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Deazy

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Post: 24555183_1 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:01:14 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:01:14 +0000

Currently the rules state:

"Offering gold, items or services to gain more votes and comments is not allowed. Asking/suggesting that other members to vote for your avatar in the arena is fine, however paying them to vote for you is not."

I'd like to see this rule amended.

There has been a recent upsurge in Give away and Art Freebie threads being used to advertise Avatar Arena entries. Currently this is within the guidelines as long as they state that voting will not necessarily get them an item or free art.

Lets face it, we know that a lot of Gaians will still think that by rating ten, commenting and chatting in the give away thread will give them that advantage. It gave four recent winners of the Avatar Arena a nice gold injection and a place in the top ten history.

I propose an amendment to this rule that states you cannot advertise your arena entry in a giveaway thread, art freebie thread or charity, other than in your signature. Give people a few weeks to get use to it, with warnings (not disqualification) to those that do it. Then after that time, disqualification from the Arena for those that break this rule.

You may think "What's the harm?" it's a little fun. It is fun, like the lottery, but when you discover the winner was able to fiddle with the results.... it takes a little of the fun out of it. One day you may see someone in a starter outfit on the community page as the winner for the best avatar on Gaia because they held a giveaway thread for a halo in the Chatterbox. A lot of people enter, not for the gold but, for that chance to get into the top ten and into Gaia history.

Please don't come back with "only rich people win" because if they are hosting a give away thread then yes they are probably rich and by agreeing to this amendment you are leveling the field a little.

Please don't say only "popular people win" because really how many of you know the people that have won by name?

and finally please don't say "I don't care" because that is just spam and spam isn't allowed here.

Be constructive if you are against this, be articulate ... persuade me why it's a bad idea.

Jonas Albrecht

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Post: 24555183_2 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:02:36 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:02:36 +0000

Indeed, what's the point of an Avatar Arena when the winning slots can simply be bought by fame or gold?

AngelSong0

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Post: 24555183_3 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:07:16 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:07:16 +0000

I agree. That rule needs to be changed. It gives those that have those kinds of threads an unfair advantage.

It should be changed to...

"Offering gold, items or services to gain more votes and comments is not allowed. Asking/suggesting that other members to vote for your avatar in the arena is fine. Paying members to vote for you or giving away art/items in a thread advertizing your arena entry is not. "

Bebbo

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Post: 24555183_4 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:11:57 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:11:57 +0000

With giveaway threads I can see why people are so quick to jump to vote 10 for their entires. It's called reciprocity - where the individuals entering the giveaway may feel inclined to vote high for the owner in the arena because they're being nice in doing a giveaway xd It's like paying off a debt but without money.

So I agree with you Deazy that advertising should be restricted to our signatures.

ninja-no-ryu

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Post: 24555183_5 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:13:06 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:13:06 +0000

I agree wholeheartedly. 3nodding

PriestessSelwyn

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Post: 24555183_6 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:14:40 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:14:40 +0000

I fully support this change to the rules.

Advertising in signatures only is what I'd like to see.

Wolfram Ysud

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Post: 24555183_7 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:17:11 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:17:11 +0000

i agree with this as well.

Tevokkia

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Post: 24555183_8 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:19:22 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:19:22 +0000

I agree. Signature advertisements should be one of the only forms of advertisements allowed- I spend quite a bit of time commenting in the arena, and sometimes I'll see some avvies with 8 pages of comments near the end of the week, while others only have one or two. You can't tell me that the one with 8 pages is just a better avi, because people are quick to tell less amusing avvies that they suck (or sometimes they're actually polite about it, but not often). It's just the ones that have people clicking links specific to their entry that get more votes and comments, and what Bebbo said is totally true: people often vote high for people they like or think are nice rather than people who have exceptional avatars.

Felicity Lockhart

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Post: 24555183_9 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:19:38 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:19:38 +0000

Agreed. At the moment it just seems too hard to distinguish between what is considered 'legal' advertising within charities, and what is disqualifiable. Even if there isn't any explicit statement of increased chances, people will assume there is.

boneless skittle

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Post: 24555183_10 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:20:56 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:20:56 +0000

true avi arena isnt 4 beggin 4 stuff its about trying hardest to win!

Jonas Albrecht

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Post: 24555183_11 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:22:05 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:22:05 +0000

Furthermore, it would help immensely if the admins made it impossible to directly link to an entry.

AngelSong0

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Post: 24555183_12 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:24:43 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:24:43 +0000

Jonas Albrecht

Furthermore, it would help immensely if the admins made it impossible to directly link to an entry.

This really isn't necessary.

If they changed to rules to not allow advertisements of avi entries in the giveaway threads... all we'd have to do is report them and they'd be disqualified.

I have no problem if people advertise in their sigs. I just don't like the idea of people having giveaway threads and using them to advertise their entry.

Jonas Albrecht

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Post: 24555183_13 created on Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:26:47 +0000
Posted: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 01:26:47 +0000

AngelSong0

Jonas Albrecht

Furthermore, it would help immensely if the admins made it impossible to directly link to an entry.

I have no problem if people advertise in their sigs. I just don't like the idea of people having giveaway threads and using them to advertise their entry.

I'd rather just take away the temptation to abuse advertising.