So where's the gift?

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday.

Ok, let's get to it. I got several emails from exchange owners and admins saying that they were giving their members a "gift". Once I started to read through them however, I found that there wasn't really a gift. There were special packages with discounts but that isn't a gift.

What is a gift? The Merriam-Webster definition is
2 : something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation

Notice the end where it says "without compensation". If I have to purchase a standard package and then let you add something to it, it doesn't qualify as a gift. The purchase automatically negates the term, gift. If you want to give me something, give it to me. If you want to sell me something, take your best shot, but don't try to fool me.

Exchange owners will offer specials all year long if they aren't making any money from the exchange. Perhaps they need to improve the service and thereby make a purchase a worthwhile. Many exchanges today are having trouble moving their credits. Why would I purchase more if you can't deliver those that I have?

In the spirit of the season, I commend those owners who actually gave their members something. It doesn't matter if it was an increased surf ratio or banner to credit exchange ratio, it was free. Their members were not required to do something outside their norm.

For those who used the holiday simply as a way to increase your sales, you may want to pay more attention to what your members want and need before trying to line your pockets. Every owner knows that the winds of change can blow quite quickly through this industry. The next time it blows, as an owner, you may see some of your membership blow away. There are far to many exchanges out there for anyone to have settle for what you offer.