(no subject)

[cleolinda]

Get ready to have your socks rocked, guys. Erin (zhai) told me to tell y'all this:

The company that I'm working for, GoPets, is just about to launch its open beta. We're trying to get a bunch of users into the system to stress test it and see if it's fun. We're running a promotional thing right now, and haven't really told many people (since it is still sort of 'closed' beta), where you get $1 for every user you get to sign up with the service and upload a photo to their profile. It's an online network, and everything is completely free. There's a $1000 cap, but if you can get 1000 people to sign up, you'll get $1k, and it can go wherever you want -- I thought it might be helpful in the 4christina thing. It's basically a donation of time instead of money, which might appeal to people... and if we get some users who like our service, it's win-win.

GoPets is an online network hooked up to a 3D virtual pet. The cats are really cute -- you can 'pet' them with your mouse, and feed them, and put crazy clothes on them -- my cat has a pirate hat. You can also totally customize their colors (my cat is modeled after my real life cat, Bean, so he's black, though I gave my virtual pet a blue stomach just to play with it). The network is global, and one of our main goals is to facilitate communication across the entire world -- eventually we
want to set up penpal programs between the US and third world countries.

We created an iconographic language, Iku (from icon + haiku), where people can send each other messages using our icons, and communicate even though they don't speak the same language. You can also make your own symbols for new words. Tied in with all of this is an online network like Friendster, where you can meet people. There's also a blogging service, and your pet (either a cat or a dog, for now) also "blogs" -- they record in icons where they've visited while you're away, who they've met, etc. Pets have fairly sophisticated AI, and will visit people who share your same interests if you fill out your user profile.

Y'all know my love for 1) Neopets and 2) trying out the latest blogger thing, so I'm actually giddy about this one. Downside: kind of a hefty download--something like 25 mb to run the pet software and 30+ mb to run the software to run the pet software. Fortunately, I've just cleared off half a gig, so... ETA: WARNING: the DirectX software did reboot my computer automatically when I ran the .exe. Save any work you have going on before you deploy that one, guys.

P.S. Please remember that this a beta version. It looks really spiff, but you are helping them work out the bugs.

Sign up here! Referral link of doom! I am up right now creating my pet at 3:30 in the morning! Because I am CRAZY!

P.S. Someone left me a message on the site--"In your drive to get people to join, make sure you tell them to leave the referral code blank and to put your user name (cleolinda) in the referrer field."

Comments

[scarletwoman151.livejournal.com]

I won't let me register :( I filled in all the info then clicked confirm and I get a page expired message.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Aww! It's let me, but so far I'm having trouble with the actual pet part.

[cellardoor28.livejournal.com]

Damn woman, I've only just managed to kick my neopets crack habit! What are you trying to do to me??

[cellardoor28.livejournal.com]

meh, it wont let me sign up anyway.

[cjk1701.livejournal.com]

In the interest of Cleo-stalking, what's your Neopets username? :)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heh. gelsomina. My cleolinda account got busted yea these many years ago for I don't even remember what now. Probably using the Wheel of Excitement on more than one account.

[alleycatfish.livejournal.com]

what fun! I signed up :)

[filthy-paws.livejournal.com]

Hee. I'm in. I hope this works well to earn money!

[alexthedevil.livejournal.com]

I signed up. I'll try and get others to sign up too - it's for a good cause =)

[annevo.livejournal.com]

I cant run anything DirectX...

[nekoama.livejournal.com]

Durr... it's asking for a referal code? Do I just ignore that part or what? I really wanna join this thing too!

[nekoama.livejournal.com]

Nevermind. XD So I'm in and everything, and I'm supposed to download this, right?
Also, is anyone else getting problems where they can't edit their profile?

[museumfreak.livejournal.com]

Do they have a Mac client? I can't find it anywhere on the site and I don't want to give out personal info if they don't have a client I can use.

[rowanf.livejournal.com]

That's my question too. I've read the site but it doesn't have any specs at all!

[raanve]

I joined & posted my photo -- sadly, I can't download/run the pet software because my own machine is still deceased, but once it's up & running again, I'll be able to play. :)

Did you create a "neighborhood" that we can all play in?

