Twitter Auction Bidding Decision. Serious Business. Srsly.

[crb]

We have around 750 dollars. Donations have started slowing, I don't think we'll end much higher than 800.

Auction ends saturday at 3 pm.

If simu matched we could maybe afford a mega package, but I don't think they will.

If simu tweeted or put in the announcements we were doing this, we might get another flush of donations, but probably they won't. People can put it in their officials sigs though.

So, we will not be able to buy a mega package. Which includes a retweet, a mention, and 90 days of following.

We then need to decide which lesser package to get, which is the above lot individually.

I originally thought Levar Burton because Felicia day was far more expensive, but if we can't get either mega package, then both become affordable (for now).

Levar Burton has 1.6 million twitter followers, and is famous for Star Trek, Reading Rainbow, and being an education advocate.

Felicia Day has 1.7 million twitter followers, is an actress, gamer nerd chick, and has this web tv show about rpgs.

I kinda think Felicia Day would have the better audience, since I now know who she is. She is also probably more likely to appreciate our little donation drive and humor.

We'll decide with a poll, and if possible I may be able to buy two things with the loot.

officials discussion: http://www.play.net/forums/messages.asp?forum=102&category=6&topic=3

I'd link to the thread... but... yanno... "the forums are intuitive and easy to use!" so I link to the subforum. browse to the most recent posts.

[crb]

One thing to consider is if they're following for 90 days, might they give you free retweets or mentions out of habit?

[AestheticDeath]

i don't use twitter, so what the heck is this about?

[SpiffyJr]

My vote is still in for Google AdWords and other similar advertising. Or, buy one package, take the remaining fundage, and put it towards AdWords. Hopefully we get a decent turnout and Simu will pick up some advertising of their own...

[Ryvicke]

One thing to consider is if they're following for 90 days, might they give you free retweets or mentions out of habit?

Not really. People only retweet interesting things. The 90 day follow is useless as it guarantees nothing. It's more for a very active twitter user to know the celebrity is seeing what they type and the very small chance they could decide to be interested. We specifically are looking to see a gemstone link go out to 1.7 million people.

[crb]

I've asked Simu to please try to tweet something interesting in the event that we should win.

[Ryvicke]

I've asked Simu to please try to tweet something interesting in the event that we should win.

You should remove the option. It's a complete waste of money and not at all the goal of this entire thing.

[BriarFox]

Levar Burton has 1.6 million twitter followers, and is famous for Star Trek, Reading Rainbow, and being an education advocate.

Felicia Day has 1.7 million twitter followers, is an actress, gamer nerd chick, and has this web tv show about rpgs.

I kinda think Felicia Day would have the better audience, since I now know who she is. She is also probably more likely to appreciate our little donation drive and humor.

I agree with Felicia Day. Burton would be more likely to attract parents and educators, who are less likely to play games themselves and who would probably forget about it. Day, on the other hand, sounds like she has just the right audience.

I don't use Twitter, so what exactly is a retweet versus a @mention?

[Ryvicke]

I agree with Felicia Day. Burton would be more likely to attract parents and educators, who are less likely to play games themselves and who would probably forget about it. Day, on the other hand, sounds like she has just the right audience.

I don't use Twitter, so what exactly is a retweet versus a @mention?

An @mention will point people to the gs4 twitter feed. Which will appear nonsensical to anyone who doesn't care about a merchant in gardenia commons and people will just click off and keep surfing sites that aren't gibberish. A retweet will get us a direct link to play.net with any specific text simu desires.

[Bobmuhthol]

A retweet is the person tweeting one of your tweets on their twitter and a @mention is any tweet that links to your twitter (e.g., @Schwarzenegger is the best governator of all time!, where @Schwarzenegger is a link to Arnold Schwarzenegger's twitter).

[BriarFox]

An @mention will point people to the gs4 twitter feed. Which will appear nonsensical to anyone who doesn't care about a merchant in gardenia commons and people will just click off and keep surfing sites that aren't gibberish. A retweet will get us a direct link to play.net with any specific text simu desires.

