Platinum Tier Supporters

After reading some posts here the problem I can see is that the Platinum Supporters are slightly disappointed with their name color. I do admit the color is a little hard to see (even the Silver ones to a lesser extent) on some skins but even on the skin I'm currently using it somehow doesn't look blinding to me.

And as for userbars, I do feel a little bit annoyed having text saying "Community Supporter" underneath my name instead of a userbar at present because of inconsistency but then again Battle Server Staff currently don't have a text replacement so for a while I disabled userbars to see what it looked like but I ended up reverting after a while. But I do remember hearing the higher staff do have new supporter userbars in development, but the ones Oryx had shown in one of her posts aren't bad, given they have the version mascots of the game the tier was named after.

I actually don't mind my crystal blue username, and while Platinum may have some cool stuff I still think I'm happy with where I am because the color suits me perfectly. If we get a userbar design similar to the ones Oryx shared I wouldn't mind having a cute blue userbar with a Suicune on it. I guess they just want the new userbars released sooner.

That's just my thoughts though.

i did not read all of this thread because i don't think i need to, but i must ask something. why does every situation concerning a particular population on the forum have to become a public spectacle? This thread was originally really only asking for a description of what exactly Platinum tier is, and the question was answered. however it continued to become some sort of debate that i don't care to read through that is FAR more appropriate in the supporter forum out of view of those that, for one, don't care and for two shouldn't see it purely because it just doesn't concern everyone. PC members sometimes have a weird tendency (and a not necessarily healthy one) to change a thread's direction without respect of the original thread owner or.. the rules.. or anything really. :(

not that i'm really trying to chastise anyone, plus i think this thread has died down. i just find it peculiar that we would insist on using a thread that serves one purpose to completely change its purpose for five straight pages when it could've been taken to a more official area if there's a concern to be brought up or a suggestion to be made, so on and so forth. not to mention it's almost 100% staff and crystal/platinum supporters posting here anyway. it would've been far better off cataloged in a place where it won't be disrupting the peace (figure of speech, don't read too much into it friends) and using someone else's thread.

god knows the supporter forum doesn't get enough use to start with!

Magic said:

Wow. Donations are not about the money.

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Are you high?

Magic said:

People living with basically zilch disposable income have donated bits here and there - their $10 donation is appreciated just as much as someone with a tonne of cash donating $100 annually, or whatever.

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Statistically speaking I have 33 times more talking power than them. I don't know what fantasy you're living in but this site doesn't run on kindness and selflessness, sad to say. It would be nice if it did.

Magic said:

This whole elitist 'platinum supporters deserve better' rubbish really doesn't do you any favours. Some of what you're saying is very insulting to members who work hard to donate what they can. Any money given to PC is really appreciated - but please remember it is a donation. Any perk you receive is a good-will gift.

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The perks are incentives, and we donated for the incentives. I don't know what part you don't understand but the vast majority of supporters aren't where they are by their own good will. Also ostracizing those few who are is a really really bad idea, just saying.

Magic said:

The amount you donate does not affect how you are perceived as a member, nor anything else on PC.

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What are you smoking? Like hell it doesn't, haha!

I could say a whole lot about elitism among staff, so quit with that plea against our arguments. Money talks and ******** walks.

Antemortem said:

i did not read all of this thread because i don't think i need to, but i must ask something. why does every situation concerning a particular population on the forum have to become a public spectacle? This thread was originally really only asking for a description of what exactly Platinum tier is, and the question was answered. however it continued to become some sort of debate that i don't care to read through that is FAR more appropriate in the supporter forum out of view of those that, for one, don't care and for two shouldn't see it purely because it just doesn't concern everyone. PC members sometimes have a weird tendency (and a not necessarily healthy one) to change a thread's direction without respect of the original thread owner or.. the rules.. or anything really. :(

not that i'm really trying to chastise anyone, plus i think this thread has died down. i just find it peculiar that we would insist on using a thread that serves one purpose to completely change its purpose for five straight pages when it could've been taken to a more official area if there's a concern to be brought up or a suggestion to be made, so on and so forth. not to mention it's almost 100% staff and crystal/platinum supporters posting here anyway. it would've been far better off cataloged in a place where it won't be disrupting the peace (figure of speech, don't read too much into it friends) and using someone else's thread.

