Shop Hack
 

I really like the shop hack. It lets users reward themselves for their contribution. They can give themselves custom titles, stars, avatars, and so on.

I think it would make for a great addition to this forum. We were all talking about how to reward members for participation, well I think this is the answer!

For every post you make, you get $1, and you can buy a custom title, avatar, colored stars, etc. in the shop. You can set the price of each item, and even donate money to users.

The donate money feature could be used by admins as prizes for competitions we hold on the forums.

Just think of the possibilities!

Sorry, I've already suggested it and Alcar turned it down, but I think it's a good idea anyway

Alcar isn't the only person on this forum you know. We don't have to bow down to him.

I say we appeal the idea.

Although I really do like the idea, people may just post meaningless crap over and over to earn money. It would be like giving them incentive to post things just barely bordering on spam (not quite enough to warrant a post deletion or warning).

But even though I don't like the prospect of rewards on the basis of post count alone, it's still a really neat idea.

I'm for that, put it to a poll perhaps?

I do agree with you. People will post more to get something they want. If the moderators and admins did their damn job properly, there would be less spam. Or perhaps even no spam.

If people post spam, there should be a penalty. Like a $50 penalty or something. + you would get your post removed. Sure it would increase moderator workload, but the moderators here are lazy anyway.

Yeah. And if worse comes to worst, a bought account modification could always be confiscated.

It doesn't really suprise me that Alcar would turn down such an idea. He is a lazy forum nazi, and hates the idea of anyone with an account more special than his. He's had many chances to prove us wrong on that one, but never taken them up.

Keep the support coming.

Right, I'll do that. "Shop Hack Poll" thread will be created in FS&H.

That is so ridiculous. I don't care have flashy my account is (I wouldn't even consider it flashy), and I have proved it, time after time.

I willingly gave up my name being plastered on a total of four forums, in favour of only one (Forum Suggestions & Feedback). I was also the one who suggested I give up Oddworld Help and the Spoiler Forum so that deserving members could take the reigns as moderators. I also removed the Administrators and Super Moderators from being shown on the Show Groups page, leaving only the forum Moderators.

I am not a nazi, I am a democratic leader. And just like any democratic leader, they must turn down propositions. You learn quite a lot when you are in a position like myself, I know I empathise with John Howard a hell of a lot more than I used to.

Alcar...

What sort of democracy ignores the majority? 4 to 1 against Alcar, you are the only person who doesn't like the shop hack idea. Don't try and cover it up with a speach straight from the desks of George W Bush.

Bush isn't a democrat.:p Sorry, I just had to say it. ;)

Oh, so this is about majority rules?

There you are wrong. What is popular is not always right, and what is right is not always popular. What about your primary argument where I was denying the Shop Hack for my own personal gain? Obviously I proved you wrong, and now you've reduced yourself to using the same old, same old, "democratic" argument. You use argument after argument until you've exhausted them, then you totally disregard them.

Of course the members want more, that's what they strive for. We will not hand them it on a silver platter. Otherwise, the novelty of custom titles and ranks wears off. As I mentioned earlier, if this were a Final Fantasy forum, I would have no problem with introducing such an addition. But this isn't a Final Fantasy forum, and we aren't about buying items.

It is detrimental to the forums in the long run.

Alcar...

You're right, but he IS a retard, which is the point I was trying to get across.

Alcar, this isn't about an argument. It's not about 'winning' some kind of fight. You deny that this forum is a real community, you want it to be just plain OW, but the fact of the matter is, none of your users want it that way.

Saying "what's most popular is not always what's best" is like insisting you know better than the majority. Which, I might add, is a very arrogant stance. Perhaps for once, you should just let this forum grow in the way it wants to. It's the majority that makes a forum what it is, not some stuffy mod who thinks he knows best.

As though it would really be any effort in the first place. Which is why a shop hack would be good, it means users can reward themselves when they participate. All you have to do is moderate it (which is a job that is split between lots of other people too), and check up on bugs/flaws.

Just because it's called "shop hack" doesn't mean it is about buying things. Consider it exchanging post count for something more meaningful, like a colorful rank, or a custom title.

Don't be so expediant in your decisions of what the future holds. If things continue the way that they are going now, this forum will stagnate very quickly. There is nothing to celebrate here. It pales in comparison to even some of the most boring forums. This forum is the most basic, skin and bones there is. Why not make it an experience? Why not make it exciting? WTF have you got to lose?

