Made a website as a joke. Can it be something more?

[DamienP]

I think this is a question of perspective. This may appear cruel, but it could actually prevent people from suffering years of ridicule and reduced life chances. Tough love and all that jazz

 

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[Delmania]

Something like this

This is no more cruel than the bag of dicks or the glitter bomb. A large part of this is the strength of the relationship between the people.

 

[Mattie]

I think this is a question of perspective. This may appear cruel, but it could actually prevent people from suffering years of ridicule and reduced life chances. Tough love and all that jazz

Remember that can work in reverse. She can also make herself a target for tough love from bullies and haters. Worst case scenario she gets bullied for bullying others. I guess if you sign up for it, you deal it with it.

 

[Maria K]

Remember that can work in reverse. She can also make herself a target for tough love from bullies and haters. Worst case scenario she gets bullied for bullying others. I guess if you sign up for it, you deal it with it.

To bully someone, by definition, means to "use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants."

In this sense, I'm pretty hard to bully

 

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[Silverhawk851]

DO it, best case scenario you make $80K-800K and run onto your next adventure.
worst case scenario, doesn't work and you learn a ton about making business go viral.

Key is to create ton of viral content, and blast it at all at once to all the publications.
Here in Canada, elections are just ended, and Liberals are winning majority, everyone hating on the conservation now ex-prime minister, Stephen Harper.

IF you can have 100 liberals send out Soap-a-grams to the conservatives... Lol heavy wave of virility.

First mover strategy, quick rise then exit at the top.

Let me know if you're going through, I'd be willing to help in something like this

 

[Mattie]

To bully someone, by definition, means to "use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants."

I don't know if you're just a beginner in business or what, but cyber bullying you have no control over. And they don't need to force you to do anything. It's called a smear campaign against your business if there's enough people to do it. I've watched them do it twice to two different authors. And they weren't selling soap. I've watched another counselor for INFJ's get bullied after two years of hard work. I watch a lot of bullying online and you're pretty much powerless when you become the target and it goes viral.

That's just a part of the business world, you're haters. We all get them. If you think your soap has magic potion to exempt you from it, you must be something special.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberbullying

 

[GMJimmy]

Excellent idea

Also scaleable and you can add more products for occassions too. Birthdays, secret love, holidays, anniversaries, office pranks whatever. Once you have the system you can fill it with any content.

 

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[Maria K]

I don't know if you're just a beginner in business or what, but cyber bullying you have no control over. And they don't need to force you to do anything. It's called a smear campaign against your business if there's enough people to do it. I've watched them do it twice to two different authors. And they weren't selling soap. I've watched another counselor for INFJ's get bullied after two years of hard work. I watch a lot of bullying online and you're pretty much powerless when you become the target and it goes viral.

That's just a part of the business world, you're haters. We all get them. If you think your soap has magic potion to exempt you from it, you must be something special.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberbullying

That seems a bit extreme. A prank website is a silly thing to waste a smear campaign on. I'm flattered that you think I'm a worthy target though.

 

[Get Right]

I love it.

 

[Carnage]

Excited for updates!

 

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[LifeTransformer]

Love it!

 

[Lee Hyde]

This is a brilliant idea and i think you should run like the wind with it! I'd definitely use it!

Everyone who is trying to discourage you from doing it due to bully or whatever clearly doesn't have a sense of humour (or ###).. you're just setting up a service for people to use, how they use it isn't within your control.

Just put a disclaimer saying you're an anti-bullying company.

Look forward to see updates.

edited by Vigilante to give the poster the benefit of the doubt.

 

[GMJimmy]

It seems you'll have your first customers from the forum lol

 

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[Maxjohan]

That seems a bit extreme. A prank website is a silly thing to waste a smear campaign on. I'm flattered that you think I'm a worthy target though.

Your mindset is completely off on this though. "Look at DicksbyMail!! They are doing it, and they are successful"

Just because there a people doing bad shit in this world. Doesn't mean it is okay.

I guess, you could get sued by some rich dude too. Because of the fact, that you provide this service.

I hope you can take the heat then.

