Don't your users matter? Dev replies; More replies please!

[GreyMetaru]

Regarding the moderators, from my dealings with them, I have to say that I have a low opinion of them, though thats just the ones I've interacted with, not saying ALL the moderators are bad.

There was one instance where I was warned for "spam" for quoting someone, and making no imput of my own after it, now I can imagine that some people would agree that this is spam, but I've been on plenty of forums where that isnt considered such, it's merely done to save time but show that you totally agree with what the person has said. But fair enough, I've already said I can understand that this could be considered spam.. My problem with how this was dealt with, was that the Mod went back through my post history, and gave me another warning for the same thing. THAT I think was wrong to pile the two together when the ToS gives no definition of what Spam is.

My second dealing with a Moderator was after myself and some friends got the idea to name a topic in Gaia Towns "LOL CYBAR PLIX" to see how many people would show up. I not long after got a unofficial warning for "Cyber Soliciting". Fair enough the Moderator had done some looking into the matter and understood that we did it as a joke/test to see how many people would show up. However when I responded to him questioning how he came to the conclusion it was such, he took quite an agressive stance on the matter. All I wanted to do was clear up the matter that the rule against it is:

Quote:

Sexually explicit posts may be deleted. Soliciting or engaging in cyber sex or mature content role play is not allowed on Gaia Online.

While the definition of Soliciting is:

Quote:

To approach or accost someone with an offer of sexual services in return for payment.

Which, I didnt do. But again, I can agree that what I did is something that could be against the rules. Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because I've done work as a GM, and in this instance, the member wouldnt of been punished, or warned in any shape or form, what would of happened is, the GM's would acknowledge that this particular thing isnt covered by the current wording of the rule, discuss with the other GM's weither this is something we need added, and if so, we add it ourselves.

The way the moderators do their job currently seems to be based off their own understanding of rules that can be percieved in many ways due to a lack of explanation, which is probably the reason why some Mods ban people for particular offenses that others would only give last warnings for, etc, which I think only makes them look unprofessional and shows that the rules need to be further detailed and explained to both the members and moderators.

Thats just my thoughts on the moderation though.

Edit: I may quote an example of a Rule from the game I've moderated later on when I get home, just as an example of how it can be done.

[Obooka]

Vampire Lemons

Obooka

Long time no see [=
so i'm slightly miffed that theres a slight possibility that i might lose this account because i can't get onto the email i made this with... i was in 7th grade, i don't know what sorts of things i was thinking of for passwords then >.<

[/color]

What emal service? If it's yahho, they have a forgot password button where they'll send the email to an alternate email to let you get a new password or whatever.

its AIM so i dont know if it will. and i don't know what the security code would be either >.<

[Katasia]

Mooo.

I'm new in this thread, been a member of Gaia for over a year, and agree that the cash shop stuff is out of hand. I know it's a business, but it's expanded too fast and the core issues aren't being fixed. It's a bad idea to pile new stuff on top of a weak foundation.

[Obooka]

welcome aboard Katasia
3nodding

[SaraWhiteWolf]

Legend_Is_Reborn

SaraWhiteWolf

*blinks at Moon's post* I am sorry to hear that, I really am. sad

We know. But sorry doesn't cut it sometimes. It can only make people feel better. Like what you just did for saying sorry.

There isn't much I can do about it really. sweatdrop

[Flying Dicks]

I've been debating posting here again for a while. Lots of people agreed with my post and saw the point. However, Sara, you keep ignoring it. Time and time again.
Then, when someone pointed it out, all you had to say to them was "No, I'm a mod ASSISTANT, not a mod" in reply. You didn't even deny it.

My point was that no, Gaia is becoming so much like real life, that you CANT escape reality much anymore. People buy their way in- just like real life. People try to buy popularity, and people with real money get Gaia-rich faster than people without real money or people who wont spend.

It perpetuates the gap between rich and poor, except now instead of the rich just being older users or users who worked very hard, or artists, now the rich users could be someone who joined a couple weeks ago if they were willing to dump a few hundred into their account.

I dont mind sites getting cash. I don't at all. But I hate what Gaia does. Look at IMVU. You can get things for free there, you can get like 50-100 free credits a day if I remember correctly. Maybe its only 50 now. But, when you buy credits with real money, $50 there, which would get you 5-10 CS items max or 20 MCs on Gaia, will get you near 100k or more credits that will get you 200ish items if you spend it on clothes only.

You see, they understand that by buying IMVU items it gives us ******** all in real life. They understand that they are nonphysical, valueless items. But Gaia, Gaia charges $5-10 for a single item, that you can only use one pose of. All the poses don't count for s**t since you can only use one pose at a time and it is only, therefore, ONE item for your avatar.

There are differences between Gaia and IMVU yes I know.
But I have no regrets spending money there, since I know that I get what I am paying for. Nearly 200 items for $50? Take my money. Just take it. Now.. eh.. 5-20 items for $50? I don't much see the point.