You sure seem to make everything you get into an argument. I do not deny the forums are a real community, either. We do not want it to be plain Oddworld, which is why we offer Off Topic Discussion and Non Oddworld Art & Literature. We focus on Oddworld, and I do admit that the focus has been diminishing. Something I'm not proud of.

The quote I quoted, was not said with any arrogance. I am a leader, and it is my duty to respond to the requests of the community. I have responded, quite calmly, once again, contrary to the 'colourful' image you used earlier.

The forums aren't meant to be an 'experience'. They are meant to be a discussion forum, not a circus.

Alcar...

I say we bow down to superiority of Alcar, and this isnt a democratic forum mind you :p its owned by the admin and supermod. The forum is run under the monarchy system of the medieval age. We are all peasants and we need to worship our superiors.
(exception: Majic and Hobo :p)

To the point, i dont like this idea. The End.

You fool! How can you not worship Majic?

Wait, now lets just hold up a minute- I'm on the same scale of lowliness as a gentleman in rags with a penis growth on his head? That's it. I'm trading in my beat up junker of an RV and going for a Lexus.

You don't like the idea because you suck Alcar off.

This forum is run by the people that use it. Whether you like it or not that is a fact. The admin may own the forum, he may actually make the physical changes, but in reality WE the people are what makes this place what it is. We are the ones that make all the threads, the posts, the CONTENT.

It is a well known fact that an Admin is treading on thin ice the moment he starts ignoring the people he serves. An Admin should never be mistaken for a leader. There is no such thing as a leader in the world of the forum, only moderators, and dictators. An Admins job is to both moderate, and maintain the forums. An admin who thinks his job is to just lead is known as a dictator.

And if Alcar doesn't start ****ing listening to us, then we will just leave and go to other more interesting forums. We aren't held down by any kind of magical forcefield. We can leave when we want. In fact, probably the only thing stopping us from leaving, is the fact that we don't want to end up missing our forum friends.

I know I am leaving this place. Once I've finished with all the threads I'm participating in, I'll be blocking the OWF email, shutting down my PM system, and switching to invisible mode. Moving on to greener pastures, because this field has just turned to mud.

Hold on there, cowboy. Your generalizing the forum as a whole based off of Alcar, and then leave us? Come on, at least go out with a bang. Hack in and change Alcar's account title to "Asswiping Dictator" or something like that.

Only where you've been trampling it.

That's the idea of the century. Sadly it's now not possible to hack into vBulletin the way I used to, because a security loophole I was exploiting was fixed when vB3 came out.

But I am going to search for exploits and cracks, just to see if I can still do it.

We will see, time will tell. I'm leaving this forum because I can't be bothered with it any more - hacking it would just be more effort to prove what? That I don't like Alcar?

I wouldn't even be around anymore to take the credit.

You are also going to be a candidate for a hacked account.

Death...don't leave just because of Alcar. Why don't you guys work out your differences so you can stay and everybody will be happy?

-oddguy:crying:

Actually, it wouldn't prove much, but would provide a good laugh to everyone.

Because I am fed up with these forums anyway. They are boring/lack depth.

If and when I find a new forum, I will let you all know about it. I'm keeping my eye out for a forum with plenty of features, but not too many members. So stay tuned for the mass exodus of "THIS CRAPPY FORUM"!

These forums are great! Just the right amount of people...and when we don't have OW info...Off Topic is a fun place to be. Lately, we've been getting more OW4 info, so things have been exciting and active.

Oh, and if you want a new forum to go to, hobo has started a forum on EZ Board.

http://pub227.ezboard.com/bhobosgamespalaceforums

-oddguy

Wow. My last post just came today, and it's been overwhelmied by some seven more. this isn't a thread, it's a discussion

Nope.

Nope.

FEATURES people, FEATURES.

Thread discussion. Ish. Mind you, that's one reason why I like this place. Not too many people, and not too many posts. A topic doesn't get pushed back several pages after one day of dormancy.

Hmmm. I knew I should't have said that. But you're not helping anything by threataning people, you know.

If people want to leave, then by all means they can. We don't expect people to stay if they don't want to. What on Earth has lead you to believe I believed such a thing?

I would say goodbye, but you've come back so many times it's not funny.

Alcar...

