Ways to fix eden

Contributor: indiechick indiechick
Okay, so we have all seen the threads. I am looking for positive ways to fix Eden. That given their struggling financial situation could still work for them while not hurting the community. I will flag any and all posts that are hateful in nature or that do not seek to peacefully find a solution that we can be happy with. I don't know if I expect Fred or Stormy to listen to this, but I was always taught that if you don't like the way something is working, work to change it. This is the best I can do.
06/20/2013
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Contributor: indiechick indiechick
My suggestions include the following:

I made my points as of yesterday into a gift card so eden knows exactly how many I had pre-chaos. I would love it if those points could be put onto a site generated card so that I could use them in their entirety. This would re-instill faith in the hearts of many edenites and we may not be a forceful in our exit or limiting of time on the site.

Make it harder to earn points. Extended reviews 500 points, Standard reviews 100 points. Like it use to be. If Eden is strapped for cash, why are all reviews worth 500-2000 at varying points in the last week?

Keep the limitations on how we can earn points. This will limit the likelihood of point farming.

Be more transparent. We are all feeling lied to. We watched as many of our friends left. May of us have heard the recording. We aren't stupid, but feel as if we are being treated that way.
06/20/2013
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
This is an extremely pro-active approach and I'm looking forward to the suggestions.

We always listen, we might not always be able to do them exactly as suggested, but we do listen and try to find compromises in the situations at hand.
06/20/2013
Contributor: indiechick indiechick
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
This is an extremely pro-active approach and I'm looking forward to the suggestions.

We always listen, we might not always be able to do them exactly as suggested, but we do listen and try to find compromises in the situations at hand.
I'm glad. I know everyone (including myself) responded so strongly initially, but I am hoping that we can create a positive place were actual options are made available. Sometimes a situation just needs another set of eyes to find a solution. I am hoping that we can.
06/20/2013
Contributor: This Is For The Birds This Is For The Birds
I said this in the thread and I saw your reply, but figured it would be great to post it here to, seeing how it will probably get lost and overlooked in the other thread.

When I started here I remember reviews being worth 50 points, then they moved up to 1000 points per review and we could submit two a day, then we had RAW. Which gave a lot of us motivation to write reviews we were behind on, me being one of them. It also gave us a chance to get some points to get things we couldn't afford on a normal day. For me, my birthday is coming up and I thought it would've been great to treat myself to a nice birthday shopping trip. While I have spent some of my points on a few items I still have around $90 left and there were a few things I was really hoping to get. Like many of us, we all have other financial needs and sometimes buying for ourselves isn't in the budget.

I know there have been a lot of crappy reviews going into the task market, me being an editor for two days, I saw a few behind the scene reviews, and also hearing it. What about if instead of offering us points as soon as we submit a review, why not reward us with the points once the review is published? I know it would take a little bit of more time and be somewhat like the mentor program, but if the review is crappy, the task market just wound up with a crappy review, that will probably get pushed back to the reviewer, who possibly has already taken the points and ran. At Least if the points were not awarded until after the review is published, the review could be pushed back until it was a little bit better done, if they care to do it, if not, well then that's one less person who has written a crappy review and ran with the points.
06/20/2013
Contributor: indiechick indiechick
Quote:
Originally posted by This Is For The Birds
I said this in the thread and I saw your reply, but figured it would be great to post it here to, seeing how it will probably get lost and overlooked in the other thread.

When I started here I remember reviews being worth 50 points, then they ... more
I think we have to fix the (from what I've been told) EPIC back log of edits to be done and we would have to staff a lot more editors AND let them do more than 2 a day for points. But I like the idea, just hard with not enough people editing.
06/20/2013
Contributor: This Is For The Birds This Is For The Birds
Quote:
Originally posted by indiechick
My suggestions include the following:

I made my points as of yesterday into a gift card so eden knows exactly how many I had pre-chaos. I would love it if those points could be put onto a site generated card so that I could use them in their ... more
I as well just pushed all my points pre-chaos onto a gift card. I as well have a previous gift card with a remaining balance. This would be nice if they were generated to a system generated gift card so we could use them fully on purchases, like you said.

I also like the idea of 500 for extended and 100 for standard reviews as well as the limitations.

