Rika

has

a terrific idea for a gridwide hunt that is neither gridwide nor a hunt that would keep everyone happy.

144 responses to this plurk.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 10:38

  Rika	Shame I don't have the social clout or popularity to get designers to participate.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 10:47

  Sharine

  says

  pray tell! You could try asking on Plurk

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 10:49

  Rika	Well, here's the idea... Users subscribe to the event. Designers get a box and drop their best free sample in.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 10:51

  Rika	Every day, every subscriber gets ONE random free sample, and a landmark it came from. The rest is up to them.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 10:51

  Rika	Pros: You get acquainted with shops you've never been to.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 10:52

  Rika	No lag causes by strict gridwide chain order, or pain caused by trying to find a gift embedded in a wall.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 10:52

  Rika	It doesn't have to start or end, designers can go on board at any time.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 10:53

  Rika	Cons: If you gave out a worthless freebie, it won't get you any shoppers.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 10:54

  Rika	But most resulting visits will be visits with clear intent to spend money.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 10:54

  Rika	I.e. it won't increase traffic, but will increase sales. Which should have been the point in the first place.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 10:56

  Gabby Panacek

  likes

  that idea

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 10:58

  Sharine

  and suscribers won't be able to pick up only what they like?

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:00

  Rika	can code that rather quickly but can't get people to join.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:00

  Rika	Subscribers will be *sent* a random freebie *once per day*.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:01

  Rika	With a landmark and maybe a notecard with textures of other stuff in the shop in it.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:02

  Rika	So - no searching, or hunting or trying to get it all in one day...

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:02

  Rika	You just start your morning with news of a new shop you might want to check out and a sample of what they have to offer.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:04

  Evie

  wonders

  if every subscriber would get the same freebie each day.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:06

  Rika	No, they'd get sent a random freebie from the list of things they haven't got yet.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:07

  Rika	The offworld server would keep track of that and designer's dropboxes would check in and get a queue of adressess to send to.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:07

  Rika	That way it prevents crowds of people who don't actually bring you business.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:16

  Rika	Shoppers would have somewhere new to go every day, designers would have a steady influx of people with intent to buy, everyone wins.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:19

  Quaintly

  thinks

  that is a very innovative and cool idea, no hunting, thank goodness *phew*

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:20

  Rika	can code that, but making it worthwhile requires designers to understand why is it good. And I'm not very popular with designers.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:45

  Princess Ali

  says

  Oh I do love this idea!!!

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 11:45

  Gabby Panacek

  The more Rika explains her ideas...the more I fall in love with it...I replurked it already!

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 13:01

  just ely

  thinks

  it would need to be moderated to ensure quality. too many crappy items in a row, and people will stop looking at future gifts

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 13:02

  Sisou Heartkey

  says

  great idea

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 13:20

  Voshie

  rika i would definitely be on board for something like this (is a lil nobocy designer )...and yeah quality control lol

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 13:22

  Rika	designed in a feature to turn a designer's dropbox off centrally, the question is how to handle the moderation workload...

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 14:35

  Rika	Only one freebie per subscriber per day. That is, after 100 days, every subscriber will have your freebie.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 14:35

  Rika	But every day it will get sent to N subscribers.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 14:35

  Rika	Mind you, depending on how many subscribers there are, it doesn't have to be exactly one freebie per subscriber per day.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 14:36

  Rika	Although more than three would probably be unwise.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 14:37

  Rika	It's not meant to be a fast-acting promotion system.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 14:37

  Rika	But it is supposed to result in a steady stream of visitors who actually think they want your stuff.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 15:14

  Rika	Working on it.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 16:27

  Maegen Parvenu

  says

  I love the idea - and I'm a designer who'd totally sign up. I don't know many other designers, but you can count me in, at least!

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 16:34

  Rika	Well, I'm getting enough positive response that I'm coding already.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 16:55

  Gabby Panacek

  asks

  do i understand correctly that a random "group" of freebies goes out each day? not the same 1 to everyone each day?

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 16:56

  Gabby Panacek

  :

  ex: on Tues I might get a gift from designer A while Codie gets a gift from Designer F?

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 16:58

  Gabby Panacek

  :

  So designers have something going out to a group of subscribers almost everyday? *loves it*

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 17:28

  RayvnHynes

  says

  I would definately participate as a designer! This is a wonderful idea. Would each store have a *subscribe* kiosk in their store then?

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 17:31

  *HP*

  says

  I'd love to participate in that!