The choice seems pretty obvious, then.

[Ryvicke]

I also realize I was on my phone and accidentally voted for the @mention. I definitely think the only thing of value to us would be the Retweet. It's the difference between every one of Felicia Day's follower seeing "Hey check out this awesome game, Gemstone! www.play.net/gs4" and her just saying "Hey check out @GSIV!" and the link being entirely contained to the twitter feed. Also, the GS twitter feed looks to be updated by a simple custom API that a GM wrote, so that any GM can plug in "Merchant Name", "Location", "Instance" and have it spit out the same sentence no matter what. It's debatable how many people inside of Simu could even take control of the feed to post anything more interesting than that.

[Fortybox]

While I think this is commendable by everyone involved, without market research this is just like throwing money away.

Simutronics needs to hire someone capable of analyzing the marketplace and recommending a path that will provide the most benefit to them.

[Ryvicke]

While I think this is commendable by everyone involved, without market research this is just like throwing money away.

Simutronics needs to hire someone capable of analyzing the marketplace and recommending a path that will provide the most benefit to them.

Certainly there are better ways to advertise for the money, but I don't think people donated $800 to pad Simu's (non-existent) ad budget by putting up a few plain text AdWords ads. We got excited cause this is dorkeriffic.

[Bobmuhthol]

$800 is a lot less expensive than hiring a consultant.

[DCSL]

We may be tossing money around but we're doing it in a dynamic way. We're action nerds.

[Methais]

If simu matched we could maybe afford a mega package, but I don't think they will.

Pretty pathetic when the customers do the advertising and the company refuses (most likely) to take part in it.

Does that make Simu stupid or does it make those who donated suckers? Or both?

[WRoss]

I think I voted for the wrong thing too. I just want Felicia day and not the 90 day follow. So put vote in with whatever of those seems more logical. I don't get this twitter shit.

[Anebriated]

I think I voted for the wrong thing too. I just want Felicia day and not the 90 day follow. So put vote in with whatever of those seems more logical. I don't get this twitter shit.

+1

[Donquix]

I just want Felicia day

Quoted because I do.

I so, so do.

[Swami71]

This being ebay we'll probably get sniped at the last second.

Damn timed auctions.

[crb]

While I think this is commendable by everyone involved, without market research this is just like throwing money away.

Simutronics needs to hire someone capable of analyzing the marketplace and recommending a path that will provide the most benefit to them.

let me guess... you offer such services?

Worst case scenario we're helping to build an orphanage.

[Sam]

I think I voted for the wrong thing too. I just want Felicia day and not the 90 day follow. So put vote in with whatever of those seems more logical. I don't get this twitter shit.

Same here.

[Paradii]

Worst case scenario we're helping to build an orphanage.



QFT

[radamanthys]

Fuck orphans.

[Fortybox]

Certainly there are better ways to advertise for the money, but I don't think people donated $800 to pad Simu's (non-existent) ad budget by putting up a few plain text AdWords ads. We got excited cause this is dorkeriffic.

The only way we could bypass the research would be if we could get Chuck Norris to twitter.

Instant success.

[Donquix]

The only way we could bypass the research would be if we could get Chuck Norris to twitter.

Instant success.

Chuck Norris refuses to tweet using any method other than roundhouse kicking the keyboard.

Fun fact: The shockwave from the kick destroys the computer itself before the electrical impulse from the keyboard reaches it.

[phantasm]

Felicia Day is going to know where all the merchants in GS are for the next 90 days, good job guys.

[crb]

its actually tied because two people said they voted for the wrong thing.

so 12/12

[AnticorRifling]

Fuck orphans.

Pretty sure I have that movie somewhere.

[Buckwheet]

So just to be clear, the follow option just means the celeb will get GSIV tweets but can ignore them because they don't have to do anything with it?

What is the upside to this option? The chance for a random re-tweet? I have no idea how Twitter works.

[peam]

I have no use for Twitter and didn't know shit about it, until this thread.

