ideas: Ability to purchase more userpics (yes, over the 500)

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	xie_xie_xie 2007-10-24 04:59 am UTC (link)
	I feel her pain. I will buy more icons. I love icons. I love them best of everything in the world. (Reply to this)

	aristoboule 2007-10-24 11:36 am UTC (link)
	I'd buy them too! (Reply to this)

	squeaky 2007-10-24 06:41 pm UTC (link)
	I am considering this. Possibly a new item called "Insane UserPics" which offers 5,000 userpics. How much would you guys be willing to pay for that many? It would be a one time charge for a permanent upgrade. (Reply to this) (Thread)

emilie_burns
2007-10-25 03:13 am UTC (link)

Hmm. Perm accounts are... what, $40 now? While you could probably get away with charging $100 for 5k icons, and there's people who'd pay it, hm...

The pro of charging that much is that it'd be more rare for someone to have 5k icons, so there's less a chance of things get overloaded.

The con is that you're more likely to get people asking for packages of 1k, 2k, etc. for a lower price, and have to introduce that too. If you wanted to go on a scale, like 5k for 100, 4k for 90, 3k for 80, etc. or a slightly better spacing to drop the 1k down about $30, that might be a better option than 5k and one big lump sum.

A middle ground between the two might be $40 for the icon upgrade. That's how much a perm account costs, and unless I'm wrong, that's a bigger resource hog than icons, the journal itself, I mean. So that might be a fair balance.

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squeaky
2007-10-25 01:13 pm UTC (link)

I was thinking $100. The reason I would charge so much is that icons are a big strain on our servers and bandwidth and, I think 500 is hard enough to handle.

So I want to discourage a lot of people from going over 500, but for the few that really want to, and would be willing to pay the premium for them, I'll give them more than most anyone could possibly use.

I wouldn't be doing this as a solely as a way to raise money so the idea of offering fewer for less money really isn't appealing, as I want to discourage a lot of people from buying these.

Please comment back because I really do want feedback on this before I decide to go for it.

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emilie_burns
2007-10-25 01:38 pm UTC (link)

Ahh, okay. I wasn't sure how much of a strain they offered. That's a reasonable reason for it.

Either 5k for 100, perhaps, or 2500 for 50. There's pros and cons to each.

5/100
Pros: Not as many people buying them, few would have quite that many icons.
It's a hell of a lot of space and it could take a long time, if ever, to fill it up.
Cons: Once people do get that many, it might be cumbersome.
People will still be asking for smaller, affordable packages.

25/50
Pros: Fewer icons incoming, possibly less server strain.
Fewer people asking for a smaller package deal.
Cons: More people would be able to afford it.
Potentially a bigger strain.

On the other hand, you could earmark all the icon upgrade monies and stick them in a kitty as a server emergency fund.

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not_yet_defined
2007-10-25 05:44 pm UTC (link)

I don't think $100 is unreasonable. (just cause i said i couldn't justify spending that much doesn't mean i wouldn't.)

another thing to consider, to limit the number of people who would actually buy this, would be making it available for purchase for a limited time. it would give you a chance to see what the response, and if people who buy actually use anywhere near that many icons. and if strain isn't too great, you could make the option available again in the future, like once a year or something. just a thought.

I think the $100 would keep most, but the completely insane of us away buying this feature. And i think for many of us who do, it's going to be a very long time in the future before we get anywhere near 5000. It'd probably take me at almost a year to load another 1000, much less 5.

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	aristoboule 2007-10-25 06:38 pm UTC (link)
	I would be crazy enough to pay $100 when the vet bills go away, but it's just so many icons that I don't know if I could even come close to filling them. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	squeaky 2007-10-25 06:44 pm UTC (link)
	That's kinda the idea. It's supposed to be more than you can use so you'll never run out of room. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	xie_xie_xie 2007-10-25 10:13 pm UTC (link)
	A hundred is fine with me!!!! Hurry! I am tired of my iconorexia! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	ex_rumpelsti605 2007-10-25 08:42 pm UTC (link)
	I think $100 is reasonable. Plus perhaps it would be good idea to Create gifts so that people Who felt like contributing every now and then To IJ could do it. It is one reason why some have not bought Perm accounts as they want to contribute IJ ~~insane fandom lover~~ and with Perm account deal is done. (Reply to this) (Parent)

not_yet_defined
2007-11-02 06:42 am UTC (link)

Dear Squeaky,

I hope this idea is still under consideration, because a) i finally got a job so i don't care what you charge, i'll totally pay. and b) there is going to be a new joss whedon show, which probably isn't very exciting news to you, but for me it means there is going to be this whole new fandom i'm going to need to post obsessively on and run multiple asylums for. and i only have 19 spaces left, even after all my icon cuts. what's a fangirl to do?

Happy November! ~Ny

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	squeaky 2007-11-02 01:34 pm UTC (link)
	Actually that is very exciting to me. I hadn't heard about it. What is it about ... really really hopes he makes another firefly movie (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

not_yet_defined
2007-11-02 05:45 pm UTC (link)

It's called dollhouse. You can find updated info on the unoriginally named

dollhouse.