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:07

  Sharine

  thinks

  this is a great idea and can't wait to see how it'll turn out!

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:16

  Rika	Basically the system keeps a list of subscribers, a list of designers and a list of transactions.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:16

  Rika	Every morning, the system counts all subscribers and creates new transactions sending them a sample from a randomly picked designer that...

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:17

  Rika	...they have not yet received.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:18

  Rika	Dropboxes owned by designers themselves check that list and send out the samples as per unfilled transactions, marking them as filled.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:19

  Rika	So - yes, while on a given Tuesday Gaby gets a sample from designer A, and Codie gets a sample from designer B, all designers...

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:19

  Rika	...get their sample sent to N subscribers (where N depends on how many subscribers there are) and after M days,

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:20

  Rika	where M is the number of designers, every subscriber has received every sample.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:21

  Rika	A new designer joining the system has just as much chance of exposure as any other one, no matter when they joined, and every day, ...

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:21

  Rika	...every subscriber gets something from a designer they haven't got anything from yet.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:23

  ChefKarl

  as a new jewelry designer, I would defiantly participate in this.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:23

  Rika	I.e. once you set up, it'll keep operating for a year (probably longer), bringing in new prospective shoppers,

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:23

  Rika	and throughout that year shoppers will see new shops.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:27

  Sharine

  says

  I like the idea that it is random and allows us to be exposed to new designers every day. But because it is random, it would also mean

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:28

  Sharine

  I may receive this awesome item that people are raving about now only at the end of the year?

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:39

  Rika	Right now I'm thinking of splitting the network into seven categories each of which functions separately:

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:39

  Rika	Female Fashion, Male Fashion, House and Garden, Vehicles and Gadgets, Skins and Hair, Animations and Poses, Jewelry and accessories

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:40

  Rika	Yes, it could be that way, which is why I'm not suggesting it be an item exclusive to the system in the designer's manual.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:41

  Rika	The item is not supposed to be a gift or a prize. It's a free sample. A sample should be representative of a designer's work as a whole.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:43

  Rika	It's explicitly to be like a tangible calling card - "here's what I do, drop by if you liked it", not "ultrasuperrare collector's item".

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:44

  Rika	The idea is specifically to have all the good points of a large gridwide hunt without any of the bad ones.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:46

  Rika	The good points of a gridwide is that you get to see a lot of shops you otherwise wouldn't.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:46

  Rika	The bad points are that you have to do it RIGHT NOW before it's over, and then you have to spend days sorting.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:47

  Rika	By subscribing, we avoid all that messy jumping around and spread the sorting over a long period.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 18:48

  Rika	Randomness ensures everyone's got a chance and whatever interested visitors that result are spread evenly.

• 
  May 01, 2009 - 22:04

  Rika	...okay, the script backend is mostly done. Next up, the inworld scripts, then the designer web interface...

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 04:36

  SarahTheRed

  is

  very interested in this idea!

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 04:38

  Rika	should have a working prototype ready in ~20 hours, the full working system will go online by the end of the week.

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 04:39

  Raynee

  loves

  this idea!

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 04:41

  Voshie

  wow Rika you are a super scripter O.O

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 04:42

  Rika

  grins.

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 04:43

  Rika	meant the *next* week, though.

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 04:43

  Rika	It needs a blog and a logo and docs, and docs need to be translated into languages and stuff...

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 04:45

  Rika	Okay, subscription terminal works...

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 05:05

  Gabby Panacek

  asks

  What can I help with...just name it

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 05:06

  Rika	Promoting it when I'm done, offering suggestions on product categories mentioned above (Is 7 enough?) ...

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 05:07

  Rika	offering suggestions on a name (So far "Designer Showcase Network" suggested by Peter is best, but I'm not sure yet) ...

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 05:07

  Rika	...and ideas for a logo would be nice too.

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 05:42

  Gabby Panacek

  finishes up the MechLife blog and then gets to work!

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 06:49

  Rika	whews. Core code done. The rest is debugging and polishing.

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 07:02

  Raynee

  says

  .... as a budding coder I am impressed

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 19:51

  Rika	Subscription terminal works, transaction generator works, now I just need to see if the transaction actually fires when it should...

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 19:52

  Rika	Then it's time for the web interface for the designers, stress testing it on a small test population and all the pretty bits...

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 22:49

  Rika	One full cycle without stopping on a bug, complete.

