Into the Mind of the M&S (part 1)

Disclaimer: Though I hold a degree in Psychology, I do not profile people professionally. What I have written below is simply based on the education I have gained, and a bit of guess-work (as is all things in Psychology). It should be noted that aspects of each M&S are not “end-all-be-all” aspects, and that often individuals will display characteristics of each type of M&S. Lastly, all M&S have one particular thing in common - their lack of a mindset for earning gold efficiently.

After my completion of the “Goblins: Who and Why?” series, I thought it most befitting to discuss the psychological profiles of the people we Goblins prey upon – those people being what we in the JMTC community have termed the “M&S”. For the sake of this series, the term “M&S” can be read as “Morons & Socials”. I hope that this series will help to further define the difference between the Moron and the Social player type that we thrive upon, and perhaps give some incite in to whom our market strategies are best targeted toward. For this series, I will be rating differing personality types on four areas, being Willingness, Ability, Knowledge, and Wisdom. Within each area a four tier rating of “Weak, Moderate, Strong and Exceptional” will be noted, in order to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of each M&S personality type. And so, without further ado I present the first personality type…

The Lazy M&S

• Willingness: Weak
• Ability: Moderate - Strong
• Knowledge: Weak - Moderate
• Wisdom: Weak

The Lazy M&S desires as little work and thought as possible in making gold. It is because of this lack of will-power that they seek out the most mindless of ventures in making gold, such as farming materials or running dailies. It is for this same lack of will-power that they do not seek out the knowledge necessary to make large sums of gold with ease (and subsequently, without very much thought).

The reasoning behind their laziness is as numbered as the stars. For some, it could be that they exert themselves either physically or mentally in their day-to-day work, such that they wish to “veg out” on WoW. For others, it might be as simple as a resolve to mediocrity – a belief in that it is excruciatingly difficult to make large sums of gold, and as such is not worth the effort. Either way, they lack the will to take risks, and to overcome - that is their downfall.

What is truly sad about the “Lazy M&S” is that their ability to make gold is often both present and overlooked. They may very well have the ability to make gold (either with the professions they have, or the small stockpile of gold that they have stored) but simply lack the will-power to find out how best to use these abilities to their advantage. They might even have some educated talent, such as a nack for mathematics – but are unable to see through the fog of their self-doubt. As such, their knowledge is often lacking in that they haven’t “done their homework”, remaining ignorant to the bounty they could achieve.

Lastly, the “Lazy M&S” lacks the wisdom to seek out effective means of making gold. They see wealth around them every day in the motorcycles and tundra mammoths that cross their path, but lack the wisdom needed to “do the math” in that it can’t be THAT difficult to earn gold if so many people have such items.

In conclusion, the “Lazy M&S” is best attributed to that which all Conservatives cry wolf over – those people living on welfare. Though some people that live on welfare are truly destitute and unable to work, the lazy M&S is a true leach on the WoW-Economy. They aren’t ever likely to have enough gold to purchase high-end epics (DMC: Greatness etc.), and are likely only reliable for purchasing necessities such as Glyphs, budget enchants, and rare gems.

Happy Hunting,
GG

"Into the Mind of the M&S" series postponed!

Ack... so work came down hard on me today about doing several of the things that I've been slow to complete - and so, I'm sorry to announce that the initial post of this series will have to wait :-\. Sorry!

~ GG

"Into the Mind of the M&S" series coming Wednesday!

Hi Everybody!

I've been terribly busy as of late, and have not met my own goal of releasing the first part of my "Into the Mind of the M&S" series today. I ask for a bit more of your patience, and can say in confidence that the first issue will be released on Wednesday of this week.

Cheers,
GG

Goblins: Who and Why? (Part 4)

Disclaimer: Though I hold a degree in Psychology, I do not profile people professionally. What I have written below is simply based on the education I have gained, and a bit of guess-work (as is all things in Psychology). It should be noted that aspects of each Goblin-type are not “end-all-be-all” aspects, and that often individuals will display characteristics of each type of Goblin. Lastly, all Goblins have one particular interest they each hold – the love of gold; this is what defines them as a “Goblin”.

The Intellectual Goblin

Of the Goblin types that I have written about, the Intellectual Goblin has a natural ability beyond which any amount of “learning” could produce; some might call this type of Goblin “gifted”. The Intellectual Goblin plays the Auction House because it is easy for them to assess and profit from. Some things you might find the Intellectual type doing are the following:

• Make impulse purchases (when they see a deal, they often “just know”)
• Find and execute the most efficient means of working the AH (whether that be with particular addons, macros, professions etc.)
• Spend the least amount of time at the AH as possible (the AH isn’t necessarily fun for them, as much as it is merely an easy way of making gold).