In any case
The point you were ignoring blatantly was that Gaia is becoming too much like real life for it to be an escape.
I don't think its right that someone who acts like a total dweeb should be able to enjoy the finer things EVERYWHERE, in real life and on Gaia, not because they are a good person or because they work hard but just because they have the cash to throw around. Not everyone who uses Gaia cash is like that. I know. But it DOES happen. And it CAN happen, easily.

I don't NEED items on Gaia. But I like them. The whole initial draw of Gaia is making your avatar look nice and using it as a vehicle for communication.

Your avatar can change how people view you a lot. When I wear expensive items in towns, nobody EVER says anything noobish to me. When I wear, say, the "I am alruna" pose, people have a fit, beg for it, tell me I am a slut and a whore, many things. New looking people on towns and the forums get grade A bullshit, and thats all they EVER get. You NEED to look decent to get respect.
Your avatar on this site, is how people see you.

Yes, I love my friends. But if I had to TRULY go without- if I HAD to keep my avatar all newbie like, and I got treated like I was nothing because of it? I wouldnt be here.
It's not ALL about the items. But it's what made Gaia special and different and nowadays people are so forking shallow thats how they see you so when I'm not around my friends, it is basically all about the items since thats how people see me.

[Kava]

akela9

I think I see what you're saying. But I can't bring myself to say that Swarf's comment sat well with me, nonetheless. But I will try to swallow my pride and accept your theory... It makes sense (I think) even if I find it disturbing. Surely, though, if enough users who USED to spend money STOP spending money, the same sort of result would happen? The biz people could be forced to ask themselves why paying customers have stopped paying and review current practices. sad I dunno. I would hope, anyway.

I tried to read a little beyond the first page of this thread last night... I came up on it when it was already 200 + pages, so at first all I did was read the first post in entirety, and the linked dev responses.

Honestly, it seems like a lot of people have taken this option, and simply stopped spending $$ on the site. I counted nearly a dozen just in the first couple of pages. And if that many posted just in the first two pages of this thread, there's probably hundreds, or even thousands, who never saw this thread or who simply stopped coming to the site at all.

It kind of makes me want to create a thread somewhere asking people to post if they stopped buying things from this site when they previously used to do so, and if so, why?

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have had the effect of making the BIZ people stop and re-evaluate... it only seems to have made them go, 'well, this isn't earning us $$, let's try something more outrageous...'

It seems that the way the 'business' mind works isn't, 'how can we get our old customers back and keep them?' but, 'how can we continue to get new customers to replace the old ones, and get more of our userbase to spend $$ on us?' We are expendable because there is an endless army of less discriminating people out there waiting to replace us... if they can make themselves popular enough to attract them.

I firmly assert and believe though, that this is not the developers. The developers aren't the ones making these decisions. They get blamed for everything (along with the mods, who have no say in anything), but I don't believe they really have much say in most of this.

[Vampire Lemons]

Zircon_Sphere

Vampire Lemons

Inflation in the MP due to users selling those same items for absurdly high amounts of gold. The average user doesn't have a million gold on hand at any given moment, and it usually takes at least a month (especially if they don't use the Mp often/"play the market" as some do) for alot of people to get enough gold to buy those items. And by the time most users save up 50k for an item, it's shot up another 50k and they still can't afford it.

Coco Kitty for example. When I first decided to quest for it, it was around 40k. Two days later, it was at 80k.

My friends gave me 80k, and I bought the Coco. This was back in maybe septemeber of last year, at the earliest. Possibly Novemeber. Now, it's over 210k on a normal day.

When the EI is going for 80k in the MP, most people are going to say "******** it, I'll buy it with cash because it's quicker." But if they don't have the cash on hand because of bills, etc, and they don't have the time to sit on for hours a day posting and playing games because they work, are in school, whatever, then it becomes nearly impossible for them to ever get that item. They'll have to save for months to afford it. If the inflation wasn't so bad, I don't think people would have a problem buying off the MP if they wanted it and didn't have cash, but since the prices are so high...

Mods can't do anything about how users price their items; the best they tried was adding the 2% tax, but other than that...seriously, they can't force anyone to price their items lower. The reason the coco rose so high is because it's a novelty item, it was predictable that it would happen; if you pay attention to the marketplace it's pretty easy to figure out when an item will rise or fall (this is not meant to be a cruel statement, just a statement...in case anyone misread it...).

If items are so important to you...I need to agree with haseo Hyuuga; people need a life...I realize that I have a lot of the 'premium' items and that people might say "Yea, well, you have all this, so you have nothing to complain about," but...I have all that because I don't have a life, and that I know is sad...that I care so much about items on a screen.

I know they can't force users to lower prices, sadly. This was more in relation to your "why don't more people just use the MP if they want an item so bad" question than anything.

[Atty Miles Edgeworth]

I was chain-banned on a lot of accounts. Accounts I barely used.

Tried to find out why.

