NCI Freebies shop at the Marketplace?

A place to provide all of NCI and NCI leadership with questions, suggestions, comments, or any other kind of feedback.
Krystal Devonshire
Posts: 903
Joined: Sat Oct 03, 2009 3:21 am

Re: NCI Freebies shop at the Marketplace?

Post by Krystal Devonshire »

After hearing from a few others and reading the note to creators again, I still have questions as to whether we are covered putting the items on the marketplace or if we would need new agreements.

Also, since getting the Arcadia collection, the number of freebies not yet added is around 600 items. I have been adding by myself since last summer and with all the other work here, I would have to back burner this if I did it.
LindaB Helendale
Posts: 343
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:38 pm

Re: NCI Freebies shop at the Marketplace?

Post by LindaB Helendale »

hi Immy :)
Imnotgoing Sideways wrote:So far, when I've built infonodes, the key visible item I place is the "Free Stuff" freebie wall in the most visible in-theme location possible. (-_-)

If we start turning people to the marketplace, we'll be distracting them from meeting us inworld so that we can provide the most direct help possible. (._.)
I see the infonodes out there rather similar as NCI presence at SLM would be - no live helpers to get face-to-face help, but the visitors get the stuff if they are looking for it, and they get pointers to NCI help sites. I dont think we know how much traffic is mediated to help sites from the infonodes, and it's pretty impossible to predict for SLM, but I believe the number of residents that would see the NCI ads and pointers at SLM would be very much larger than in the in-world sites, even if we dont do anything to tell people to go there - people are already there.

I have been doing helping actively for over 2.5 years, and I don't see there such pattern that the people who come to look for freebies need also live help, other than 'where are the freebies'. Those who actually need live help have other questions than finding freebies, such questions where face-to-face communication is necessary, and the effort and knowledge of helpers is in actual use, in teaching.
Though, if we are to use the marketplace. I'd strongly suggest arranging a means of encouraging/directing people to come to Kuula or Hamnida for help. (^_^)
I totally agree, the NCI Freebie store at SLM can have in-world store link to kuula, for example, and the description text for each item can advertise our help activity.

To summarize my view, I see freebies very important way of helping newbies, but it is not something that needs live helper time and effort per se, and the SLM store would most likely bring in more people into actual learning situation with the helpers.

Janet Rossini wrote: 2. However, the best way to help people is in person, face to face. Therefore, we should put freebies in the marketplace only if they will drive people to our locations, or at least not reduce traffic.
As key performance indicator for NCI I would not emphasize traffic, but learning.

For example, if our guests spend 4 hours getting freebies (possibly needing helpers to find them) , or if they get the freebies without coming there but we have 1 hour more guests in interactive learning, the traffic is down 4 - 1 but I see the latter more successful activity. (It's my biased view, I prefer to teach people, instead of being tourist guide ;) )

If we set traffic requirements, can we predict it in advance so well that we can base the decision on the prediction?

We could monitor the effect on traffic after setting up some items at SLM, and discontinue the shop if the effect is not desirable, but it's not exactly trivial to measure the effect.

Of course the easiest way is, as Janet pointed out, not doing it at all, and personally I don't have anything against that option either, if it is seen more as a risk than opportunity for NCI.
ℒindα ℬ
toy lafollette
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2011 2:49 am

Re: NCI Freebies shop at the Marketplace?

Post by toy lafollette »

old saying..."f it aint broke dont fix it"
Post Reply