[mambaramba.livejournal.com]

Wahoo! I'm in. Have to run to class though before I can fininsh creating my new best friend. Happy St. Patties Day!!!!

[scarletwoman151.livejournal.com]

Totally OT but whoaMG! Elfquest!! *pets icon*

[auvergnia.livejournal.com]

I? Am so signing up.

[marcusisabadass.livejournal.com]

i saw a Sin City commercial last night. a little bit of pee leaked out.

[morganwolf.livejournal.com]

Lovin' the St. Patty's day icon. Irish? Kisses. Not? Kisses anyway. Partly Irish over here, and I have received ZERO kisses today, not even a FRACTIONAL kiss. Not even a lousy pat on the back. Feeling a bit put out.

I wants another virtual pet. Real pets? Bahh, been there, done that. Cleaning real poop is no fun. Neopets? Two accounts is not enough! Need more fake animals!

[faequeentitania.livejournal.com]

*kiss*

OT

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

If anybody needs a (male) prom date, you can buy one on ebay:
http://tinyurl.com/5en6b
He says he is tall and handsome. Cleo, your horrorscope is looking at you.

Alternately, you can buy access to a congresscritter:
http://tinyurl.com/5p67g

(these are by way of Dave Barry's blog)

Re: OT

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Oh dear.

[girlalmighty]

It's being a bit odd, so I'll probably try again later. I shouldn't, really, I don't need help procrastinating. ^_^ Another good procrastination method is deadmentalking. Have you seen that yet? It might amuse you.

[vampychick.livejournal.com]

I don't really have a lot of interest in intarweb pets (already got two of the real kind to annoy me), but I joined anyway for the fundraising part.

[vampychick.livejournal.com]

I didn't think I hit send...

Also, it might be fun. I can always use a new procrastination method.

[bikutoria.livejournal.com]

This is awesome. I registered, loaded up a photo, and now my pet and I (Thalia the funky blue-gray-white kitty) are getting to know each other. The cool thing is that I actually managed to get the name "victoria" instead of resorting to using numbers for a "unique" username. I hope you max out on the $1,000, and it's awesome zhai thought of this to tell you!

[(Anonymous)]

I signed up, mostly for the fundraising thing, but do I have to upload a picture for it to count towards money or can I just sign up? My pet is very cute,btw. I never tried neopets so this will be my first virtual pet. What am I suppose to do with this thing anyway? I'm enjoying the random other pets that come to roam my computer screen.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I don't know--I just uploaded one of my Yahoo avatar-style icons (like on this comment). I didn't bother to get a real photograph.

[wicked-goddess.livejournal.com]

The javascript doesn't seem to be working with my computer, because I fill out all the information and hit confirm and nothing happens. I tried playing around with settings and turning off my pop-up blocker but still nothing.

[denimjo.livejournal.com]

I had that problem, too. But as it turns out, what you need to do is click the 'Check duplicate name' and 'check duplicate email' buttons, and as long as they say, "You can use this," you're good to hit the confirm button.

[ambiguousreason.livejournal.com]

Bah, I wouldn't be able to download it.

(This isn't my personal computer, and my dad refuses to let my account be set to "maintainer." So I can't download things while I'm signed in as me, I have to be signed in as him. I think he thinks I'm going to download porn or something, which, hello? Not stupid enough to do on the family computer, kthnx. Not that, you know, I would download porn anyway.. )

[mandy0x.livejournal.com]

mehhh when i click confirm nothing happens. then freaky stuff starts happening. and the kitties are SO cute too!

[denimjo.livejournal.com]

Okay, like I posted earlier (but you may not have seen it), I think you have to click the "Confirm name" and "Confirm email" buttons to make sure that the name/email is valid for use. When youy get a message saying that both are Open for Use, then click Confirm. That made everything work for me.

[sunihiroku.livejournal.com]

I joined. My name is Mollison. xD

[faequeentitania.livejournal.com]

Joined am I! Whee!! But I have to wait till I get home to do the download and the pic and stuff. Boo. :-( Twenty-three minutes of work-hell to go.

[ccaretta.livejournal.com]

I joined, and now have no idea what to do. Anyone got any great ideas?