The Fansite Way

[GommeInc]

I wonder what brought on these changes :/ A fansite without VIP could work, but fansites normally have some sort of community and exclusive content and access to special areas are things that make a community seem better to some users. It seems odd that they want to control fansites when fansites should have the right to expand their community which such features...

Surely they don't expect people are going to waste money on Habbo instead of VIP? Not all users of a fansite community actually like the thing the site's based on, they usually only go on the fansite because they are part of the community, not at all a fan of whatever, in this case Habbo.

[Holofoil]

We need to ask ourselves why they have set this rule... Is it because they don't like the idea of another site making money because of Habbo? Or is it to do with payment issues - such as scamming or whatever. Which is obviously not true since we've evidently got what we payed for.

[Moh]

We need to ask ourselves why they have set this rule... Is it because they don't like the idea of another site making money because of Habbo? Or is it to do with payment issues - such as scamming or whatever. Which is obviously not true since we've evidently got what we payed for.

Its because Habbox make aload of money out of VIP and there not happy.

AND

Habbox also do charity VIP, so Habbo are corrupting that. Them evil *******s :@

[Fart]

Abit silly rule isnt it?, people choose to buy vip its not like you cant do anything without it . How are habbox suppost to keep the site runnin without the income of vip sales?

[FlyingJesus]

Applies to unoffical sites too - Namely, do this or be closed down.

I think we are forgetting that even if Habbox is NOT official it still has to OBEY this rule.

Can't actually be enforced though. Any fansite which puts themselves up for being on the official list is of course liable to action if they refuse to follow the terms of being on such a list, but "unofficial" sites only have to follow actual law, not implied law.

habbo do have legal rights to take down all the fansites offical or non

As above, not true unless the site breaks actual laws.

No they can't, no images have copyright acts on them.

Every image from Habbo is copyrighted, they own the images and if you're using the images without permission then you will be breaking the law and that is something that Sulake can do

I'm sure images can be copyrighted (in fact I know they can ) but as far as I know Habbox or HxF don't hotlink things straight from the site (with the exception of news perhaps.. not sure) and so any images we use are in fact generally taken from screenshots by ourselves, something which does not fall under copyright law. Any image which can be reasonably believed to have been captured from our own browsers or as our own work (ie: alts) are not property of Habbo or Sulake, so the only thing that'll be an issue in terms of Habbo images is hotlinked images from the site and "leaked" items from Sulake sites.

That isn't donating, if Habbox want to give out VIP they'll have to do it for free, which obviously has no point to it. They would have to be free standing donations really. It's like selling drinks at a party, which you cannot do by law and saying "If you buy this drink you'll have to donate 50p to have it".

Actually there is a way to bypass it, which is obviously still a "sale" of VIP but not a technical one. Asking for donations like people have said will allow HxF to still get money and they could quite easily say that members of management's choice get VIP extras - these would of course be those who donate, but there is no rule/law anywhere that says management of a site can't give out bonuses to whoever they like. It's like at my old school's summer fair they had alcohol on sale, but it's not legal to actually sell it at such an event so they had an 18+ raffle where every single ticket won lol. Perfectly legal that way.

We need to ask ourselves why they have set this rule... Is it because they don't like the idea of another site making money because of Habbo? Or is it to do with payment issues - such as scamming or whatever. Which is obviously not true since we've evidently got what we payed for.

Personally I think it's down to scamming - new sites could easily set up VIP and charge users, then close the site and keep all the money for themselves. A case of the minority spoiling things for everyone, but I'm sure Habbox will be able to work through it quite easily.

If worst comes to worst and VIP does have to be completely scrapped, I'll still be donating because I enjoy the forum.

[Yonder]

No way habbox could run without vip or advertisements. it cost well over 500$ a month to run habbox and its sites, and vip and ads dont even cover the costs.

[Hiro]

They are also taking charitable events from Habbox, and its the only fansite I have seen that donates to charities.
Do Habbo?

[Judge Judy]

They are also taking charitable events from Habbox, and its the only fansite I have seen that donates to charities.
Do Habbo?

They might do with NSPCC and UNICEF (Spain I think).

I say the management should email or contact Habbo about the rule, and what to do to sort it out really.

[kurtis5561]

It says You cannot pay the website for VIP

It seems you want VIP really badly (for your internet egos), From a web content providers point of view I can understand the point of VIP.

My way around it

Paying HabboX for VIP access is a No No with real money.

BUT

Why do you not install a vBulletin hack where you can use credits to buy membership upgrades. Infact you are not selling VIP access for real money but selling it for virtual credits.

I hear you ask "How do I aquire these credits?"

Well, one or two or more members have ALOT of credits and willing to sell them for paypal (WOuld have to scrap the texting as people would see through that) and people in turn exhanche them for a new usergroup.

But to keep habbo happy you would need to award .00000000000000000001 of these credits to each post (You would set a new membership upgrade to 3 credits so you cannot earn from just posting).

And before I hear "My mums a lawyer and that wont work" I have studied law and it a fesiable work around, and from my reading of their rules this would work.

[Jordy]

Its because Habbox make aload of money out of VIP and there not happy.

AND

Habbox also do charity VIP, so Habbo are corrupting that. Them evil *******s :@

Yes but since last year's Christmas VIP there's been no word of the money going to Charity, nothing about where the money is going or where it's gone.

I wouldn't like to make an accusation but perhaps the money has been forgot about or ended up somewhere?