Paypal is actually safe... I've used it for a long time and never had any problems

If you only use a credit/debit card with Paypal, there can be additional fees involved. If it's a transfer from your account, there are no fees. Paypal's FAQ has this to say:

I'm not saying that there isn't Paypal fraud, but most of the time, user error lets the bad guys in. As long as you are careful with your paypal, just as you are with your online bank account or other money, you should have no problems.

I don't use paypal a lot, but in the ten years or so that I've been using it, I haven't had any problems. :)

Also... ever since Paypal was owned by E-bay it's been a bit better too =)

I like this idea Facade.

Also, I just really like that Inso is so honest with us already.

Just tell me what I have to do Inso. <3 :vicky:

The announcement is very sad, but it all makes sense. And it's very very true. I am 21 years old, started on gia when I was like in the 9th grade, and quickly got bored of it. I went on gia like once a month, and they changed the site so much that every time I went in it, I felt like a noob because I didn't know how to work anything.

Though, I joined Mene in march and have since then been hooked. And I donate every month - a thing I never did on gia... So at least I can firmly say that mene is better because I wouldn't donate any of my money that I work to jobs to earn if I really don't love the site.

Yeah facades idea will likely encourage a lot of us... just as this thread gave us a newsflash it would be a daily reminder that menewsha needs us too =)

I like Facade's idea as well. I'll be honest, Mene won't get more than around $5.00 a month out of me because I work two jobs to put myself thru college, but if I weren't donating at all it would motivate me. And I think it will motivate people who have yet to donate.

Nope, I never had any fees as of yet. I have a PayPal account, it is restricted because it isn't linked to a bank account. I don't plan on linking PayPal to any bank account. I just don't trust them. I know The Wandering Poet said some valid points, but I rather play it safe.

---

Think about this for a second, if you had Premium accounts on Menewsha. People could try to sell them on Craig's List. I know of a few MMORPG's accounts that are sold on Craig's List. :S So think about that for a minute. I know it is against the rules to trade a Menewsha account for real money, but people will break the rules. :cry:

Lizzy, just because people might break the rules is no reason not to do something. Following that logic, soccer should be banned because people might touch the ball with their hands!

We'd end up doing... well, not much, really.

Actually... because I put paypal on my basically dead e-bay account I rarely use... I get 1% BACK on every purchase with my card =)

So honestly though it may be small... just having a paypal account for that could save you money in the long run while giving a way to pay for menewshan items

Edit - As for selling an account with premium... the price of the account would only be that of the premium... so they could just buy it on their own...

I'm sorry, I just don't trust me no pay-pal. I link my debit card to it, but I wouldn't directly link it to my account!

As far as premium accounts and what not, I guess I have mixed feelings. I hated it when Gia started the Cash system, but the site needs a lot more money to run so what can you do?

I think it would probably help to increase incentives to donate. Like, I'll be honest, the first time I donated was so I could get the mystic faun and sell it for Gold. And then I was like, hay, I :heart: this site, I should try to consistently donate. But again I won't lie, getting contribution items are sweet.

People sell accounts all over - more than just Craig's List. EBay as well, only to name one other. :P
It's a scary reality, but a lot of MMOs are trying to keep tabs on it as it is. I know one MMO I frequent has this system where, if your account is all of a sudden accessed from some other country, you'll most likely be banned. By this, I mean that, one day you're accessing your account in, say, London England, and the next day your IP is from somewhere in the Himalayas. :roll:

...Yeah. Sure, there are discrepancies where people are actually traveling and playing, but more often than not they're not logged in one day after arriving in their out-of-country destination. :lol:

Anyway, to wrap things up... Like Cica said, there's no reason to not do something just because of a few instances. :P Besides, it's kind of hard to fake being someone else on a purely forum-based community! RPGs are different, but when you're chatting in text-based format, you're bound to have a different "voice" than someone else.

@ Facade - :ninja: I dunno... I might log into an addiction that fast XD

I don't know, Poet, depending on jet lag...

Hmm true... but exceptions always cause problems to that reasonable rule >.<

I agree on that point. There are always people bound to break rules. So I guess it just comes down to which options are we willing to risk that happening?

Oh no! :<
-needs to start donating-

lol... I want to see that chart after people stop posting here and see the price difference :lol: this thread alone has made people want to donate

Add me up, captain. Facts are, for me personally, I legally can't obtain a credit card for another year, and I'm squeezing pennies as it is to save for tuition. Seriously, if I donated, it'd be like... once, for like 3$. It's not going to happen. However, I've always been flabergasted by the lack of adds on mene, I mean, they're everywhere else, I've kinda gotten used to them. Why not one of those things like gaia used to have, you donate, you get the mene credits or whatever and you get rid of the adds? That way people who really hate them might have an incentive to donate even just a few dollars, and the people who don't, the majority of members, get subjected to adds which results in cash money. Idk, I'm not good at financial ideas, but I know I'm probably not alone on my hesitation to donate anywhere, I'm just probably the only one willing to admit to it.

@ Tilly - Honestly the problem with that is that... there are free ad removal programs out there now that make those things pointless... because I have seen about 4 ads from the past month or so... and if they're blockable nobody will use the paid block.

I feel bad but at the same time I don't want to pay for virtual clothes :C

Not if you could just make premium memberships gift-able to begin with. *shrug*

But, still, there's no point in paying for something you could just... pay for. I mean, selling off-site for something like gold or rares is one thing, but premium memberships that anyone can get at any time? I doubt that this is something that would be scammed.

I suppose it is true, I joined Gaia back in 2003, (I am 21 now) I was pretty much addicted to it. But until I turned 18, I wasn't able to donate (parents *sigh) I doubt there would be a lot of funding from younger members so it would rely on those in my age group which are growing up sadly. I have almost completely lost interest with Gaia, I used to have a mental Index of most items (lol), Its because it has become so commercial that it wasn't really about the users anymore but money. I am certain that is what the long-standing members of the website see.

So I found myself searching for other places which I could spend my free time, I spent some time on Kinsaki which seemed to be too quiet for my liking. Somehow I found Onlinelife, Which lets me use some of my own creative talents but also has large amount of younger members and now, Im back to Menewsha finally realizing, I should have stuck around back when I joined. There is something about this website which stands out and appeals to me more so It would be sad to see anything happen to it.

Its kind of depressing knowing all the work that goes into this site for it to come off short. I know this might not mean much or even go un-noticed but I am happy to help out in any way I can. Whether its donating regularly or even using some of my creative talents (which Im happy to offer for free) to help this website out.

For me the clothing is a bonus....I donate to try and help keep mene alive.....unfortunately even thats not enough T.T

@Inso- I knew things where bad, you and the others have hinted at this in the past.....I just never knew how really bad it is. I will cry I think....the day we lose mene.....I have friends here that I never had on gaia....

I am for change, as long as the basics of what this place stands for stay intact. For me that was gaia's biggest mistake. Not that they changed....but they lost base with there users....with the things there users fell in love with. If we still remain a comunity and not a bunch of dijointed people co-existing......and if you guys still care as much as you always have, and not take the screw you attitude that gaia's leaders have adopted, then I will remain behind you guys....and I will continue to donate monthly.....even if my donations hardly reach the serface of what is needed. *sweat*

Thank you, always and forever, for keeping us informed....and careing what we think. Its what puts you above the rest.