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First, I'll tell you why it became a public spectacle - the forum is a public institution: anyone can browse, anyone can join. Second, the reason it belongs in community questions & feedback instead of the supporter forum is those looking to donate might get a more honest look from those who have by reading this thread. Getting pissed at someone in private usually accomplishes a whole lot of nothing when it's up to them anyway, right? The staff here have embarrassed themselves quite spectacularly, with a quite heated show of conservatism towards the situation at hand. Steve, are you there? I find it really funny how the only people talking in favor of change with the supporters systems are the only people who truly matter here: the site administrator and his donor patrons. We've paid quite a bit by the way, and at present want to continue. How about you?

Alex said:

Are you high?


Statistically speaking I have 33 times more talking power than them. I don't know what fantasy you're living in but this site doesn't run on kindness and selflessness, sad to say. It would be nice if it did.


The perks are incentives, and we donated for the incentives. I don't know what part you don't understand but the vast majority of supporters aren't where they are by their own good will. Also ostracizing those few who are is a really really bad idea, just saying.


What are you smoking? Like hell it doesn't, haha!

I could say a whole lot about elitism among staff, so quit with that plea against our arguments. Money talks and ******** walks.


First, I'll tell you why it became a public spectacle - the forum is a public institution: anyone can browse, anyone can join. Second, the reason it belongs in community questions & feedback instead of the supporter forum is those looking to donate might get a more honest look from those who have by reading this thread. Getting pissed at someone in private usually accomplishes a whole lot of nothing when it's up to them anyway, right? The staff here have embarrassed themselves quite spectacularly, with a quite heated show of conservatism towards the situation at hand. Steve, are you there? I find it really funny how the only people talking in favor of change with the supporters systems are the only people who truly matter here: the site administrator and his donor patrons. We've paid quite a bit by the way, and at present want to continue. How about you?

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This is the most upsetting post I've ever seen on this website.

Fairy said:

This is the most upsetting post I've ever seen on this website.

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I think I'm getting high blood pressure from this - my body still hasn't settled yet. Too bad I can't get any advice on handling it from anyone in the gene pool who contributed this to me, eh?

Alex said:

I think I'm getting high blood pressure from this - my body still hasn't settled yet. Too bad I can't get any advice on handling it from anyone in the gene pool who contributed this to me, eh?

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Alex. I try to not get myself in these situations, as I tend to fall of the handle and be extremely condescending and rude, but is there really need?

I get you are upset and I understand everything in terms of what it actually means to be a supporter, but it doesn't excuse yourself to be an *******. It's Tier supporting for a Pokemon forum. When you decide to make the donation, you get perks. You can't call everyone else out on getting these perks and acting "elitist", when you did the same. I am sure you didn't donate for sheer generosity either. Please calm down and try to argue your points in a respectable manner.

Alot more people will apperciate it. Even if I did just come off rude.

But for the actual matter, having the option to switch between colored tiers we like would be a nice bonus. I don't have a problem with the current system, as I'm not a supporter in the slightest. I hope this all gets sorted out :).

DJTiKi said:

Alex. I try to not get myself in these situations, as I tend to fall of the handle and be extremely condescending and rude, but is there really need?

I get you are upset and I understand everything in terms of what it actually means to be a supporter, but it doesn't excuse yourself to be an *******. It's Tier supporting for a Pokemon forum. When you decide to make the donation, you get perks. You can't call everyone else out on getting these perks and acting "elitist", when you did the same. I am sure you didn't donate for sheer generosity either. Please calm down and try to argue your points in a respectable manner.