I know I would personally love to stay here, the community is great and as well as shopping for me is great. However, I also believe 15% is low, like many others have said we could be using our affiliate codes to receive that. Maybe taking that percentage just a little higher and I would have no problem paying OOP when I could.
06/20/2013
Contributor: indiechick indiechick
Quote:
Originally posted by This Is For The Birds
I as well just pushed all my points pre-chaos onto a gift card. I as well have a previous gift card with a remaining balance. This would be nice if they were generated to a system generated gift card so we could use them fully on purchases, like you ... more
This 15% is ontop of the code. So you use the code to bring the item 15% down in price and than you can use points to cover another 15%. So that's 30% if you do it with a buy out it is 45%. I know that this is still short of what we are used to, bu it is better than 15% a lot of people are making it out to be.
06/20/2013
Contributor: No-nita No-nita
Quote:
Originally posted by indiechick
Okay, so we have all seen the threads. I am looking for positive ways to fix Eden. That given their struggling financial situation could still work for them while not hurting the community. I will flag any and all posts that are hateful in nature ... more
I have no suggestions for what the community can do because at this point, the community are not the ones who have done something wrong. We can only wait and see what the staff's next moves are. My suggestions to Fred and his staff:

1. Honor the points that were earned before the system was changed. This is the first and most important thing that needs to be done. I realize this change was made because of financial reasons but ultimately you will lose all of your contributors if you do not do this, meaning you will lose more money than you are hoping to save by eliminating any feasible usage of the points that people worked hard to earn and agreed under very different guidelines. Many of us worked so hard to churn out QUALITY content for SexIS and EF and are unable to use our compensation from that because this decision was made KNOWING that none of us here can afford to drop $1000 on a single order. Making these changes retroactive without warning was what made everybody angry. Obviously do not apply this to blatant point farmers.

2. Decide whether you want to have a community focus with this website or not, because as it stands now, the entire community feels used, betrayed, and lied to... and that is not the way a healthy and positive community should be made to feel. If community is really an important facet of EF as a whole, then this situation must be made right, or the community will crumble, and then there will be nothing left. If we want to maintain the EF community, y'all need to seriously change the way you interact with us (see below)

3. Listen. I mean actually listen. No canned responses like "we appreciate your feedback" if you're blatantly ignoring it and are just asking for our thoughts to keep up appearances. No going through threads and snarking/arguing with customers who feel wronged (that is poor customer service and I know I would get fired if I were to act that way with my own dissatisfied customers). If you say our input is important, then you have to actually listen to what all of us are saying. I can't stress that enough. We've been told "We're open to suggestions!" but all subsequent suggestions have been passed over or gone unacknowledged, which means that y'all were not so open to begin with.

4. Be up front and honest with us. Everyone will have much more respect for the staff and for the company as a whole if the lying stops. No more bait and switches like this, either. Good, honest business practices - like this website was once known for. The community was positive when its interactions with the staff were positive so again, until the staff make this situation right then I don't see any real way to save this.

5. If none of these are an option, at least give contributors the option to remove their content from the website, or make it so that a person's contributions are removed when they delete their account, or something.

6. Start over with a completely new, fresh slate. Sit down with employees and top contributors, past and present, and have a meeting to discuss a loyalty program that is impossible to abuse. Hell, close down the site for a week in order to figure out the changes that need to be made, rather than dropping them on everyone so suddenly. Re-open with every new change laid out on the table and promise that things will be different, in a good way, and follow through on that promise.

That's it. That's all I got.
06/20/2013
Contributor: snowminx snowminx
Quote:
Originally posted by indiechick
This 15% is ontop of the code. So you use the code to bring the item 15% down in price and than you can use points to cover another 15%. So that's 30% if you do it with a buy out it is 45%. I know that this is still short of what we are used ... more
But with a buyout we are forced to write a review. I don't think that should be a requirement to get that deal when before we could use all our points. 15% is the only really non strings attached discount we get with this new change.

I think we should be able to spend what we earned before this how we want. Unless that happens I can't support this site any longer. If it does happen I'll be happy to give suggestions but I'm not going to now when they just screwed us over without warning.

You should remember that you, a member and a few others, have been asking how we can change for the better but not fred, he's no where to be found when chaos happens.
06/20/2013
Contributor: charmedtomeetyou charmedtomeetyou
Quote:
Originally posted by indiechick
My suggestions include the following:

I made my points as of yesterday into a gift card so eden knows exactly how many I had pre-chaos. I would love it if those points could be put onto a site generated card so that I could use them in their ... more
I have done the same with my points and would also like that gift card to be honored if possible.

