Or they could get new sponsors.Or they could sell stuff the admins make, like art, or even better make real items people could buy! But no, instead they have to make it better for the ones who will dish out cash. You don't have to spend money, but if you don't you take the back seat to those that do.

[Prism Rose]

-l- bby gurl -l-

We, who don't pay their paychecks, don't like it because it's bullshit. It was okay when it was in the form of ONLY items that would be released in MP anyway. Now, the ones that can dish out the most cash get a better site experience than the ones that don't. AND THAT is why it's bullshit. They like to say that the site is a "community" it's not. It has become a corporation. If you have the most money you get the best playing experience. That is what pisses everyone off. Gaia is acting like it's entitled to our wallets because they are a free site? There are other free sites that don't do what this one is doing. Yes, paying the money is optional, but not if you want all the perks the site has, if you want to be able to experience everything the site has to offer, you HAVE to dish out cash. That is why we are so pissed and THAT is why a lot of people are just saying ******** it and going to a different site. I'm in the process of looking for a new site now as I type this and I have loved gaia since I was 10. I'm 18 now and i'm just fed up. And BTW gaia could dish out cheap items and release them on a mass scale. Like 25$ or so. Or they could get new sponsors.Or they could sell stuff the admins make, like art, or even better make real items people could buy! But no, instead they have to make it better for the ones who will dish out cash. You don't have to spend money, but if you don't you take the back seat to those that do.

I do not pay for Gaia Cash regularly and I do not share this perspective...

[Gabriella Ellenor]

Just going to reference these points...

-l- bby gurl -l-

okay when it was in the form of ONLY items that would be released in MP anyway. Now, the ones that can dish out the most cash get a better site experience than the ones that don't.

There are other free sites that don't do what this one is doing. Yes, paying the money is optional, but not if you want all the perks the site has, if you want to be able to experience everything the site has to offer, you HAVE to dish out cash.

Uh, the items are available in the marketplace. No change there.
The only thing 'exclusive' here is the guild and the shop. But as I said, the items are already obtainable in the MP, that defeats the point of the later one.

So do tell... what 'perk' is it to be able to spend even more gobs of money for spending money? Hmmm? Doesnt sound like too good of a 'perk' to me.


Seriously, you make it sound like gaia is making all items for cash payers like... 75% off or something. Which they are not. They are simply giving more, higher priced, options to those that show a record of possibly actually giving them the money. There is little point in giving someone the option to buy crazy expensive items if they showed no prior interest in them.

[Il Karma Il]

Gabriella Ellenor

Just going to reference these points...

-l- bby gurl -l-

okay when it was in the form of ONLY items that would be released in MP anyway. Now, the ones that can dish out the most cash get a better site experience than the ones that don't.

There are other free sites that don't do what this one is doing. Yes, paying the money is optional, but not if you want all the perks the site has, if you want to be able to experience everything the site has to offer, you HAVE to dish out cash.

Uh, the items are available in the marketplace. No change there.
The only thing 'exclusive' here is the guild and the shop. But as I said, the items are already obtainable in the MP, that defeats the point of the later one.

So do tell... what 'perk' is it to be able to spend even more gobs of money for spending money? Hmmm? Doesnt sound like too good of a 'perk' to me.


Seriously, you make it sound like gaia is making all items for cash payers like... 75% off or something. Which they are not. They are simply giving more, higher priced, options to those that show a record of possibly actually giving them the money. There is little point in giving someone the option to buy crazy expensive items if they showed no prior interest in them.

No not that part, I thought I referenced the fact that you can just buy the items in Mp but maybe not. No, i'm talking about the extra birthday stuff you get, the free item stuff you might get get, as well as the free art you might get all because you spend money and others don't.

[hibi-tea]

judithvaldez

what about the poor people who are on disability or welfare or other social problems who come here to forget there problems AND cannot spend there money because they cant afford to
and then they find out they gotta spend that money on gaia to do things AND buy things
it is like saying we will rob anyone to get our money for the website
SHAME ON GAIA ONLINE
i am not saying i am gonna quit over this but it might make the decision easier in the near future to do so if i wanted too

If you can't afford to spend money on this site, I don't see where there's a problem. You can't afford it, enough said. They don't have to hand everything to you on a silver platter just because you cannot financially afford to spend money on them.

You don't have to spend money on Gaia to do a damn thing. Logging in is free. Playing their games is free. Talking in their forums is free. And not being able to spend money doesn't even inhibit your ability to still buy those items. You're given the opportunity to buy them directly from users who purchase them.

There is not a single thing on Gaia that money is preventing you from doing.

