I know it's already Tuesday, but I figured I'd let you know I'm not dropping the journal entries. Still shooting for every Friday, every week smile
But since I spent a bunch of time dealing with the Easter Event ( gonk ) I wasn't in the mood, really, to do this. Just a few things I wanted to mention briefly:
Blue Easter
Blue easter eggs were loaded into Towns, but we couldn't get the graphic showing up properly (so potentially, they were invisible). Some people got them accidentally. They're not equippable, and they were only good for selling to the shops - so in my opinion they're pretty much worthless, except as a way of remembering what went wrong with this event rofl
My 2 Weeks Notice
Some people were calling for my resignation last week. No, this doesn't bother me too much. What bothered me more was that they thought we didn't care -- when really, plenty of Gaia staffers live and die by how the users react to things - and I'm one of them.
I was really upset over the event backlash -- not so much just because many of you were complaining, but because I knew we didn't manage to deliver to the users.
Now, users complain no matter what we do. We're pretty good at telling whether something was a success or not. For example: Inventory Arranger. When the new one went out, people were complaining left and right -- but the net effect was positive, and for the most part, it was people who just didn't know how to use it.
With this past event, we had dropped the egg... er... ball.
So yeah, I was pretty upset that users felt as though we had failed them. Very upset in fact (if you ask anyone at Gaia HQ, I was pretty much surly and upset all of Friday) - but not because of rude things users were saying.
The Future of Gaia
Some user sent me a PM along these lines:
Anonymous
Somebody made a topic in the GCD, about how long Gaia Online is going to stay alive. People said atleast until this generation grows up, and the next will look at it as something that the older generation played and won't like it as much.
I was just wondering what you thought.
I was just wondering what you thought.
it was an interesting question. I've never run a business as big as Gaia is or as long lived as Gaia will be, but here was my response:
Fleep
Gaia is a living, breathing thing. Though it's a huge, lumbering beast it is possible to change it when tastes change.
However, it's dangerous to talk about things in generations like that, because age groups are a gradient, not concrete chunks. Let's say you're 15. You begin to grow up. Does that mean the next generation is your kids? No, it's the new 15 year old who's a couple weeks younger than you. And when he grows up, there's another 15 year old just after him.
It's more important that we pay attention to what's interesting. The good thing about a site like Gaia, though, is that the users create 99% of the content on the site -- so people will be talking about whatever interests them. For a lot of users on Gaia, the storyline, the events, etc. aren't what brings them back -- it's interacting with their friends and talking about stuff that interests them. Having an avatar that represents you is just a big bonus over other community sites, since you can also express who you are (which isn't a sensibility that's going away any time soon).
So yeah, people will change, but I don't think it'll ever just be like interest in the site switches off in the mind of a younger generation.
However, it's dangerous to talk about things in generations like that, because age groups are a gradient, not concrete chunks. Let's say you're 15. You begin to grow up. Does that mean the next generation is your kids? No, it's the new 15 year old who's a couple weeks younger than you. And when he grows up, there's another 15 year old just after him.
It's more important that we pay attention to what's interesting. The good thing about a site like Gaia, though, is that the users create 99% of the content on the site -- so people will be talking about whatever interests them. For a lot of users on Gaia, the storyline, the events, etc. aren't what brings them back -- it's interacting with their friends and talking about stuff that interests them. Having an avatar that represents you is just a big bonus over other community sites, since you can also express who you are (which isn't a sensibility that's going away any time soon).
So yeah, people will change, but I don't think it'll ever just be like interest in the site switches off in the mind of a younger generation.
MOAR LINKZ
I'm writing this on the floor of my bedroom (I just sold my desk) and it's looking like it's going to be a very busy week - so my links will have to suffer again for another entry.
Unless I decide later today that I want to hop in and throw some in, which is entirely possible rofl
Also, another shortish entry. But if I have my way, this Friday's post will be a biggun. Of course, I don't always get my way sad
EDIT #1: Why I sold the desk
So a lot of people are asking why I sold the desk. I'll rip off what I just wrote for Leena_Nightshade:
Quote:
I'm redecorating my room. So I decided to scrap the HUGE desk I had and get a smaller one. I felt the size of it was representative of the amount of value I gave it in my life, and I kind of saw it as a shrine to a lifestyle that wasn't the kind of lifestyle I wanted to live.
So I'll leave you on that very cryptic note rofl
Community Member