Alot more people will apperciate it. Even if I did just come off rude.

But for the actual matter, having the option to switch between colored tiers we like would be a nice bonus. I don't have a problem with the current system, as I'm not a supporter in the slightest. I hope this all gets sorted out :).

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A client-side customization module running through the server sounds best imo.

Wouldn't you find it a little frustrating if a bunch of other "special" users wanted to call you out on being elitist hypocritically? At the end of the day - perks or no perks - our money still went to this site - that is why I say that we have far more talking power here than other hired volunteers, at least in this case. Since Steve obviously isn't deciding everything on his own (I understand we have a higher staff for a reason) I'm not excluding them necessarily. I hope you understand what I mean and that I'm not trying to be a dick for its own sake; sometimes I feel like my words fall on deaf ears all too often.

Alex, take a deep breath and calm yourself before you asplode ;)

I know many of you think the current system is OK and that nothing should be changed, but others, and in some respects more importantly, the current supporters want to see some changes to their benefit. I see no problem with bringing it up and think they may even have a point,

My POV is we want the whole supporters system, perks, etc to be a incentive.. a nice bonus for supporting your fav community. Here again the goal is to get people to donate towards the costs of running and maintaining the site. If users actually enjoy their benefits for donating, then more will want to donate.

So with that in mind, I'd like to revisit the whole thing.. see what works and what needs to be changed. Again, this will need to be discussed by the upper staff, but your input here and in the VIP section will be very helpful.

whew.. feel like I typed a book.

I'd like to say a few things with regards to the arguments made by Alex in his earlier posts. Before I do, I hope that everyone will understand that this is my individual viewpoint, and I don't mean to seek out anyone nor a specific group of users. This argument is just to add some food for thought. :)

Alex, I agree with some of your points. In today's world, money when you're in the working scene for example, is a prime factor, and it is an importsnt aspect. You need money to live, money to give, money to support other people, your family, the list is endless.

However, this is a site created for users with a like minded interest - Pokemon, to come together, and thus I don't think that money really defines who you are here. This is, as far as I know, a fan site. The people that are running this get a burden lifted off their shoulders because of donations from users, be it for the perks or because you're genuinely intrested in supporting the site. I'll leave it as that for now, the reason why someone donates is personal, and the fact that they're helping out the site dosen't hurt either.

Now, people like Moderators and Admins, take time out of their life to run this site, pay for hosting fees, and a lot more I'm sure us ordinary users wouldn't know about. So if they're willing to take money and irreplaceable time out of their pocket to run the site with nothing in for them in return,then I think that how much you donate shouldn't be the biggest factor.

Also, I've heard you mention about "talking power" in your posts, bit what do you define as talking power? We're not only be turning into the realm of free speech here, but also the fact that regardless of how much one contirbutes to the site, that person is part of a large community, and I'm sure, from what I've seen from here that a person with 5 posts is not disregarded or not given a chance to express his views than compared to a 10 year veteran member of an outstanding administrator. And if you define talking power as the ability to bring up and have a say in decisions, then shouldn't everyone get that too?

Supporters are donators, they're about the same thing. A donator is someone who donates out of your own free will, with the intention of helping the site. While this site is run by a simple hierarchy, money dosen't mean that you should have a bigger say in something because you donated more. Symbiosis, a platinum tier member, stated that he hardly uses the perks, but rather wants to help the site. And there absolutely nothing wrong eith using perks, or why are they there in the first place? And I agree that Platinum Tier colors aren't great, and it'll probably be polled sooner or latter to the supporting community or to the general public, and everyone would and should have an equal say.