 

[DaRK9]

Your mindset is completely off on this though. "Look at DicksbyMail!! They are doing it, and they are successful"

Just because there a people doing bad shit in this world. Doesn't mean it is okay.

I guess, you could get sued by some rich dude too. Because of the fact, that you provide this service.

I hope you can take the heat then.

DicksbyMail is bad? I thought it was hilarious. I think this is hilarious.

You smell.
vs.
You are a dick.

Which one is more helpful?

 

[Maria K]

Your mindset is completely off on this though. "Look at DicksbyMail!! They are doing it, and they are successful"

Just because there a people doing bad shit in this world. Doesn't mean it is okay.

I guess, you could get sued by some rich dude too. Because of the fact, that you provide this service.

I hope you can take the heat then.

Oh man, if some rich dude would just sue me... all this hard work would finally pay off.

 

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[Nicko]

Your mindset is completely off on this though. "Look at DicksbyMail!! They are doing it, and they are successful"

Just because there a people doing bad shit in this world. Doesn't mean it is okay.

I guess, you could get sued by some rich dude too. Because of the fact, that you provide this service.

I hope you can take the heat then.

Just because some people don't understand a concept, doesn't mean it's bad.

And social media has given just about every half wit on the planet the ability to vent their spleens about anything and everything. So if you're worried about someone in the Twittersphere taking exception to you, your product or your company, then you may as well just give up now.

Looking forward to updates Maria K

 

[Maxjohan]

Just because some people don't understand a concept, doesn't mean it's bad.

I fully understand the concept. And as mentioned in this thread. The concept can be used in the wrong way. To ridicule people and spread hate. Or it can be a joke between buddies. It's double edged.

I think this is a huge problem in capitalism in general. People just think about the money that can be made. Like that Monsanto company or whatever their name is. And all the substances they put into food to make it last longer/not rotten.

 

[Nicko]

I fully understand the concept. And as mentioned in this thread. The concept can be used in the wrong way. To ridicule people and spread hate. Or it can be a joke between buddies. It's double edged.

Sure. But just about any gag, sarcastic, site, product, concept can be used to bully people by someone who wants to skew it that way.

Maria can counter that with a simple statement on her site and then really promote the fun aspect of it.

 

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[Maxjohan]

Sure. But just about any gag, sarcastic, site, product, concept can be used to bully people by someone who wants to skew it that way.

I don't agree. But you are entitled to your opinion. But you spin in a way to make it somehow seem right. It's the same concept as I stated earlier... "But DicksbyMail is doing it!!!"

So it seems to be right. Because, other people/companies are doing it.

 

[Vigilante]

I think we can suspend the discussion of the morality of the concept, so the OP can further her ambitions with like minded individuals, of which there are several here on the forum. There are two camps... one that think this is fun/funny, and one that thinks that this type of business contributes to the degeneration of society. However, the two sides are never going to agree, and restating it in many different ways doesn't change that. Everyone gets it (amidst the assertions that some are just too dense to see the brilliance or humor). Continuing to beat this dead horse isn't going to further the discussion.

So, if you are hip to her idea, hang out here and contribute to her thread. If you're not, ignore the thread, or the poster, or both.

It doesn't need to degenerate into personal insults, or the very thread itself becomes a mirror of the assertions of value judgments of some.

So lets let this thread move in the direction of the development and progress of the idea itself. The OP asked for opinions on the concept and asked people if they wanted to to skewer it, she's gotten plenty, and now it's in her camp to see what she does with it.

 

[Nicko]

Apologies to all of my comments came off insulting or ridiculing. Not my intention.

Good luck with the site Maria.

 

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[Equilibrium]

I would like to point out send your enemies glitter was bought for $85000.
You already have a market.
You already have a audience.
(heck I'm thinking of getting it I know a lot of people who could use soap where I work)
Your website looks great- although you need to moderate the reviews.
On the subject of will it cause harm..
This reminds me of a start-up called ''secrets''
where you post a picture, and everyone has no user id-- only a icon that is randomly generated.

It VERY quickly escalated into a porn site, with users posting pictures of themselves.
Secrets shut down- but not before I spoke with one of the models/advertising the website before its prime.

