When I first joined MFC, I spent probably 75% of my tokens tipping for countdowns. Now I spend nearly zero. Why?
1.) Freeloaders.
In a room of 300 people you will typically have just a small fraction tipping for countdowns, but its tolerable because you can contribute with just ~25-50 tokens. But in a room of 20-30 people you will typically have just two or three, tipping hundreds of tokens to make the countdown. And then when it's made and the model starts to do a public show, hundreds of people rush into the room! I was the big ass sucker paying for the hundreds of people. 99% of the people aren't tipping, why should I? I'm sorry this isn't the model's fault, but it just seems very unfair.
2.) The alternatives are better.
a) Group shows, if you can get it started, has the advantage of not having to waiting 1+ hours in a model's room waiting for the countdown to finish (the freeloaders just jump from room to room o/c), there are no freeloaders, and you get more of the model's attention. I usually don't spend more than a couple hundred tokens in group, which is how much I'd have to spend (at least) to make a significant dent in a countdown.
b) Private shows are more expensive, but I find that it's worth it. The reason is, members can go back and re-watch privates later (so it's like getting your own customized video), whereas public show is over when it's over. I never record models in public chat.
c) Purchasing any merchandise - video, galleries, gifts, even PM privileges - all of them have some permanence. Once you have it, you have it. 90% of the public chat countdowns, you will never remember where your money went the next day, let alone the next week.
So why would anyone tip for a countdown? I see there as being two basic motivations
a) Some members have a one-off request for the model to do something. That's fine, but it's not my thing. But it's not really tipping for the countdown even though the model may count it toward the countdown.
b) Pure altruism. I see this as the only legitimate reason now. I like the model & I want her to make her countdown solely to make her happy. That's why I say "nearly" zero. But unlike the other ways of spending tokens, I don't consider this purchasing anything (except maybe affection in a fuzzy sort of way, or a way of getting attention in a chat room). It's almost more like a donation than an exchange.
It's a miracle the current system works as well as it does & it says a lot about the generosity of members & the social pressures we feel to tip and win the approval of our favorite models.
But essentially what you have here is a collective action problem (see: part 1 of The Logic of Collective Action, by Mancur Olson; public shows are non-excludable and non-rivalrous), which means the hard incentives can be drastically improved.
I think this can be addressed following way: There should be an option for a 'conditional tip'. That is, I will tip X amount if others tip Y amount. So let's say Abel goes into a room and says he will tip 100 if others tip 200. Then Cain goes into the room and says the same thing. Then I go into the room, I see that Abel & Cain have both pledged 100 each if I tip 100. I know my 100 tip will go x3 as far and get the model 300 tokens. I'm much more likely to tip. On the other hand, let's say I don't come along & Abel has to leave before the countdown is finished. This way he hasn't wasted any money, he simply withdraws his commitment. But his knowledge that he can withdraw his commitment if he doesn't get the show, makes him much more likely to commit to start with. Hence, a model that would never have made her countdown, makes it.
1.) Freeloaders.
In a room of 300 people you will typically have just a small fraction tipping for countdowns, but its tolerable because you can contribute with just ~25-50 tokens. But in a room of 20-30 people you will typically have just two or three, tipping hundreds of tokens to make the countdown. And then when it's made and the model starts to do a public show, hundreds of people rush into the room! I was the big ass sucker paying for the hundreds of people. 99% of the people aren't tipping, why should I? I'm sorry this isn't the model's fault, but it just seems very unfair.
2.) The alternatives are better.
a) Group shows, if you can get it started, has the advantage of not having to waiting 1+ hours in a model's room waiting for the countdown to finish (the freeloaders just jump from room to room o/c), there are no freeloaders, and you get more of the model's attention. I usually don't spend more than a couple hundred tokens in group, which is how much I'd have to spend (at least) to make a significant dent in a countdown.
b) Private shows are more expensive, but I find that it's worth it. The reason is, members can go back and re-watch privates later (so it's like getting your own customized video), whereas public show is over when it's over. I never record models in public chat.
c) Purchasing any merchandise - video, galleries, gifts, even PM privileges - all of them have some permanence. Once you have it, you have it. 90% of the public chat countdowns, you will never remember where your money went the next day, let alone the next week.
So why would anyone tip for a countdown? I see there as being two basic motivations
a) Some members have a one-off request for the model to do something. That's fine, but it's not my thing. But it's not really tipping for the countdown even though the model may count it toward the countdown.
b) Pure altruism. I see this as the only legitimate reason now. I like the model & I want her to make her countdown solely to make her happy. That's why I say "nearly" zero. But unlike the other ways of spending tokens, I don't consider this purchasing anything (except maybe affection in a fuzzy sort of way, or a way of getting attention in a chat room). It's almost more like a donation than an exchange.
It's a miracle the current system works as well as it does & it says a lot about the generosity of members & the social pressures we feel to tip and win the approval of our favorite models.
But essentially what you have here is a collective action problem (see: part 1 of The Logic of Collective Action, by Mancur Olson; public shows are non-excludable and non-rivalrous), which means the hard incentives can be drastically improved.
I think this can be addressed following way: There should be an option for a 'conditional tip'. That is, I will tip X amount if others tip Y amount. So let's say Abel goes into a room and says he will tip 100 if others tip 200. Then Cain goes into the room and says the same thing. Then I go into the room, I see that Abel & Cain have both pledged 100 each if I tip 100. I know my 100 tip will go x3 as far and get the model 300 tokens. I'm much more likely to tip. On the other hand, let's say I don't come along & Abel has to leave before the countdown is finished. This way he hasn't wasted any money, he simply withdraws his commitment. But his knowledge that he can withdraw his commitment if he doesn't get the show, makes him much more likely to commit to start with. Hence, a model that would never have made her countdown, makes it.
A typical 2,000 countdown (even it is split 400 topless, 600 naked, 1000 cumshow) if there are ony 2 other tippers run 700 tokens which get very expensive. The system is pretty badly stacked against models in this situation, so I encourage them to consider group, which some will.