Personally, I think the poll should be re-done with the 'follow' options removed, as purchasing one a 'follow' seems to make no fucking sense and would seemingly be a complete waste of funds.

[Ryvicke]

So just to be clear, the follow option just means the celeb will get GSIV tweets but can ignore them because they don't have to do anything with it?

What is the upside to this option? The chance for a random re-tweet? I have no idea how Twitter works.

Viril needs to eliminate this option. It would be very useful for someone, but not us. The whole point of getting them to follow you is hoping that your constant tweeting (and if you are into twitter as a business model you feed your twitter audience at least 6x a day, and when you feed them, you entertain them and hope they will retweet you to their friends, or make an original tweet touting your greatness). It would be hella (YES, HELLA) useful for someone that is creating and airing their own dorky webseries (just like Felicia's! oh maybe she'll even watch it if the tweets are interesting enough!), or someone that is tweeting something that her followers would like to see in a retweet. But SRSLY, the GS4 twitter feed is neither of those, and even if she does feel bad for the people that fucked up and bought her 90-day follow without any content for her to actually follow, the best she'll give us is a charity @mention to the feed, which again, does nothing for us.

Buy the "full package" or the retweet or nothing. Epic fail if we spend 1/10 less money to buy the "90 day follow" package.

[Ryvicke]

RT @peam:


I have no use for Twitter and didn't know shit about it, until this thread.

Personally, I think the poll should be re-done with the 'follow' options removed, as purchasing one a 'follow' seems to make no fucking sense and would seemingly be a complete waste of funds.

[peam]

RT @peam:

Knock off the fucking voodoo

[crb]

Viril needs to eliminate this option. It would be very useful for someone, but not us. The whole point of getting them to follow you is hoping that your constant tweeting (and if you are into twitter as a business model you feed your twitter audience at least 6x a day, and when you feed them, you entertain them and hope they will retweet you to their friends, or make an original tweet touting your greatness). It would be hella (YES, HELLA) useful for someone that is creating and airing their own dorky webseries (just like Felicia's! oh maybe she'll even watch it if the tweets are interesting enough!), or someone that is tweeting something that her followers would like to see in a retweet. But SRSLY, the GS4 twitter feed is neither of those, and even if she does feel bad for the people that fucked up and bought her 90-day follow without any content for her to actually follow, the best she'll give us is a charity @mention to the feed, which again, does nothing for us.

Buy the "full package" or the retweet or nothing. Epic fail if we spend 1/10 less money to buy the "90 day follow" package.

tell people to change their votes if you feel so strongly.

This is a democracy.

[audioserf]

I voted 90 day follow but that seems to be dumb so change mine to Retweet or Mega Package or whatever's actually good for Felicia Day

Twitter is fucking stupid

[Fallen]

I'll change my vote to whichever option people are saying is worthwhile for the chick.

[top shottah]

Not sure if people would be up for it...but what if a handful of us created Twitter accounts then followed whoever the winner may be (Felicia Day) for example. We can then post Tweets on her page about GS....if she had 6-8 postings a day about GSIV on her Twitter....coupled with us paying for whatever the heck it is, wouldn't that help out just a bit more?

[Fallen]

Not sure if people would be up for it...but what if a handful of us created Twitter accounts then followed whoever the winner may be (Felicia Day) for example. We can then post Tweets on her page about GS....if she had 6-8 postings a day about GSIV on her Twitter....coupled with us paying for whatever the heck it is, wouldn't that help out just a bit more?

I'm not completely in the know when it comes to twitter, but this might be seen as annoying/abusive. Like Spam.

[Ryvicke]

Not sure if people would be up for it...but what if a handful of us created Twitter accounts then followed whoever the winner may be (Felicia Day) for example. We can then post Tweets on her page about GS....if she had 6-8 postings a day about GSIV on her Twitter....coupled with us paying for whatever the heck it is, wouldn't that help out just a bit more?

She needs to follow you back for her to see anything you say. Most celebrities have a zillion followers and very few people they are actually "following." That's why you would have to pay someone money for them to follow you for 90 days. So this would not work.

