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09-11-08, 07:07 PM   #1
kerrang
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Thoughts on in-game addon advertising...

I've considered, on a number of occasions, putting some sort of 'plug' or 'advert' into my O-Wheely! mod...

e.g. During BG Preparation a message into local chat something like

[FRED] just buffed you all using O-Wheely! - buffing made easy at http://www.wowinterface.com/blahblah...

It would obviously need to be kept to an ABSOLUTE minimum - but I'm sort-of worried people will be annoyed by it regardless and so I've never done it.

It's a VERY obvious way to promote your addons tho - what do you lot think - good idea or bad?
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09-11-08, 07:27 PM   #2
Cairenn
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My initial thought:

eep!

Can definitely see that not going over well. However, if you do decide to include it:

You'd definitely need to make sure to restrict it to the appropriate channel(s). Spamming it in global channels (general, trade, shout, etc) would be bad bad bad. Doing it in group/raid might be a little more acceptable.

The other thing that you would for sure have to do is make sure that you have a very easy-to-find switch so the user can turn it off if they want to, otherwise it becomes another debacle like the whole Mazzlegasm one. You'd also need to make sure that you tell people up front that it will do this. Surprises of that nature never go over well.

There's my 2¢.
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09-11-08, 07:36 PM   #3
Cralor
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I agree with Cairenn. The idea is fine, but an option and a note will be needed with it

If an addon I use had this added, I'd just merely turn it off through the options.
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09-11-08, 08:29 PM   #4
Mikord
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Of course everyone has their own opinion, but I personally recommend against this. We all see enough advertisements in the real world that having more thrown at us in a game is a bit much.

Another thing to consider is scaling. With a few users it might not be so bad, but if enough users were to start using it and every other line of text people see starts to become an advertisement, the first thing I'd have to do is write a mod that filtered the spam and, in return for spamming me, spams them back (through tells)! Obviously I'm joking about the last part, but seriously it's irritating.

It reminds of that addon that does BAM or whatever when someone crits. It took me all of about 5 minutes to filter that incredibly irritating mod. If I want to know how much you're critting for or what mods you are using, I'll ask.

Last edited by Mikord : 09-11-08 at 08:34 PM.
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09-11-08, 08:47 PM   #5
Duugu
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My initial thought:

eep!

My second thought:

eep!

It would be annoying as hell. Personally this would be worth an /ignore.

Furthermore isn't that a possible breach of Blizzards rules? (spam, harassment, advertisment)
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09-11-08, 10:09 PM   #6
Seerah
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My first thought: *blink blink*

If you want to charge for your addon, or you only want the joys of seeing a download count number go up, then you can start advertising it (with the restrictions already noted above).
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09-12-08, 12:11 AM   #7
septor
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I'd use your addon... until you put a feature like this in it, regardless of it giving me the option to disable it.

No one that gets a buff is going to care how they got it. If a person that is using your addon thinks it's awesome and worth mentioning to everyone they're going to do it on their own.

I am 100% against throwing unwanted things in users faces. Think about your browser; does it have a pop-up blocker? If so, do you use it? If you answered yes you should totally understand why this is a very bad idea.
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09-12-08, 11:14 AM   #8
MidgetMage55
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Originally Posted by septor View Post
Think about your browser; does it have a pop-up blocker? If so, do you use it? If you answered yes you should totally understand why this is a very bad idea.
Excellent analogy. In my guild all the members know I'm a mod fanatic. I suggest them all the time. As you have said if you love it enough you'll tell people anyway.
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09-12-08, 12:47 PM   #9
Gemini_II
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Word of mouth is more effective and doesn't involve annoying people. I also would be against any sort of in-game spam (considering all of us players already get way too much of it, from a variety of sources). Let your mod's abilities work for themselves. More exposure is great, but even if you only had 20 people who loved your addon, I think that would be a reward unto itself.
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09-12-08, 12:52 PM   #10
Soulsbane
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Originally Posted by septor View Post
I'd use your addon... until you put a feature like this in it, regardless of it giving me the option to disable it.
It's like the people that use addons that have stupid sayings when they get on there mounts. Drives me crazy.
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09-12-08, 01:01 PM   #11
kerrang
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Originally Posted by septor View Post
IThink about your browser; does it have a pop-up blocker? If so, do you use it? If you answered yes you should totally understand why this is a very bad idea.
Popup Blockers aren't the best example because

a) the VAST majority of people using the web don't use them
b) if more people DID use them, the economy of the Net would unravel as SO much of the Net relies on ads being 'seen' (we've already seen companies threatening to boycott Firefox for it's built-in blocker for example!)

