Stars for VIPs?

Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 3:54 am Post subject:

We can see this kind of idea in use at DFM.

I'm trying to imagine the use of tiny SST sign from SST's logo instead of the star here...
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Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 4:42 am Post subject:

Or what about a nice tiny filmstrip or movie clapper board Smile

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Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 7:21 am Post subject:

I think underlining sounds interesting.
For me, yellow underline designator in "Online Now" box could be more subtle way of marking out VIPs than the star. But that's just my opinion. If stars work good for SST I can live with them.
_________________
"The piano keys are black and white,
But they sound like a million colors in your mind"
(from "Spider's Web" by <a href="http://katiemelua.com/music/#KatieMelua">Katie Melua</a>)

Avatar is from work of art by Drew Struzan

Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 10:39 pm Post subject:

I'm glad that the stars are helping with VIP signups, but I think it's just short term measure to increase the visibility of the VIP program. After these signups slow down, the stars just make it easier to accept other types of labeling that may occur, whether it be changing people's colors in the chat or underlining or whatever, and it may give VIPs a feeling of entitlement that changes the way they treat non-VIPs.

I had a bad reaction to the stars partly because I felt like I was in first grade getting a star sticker for good behavior or something and also because of the historical association with labeling folks with stars. If the stars are going to stay, I'd prefer having a musical note or other symbol beside my name on the member list.

Also, I felt that I paid for a service on SST, and I felt that my privacy wasn't respected since I didn't want my VIP status advertised to everyone on the main page. It may be better to give folks the option of being able to show their VIP/subscription status or not in their profile and also whether they want the stars displayed or not.

Thanks for reducing the brightness of the stars since the first day they were posted and for considering our input.

Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 8:47 am Post subject:

Good semiotics point, alien. Signs carry its own meanings. I agree with you.

Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 10:30 am Post subject:

perhaps zirael references the holocaust of wwii.

Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 10:38 am Post subject:

When I read this, my jaw dropped in shock. I really hesitate to even comment for fear of heaping even more dirt on this mountain from a molehill.

To somehow correlate the little VIP stars with the Yellow Stars the Nazis required Jews to wear is absolutely ludicrous! While I am keenly aware that many people have heightened sensitivity to that (or to the “labeling” and terrible treatment and injustice of Japanese-Americans during WWII), to somehow correlate those horrors to this situation is ridiculous.

Although I respect your right to voice your opinion, and encourage you to do so, in this case I feel it is way over the line. Sadly it gives our listeners false ideas and causes even more controversy where there is none.

The VIP status of every person online is already viewable simply by clicking on their name in the Online Now list - so the privacy issue does not apply in this case.

Thanks for everyone’s feedback. It’s good to read that the smaller, dimmer stars are more in line with what people like. The other suggestions of notes or clapperboards are good, too.

We appreciate all the new VIP members who have inquired in chat about the stars and have decided to support SST.

Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 12:34 pm Post subject:

I didn't make the connection either. I may be one of the few, but I still like the idea of the stars. I also agree with Two in that it seems this has become a mountain from a molehill. How many of you can say that if there were stars next to the names of members when you were first introduced to Streaming Soundtracks.com you would have avoided the station and labeled it as insensitive? I believe if the stars would have been there from the beginning, most of you would not have cared or been so sensitive about it at all. I respect you guys and I value your opinions. I am in no way sanctioning any of the events in WWII. I'm simply saying that I don't think little yellow stars by VIP's names are really that big of a deal. Like j2 said, they're not the star of David... I apologize if I have unintentionally offended anyone. Remember, the mods/admins and JERIC have the stations' best interest in mind. They're trying very hard to keep this wonderful station and it's community in operation so we can be here to enjoy it.
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Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 1:26 pm Post subject:

Maybe I'm not getting right what Twopop said, but I think those stars from WWII were not yellow and as j2 pointed out they had different shape from SST's stars.

I understand that labeling folks with stars can cause bad reaction but I think we shoudn't go to far with it. For example, I'm a soldier and I wear uniform labelled with stars but I don't correlate this with that historical bad example of labelling people.
Nevertheless, I think we can always consider changing VIP star to some different sign if stars are causing controversy. In fact I would be happy if we had something closer to DFM's RIP sign concept, and it's not because that historical aspect we are talking about now.
_________________
"The piano keys are black and white,
But they sound like a million colors in your mind"
(from "Spider's Web" by <a href="http://katiemelua.com/music/#KatieMelua">Katie Melua</a>)

Avatar is from work of art by Drew Struzan

Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 4:39 pm Post subject:

aaaaoh i feel dizzy
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