[That Jay]

I vote for anything Felicia Day over anything Levar Burton.

[JaedenZentalinDeron]

yeah pick a chick then nerds will tie in playing Gemstone with the possibility of getting laid by her

[petroglyph]

A retweet is basically her repeating a tweet from gemstoneiv verbatim--with no additional text. If Simu was on the ball and actually tweeted something interesting to people not currently playing, I'd be all for that. But since we've got no guarantee Simu will tweet anything beyond the event announcements it's tweeting now, I'd rather have an @mention. That would at least give her a chance to do something with context, like "Hey, @gemstoneiv, your game looks pretty cool" instead of spamming her followers with "The Treasure Hunter Khlat will be working for the next hour in the Landing in Platinum. Check the docks!"

[Ryvicke]

A retweet is basically her repeating a tweet from gemstoneiv verbatim--with no additional text. If Simu was on the ball and actually tweeted something interesting to people not currently playing, I'd be all for that. But since we've got no guarantee Simu will tweet anything beyond the event announcements it's tweeting now, I'd rather have an @mention. That would at least give her a chance to do something with context, like "Hey, @gemstoneiv, your game looks pretty cool" instead of spamming her followers with "The Treasure Hunter Khlat will be working for the next hour in the Landing in Platinum. Check the docks!"

Since we're buying the retweet we can put any text we want. Completely avoiding the gs4 twitter. The @mention guarantees the bad mojo you refer to.

[IorakeWarhammer]

what if they didn't tweet anything just to be dicks

[Ryvicke]

what if they didn't tweet anything just to be dicks

This is the thing--if we're not satisfied with the communication we get from Simu in partnering with us then we make our own twitter and ask Felicia Day to retweet OUR tweet. It can be the account's ONLY tweet. It really doesn't matter. WE are buying the service, not Simu.

If Simu gets involved and matches funding or cares enough to do the tweet right then that's cool too.

The goal is for people to take a look at play.net/gs4 with a positive outlook. That's all.

[Sam]

This is the thing--if we're not satisfied with the communication we get from Simu in partnering with us then we make our own twitter and ask Felicia Day to retweet OUR tweet. It can be the account's ONLY tweet. It really doesn't matter. WE are buying the service, not Simu.

If Simu gets involved and matches funding or cares enough to do the tweet right then that's cool too.

The goal is for people to take a look at play.net/gs4 with a positive outlook. That's all.

I agree with this. Now we need a poll for what our tweet would be.

[Buckwheet]

I agree with this. Now we need a poll for what our tweet would be.

This. I think we should plan on controlling the tweet regardless so someone should think of an account name we want.

If Simu wants to contribute great, if not who cares? We can maybe ask for some of their opinions in regards to what the sweet should include when we send it out, but that is about it.

[crb]

if we win felicia day she, personally, will apparently call me. So I can do some 'splaining.

[Drew]

This is the thing--if we're not satisfied with the communication we get from Simu in partnering with us then we make our own twitter and ask Felicia Day to retweet OUR tweet. It can be the account's ONLY tweet. It really doesn't matter. WE are buying the service, not Simu.

If Simu gets involved and matches funding or cares enough to do the tweet right then that's cool too.

The goal is for people to take a look at play.net/gs4 with a positive outlook. That's all.


I was just going to mention this.

[Kimberly Hart]

Add me to the list of people who want Felicia Day but clicked the 90 day by mistake.

[FNLN]

I can't fault people for wanting Felicia Day for 90 days.

[crb]

up to $870.

[crb]

could a mod edit the poll to change the votes of people who say they changed their mind?

[awol0509]

Add me to the list of people who want Felicia Day but clicked the 90 day by mistake.

+1
sorry...clicked the wrong Felicia Day one too....

[Rimalon]

Yeah, I'd vote for the retweet now instead of the mention. I think.

That's the one everyone saying is the correct choice, right?

[Drunken Durfin]

Hi, my name is Durfin and I'm an idiot.