• 
  May 02, 2009 - 22:51

  ChefKarl

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 05:30

  Voshie

  YAYAYAY awesome! well i know i definitely would like to participate in something like this and any way i can help...(isn't talented though)

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 10:41

  Moving Star

  says

  LOVE IT Rika!!! you go girl!!!

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 19:09

  Nikadreamscape

  says

  You are BRILLIANT. I want to join in on this, both as a contributor and a participant!

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 19:16

  Laleeta

  likes

  this idea Rika ! Count me in!

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 19:19

  Saiyge

  Very cool idea!

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 19:23

  Tigs

  is

  amazing idea & progress! I'd support it

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 19:23

  isle

  says

  brilliant. Love the idea, and the randomness actually adds, since person 1 getting a different item may tell person 2 about it, or blog it,

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 19:24

  isle

  says

  leaading to a more even spread of coverage for the designers and bloggers

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 19:34

  ellie bellie

  i think this is awesome! i would totally participate!

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 20:04

  SamB	sayd Cool beans

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 20:15

  Ash-y!

  says

  this sound exciting

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 20:24

  Rika	As much as I like freebie blogs, seeing a picture is no substitute to actually trying a free sample on.

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 20:28

  GiannaBorgnine

  wants

  to participate, and I can have my clients use it as well! I'd also be happy to help anyway I can!

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 20:32

  Rika	Well, the designer kit will include a copyable dropbox and a few variants of a billboard that will double as a subscription terminal.

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 20:39

  Daddy Damo

  One of the most awesome ideas ever!

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 20:43

  ChefKarl

  will

  be available to beta test for you, just drop me a line when ready.

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 20:43

  Laleeta

  is

  very excited about it all

• 
  May 03, 2009 - 22:27

  QueenKellee

  loves

  this idea to bits!! both as a designer and customer

• 
  May 04, 2009 - 04:32

  beatrixnoel

  loves

  the idea! I would totally go for that as a customer.

• 
  May 05, 2009 - 00:53

  Rika	summarises it all for posterity.

• 
  May 05, 2009 - 01:21

  ChefKarl

  I your idea and I hope it works out for all involved. I will sign up as a designer when it is available.

• 
  May 05, 2009 - 01:21

  SarahTheRed

  bookmarks

• 
  May 05, 2009 - 22:49

  ❤Delora❤

  says

  beautiful. Getting the word spread for you a bit maybe.

• 
  May 05, 2009 - 23:11

  oobscure

  is

  this was an awesome example of effective realtime conversation .. or something like that

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 00:55

  Mandy Fae

  wants

  in on this! where do we sign up?

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 01:12

  Rika	Keep an eye on my blog and/or plurk, you won't miss it.

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 01:21

  Candy Bunneh

  wonders

  what the cost for designers to sign up will be...?

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 01:22

  Rika	Something between L$200 and L$500.

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 01:23

  Rika	Haven't yet settled on it.

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 01:31

  Candy Bunneh

  says

  very reasonable. And then like a monthly fee similar to the SOMs? Great idea you're coding up there!

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 02:27

  Rika	Actually, I don't want a monthly fee.

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 02:28

  Rika	Lots of problems involved in collecting it, accounting, etc, etc. Assuming I set the signup fee at L$400, I should have enough to run it

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 02:28

  Rika	for a year or so if designers keep signing up.

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 02:29

  Rika	I will reserve the right to set a monthly fee if that will be required, but I hope that won't be necessary.

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 02:29

  Rika	It all depends on how fast it will grow.

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 02:30

  Mandy Fae

  says

  well i don't think anyone would hold it against you if you made a bit of money off it, it's a great idea.

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 02:35

  ChefKarl

  has

  no problem with that. It would be worth it for the motivated traffic. Best advertising money you can spend.

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 03:00

  Candy Bunneh

  says

  right - I agree that a monthly fee would be well worth it. Just asking questions

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 03:01

  Candy Bunneh

  says

  like I said, its a great idea - can't wait to see the finished product!

• 
  May 06, 2009 - 23:48

  HartLarsson

  says

  this is a great idea... let mw know if u need help in coding too

• 
  May 07, 2009 - 17:13

  Sylvie

  has

  just found out about this and loves the idea. Please count me in!

• 
  May 09, 2009 - 12:05

  Rika	It's officially live!

• 
  May 09, 2009 - 14:28

  Mandy Fae

  says

  woot!

• 
  May 09, 2009 - 14:30

  Laleeta

  received a package and will examine it as soon as I can!

• 
  May 09, 2009 - 16:26

  HartLarsson

  says

  great news i will try asap