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Flattr: The best thing since sliced bread,

polycounter lvl 18
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oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
http://flattr.com/

Sounds like a damn good idea. Might also help a few in here that offer free tools and mini games we love for free (Im looking at you Ninja and Jogshy).

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zrMlEEWBgY[/ame]


(If there was a thread about this, I couldn't find it in search).

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  • acc
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    acc polycounter lvl 18
    Why would the average consumer on the internet ever want to sign up for this?

    "Yeah sure, I'll just throw money at you every month so I can maybe possibly send a few pennies to somebody at some point if I remember to click some buttons they probably don't have."

    Where's the incentive? For this to work well, it would need an incentive program. There is not a single reason for anyone to sign up for this, otherwise. Donating directly to people makes way more sense.

    I can't even find what the price is anywhere, and it's blatantly obvious how hard they are trying to hide the amount of money you'll be spending. I mean seriously, cake? It's like they want it to look like a scam. I can't even find where the price is listed.

    They clearly never thought about the consumer side of this equation at all, and it's not that compelling for the content creators either. Why would I want to split 'cake' with other people AND an outside service rather than just using a Donation button?

    Sorry, I'm just taken aback at how blatantly horrible this sounds, and I'm even one of those content creator who gives away free stuff.
  • Ace-Angel
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    Ace-Angel polycounter lvl 12
    Kinda have to agree with Acc, I cannot find the fee. I think system a la 'indie bundle' which happened recently, allowing the user to choose how much of the money goes where (essentially, a more streamlined version of the donate button if it was Facebook based) would work wonders.

    Flattr looks great, at least the idea, but not the method to which is given to me as of now.

    I like the cake idea, because it helps people with little skills (you cannot believe how many people have over 700 songs on their ipod, but don't know how go manage anything outside of the Apple Store) understand the basics behind it.

    I don't believe it's a scam for the record, just that they're not making it very visible from the get go on how it works.
  • oXYnary
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    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    acc wrote: »
    Why would the average consumer on the internet ever want to sign up for this?
    Where's the incentive? For this to work well, it would need an incentive program. There is not a single reason for anyone to sign up for this, otherwise. Donating directly to people makes way more sense.

    The incentive is it makes it much easier. Since you have already paid our X amount at the beg of the month. YOu just click like if they have a link on a publishers page. Bam! Your done. No hassles with google money, paypal or other.

    I can't even find what the price is anywhere, and it's blatantly obvious how hard they are trying to hide the amount of money you'll be spending. I mean seriously, cake? It's like they want it to look like a scam. I can't even find where the price is listed.

    I dont think there is a fixed price. Im sure there is a minimum though.
    https://flattr.com/support/faq

    Why would I want to split 'cake' with other people AND an outside service rather than just using a Donation button?

    YOur assuming that your product is better or worse than another. YOu get 2 $20 payment. Or 120 $0.50 from something like this. Where this is shown on their records as being choosen. Versus some stranger on the net you hope will pass around how good your game is and why they should pay an exuberant amount.
    Sorry, I'm just taken aback at how blatantly horrible this sounds, and I'm even one of those content creator who gives away free stuff.


    I think its great. Lets put it this way.. Are you out anything by making an account? Why can't you have both options? Direct pay via paypal or this one click thumbs up for subscibers.
  • TortillaChips
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    TortillaChips polycounter lvl 10
    Yeah unfortunately it'd take some persuasion to get me to donate to someone because of what they made, and donating repeatedly to many people doesn't make me interested. I think the whole cake thing is because some people get off on saying/hearing cake or pie.

    And the Flattr name annoys me.
  • Ace-Angel
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    Ace-Angel polycounter lvl 12
    Hmm, this is a topic that interested me, and I'm not the most savvy person here, so I need to quote some things and see what you guys can tell me, yay or nay?
    What are the two "balances" for?
    When you add money to Flattr, it's cheaper for us (and you!) to do it in bigger chunks (results in fewer fees). So instead of paying €2 every month using a payment processor, you can add for example €24 at once.
    Is this true? I always though it depended on your online service provider, in some cases, if you have over 5K in your account, they won't take anything from you.
    The money will stay in your "means" balance until it’s used up. If you get flattred by others, that money will end up in your "revenue" account. When your revenue balance has reached €10 or more you can withdraw the money to your PayPal or Moneybookers account. If you want to transfer money from your revenue to your means balance (for flattering) you can do so at any time. However, any money you add to the means is pre-paid for flattring and cannot be withdrawn.
    Confused, does this mean Flat gets to keep the money I make IF I put in my expandable balance, meaning I can only use it within Flat for Flattring? That seems kinda odd.
    What is this "Subscribe" the button displays once I have flattred?
    It's our auto-flattr function. Click it and you can choose how many coming months you want to automatically flattr this thing for. You can see your subscriptions and also cancel them in your dashboard. All your subscriptions will be auto-flattred on the 1st of the coming months.
    This is a smart idea, but I really hope they have an easy to use tool for it, like a nice big fat panel where I can view them in organized form.
    What happens if I don't flattr anything a month?
    Then your monthly amount is given to charity, we will not keep it. Read more about it

    I looked at the charities...the Swede really like their fish.