I also agree with making it harder to earn points. I had no issues with getting .50 for reviews. I viewed it as the work to put in to raise your rank and get access to other programs and privileges on the site.
06/20/2013
Contributor: MrWill MrWill
Here are my terms:


I will not edit again for anything less than system generated gift cards that will always be accepted same as cash I know, it sounds entitled, but if you consider that hiring a team of editors at minimum wage would cost you substantially more, you'll see my point.

I will not be writing any articles for SexIs for anything less than system generated gift cards, that will always be accepted same as cash. If I wanted to post something and effectively get zero compensation, I could post it to my blog.

Those are the solid terms. They are non-negotiable. I will not waiver on them.

The points thing.. (11740, as of the posting of the announcement yesterday) I feel those points should be honored, with a system generated gift card. Explaining my point is unnecessary, as you've heard it all.


I waited to come in here calm and cool, as I was livid yesterday. There should be a fair talk about things here.. and if everyone wants to walk away after all has been settled that is their decision.


I understand the logic behind the change. I really do. I don't understand the logic of just idly watching as a large hunk of your best contributors walk away, spewing venom at Eden. If you want to do damage control, here is your chance.

As it stands, I see a lot of people who have been doing significant affiliate sales stopping their participation in the program. I see reviews drying up, and quality dropping.
06/20/2013
Contributor: No-nita No-nita
Ignore my earlier post. There is no way to fix this place. I'm done.
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06/20/2013
Contributor: indiechick indiechick
Quote:
Originally posted by charmedtomeetyou
I have done the same with my points and would also like that gift card to be honored if possible.

I also agree with making it harder to earn points. I had no issues with getting .50 for reviews. I viewed it as the work to put in to raise your ... more
Thank you
06/20/2013
Contributor: MrsandMrbunnysoffun MrsandMrbunnysoffun
Quote:
Originally posted by indiechick
My suggestions include the following:

I made my points as of yesterday into a gift card so eden knows exactly how many I had pre-chaos. I would love it if those points could be put onto a site generated card so that I could use them in their ... more
Agreed, I did the same with my points as well. The only points I will be earning are for forums, or the reviews I was obligated to write.

I have loved this community since the day I joined, but feel at this moment like this change has been far too drastic. I have hope that it will sort its self out and continue to be amazing.

Eden, please figure out a way to make everyone happy.
06/20/2013
Contributor: Trysexual Trysexual
Quote:
Originally posted by MrWill
Here are my terms:


I will not edit again for anything less than system generated gift cards that will always be accepted same as cash I know, it sounds entitled, but if you consider that hiring a team of editors at minimum wage would cost ... more
Makes perfect sense to me.
06/20/2013
Contributor: MrsandMrbunnysoffun MrsandMrbunnysoffun
There is no reasoning. He has posted and keeping everything as said
06/20/2013
Contributor: SaucyxGirl SaucyxGirl
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
This is an extremely pro-active approach and I'm looking forward to the suggestions.

We always listen, we might not always be able to do them exactly as suggested, but we do listen and try to find compromises in the situations at hand.
A few things to perhaps think about.

1.Perhaps Sexis writers could be compensated with an actual gift card rather than points.
2.Editors and Mentors: I fully believe that they should be compensated via gift cards too.
3.Reviews: Perhaps use a tiered method for point redeeming.
4.A Quality Control Team could easily implemented to ensure that spam with reviews and articles are kept to a minimum. That would cut down on abuse and on people attempting to “farm points” and “gift cards” via Sexis and reviews.
5.Either slash point redeeming or maybe you can only cash in and use $25 worth at a single time with the option for extras to be used to cover shipping costs (could made an option at checkout)
6. I know it was tried before, but perhaps cut down on the amount of points that can be earned with instead of a daily cap perhaps either a weekly cap or monthly cap instead.

Now a little about this idea of a Quality Control Team. The actual members could be picked from a pool of volunteers. They could be compensated in a variety of ways such as either a higher point redemption to an extra X percentage taken off their orders. If this is something that sounds like something that could be useful I wouldn't mind chatting this over more with either Stormy or Fred in a PM so as not to dull people with the mundane details on this.
06/20/2013
Contributor: Ciao. Ciao.
I will second everything suggested by indiechick & SaucyxGirl.