Clicked wrong one as well.

Side note, after about 9 days I'm sure that I would be done with her. 90 is just overkill.

[Paradii]

if we win felicia day she, personally, will apparently call me. So I can do some 'splaining.

I think we better vote on who she should call.


I vote for me.

[Donquix]

I think we better vote on who she should call.


I vote for me.

I also vote for me.

[peam]

Switch my vote from Levar follow to Day re-tweet.

[WRoss]

Yeah...I wish I was handling the money now.

[Ryvicke]

I watched Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog and she's easily frightened I think. Viril is totally going to spook her.

[Tillmen]

The poll was confusing. I think I voted for Pat Buchanan.

[GodSatan]

At these prices, shouldn't we bid on both? Also, cut our chances of getting sniped.

I think the retweet is best, unless we think we can convert one of them by making them follow gemstone for 90 days.

[crb]

felicia day's numbers all went up in the night. her mega package is now at 1225, and we've got 1049.

[That Jay]

Of course, we might be able to win a retweet from both of them, if we are not going for a mega package.

The only thing about retweets is that sometimes people do not see them because you have the option of removing them from your feed. At least I think that is the case.

[Ryvicke]

The only thing about retweets is that sometimes people do not see them because you have the option of removing them from your feed. At least I think that is the case.

You have to turn them off on a person-by-person basis, nobody does it because retweets are one of the best ways to find new interesting people to follow.

[Liagala]

Yet another "change my vote plz" post. I voted before reading the thread, not really knowing anything about Twitter or how it works. Felicia Day retweet please (that's the one where it'll link to actual GS information right, not Khlat working at the docks?)

[Hips]

Yet another "change my vote plz" post. I voted before reading the thread, not really knowing anything about Twitter or how it works. Felicia Day retweet please (that's the one where it'll link to actual GS information right, not Khlat working at the docks?)

^ this.

[crb]

Twitter Auction Bidding... 09-24-2010 08:23 AM Shit, just pay the difference. Then you can claim YOU saved Gemstone all over again!


let no good deed eh pb?

[crb]

I just dropped a bid on felicia day's mega package for our full $1300 haul...

outbid immediately.

now stands at $1325, who knows what this other guy's ceiling is.

[Sam]

Did simu ever say anything aside from "We'll look into it" ?

[crb]

see other thread.

[crb]

got outbid on felicia again, her mega package current bid is now 1891, its probably likely the current bidder has a $2000 bid or something. Need 150ish more.

The current high bidder had a bid of 1500 he revised upward yesterday.. which is why I think he's probably at 2 grand.

[IorakeWarhammer]

Yanni is at 150$... :)

[That Jay]

What about forgetting the mega-package and buying the separate pieces instead?

If you buy the three lesser elements, that is currently less than the full package all at once.

Remember, bids above 2k must be pre-qualified.

[IorakeWarhammer]

We have around 750 dollars. Donations have started slowing, I don't think we'll end much higher than 800.

lulz

[crb]

The big package ends first, then I'll have a minute to bid on the lesser ones if that is how it ends up.

And yes, I got prequalified just in case we top 2000.

[That Jay]

BTW, you rock. That is all.

~Jay

[IorakeWarhammer]

more donations will come in i guarantee

[crb]

levar burton draws about 5 minutes after felicia day, so if we have extra, or lose, he'll be our fallback option. Although his megapackage has skyrocketed to above 2500, he other options are still pretty low.

[Methais]

Has anyone bothered to think about how much cocaine we could get for Whatley with this money?

I'm sure he has.

[Tisket]

Who the fuck is Felicia Day?

[GSFHenry]

Who the fuck is Felicia Day?

Check out The Guild webisodes.

http://www.watchtheguild.com/

[IorakeWarhammer]

wow after checking that out? fucking GENIUS guys.

[Donquix]

Check out The Guild webisodes.

http://www.watchtheguild.com/

and http://www.drhorrible.com/

and buffy the vampire slayer

and other random things.