Staff did not want to deal with the onslaught of incoming spam.
Staff did not want to constantly delete user accounts.
The website made a very stupid (imo) change that converted it to look exactly like an existing app
The company then shut down. Now mind you they had a working product. They had hundreds of users.. Turned it all off because they couldn’t handle the simple truth that anonymity beings out the worst in people.

So yes. This will be misused. I understand what your trying to do, and I think you have a great plan.
The question becomes can you execute?

Can you control online bullying? no.
Can you set up predetermined messages or moderate sent cards – moderate your testimonial section, and create a business?

That is up to you.. I think this has potential.
So whats your plan?

 

[Jon L]

This reminds me of one of the first sites I found out about when the world wide web went live. I don't remember the URL, but the idea was that this company would send a bag of dog poop to your arch-nemesis for a low fee of something like $15. Yes, through the US Mail.

I looked them up again a number of years ago. Not so surprisingly, they weren't around anymore. I'm guessing the USPS 'caught wind' of the idea and refused to deliver their poop anymore.

I think your idea is something that could catch on for a bit, go flash-bang, and then fizzle out, making you some money in the process. You might even want to play up the controversial nature of the idea - that is something that would garner lots of news attention and bring a lot of eyeballs to your site.

 

[DamienP]

I do like this idea, but for me the big issue is marketing because no-one will deliberately seek this out this service.

SEO will be impractical because people will not search for this service specifically, so keyword targeting will be tough. For advertising you need a target market, and you don't really have one. Perhaps aged 20-40 employed, but that's still VERY general. I suspect you'll be left with only one scalable option - mass market advertising - and that might not be cost effective versus your low purchase cost and probable low repeat order rate.

An affiliate program might work, provided your affiliates can solve the marketing conundrum. If nothing else, this might give you mass market scale at a reasonable cost.

Or maybe Amazon?? Get the product ranked in some kind of practical joke category?

 

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[WAMBST]

Do you know most of these people that have these problems usually have depression an other mental disorders. I can tell you that from working with mentally impaired, disabled, and being a CNA. And if you really don't take it seriously it can be used as weapon to bully people if you don't do it in a positive way. And really working with them, I had to stand there and tell them to take a shower and hand them the soap. Sometimes talk them into it, or trick them into the shower. I suppose you don't understand that these aren't slow lane and rich people you're targeting. You're target audience is elderly, mentally ill, and disabled. Lower class citizens that aren't just your lazy drunks or addicts. And yes they're all on the internet. Just for an example, I have a shchizophrenic friend I bail out all the time on tiny chat and facebook and other places, and have to talk him out of doing what he does. And more than once I've had to stop bullies from attacking him. I suppose I've seen it in action to many times, and I see no real value in this other than, you have an issue with them, and think it's a joke.

I like your thinking way... being on a fastlane should not be the only question...

 

[Mattie]

I like your thinking way... being on a fastlane should not be the only question...

Thank you. I suppose threads like this always open up your eyes to many question that surround being on the fastlane path. Each of us makes choices based on our own set of beliefs, ethics, morals, values, and what we stand for.

 

[Maria K]

For those of you that wanted updates:

Made a few changes to the site, including adding a blog and a funny video.

The video was a "breaking news" style video, purchased on fiverr. It didn't come out exactly the way I wanted, but that's generally how fiverr goes. My original idea was to have the video show up in an "exit intent popup" when the user attempts to leave the site. We ended up just putting it on the landing page itself because it was faster that way (and because popups are annoying).

Wrote the blog entry myself in a few minutes and posted it on facebook and twitter.

A friend posted our link on Reddit.

All this resulted in a traffic spike, but no sales.

Back to the drawing board...

 

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[Maria K]

midnight update: Just landed a paying customer at a party! Makes me think the website needs some tweaking.

 

[DaRK9]

My original idea was to have the video show up in an "exit intent popup" when the user attempts to leave the site. We ended up just putting it on the landing page itself because it was faster that way (and because popups are annoying).

Those are extremely effective. Try using a full page pop-up, it seems less spammy. Something clean with no noise.

http://www.quicksprout.com/pro/