The Intellectual Goblin is probably the type to have gone to private school when they were young. This isn’t necessarily because their parents were rich, but rather that the public school system didn’t provide enough advanced services for them. On the other hand, it is also possible that they remained in public school, but advanced in grade levels faster than peers their age. What differs the Intellectual Goblin from the other Goblins is that they take very little joy out of the money making process. For them, the mountains of gold they earn are viewed as a means-to-an-end. What end that is can only be determined by the individual (pets, mounts, epic flying for other characters, purchasing items out of raids / raid spots etc).

Something else that I’d like to note in association with the Intellectual Goblin is the possibility of having a “touch of madness" (conclusion on page 4). In some circles within the field of Psychology, it is believed that there is a correlation between genius and insanity. In these circles, the line between the two is thought to be very thin; for some that line is crossed over in a back-and-forth fashion rather frequently. People that might be used as classic examples of this idea might be Einstein, Beethoven, or Van Gogh.

In conclusion, the Intellectual Goblin is most easily associated with people like John Nash – a brilliant mathematician and Nobel Prize winner known to have schizophrenia (as displayed in the movie A Beautiful Mind). Like Dr. Nash, the Intellectual Goblin can see the patterns unfold right before their eyes, and as such make some of the best predictions on how to make gold. They might not be the most social of Goblins, but if you can befriend one – do it! Their knowledge and inherent vision of patterns would be quite the resource.

And so, this article sums up my 4 part “Goblins: Who and Why?” series. Stay tuned for my next series, “Into the Mind of the M & S.”

Cheers,
GG

Goblins: Who and Why? (Part 4) Delayed

Hi everybody, sorry that I didn't get to post Part 4 this evening. Some things came up that I had to take care of IRL. Rest assured, Part 4 will be released Tuesday for those people experiencing server downtime =).

Cheers, and see you Tuesday!
~ GG

P.S. I just sold a DMC: Greatness for 8500 gold, on the last day of the fair :-P Nobles are currently 4900 gold. LoL.

Goblins: Who and Why? (Part 3)

So, as a bit of a birthday present to you all - I've completed Part 3 of my "Goblins: Who and Why?" series =) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Though I hold a degree in Psychology, I do not profile people professionally. What I have written below is simply based on the education I have gained, and a bit of guess-work (as is all things in Psychology). It should be noted that aspects of each Goblin-type are not “end-all-be-all” aspects, and that often individuals will display characteristics of each type of Goblin. Lastly, all Goblins have one particular interest they each hold – the love of gold; this is what defines them as a “Goblin”.

The Challenge-seeking Goblin

Of the Goblin types that I am writing about, the Challenge-seeking Goblin is likely to take the most risks. They’re in the Auction House for both the thrill of making gold, but also for the joy of trying new things. Some things you might find a Challenge-seeking Goblin doing are the following:

• Play one market with a solid presence (usually whichever has the best time-to-gold ratio)
• Constantly test new ideas for raking in the gold (usually in markets they’ve already secured a foothold in).
• Try their hand in new or multiple markets (after a little bit of research, of course!).

The Challenge-seeker is probably the type to have been mis-diagnosed with ADHD as a child due to their constant need to push forward, and their expressed boredom when the pace has slowed. What sets the Challenge-seeker apart from other Goblins, is that they are after those difficult tasks for the purpose of defining themselves. Each challenge they find which they cannot defeat becomes a “wall” to their psychological “house”, where as each challenge they surmount becomes a floor beneath them. In this way, they are building a psychological sky-scraper of themselves. This mindset can be helpful in that they have personal reassurance of their ability to overcome, but might also be a detriment in that it can come across as egotistical.

A second possible explanation for the Challenge-seeker’s behavior might be that they have become (or already were) thrill-junkies. Like a skydiver or bungee jumper, the Challenge-seeker might just be after that next “high” that comes from a big sale, constantly chasing down their next “score”.

Of the Goblin types that I have written about thus far, it should be noted that the Challenge-seeking Goblin is good to try and become friends with. They are both a great resource in that they are the most likely to have tried new and different things, and are fairly open to sharing their information and experiences. After all, what good would their success or personal-image be if they didn’t have someone to share it with? (Which is usually when they might come across as egotistical).

In conclusion, the Challenge-seeking Goblin is most easily associated with companies like Blizzard Entertainment. They’ve pushed to the brink of game development through exploring various gaming venues - a process that spans their history as a company. Through innovation, and an open conversation with the community, they’ve built themselves up to be the titans of an industry.

Stay tuned for the 4th and final part of this series – the Intellectual Goblin – coming sometime this weekend!

Ciao,
GG

No Part 3 yet! Sorry!