When you helped donate me up to Silver, you said it was because you felt that I was genuine in my pursuit to give back to the site, and I'm really greatful. But the amount that one donates shouldn't give them a sense of superiority over others. There's a reason why donations are optional, and the perks are just nice little goodies that come along the way, or you could be donating for the perks. Either way, I find that the relationship between "talking power" / say / rights in general and the amount the user has contributed to the site is unfounded. Again, this is my two cents. Take everything with a grain of salt, guys. :)

As a Platinum-tier supporter myself, I again, must reiterate. Even though we donated more money to the site, that does not mean we are entitled to either more benefits or more leverage in conversations. It just means we were more willing to throw out extra money towards the site. Nothing more, nothing less. And people need to stop generalizing that "all Platinum-tier Supporters are despicable people" blah blah nonsense. Just because a vocal minority voices their opinion shouldn't mean that the rest of that group's populous be grouped into that same opinion.

In the end, people need to stop scrutinizing and talking down on one another. I don't care if you're a Platinum Supporter, a Crystal Supporter, a Moderator, or a person of no rank. Stay civilized, respect each other's opinions, as although you may not agree with someone's opinions there is no reason to lash out at another user just because there is a clash of differences. In the end we are all looking to better the site as a whole, so even though we might not 100% agree with one another we should keep that in mind when we are formulating our responses.

Musicality said:

Now, people like Moderators and Admins, take time out of their life to run this site, pay for hosting fees, and a lot more I'm sure us ordinary users wouldn't know about. So if they're willing to take money and irreplaceable time out of their pocket to run the site with nothing in for them in return,then I think that how much you donate shouldn't be the biggest factor.

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Just for the record, neither Moderators nor Administrators pay for the site. Rather, Steve - i.e. Rukario - is the one who handles all the monetary costs of running the site as he's the site's owner.

El Héroe Oscuro said:

As a Platinum-tier supporter myself, I again, must reiterate. Even though we donated more money to the site, that does not mean we are entitled to either more benefits or more leverage in conversations. It just means we were more willing to throw out extra money towards the site. Nothing more, nothing less. And people need to stop generalizing that "all Platinum-tier Supporters are despicable people" blah blah nonsense. Just because a vocal minority voices their opinion shouldn't mean that the rest of that group's populous be grouped into that same opinion.

In the end, people need to stop scrutinizing and talking down on one another. I don't care if you're a Platinum Supporter, a Crystal Supporter, a Moderator, or a person of no rank. Stay civilized, respect each other's opinions, as although you may not agree with someone's opinions there is no reason to lash out at another user just because there is a class of differences. In the end we are all looking to better the site as a whole, so even though we might not 100% agree with one another we should keep that in mind when we are formulating our responses.



Just for the record, neither Moderators nor Administrators pay for the site. Rather, Steve - i.e. Rukario - is the one who handles all the monetary costs of running the site as he's the site's owner.

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Yeah, agreed. I haven't met much people who are Platinum, and honestly I couldn't care less. It isn't about the status and even prestige that comes with it, and people aren't going to treat you differently and talk to you differently because you donated the most. I hope this dosen't happen, but who are we as individuals to generalize or judge regardless of anything? It dosen't make sense. Being Platinum has nothing to do with liking romance novels and cheeseburgers and being silver dosen't mean you don't like Harry Potter.

And yeah, sorry for the slip up. I tend to make mistakes when writing large chunks of text, too much thoughts are flowing through my head. :)

Northstar said:

This is really annoying to read and I can't even fathom a proper response, but it makes me giggle that you think you are entitled to this "power" just because you've donated to the highest rank, then seemingly speaking down to anyone who hasn't? Just wrong man. I would say this is an ugly side to plat supporters, but there's plenty of decent ones around.

As for name colours, I really like them. It would be sad to see the system change back into a monochromatic pit of blue or green or whatever, but if that's what people want...

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I I think Musicality outlined the differences between talking power here better than anyone else. PC would have an incredibly hard time getting by on advertisements alone; supporters play a vital role in offsetting that. At the same time staff play an equally irreplaceable role in this site as well: they maintain and keep the place manageable and acceptable as a website. Those who have donated more have more talking power in the affairs of donors because they have contributed more, period. This is because they have helped the site more than those who have donated less - it's not rocket science, it's not brain surgery. In the end it's our money talking, and as cryptic and cold as that may seem it's the truth.