Depending on the writer's strike it will probably air beginning Fall 2008. Fox didn't just order a pilot, they ordered 7 episodes. wooohooo. It's about a group of people who are programmed as needed to fullfill the needs/fantasies of those who can afford them. after their assignments their minds are wiped clean so they have no recollection of what they've done, nor do they know anything about themselves. When they are not on assignment they live in the lab otherwise know as the dollhouse. :D Not only is it a Whedon creation, but another fabulous whedonverse writer is already onboard, and the show is staring whedonverse alum eliza dushku.

And I would LOVE for him to make another firefly movie as well, but I'm pretty sure that is not going to happen :(

So you see, I am going to badly need more icon space...

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7rin
2007-12-06 01:02 am UTC (link)

People're probably gonna hate me for saying this, but personally, I reckon $100 dollars is too cheap for 5000 icons. Now I know I've not been here all that long, but that's because I found LJ first and wasn't one of the types to be flitting off here, there, and everywhere, and so I can only go off the small part I've seen over here, and what I've seen over there.

IJ's getting busier, and while 5000 for $100 may be ok now, get a bigger influx and you could end up with a crisis on your hands, server-wise. I don't know exactly how much hassle the user pic space can create 'cause I'm not a Geek, but I have seen discussions about it over on LJ for a long time, and I reckon if you're gonna offer 5000, then you'd be better off doing it at a much higher price, because trust me, people WILL find the money for these things from somewhere. Us fanatics always do. ;)

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	squeaky 2007-12-06 03:32 am UTC (link)
	That's why I only offered it for a limited time. Keep an eye out for the next sale of this unique item. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	7rin 2007-12-06 12:01 pm UTC (link)
	See, this is what I get for throwing my oar in on old posts. ;) Will watch carefully. :) (Reply to this) (Parent)

not_yet_defined
2007-10-25 03:14 am UTC (link)

Squeaky! You rule!! Here I am thinking maybe I could get another 500 if I'm lucky. 5000 would be amazing!!

Personally, i could probably not justify spending more then $50 on a feature in one go. I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't be willing to spend that much even. But i'm guessing several of us would be will to spend more.

Would it have to be all or nothing? Is there anyway you could purchase them incrementally, like in blocks of 1000 up to 5000? Because I could definitely see people willing to pay $20 for 1000 at a time, and eventually purchasing all 5000, but thinking no way about spending a huge sum for 5000 all at once.

I'm thrilled you are considering this and actively encourage you. I think extra userpics would make fabulous holiday gifts for my online buddies.

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	vamphile 2007-10-25 11:40 pm UTC (link)
	as an online "buddy" of yours, i agree :P seriously, I think 5000 would keep us both set for life, because if we ever actually either had over 5000 we could legitimately mock the other and then the deletion process wouldn't be so painful... i mean, out of 5000 there's probably a FEW you haven't used in the last six months, right? (Reply to this) (Parent)

keieeeye
2007-10-25 03:42 am UTC (link)

Holy christ. Admittedly I deleted my GJs the other day and haven't been keeping track, but AFAIK they still haven't gone back up from their 100, which means IJ now has the largest icon slots available, of all the -journal sites. Five THOUSAND would be amazing. It might bring us a lot of the more hardcore roleplayers (the thing about GJ was that they didn't charge, so it would have to be the more hardcore ones :P), but there are non-RPers that use a lot of icons too, and with the way things are now it would only add to, not eclipse, the sense of community we have here anyway.

*sends out shock-attack-omg!-squirrel*

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	micchi 2007-10-25 01:47 pm UTC (link)
	I like the idea. $100-$150 is a good price for that. Another thing to think about -- there are people who know they would never, never use 5k userpics. And yet, some of these people may still be willing to shell out the money if it helps support the site. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	xie_xie_xie 2007-10-25 01:46 am UTC (link)
	That would be worth a lot to me... I don't think a hundred bucks is unreasonable, but I suspect most people wouldn't pay that much. But I would because, you know, I'm insane. (Reply to this)

	vamphile 2007-10-25 02:37 am UTC (link)
	I was never all that into icons, because picking a new one INVARIABLY meant deleting an old one... Now.. I'm addicted... completely addicted. I'm not sure I could justify a hundred bucks, but I could totally ~~skip my insulin for a month~~ eat out less and spend about fifty... especially for a permanent upgrade. OMG... the possibilities! (Reply to this)

	0vary 2007-10-26 03:21 am UTC (link)
	dear god 5000 ikons is insane, and the hundred dollar price is equally insane its wonderful :)) (Reply to this)

	vl_redreign 2007-11-03 03:38 am UTC (link)
	Hi Squeaky!! I'm a friend of the noticeably insane xie_xie_xie, not_yet_defined, and vamphile. I can vouch for their icon insanity, especially Xie's. She's obsessed, I tell you!!! I haven't even filled my 500. And I like icons, too. However 5000 would make me lose my mind. So count me in!!! (Reply to this)