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 site targeted at 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.
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