I do apologize for my earlier behavior and realize it may have been misconstrued and put ineffectively. With that said, the meaning in which I presented in those words still stands true; I stand by the argument I presented. I hope you are able to understand that.

We don't have the entire member base discuss changes for a select group of people do we? Why should someone else with no affiliation or stake in out outcome decide for my group our fate?

Also, Matt, I and a few others have already shifted back to the topic at hand - where are you?

Where on earth are you people getting the notion that the value of the donation is irrelevant? $300 is going to do a whole lot more for the server than 10. It's simple math. It doesn't mean I'm better than you. It simply means that my larger contribution matters more from me because it is more consequential. When I have put a bigger stake in the outcome than someone else why should they have just as much to talk with as I have? That doesn't even make any sense.

Musicality said:

Yeah, agreed. I haven't met much people who are Platinum, and honestly I couldn't care less. It isn't about the status and even prestige that comes with it, and people aren't going to treat you differently and talk to you differently because you donated the most. I hope this dosen't happen, but who are we as individuals to generalize or judge regardless of anything? It dosen't make sense. Being Platinum has nothing to do with liking romance novels and cheeseburgers and being silver dosen't mean you don't like Harry Potter.

And yeah, sorry for the slip up. I tend to make mistakes when writing large chunks of text, too much thoughts are flowing through my head. :)

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You would be surprised. I remember about 2 years ago when I was apart of another fan site I donated $5,000 in one day. The people on that forums treated me like I was a god for over a year until I decided to leave because people wouldn't leave me alone lol They even made me a personal rank for donating. Sometimes money talks and ******** walks.

If I show up to a strip club and slap 10 g's in front of a stripper. She will be doing whatever I say for the rest of the day lol

If I go into a restaurant and order everyone in the buildings meals and pay for them myself. Everyone in that restaurant will be grateful and thanking me.

If I go into a game store and say they just sold the last Pokemon game and the guy who bought it is walking out. If I go up to him and offer him $500.00 for a $40.00 dollar game just because I can and it's the last one. He will most likely give it up on the spot.

I agree it doesn't matter here too much since this is a Pokemon fan site after all and most of the people here are children or still in high school/college but in other places or in the real world money talks and ******** walks.

Symbiosis said:

You would be surprised. I remember about 2 years ago when I was apart of another fan site I donated $5,000 in one day. The people on that forums treated me like I was a god for over a year until I decided to leave because people wouldn't leave me alone lol They even made me a personal rank for donating. Sometimes money talks and ******** walks.

If I show up to a strip club and slap 10 g's in front of a stripper. She will be doing whatever I say for the rest of the day lol

If I go into a restaurant and order everyone in the buildings meals and pay for them myself. Everyone in that restaurant will be grateful and thanking me.

If I go into a game store and say they just sold the last Pokemon game and the guy who bought it is walking out. If I go up to him and offer him $500.00 for a $40.00 dollar game just because I can and it's the last one. He will most likely give it up on the spot.

I agree it doesn't matter here too much since this is a Pokemon fan site after all and most of the people here are children or still in high school/college but in other places or in the real world money talks and ******** walks.

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Reading this post makes me want to petition for all supporter ranks to be taken away.

Oryx said:

Reading this post makes me want to petition for all supporter ranks to be taken away.

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What, are you poor? I'd have the same mentality weren't I broke.

In all honesty, I really don't appreciate the stigma that people associate with the supporters and staff and whatever that there's some prestige or reverence to be held in the title those people hold. There is none. What people think of them should simply be a consequence of what they do. Nothing more. I can't speak for staff, but in our case we put a bunch of money into the site and a factor in why we did that was for the privileges. When we have issues with the privileges is that we were promised originally, I think we're more than entitled to ask for change regarding the matter. It really doesn't get any simpler than that.