    The idea seems good...but they really need to fix up their FAQ...too many 'things'.
  • ZacD
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    ZacD ngon master
    The only way people would use flatter if they got some benefit from the artist or content provider...
  • MasteroftheFork
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    MasteroftheFork polycounter lvl 18
    The main benefit I can see from this is that clicking this version of a "donate" button doesn't actually cost the person any money. They already paid that money, so smaller things that normally wouldn't interest a person to actually donate to they would be more likely to donate. It will be a much more impulsive donation.
    The major flaw is that there is no real insentive for someone to sign up for this. People hate paying monthly fees, and there is no imediate reason to pay this one. This system is based off the fact people are generous and do what they feel is right...the internet as proven time and again that this is type of person is the vast minority..
  • PixelMasher
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    PixelMasher veteran polycounter
    aside form the annoying name, how often do you guys actually donate to people online? I know I never have. seems like it has the possibility to create cyber begging on a rampant scale.

    "wanna see the exclusive bf3 20 seconds extra footage trailer!? "Flattr" us to get access!" geh! I cant stand any time I see an ad soliciting "likes" on facebook, just makes me despise them and their product regardless of what it is. Im not going to give some swine of a corporation free advertising.

    in any case if there was ever anything online I would want to donate some money for, once in a blue moon, I would just use a paypal donate thing. am I just a cold heartless bastard? :P
  • greevar
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    greevar polycounter lvl 6
    aside form the annoying name, how often do you guys actually donate to people online? I know I never have. seems like it has the possibility to create cyber begging on a rampant scale.

    "wanna see the exclusive bf3 20 seconds extra footage trailer!? "Flattr" us to get access!" geh! I cant stand any time I see an ad soliciting "likes" on facebook, just makes me despise them and their product regardless of what it is. Im not going to give some swine of a corporation free advertising.

    in any case if there was ever anything online I would want to donate some money for, once in a blue moon, I would just use a paypal donate thing. am I just a cold heartless bastard? :P

    No, I think many of the above comments have hit on one glaring problem, "what do I get out of it?" There's really nothing in it for the subscriber but a lazy way to throw money at things they like. If clicking the button actually resulted in something you wanted, it might be compelling to use this.
  • oXYnary
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    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    aside form the annoying name, how often do you guys actually donate to people online? I know I never have. seems like it has the possibility to create cyber begging on a rampant scale.
    P

    Maybe thats what acc is hinting at. The people like me are the minority. But yes, I have donated online.. From Wikipedia, Wikileaks, all the way to xbox controller emulators. Heck, today I donated even more today to tweakreg (http://www.tweaknow.com/) since the powerpack is such a great program.
  • oXYnary
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    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    greevar wrote: »
    If clicking the button actually resulted in something you wanted, it might be compelling to use this.

    What does the "like" button result in at Facebook? Why click it?
  • ZacD
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    ZacD ngon master
    oXYnary wrote: »
    What does the "like" button result in at Facebook? Why click it?

    You don't have to pay for the like button on facebook though
  • Fomori
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    Fomori polycounter lvl 12
    oXYnary wrote: »
    What does the "like" button result in at Facebook? Why click it?

    Something like a "like" button on Facebook helps to share things around a social network. In my news feed I see my good friend "John Smith" "likes" "tra la la hat company" I think "I like John, I want to see what he likes" and i check out the link.

    Good things can spread like a virus in this way and Tra la la hats benefits greatly either through increased sales, or if nothing is being sold (for instance a free game) then notoriety and increased attention can aid future projects.

    With Flattr I agree that the average person would not pay a subscription fee to aid things they like. Most people don't voluntarily give money for things.
  • Ged
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    Ged interpolator
    If they really want to make things easy they just need to create an apple style app store for donations, give 60p here and 60p there when you want from your mobile or desktop to any donation, wildlife, guide dogs, video games, cancer research whatever. I don't see why that wouldn't be a better than what these people are offering and charities could use the platform to publicize what they are currently working on or up coming events.
  • Stinger88
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    Stinger88 polycounter
    I'm just glad he used the term "cake" instead of "money", else I wouldn't have known wtf he was talking about.............
  • Wells
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    Wells polycounter lvl 18
    does the 'small fee' contain all the money that is then divided, or is that what you pay for the privilege of using this service?
  • R3D
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    R3D interpolator
    Stinger88 wrote: »
    I'm just glad he used the term "cake" instead of "money", else I wouldn't have known wtf he was talking about.............
    Cake is the currency in most of the world you know.
  • eld
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    eld polycounter lvl 18
    Flattr has been around for over a year though, it doesn't seem like a big hit, but people are using it.
    I believe flattr takes a percentage (like any payment service) but otherwise the stuff you pay becomes that cake.

    I think the upside is that you don't have to keep going into paypal donation style payments every time, instead you just click things you like, and people being lazy is usually the biggest hurdle for donations.

    You will also never run out of possible donations, because you're just splitting your cash up, so no matter how little you have you can still donate to everyone you wanted to.
  • Rick_D
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    Rick_D polycounter lvl 12
    annoying voice over, from socialist sweden, giving away 0.0001 cents to people that should have paypal.

    revolutionary!
  • D4V1DC
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    D4V1DC polycounter lvl 18
    Ryswick wrote: »
    Cake is the currency in most of the world you know.
    But first I need the dough to spread my cake! :poly121:
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