I would also make the suggestion of changing how points are earned in the forums so certain categories are considered more valued for the discussions they generate, while more general posting still counts towards earnings (but at a lower rate).
06/20/2013
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by SaucyxGirl
A few things to perhaps think about.

1.Perhaps Sexis writers could be compensated with an actual gift card rather than points.
2.Editors and Mentors: I fully believe that they should be compensated via gift cards too.
3.Reviews: ... more
1. Perhaps.
2. Mentors are. Editors are being considered.
3. Already in the works.
4. Exists. It's the Editing Team.
5. It's an 85/15 split. (Cash/points)
6. Been there, done that.
06/20/2013
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Ciao.
I will second everything suggested by indiechick & SaucyxGirl.

I would also make the suggestion of changing how points are earned in the forums so certain categories are considered more valued for the discussions they generate, while more ... more
Interesting suggestion, but it would come down to opinion. There's no way to put a value on an opinion when it comes to a forum discussion.
06/20/2013
Contributor: indiechick indiechick
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
Interesting suggestion, but it would come down to opinion. There's no way to put a value on an opinion when it comes to a forum discussion.
I bet you wish you could today!
06/20/2013
Contributor: indiechick indiechick
Thanks everyone for some awesome insight. I'm going to wait a few days and take these to Fred. I have a well written letter with 5 spots open for suggestions I will talk with Stormy about the ones that we think are the most likely and then I will send the letter to Fred. I will also be speaking with valued members of the community to see if I can get them on board with backing me up on this. Our voices should be heard but it should be done in a manner in which he may actually listen.
06/20/2013
Contributor: Taylor Taylor
Maybe do something like buyout assignments could be "bought" completely with points, but cap it to one a month (or whatever number works financially for the company) that way you know they will be providing a review for it and won't be able to keep getting free items unless they complete the assignments

I'm not sure if that idea made any sense.
06/20/2013
Contributor: indiechick indiechick
Quote:
Originally posted by Taylor
Maybe do something like buyout assignments could be "bought" completely with points, but cap it to one a month (or whatever number works financially for the company) that way you know they will be providing a review for it and won't be ... more
I like that one...I'll see what stormy has to say about it.
06/20/2013
Contributor: eri86 eri86
Make it so points can be used toward 100% of the cost of items being purchased, but still have to pay shipping. And no free shipping on purchases paid for in points

That way EF breaks at least even on the products, maybe? Or something along those lines.

I wouldn't mind paying the full cost of shipping if I could still use points to cover 100% of the items themselves.
06/20/2013
Contributor: Real or memorex Real or memorex
I like the dated gift card idea at the beginning of this thread. It gives everyone a clean slate and may make people more comfortable with changes going forward. The retroactive nature of the points changes seems to be the biggest controversy.

I am glad to hear that my mentor will still be getting her gift card when I get over my procrastination and get her my drafts!
06/20/2013
Contributor: SaucyxGirl SaucyxGirl
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
1. Perhaps.
2. Mentors are. Editors are being considered.
3. Already in the works.
4. Exists. It's the Editing Team.
5. It's an 85/15 split. (Cash/points)
6. Been there, done that.
The part that sickened me about number 6, is that I watched the shit storm (for lack of a better word) and was shocked how people seemed to view this less as a business and more like an organization that was "required" to give out points for things. It made me sick to see the total lack of understanding that others seemed to have in regards that a business can only stay afloat as long as there is a profit being made and that the points might be hitting into the profit heavily...which I am sure that is was.
06/20/2013
Contributor: Aishiteru Aishiteru
Quote:
Originally posted by indiechick
This 15% is ontop of the code. So you use the code to bring the item 15% down in price and than you can use points to cover another 15%. So that's 30% if you do it with a buy out it is 45%. I know that this is still short of what we are used ... more
It's not 45% for a buyout. It's 40.5%, so that's really only an extra 10.5% off.

Example using $100
100 - 30% = 70
70 - 15% = $59.50
06/20/2013
Contributor: Ciao. Ciao.
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
Interesting suggestion, but it would come down to opinion. There's no way to put a value on an opinion when it comes to a forum discussion.
I was thinking less by individual post than by posting category, so posts in The Lounge = 1 point, whereas maybe a post in Sexual Health = 5. It wouldn't stop people from contributing but would encourage people to contribute more in areas of the community directly related to the mission of the site as a whole.
06/20/2013