A few of weeks ago, I noticed that Icon Buffet relaunched their icon sharing community.
See: Firewheel Design - how to build a community with icons
I have been a member of Icon Buffet for a little over a year; I can’t say that I have used many of their icons, but it is fun to collect and share.
Observations (Good and Bad):
- More relaxed limits on how many icon collections to share with friends. The old Icon Buffet only allowed each member to send each collection to five other members. The new Icon Buffet works with “stamps.” As long as you have stamps, you can send out collections. But the catch is, the receiver must have the appropriate amount of “tokens” to accept the collection delivery. Each collection will cost either one (bronze,) three (silver,) or five (gold) tokens. Tokens are refilled monthly.
- It is a more interactive community. I have “made friends” with relative strangers, and it’s almost as fun to collect friends as it is to collect icons. Note: you can make extra points by making friends.
- In the previous design, I had to log in every time I visited. Now, I stay logged in. It might not seem like a big deal, but it really saves time.
- Each member now has their own profile page, where a brief bio plus favorite movies, music, and TV shows can be listed. Do you want to know what other members have in common with you? For example, find out who likes the TV show “Lost” or “classical” music.
- It is frustrating, because there are over 65 collections, and each member starts with only 10 tokens. Most members run out of tokens quickly. Luckily, I was up to date on the icon collections before the redesign, so I was able to keep up with the newest collections, while other members have to choose the collections they love best. I still have two tokens left until April 28, at which time my account will replenish to ten tokens. There is an option to upgrade to VIP status for a small monthly fee. VIP members are refilled to thirty tokens each month.
Bottom line, I like the new and improved Icon Buffet. So, if you are an Icon Buffet member, make sure to drop by my profile page and add me as your friend. If anyone needs any icon deliveries, I have 300+ stamps, and would love to share! Or better yet, register using my referral link, and I get extra points!
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