See, This isn't about being poor or rich. My mentality may be different that ures but I understand some people may only be able to scratch 1 dollar a month to donate towards the site. I never said I look down upon those people. They are as important as people who have the free money to donate on larger scales. You don't seem to understand the mentality of us though or you frown upon us because you don't have the money we do. It seems your trying to say we don't understand you when the real case is you don't understand us.

I get this type of reaction on a daily basis on PC. People look at me wrong or differently because I am able to spend 12 or more hours daily sitting around my house not having to work. They look at me differently just by looking in my signature at my PC Specs. They look at me differently because I spend 10+ hours off and on PC daily. They look at me differently because I have more than they do. They look at me differently overall because they don't like that they have to work full time jobs or are in college and don't have the free time or money I do. It's called envy and I understand it but you "Poor" get on our nerves too.

At the end of the day Rukario already gave us a good enough answer I believe and we should leave it at that.

Oryx said:

Reading this post makes me want to petition for all supporter ranks to be taken away.

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And why punish the many over for what the few do wrong?

Symbiosis said:

*various stuff*

I agree it doesn't matter here too much since this is a Pokemon fan site after all and most of the people here are children or still in high school/college but in other places or in the real world money talks and ******** walks.

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Bolded is the key point about that post imo. Yes, money talks and etc in the real world; it's not as big a deal for a Pokemon forum however.

But atm, the thread is pretty darn off-topic. Let's not discuss if you would personally donate thousands of dollars, or make some obscure, unlikely hypothetical situations that don't even apply here, or get into arguments, or talk about elitism in staff, or your dislike of other posts, etc; that's not contributive at all to this topic.

While the thread topic has changed already (from asking about what Platinum rank is) to an apparent request from some members for changes to supportor stuff. While hstaff can certain discuss that and will take feedback from you guys (supporters or not!), please make those suggestions here/in the VIP section/in private, without the deviations from the topic. Or rather, please follow what Steve posted:

My POV is we want the whole supporters system, perks, etc to be a incentive.. a nice bonus for supporting your fav community. Here again the goal is to get people to donate towards the costs of running and maintaining the site. If users actually enjoy their benefits for donating, then more will want to donate.

So with that in mind, I'd like to revisit the whole thing.. see what works and what needs to be changed. Again, this will need to be discussed by the upper staff, but your input here and in the VIP section will be very helpful.

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Thank you.

As an aside - some suggestions I've noticed from the glances I've made may not be that simplistic to put in. It's up to admins to add in new features that require coding, not all admins have that expertise (although to be frank not that many people tend to have it to begin with for forums!), some I imagine would not be straightforward at all, and that's ignoring other things they may be working on for the forums already. Money is nice, but it can't easily buy them time. So while there may be neat ideas, there's also the issue of a balancing act of practicality in making such features and 'perks', and how they'd work for everyone else (e.g. if everyone else is running about with different coloured usernames or formats). Just something to keep in mind.

Alex said:

Crystal is everywhere, gold looks like barf, and silver is illegible. Platty only wins by default here, also an eyesore.

We really need better colours than this.

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I hate that they changed to this multiple color, slightly confusing upon first glance, still a little confusing to differentiate between silver and platinum system that we have. Kind of miss the very simple and easy to understand single color ranks we had.

Patchisou Yutohru said:

I hate that they changed to this multiple color, slightly confusing upon first glance, still a little confusing to differentiate between silver and platinum system that we have. Kind of miss the very simple and easy to understand single color ranks we had.

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I tend to agree.

Personally, I liked the older system. It was really easy to differentiate between tiers because of rank images, now with just colours...not so much. Maybe we could revert back to the old system where supporters are one colour, but instead to maintain simplicity, we only have three or four tiers of supportership?