And in terms of the "perks" for those who do spend money, why are you harping on it when you can't afford it anyway? You gonna tell BJs or Costco or Sephora that they're shamed because you don't get perks from them because you can't afford to spend money on them too?

[Gabriella Ellenor]

-l- bby gurl -l-

No not that part, I thought I referenced the fact that you can just buy the items in Mp but maybe not. No, i'm talking about the extra birthday stuff you get, the free item stuff you might get get, as well as the free art you might get all because you spend money and others don't.

Will give you the birthday stuff.

But the rest, from what I have gathered is all contest stuff.
And yes, those currently are limited to those within the guild... thus restricted by the cash users. But its still a contest within its own limitations. No different than the other contests that Gaia has held for the general community. There were always people there that were restricted out as well. That is, sadly, the nature of the beast with contests. You have to have a guideline of where to cut things off.

[Amoreyna]

Elizabeth of York

.~[Misty.Muffin]~.

You could spend $10 every month and would get the perks of being able to go in the club. :/ That's not a lot of money and a middle class peasant, as you're making it sound, would be able to afford it even with bills and school and children.
So no, actually, they aren't. and the ability to get into the club is only useful to people willing to spend $50+ at one time. SO normal users have ABSOLUTELY NO USE for this store. They'd see it, go "lol no way jack" and exit. So gaia is saving them that step and making is available for users who will most likely buy.


Perks for users who DON'T spend GC are on the way. :/

I don't see why they should. They don't contribute anything finacially.

That's a rather short-sighted (and somewhat condescending) comment to make.

Many of those people who spent more than that hundred dollars on the site did so by buying items with the intention of selling them on the marketplace, basically to convert GC to gold. Those items were then probably bought by people who either couldn't or didn't want to buy them witch GC, yet they still created the demand without which there would not have been any incentive for the GC spending people to spend said GC.
Users who don't spend GC also contribute by using the forums (thus generating page impressions through which Gaia earns revenue from ads) and creating content that may compel other users, who might be ones to buy GC, to stay where they wouldn't otherwise.

Oh and btw, what about people who save up GC they earned via offers? Theoretically, they might want to spend some of it to buy items from that store, only they couldn't earn enough GC to "qualify for access" and save enough to actually buy something from there at the same time.
They obviously did "contribute financially" in as much as they earned their GC, but that's apparently not good enough for Gaia to let them spend their GC freely.


Same as people who may only buy GC on special occasions when they see something they really, really want. Like during those sales. By sticking their ridiculously overpriced items in their special store, they lose out on an opportunity to earn money from people who don't buy GC frequently as well.

[Rgoodermote]

judithvaldez

what about the poor people who are on disability or welfare or other social problems who come here to forget there problems AND cannot spend there money because they cant afford to

As some one who is on lifelong disability, I'd like to say that I can afford to buy stuff from time to time whenever I really please. Being on disability doesn't equal poor. One can be on disability and still make a living for themselves. Disability is a supplement to ensure you always have enough to maintain your medical needs. I can't say this is the same for everyone, but I also can't say that being on disability hinders people financially

(Before you ask, no, I will not say why I am on disability. It may have something to do with what is in my signature though.)

Quote:

and then they find out they gotta spend that money on gaia to do things AND buy things
it is like saying we will rob anyone to get our money for the website

I didn't see anything about needing to spend money to do things on Gaia, I just see an optional cash shop for big spenders...that's...amazingly not something I actually care about. I can get the same items on the MP when they go up. Yeah, it's a lot of gold, but hey, I don't have the money to pay for it so this is a nice alternative.

As for the rest, the contests, birthday stuff, etc, etc...just aren't interesting to me. I'm pretty content with just buying cash items that interest me from time to time and moving on.

Gaia wants to reward the big spenders, let them, I'm fine with occasionally making small purchases when I can and buying from the MP when I can't. I really don't see an issue here and I don't know why disability and being poor had to be brought up into this.

[Elizabeth of York]

Doom Lemons

judithvaldez

what about the poor people who are on disability or welfare or other social problems who come here to forget there problems AND cannot spend there money because they cant afford to
and then they find out they gotta spend that money on gaia to do things AND buy things
it is like saying we will rob anyone to get our money for the website
SHAME ON GAIA ONLINE
i am not saying i am gonna quit over this but it might make the decision easier in the near future to do so if i wanted too

What about those on disability or welfare? That has absolutely nothing to with to do with this. If you are gonna argue something, stick to the main point. Throwing in s**t that has nothing do with the argument at hand just makes you look stupid.