Ahahahahahahahahahahaha! :lol: Hahaha! :lol:

*ahem* :|

Ouch...so harsh, but so true. ;)

Anyway, I'm not forcing anybody to stay or anything, I just don't like to see people leave over stupid reasons, but I now realize that death just doesn't like the OWF, so he can do what he wants.


-oddguy :fuzcool:

I too am full of all of Alcars neo-nazi bullshit. And another thing.. If you flame a n00b(I use the 0's because of the sheer retardedness of the being *cough* Abe 16 *cough*) you dont get banned or posting rights removed. If you even make a harsh offense twords a mod, you practicly get perma-banned...

Shop Hack would pwn the shit off of this forum and un-lame it.

Also... recognition for the Vet's... I am the oldest running member (in being a member) other than Xav and Abe Babe. I've been here longer than all the mods (other than Xav) and have I got any recognition or even a custom title. Do I expect one? Not really..

And another thing...

Don't worry Jameslton, I respect you


If I don't you'll hit me :fuzsad:

Like hell I will...


But seriously, this whole thing is going to turn into the Russian revalution. Except its going in reverse... right now, its the U.S.S.R. lead by Alcar *cough* Stalin *cough*. Hopefuly we can fix this...

Hopefuly.

I don't see what the big deal is. As long as I still get to discuss Oddworld with my buddies, I'm fine. A custom title would be nice, but it's not the most important thing in the world.

*ducks*

Don't hit me! :eek:

I'd have to agree with Oddguy...all the little bells and whistles are nice, but not that essential. I don't think I'd really miss 'em.

They are essential in identifying us the way we wish to be identified. Just something to give us more character, more life.

It's a psychological issue, when we strip it down to its bare bones, for instance:

Right now I don't feel like I'm talking to people, I feel like I'm talking to labeled forum content entities - but if we all had our own custom title to identify ourselves with, it would humanize the situation, and thus make us all alot more empathetic.

If I threw a remark at you, Mac, I wouldn't feel too bad about myself afterwards. But if I could see a considerable amount of evidence in front of me, that you are a breathing, thinking, feeling human being, then I would think twice about what I would say to you. Same goes for anyone else.

Photos in avatars don't seem to have the same effect, same goes for signitures. But custom titles and stars have this certain 'something' about them. It's identification on a whole different level. A person gets a custom title so rarely, that they only get something put there if it is really heartfelt, or honest, and something that really means something to us.

Does that not contradict itself? If we make custom titles available to everyone, the novelty will eventually wear off. In the end they will become exactly like signatures and avatars (according to you). Meaningless. So why only make them available to a select few? And keep the novelty of a custom title in tact. Not only that, but it gives members something to strive for.

Also, if we make custom titles available to everyone, the whole concept of our rank system, where you gain a new specialised Oddworld title every so often (based on post count) is lost. The novelty of the rank system is destroyed. I know that when I first joined, the rank system was fantastic. You didn't know what was next, and when you got a new rank, you couldn't believe it.

I simply believe you aim to take the Oddworld from the Oddworld Forums. This isn't about making titles look flashy, or giving users personalities. They have personalities. We just have to get to known them better, understand them better. How can you expect members to integrate into our community if all they get is pissed off members looking at the newest member to unload their anger on? I have no qualms in admitting you do this with your brash nature. I cannot believe the audacity in your claims of giving people more personality. When I look at a user, I look at how productive they are. Are they friendly? Do they contribute? I still have my list of potential Moderators in my head. New ones, that will be the successors of those that leave. These members are the ones that don't complain about their status, they don't try and start inter-forum wars, they have a nice attitude, and as I said earlier, they contribute. The reason we have rules, is to protect members from people who do treat them like a computer. Don't you dare try and cover up what you do with the excuse "I treat them as computers". By doing that, you strip every member here of their rights and personalities.

Finally, when a member complains about not having a custom title, they are in turn stating they think they are better than everyone else. They think they deserve it, over all others. One of the things I hate most, is members complaining that they aren't treated equally, that they are less priviledged. All members (bar the staff and those that are banned) are in the same usergroup. You each are equal. If Abe Babe or I think you worthy of a custom title, we will approach you. More often that not, it will be because of your interest in regards to an Oddworld related issue.

Alcar...

well i think that sorts it then. No shop hack.

Meaning no disrespect, but it sounds like what you're saying is that if we had this shop hack, and had personalised titles, you would treat us more like we were people.
For instance(Still meaning no disrespect), you might not threaten me with hacking. Or call Alcar a nazi (just as an example). You get the idea.