Welcome to Gaia! ::

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_____With all the current speculations about Gaia's practices and how we succumb to these practices, it's easy to complain about something that we can't control. What we do control is the attitudes we portray to Gaia for them to make their decisions. Remember that as a user, you are a statistic in their booklet. How much to you spend on Gaia Cash? How much gold do you help filter items and gold through the system? Are you a valuable customer or are you a greedy consumer? It's hard to accept that the site we used to know is all but gone and past, with a new outlook on the site that may not be the most favorable to you. But what happens when things don't change? We spend week after week supporting this site by logging in and participating in their current sale reports, their coupon deals, their limited items. We may not all buy into it, but we do follow the on-goings of the corporation we are a part of. So what's the point of it all anymore?

_____That's your decision. Your account and your money, it's up to you to choose what you do with it. Whether you spend it on items and buy into Gaia's sales with cash money to reap the 'rewards' of being rich - because you understand with money comes power. Why not dip into the power a bit? Get your toes wet. Leave your mark in the site by winning a ticket, and creating something that you decided would be. Or not. Keep chugging on by making your needs however you can. Make art; any kind of art. Sell your ideas and skills for whatever they're worth. Do your best to enjoy the community and support others who may not have the options you have while you earn your way to the top.

_____This site is a community no matter how you look at it. With multiple types of currency that can be used to purchase anything your little pixel heart desires. If there is a seller, there is a buyer. But whether you buy into it is up to you. We all have a choice, and Gaia may be the OG of markets in this community, they are not the only ones. We all do our part to push the community into the direction it faces. It's not the select few who decide, it's all of us together. We used to wish for recolors of items - all the time. Has this wish been forgotten? We wanted what came to us. We asked for it. While they chose to sell it for the prices they did, we still bought into it. You have a choice.

_____The more they see of us, the more options they have to chose from. Get active, participate. Show your true Gaian self for who you are and don't be afraid to ask for what you want. This site may not be perfect, but it is our community that we have made. We are the taxpayers of this society, and it is optional for everyone. Buy or sell, give or take. Just don't complain because it's not what is ideal. Support the community for what it is, and if you don't like it change it. Don't just roll over and take no for an answer. Prove yourself. Prove your worth. You matter because we matter as a group.

_____I am not against their decisions, I spend money I earned on this site. For items, for gold, however you wish to see it. But I don't regret it. I am not shameful. I accept that this is the way it is. But that doesn't mean I think it's right for everyone. I don't complain about the inflation anymore. I don't complain about the influx of items anymore. I enjoy the multitude of choice. I enjoy the fact that I can style my avatar how I want to. I enjoy that I can afford to buy art as I see fit. I enjoy that I still have to work to make gold on this site, to afford the things I want. Everything is limitations. But you are the one who sets your own limitations. It is a back breaking society where you have to work to get what you want. Whether you want it to be true or not, buying into an idea is something only you can decide. You make the choice.

_____You decide what your gold is worth.

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i guess wall of text is intimidating...

tl;dr [too long; DID read] (i have a problem)

there's nothing much to discuss cuz its looks like you just want to say your side regarding how admin/staffs and gaians runs their market and economy.
you have some points
yes almost everything comes to personal decisions
buy/sell this as you want its not like someone is forcing you to
i know selling Gold Generators sales helps fund the site but its counter effect on the gold economic system which the user are suffering is gravely affected
the gold continuously lessen its value as gold gens are released

also its kinda frustrating to have the lqi thing
some items get sold out quickly, can't they imagine the more sales they could get if they haven't lq those items
i just can't get the logic of lq'ing them

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it's just more of an open-ended discussion point about what gold means to you.

and while gold generators are at large, it's still the same gold we've had since the beginning.
we gain and lose gold every day on this site, and for what? it's whatever you choose.

i'm not trying to bash or point out what a pointless notion gold is.
it's more of a philosophical discussion of what gold is to you.
because no matter what, the way you make your gold will also ultimately influence how you feel about it.

I am often more than a little surprised and disheartened by people's attitudes toward their gold on this site. In my opinion, there are two common notions that are both leading people to actions which directly feed into the economic problems. Those notions are:

1. Gold is worthless.
2. I'll buy an item I want if I can afford it, no matter the price.

This is why these two modes of thought negatively affect the economy:

1. Gold has not been and never will be worthless. It is the only standard currency on the site. When civilizations move away from a barter economy wherein they trade goods or services, they develop a common or standard currency upon which all value is based. Just because the exchange rate has changed does not mean there is no value left to gold. As of right now, the MP still functions 100% on gold transactions. That is, there is no other way to purchase something directly off the market than with gold. And while we still have places for bartering to take place on the site, they are the minority in comparison to how most Gaian transactions are completed. (As the recent poll showed, users spend more gold in the MP than anywhere else.) The value of gold, and indeed, the value of items, is determines by users. But gold is a common currency--whereas old monthly collectibles and user-made items are not. Those who say gold has no value are simply choosing not to use it.

2. Recall how users determine value? Well, their actions influence the economy. Basic supply and demand principles state that lower supply and higher demand garner higher prices, and vice versa. That is because the market will always attempt to sustain the highest price people are willing to pay. So people who pay exorbitant prices because of impatience, ignorance, or disregard for the long-term effects on the economy are sending the economic message that that price is acceptable. And so it becomes. This is exactly what artifically inflating an item attempts to do. If users do not exercise patience, restraint, and sound judgement when making purchases, their actions will have negative effects on the economy rather than positive ones.

Long post summation: Gold is not worthless. It was and still is Gaia's standard currency. Those who treat it as worthless are merely choosing not to reap the benefits that can come from it. And those who use their gold without thought of the personal and global (Gaia-bal?) long-term effects will do more harm to themselves and the economy that good.

There's my two cents. I apologize for any typos, as I'm on the mobile app.