Received form letters every time.

Apparently I was hacking? :/

Methinks it had more to do with the fact that I had millions of gold in items and that was bad for the economy.

I'd sunk real money into the site for three years. Like, twenty dollars at a time. Which isn't that much, but when you're too young to get a job, it's a lot.

I used to look at this site as an escape, now, I wind up trying to escape the site.

[Caryn]

Mistah Edgeworth

Methinks it had more to do with the fact that I had millions of gold in items and that was bad for the economy.

Uh, I really, really doubt that. There are a ton of really rich users who haven't been banned. I do have sympathy for you, but this reasoning smacks of "conspiracy theory" to me.

[iPikashu]

asome thats so right we need more crediit scream

[Pandiecakes]

*sigh* I agree completely.... gonk

[PsychoWhisper]

I agree with everything.
My old account got deleted and I didn't do a thing, I wrote it to the staff and I got to hear that I could forget my old account.
And the cashshop is crap, so much money for a couple off items.
I know I have some EI's, but I got them as gift or saved for them and buyed them with Gaiagold.
Gaia is getting CashCentred

[EnjoiRavePanda]

this whole pile of garbage is about paying gaia? are you kidding ill be on here for a year and not pay a cent to them. here's a tip dont go to target and buy cash cards. i solved the issue.YAY. now everyone back into rally to hit on the hot avatars...

[Uroboro]

You summed up what just about every Gaian was complaining about into one thread.
Along with what was floating through my head.

I read every bit..I've been here since '05, and I do agree with every thing you said. It's unacceptable. Gaia's been my homepage since I started. That first day I joined, I was hooked. Gaia was perfect.
Was.

It was my escape from the real world. Part of my daily life. I couldn't go a single day without getting on. No lie. I loved the few games they had. My friends.

It wasn't like any other site. Not at all. Almost every other site called for real money. Gaia didn't. Sure, you could get nice items if you wanted. Two knew items per month. But I could still get them if I wanted. Just earn a little extra gold. And you know what the best part was? The items were cool. You know what they look like now? It looks like they were designed the night before the release. I'm now disgusted. Look at them now. They're all s**t.
Want an example?

The Lusty Scoundrel

Is Gaia going to turn into some site with items based on sex?
I hope not.

Remember when the Cash came out? I remember that little button they had. Was it in Community? The one that would let you buy Cash for someone else..but anyway. I knew at that moment no good was going to come from it.

The Aquariums? That Announcement. I was so happy. I'd wanted this for a while. I rush over to Phin Fang to find..Cash Items? No Gold Items at all? $4 for Bubbles?! You can't put the fish from Fishing in there?! I was pissed.

The forums are insane. You know what needs to be cleaned up immediately? The GD. Ever visited it? If you haven't, I reccomend that you don't even look at its icon.

Moderators. Ha. Can you even call them that? Gaia needs more. Not only more, but better. I'm not going to deny it, most of the mods suck. Ever hear of Evil Penguin Overlord? Hopefully you haven't. Here's my story: The Bomberman Cafe. It was a hangout. Only about five people came to it, including me. They were great friends. It was located in the Barton Town forum. Why? We also roleplayed there. After about..8 months of it living peacefully in that nice little forum, it got moved. I arrive to the Cafe to find that it was now located in the Chatterbox. The owner, Love, pasted the PM she had received.

Evil Penguin Overlord

Your topic named: The Bomberman Cafe

This topic had been moved from the Barton Town to the Chatterbox forum.

You can find it under the following URL:
http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/detail/35856013/

Additional notes:
Your thread has been moved to the Chatterbox because Barton Town is the appropriate forum for role-play but not for a contest/hangout/role-play thread. Please remember to read the stickies before posting a new thread.
http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/barton-town/barton-town-rules-and-guidelines-please-read/t.23457691/

Sincerely,
Evil Penguin Overlord

I was pissed off. Extremely. The Cafe was going to be invaded by noobs. We just knew it. I wrote Evil Penguin Overlord back. I, unfortunately, do not have what I wrote to him. I must've accidently deleted it. But anyway..Here's how it went:

Evil Penguin Overlord

I spoke with my mentor concerning the thread move, to see if the Chatterbox was correct or if there was another, more suitable forum. I was given the following response:

Quote:

As it is an almost-hangout, you could advise them that if they describe it as such in the first post, it would be more viable for Friends Chat and could probably be moved there instead.

If it's edited as such, she also offered to move it to Friends Chat for you, so please let me know if you're going to make the edit or not.

The changes were made:

Evil Penguin Overlord

Cloud Crystal

♪..Alright,
the changes have been made..♫

..Thanks.

Informed her of the changes.

You're welcome, too. :]

These PM's are from June 6th, 2008.
Has our beloved Bomberman Cafe been moved?
No.

You can even visit it to be sure.


We never even received another PM about it.




And now, as I take my leave, I also take a banner, to show my support anger with Gaia.



-Cloud