As we've got bigger we tend to get more questions about us and about the page as well as the game, which is understandable.I'm always a bit loathe to talk about us instead of the game but when things are asked regularly, it's worth it. Depending how well this goes it might be the first in a series of us answering your questions about US, maybe even an FAQ... well, anyway, that's all that so lets go!
Today's topic I'd like to cover is something that probably everyone thinks about, the incomings and outgoings of money, we're often asked (usually in PMs) about how we admins get paid, do we pay for stuff, all that kind of thing, so, let's answer a few.
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Q: How much do you make being an admin?
A: The simple answer to that is we make nothing... but that's not a pity call or anything, it's our own choice, and let me explain why.
For me and all the admins this is a hobby, and I can speak from experience when I say one of the worst things you can do is try to make money from a hobby you love. It's not long before the fun part fades and the money takes the forefront. You start thinking more about stats and figures and what will get pennies coming in than you do the important stuff.
Sooner or later we'd end up making people come to our site for something we could have just as easily left on Facebook, and I don't like it when places do that to me, so I won't do it to you. If we guide you to our site it's because this is the best place for the information to be kept, not because there's some ninja script counting up pennies.
So, we made a decision early on that we've stuck to. There are no adverts on Express, no scripts, no methods of making money at all. I know some people may be shocked and disbelieving of that but we've stood firm and never made a penny from Express, and never will. You can come here safe in the knowledge there's nothing going on under the water, we're not an iceberg, we're a surfboard. (not least because we know you wouldn't care anyway, so we'd not hide it)
Don't get me wrong, we live in a capitalist society, there is nothing wrong with any site out there wanting to make money and I understand, I just ask that they understand in return, that we've decided not to.
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A: Absolutely nothing.
They came to us in January of 2011 with an offer, keep doing what we do but with an extra line into Zynga. We pay them with feedback, glitch reports and by looking after you (a big reason was making sure YOU get help and info). In return we get info direct from source and our own feedback.
I find it hard to believe myself, especially with the negative impressions folks get of big business, but we've never been asked for money, just our time and our feedback and to help YOU. In return we've asked for nothing for us, glitch fixes aside, THAT we ask for, lol
Of course, sometimes we get more, like the recent Admin Animals which were a gift to give us a little recognition (no Mr Bitter Cynic I'm sure is out there, we didn't pay for them, lol)... recognition we didn't need but were still majorly appreciative of... we never ask for it though, and we wouldn't have enjoyed them as much as we do if we had, a requested compliment is no compliment at all.
It's hardly even a business connection anymore, it feels more like a partnership and that's as much down to the people at Zynga who've been great at never treating us like the over-eager fanboys and fangirls we are :)
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Q: Seriously, no money, because I heard from...
A: Seriously, no money, and I know it's weird but that's us, weird :) (Actually Gillian prefers "different")
Adverts have been suggested, even a donate button at one point, but we've decided against every single idea.
You don't get paid to play the game and help your neighbours, neither do we.
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If you read all that, I thank you, and if you've been one of the folks who've asked us this sort of stuff in the past, I hope this has answered your questions.
I'll finish off now with an offer to you... You know we'll always answer your questions about the game, but be assured that we'll also strive to answer your questions about US and the page with the same openness and honesty we use at all times.
If you want to ask anything about us, just do it. If you'd like to keep it private then use the message button on our page (right hand side under the header pic) and we'll answer you there. This is your page and your site, and you have a right to ask your questions and get the truth about it.
Happy trails :)
Andy
Happy trails :)
Andy