Sooo I was lazy yesterday and didn't finish up Part 3 just yet! Probably due to the fact that today is my birthday... =). Expect Part 3 to drop Saturday!

Cheers,
GG

Goblins: Who and Why? (Part 2)

Disclaimer: Though I hold a degree in Psychology, I do not profile people professionally. What I have written below is simply based on the education I have gained, and a bit of guess-work (as is all things in Psychology). It should be noted that aspects of each Goblin-type are not “end-all-be-all” aspects, and that often individuals will display characteristics of each type of Goblin. Lastly, all Goblins have one particular interest they each hold – the love of gold; this is what defines them as a “Goblin”.

The Greedy Goblin

Of all the Goblin’s that exist, the Greedy Goblin personality type is the most concerned about profit. If it hurts their purse in the end, they simply won’t do it. Their motto might be something like “I’ve got the best deals anywhere!” or “Ni hao! (just kidding!).” Some strategies they might employ daily are the following:

• Crashing the market (but only to a point where they will still make a meager profit).
• Sniping underpriced items (if their data suggests they can earn more from it).
• Regularly undercutting competitors (usually after they’ve gone offline).

Of the various types of Goblins, the Greedy Goblin will spend a good amount of their WoW-time observing the Auction House. The majority of this time is spent reviewing spreadsheets and calculating profit margins as they plan their next posting. They do this largely to secure the amount of gold they could rake in, but also for the feeling of success it might bring. The Greedy type invests a great deal of their emotional security on their level of success, and so it is especially important that they see themselves as doing well. It’s a bit of a stretch, but the greed this type of Goblin displays might even be a reaction to some form of a subliminal Inferiority Complex. In this, I mean to say that by earning mountains of gold, the Greedy Goblin might believe that they somehow command the respect of others.

It is also possible that the Greedy Goblin is greedy in that have a fear of feeling strained for cash (or the goods it would purchase). This particular fear is also commonly found in the kind of person that society might call a “hoarder” – someone that gathers a ridiculous supply of unnecessary junk (my mother is a prime example of this). Though gold doesn’t fall into the category of “unnecessary junk”, the comfort gained by having as much of it as possible is very much in the same category as the comfort a hoarder would get from their junk.

In conclusion, the Greedy Goblin is most easily associated with businesses like American insurance companies. They are investing in a person’s well being, expecting them to otherwise be healthy a majority of the time – and if they aren’t, they will dump them to the curb. The Greedy Goblin is the same way in that if it stops being profitable, they will stop doing it (until it becomes profitable again).

Stay tuned for tomorrow's release of Part 3: The Challenge-seeking Goblin!

Cheers,
GG

Goblins: Who and Why? (Part 1)

Prior to the contents of this post, I would just like to say hello and welcome everyone to my first post of the new focus =). Today's post is part 1 of a 4 part series that I will be releasing over the next few days. I ask that you please leave a comment to today's post if you have any questions, or even ideas of things you would like for me to write about after this series is completed. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Though I hold a degree in Psychology, I do not profile people professionally. What I have written below is simply based on the education I have gained, and a bit of guess-work (as is all things in Psychology). It should be noted that aspects of each Goblin-type are not “end-all-be-all” aspects, and that often individuals will display characteristics of each type of Goblin. Lastly, all Goblins have one particular interest they each hold – the love of gold; this is what defines them as a “Goblin”.


The Overlord Goblin

The Overlord Goblin is just the kind of person you might think they are – power hungry! The motto of an Overlord might sound something like “Mine… all mine! Muahahaha.” Some methods they might employ in their day-to-day operations are the following:

• The Goblin Sapper method (crash the market to the point that even they are losing money).
• The Conqueror (Buying out an entire market, and reposting it at 200% + the price they paid).
• The Camper (They just never seem to leave!).

Of the four Goblin types that I am writing about, the Overlord is likely to spend the most significant amount of WoW-time at the auction house. They do this not only for a love of gold, but also for a love of dominating others. The Overlord is particularly sinister in that they find a great deal of joy in both messing up the market for other people, and in proclaiming their dominance of a market (either vocally, or in their sheer presence). In real life, people might refer to this mindset as a Napolean Complex or “small man syndrome”.

A second notable aspect of the Overlord is a need for order. In the chaotic experience that both Raiding and PvP present in WoW, controlling a market within the Auction House presents an atmosphere that is both calculable and sometimes predictable. For the Overlord, the market is otherwise seen as a de-stressing tool.

In conclusion, the Overlord is most easily associated with the fictional character “Scrooge” (pre-Christmas ghosts). He enjoys the plight of others as he organizes his business, and relaxes by keeping things orderly while swimming in the gold-filled vault.

Check back tomorrow to learn about another precarious type of Goblin - the Greedy Goblin (no, not Gevlon).

Cheers,
GG