When I tried Google Chrome last week I could not BELIEVE how much crap Firefox was blocking for me - but that also means that I've been 'freeloading' content of course

I'd guessed people wouldn't be enormously in-favour of this idea - as I've not actually DONE it I guess I'm not really in-favour myself - but I do think there are ways it could be done without annoying anyone but the most 'fervent nerds' (who will - frankly - moan about anything!).

I dislike addons which call for healing or mana or whatever into party/raid chat - generally it's not necessary and quickly gets annoying.

In terms of promoting Addons tho - I think if it were done CAREFULLY and with an obvious way of disabling it - it's not actually a bad idea in itself.
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09-12-08, 01:04 PM   #12
Kaomie
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Originally Posted by Soulsbane View Post
It's like the people that use addons that have stupid sayings when they get on there mounts. Drives me crazy.
Come Midnight, let us disperse this petty rabble!
I dislike that a lot to say the least.

Regarding the OP, this would be just annoying after a while I think. More like misadvertising if you ask me.
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09-12-08, 01:17 PM   #13
Gello
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It's an extremely bad idea. If I said how much of a bad idea I thought it was, this post would be moderated.
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09-12-08, 01:30 PM   #14
Duugu
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Originally Posted by kerrang View Post
In terms of promoting Addons tho - I think if it were done CAREFULLY and with an obvious way of disabling it - it's not actually a bad idea in itself.
It's a bad idea.
It's pure spam.

period
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09-12-08, 01:57 PM   #15
VincentSDSH
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Originally Posted by kerrang View Post
[FRED] just buffed you all using O-Wheely! - buffing made easy at http://www.wowinterface.com/blahblah...
There isn't a word in the English language to describe how bad an idea that is. I could make some references to history to give you an idea though...

To put it another way, if anyone did that in a group I was in, the group would be looking to replace either me or the adspammer .0002 seconds from the first ad.

I maintain a few mods here and I've glanced at the d/l numbers now and then but when it comes down to it: if it's 1,000,000 d/ls or 2, does it really matter? You're presumably writing the mod b/c you use it and want others to find it usable so you u/l it and respond to feedback. What does having 999,998 more users get you?

Last edited by VincentSDSH : 09-12-08 at 02:02 PM.
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09-12-08, 06:36 PM   #16
kerrang
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I don't really care how many people use my addons - but I AM interested in the process by which people choose and use addons - hence my curiousity on the issue as a whole...

I disagree that a single message during BG Preparation or at the start of an instance is 'SPAM' - anymore than the dozens of "buff plz" or "Kings plz" or "lazy mage give INT" messages you see everyday are...

As for the idea that someone would quit a group over 1 message - anyone that "precious" is welcome to leave my groups as soon as possible plz & thx

Hell - if I could write an addon to detect the moody/twitchy/"just looking for an excuse to quit" players before you've started an instance I'd need no advertising to make it the most popular addon EVAR!
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09-12-08, 07:01 PM   #17
Elloria
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Originally Posted by kerrang View Post
I don't really care how many people use my addons - but I AM interested in the process by which people choose and use addons - hence my curiousity on the issue as a whole...

I disagree that a single message during BG Preparation or at the start of an instance is 'SPAM' - anymore than the dozens of "buff plz" or "Kings plz" or "lazy mage give INT" messages you see everyday are...

As for the idea that someone would quit a group over 1 message - anyone that "precious" is welcome to leave my groups as soon as possible plz & thx

Hell - if I could write an addon to detect the moody/twitchy/"just looking for an excuse to quit" players before you've started an instance I'd need no advertising to make it the most popular addon EVAR!
The bolded part i couldn't agree more on.(although I do agree with your entire post) If your that touchy then I don't want to be partying with a stress ball. If you could write an addon that does the moody/twitchy search thingy. Id be your first and # downloader/follower!
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09-12-08, 07:08 PM   #18
Duugu
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There are 14 negative and 0 (zero, none, nada) positive replies.
What does that mean to you?
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09-12-08, 08:37 PM   #19
Petrah
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Bad idea. I spent a good amount of time finding the best addon to get rid of the "LFG'ers" and other offers that I do not want to see, and hiding all the other crap that's of no use to me whatsoever.... so seeing an addon advertisment regardless of where it is in the game would only irritate me.

Anything worth its salt will make it on word of mouth.
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09-13-08, 02:59 AM   #20
Polina
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Originally Posted by kerrang View Post
In terms of promoting Addons tho - I think if it were done CAREFULLY and with an obvious way of disabling it - it's not actually a bad idea in itself.
My immediate thoughts:
1. What happens if most addons start doing this?
2. How annoying will it be in a raid if everyone uses one or more addons that do sometehing like this?
3. You can't turn off everyone else's spam, only your own.
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