What determines whether your tip jar receives tips?

Tip jars in virtual worlds can be found in many places; an instructor teaching a class, party hosts and DJ’s at a club, musicians on a stage, dancers on a pole, even in retail shops. The purpose of having one can vary whether it be to help pay for rent or simply as supplemental income. Some people are turned off by tip jars because they’ve never had a job where they’ve had an opportunity to receive tips, while others in the real (non-virtual) world appreciate having a place to toss their spare change so they have fewer coins to carry around. There are several factors to consider in choosing or creating a tip jar in order to maximize the benefits.

Looks and location
Psychologically, if it is transparent with currency already visible inside then human nature usually leads us to leave a tip as well because if others already did then the person receiving the tip must have impressed others too. This is similar to reading reviews about a product/location before committing to a purchase or visiting a location. In the virtual world this is usually accomplished with a nearby sign or hovertext above the object showing the total amount donated, sometimes including the name of the last person to pay into it as well as how much they paid.

Performers and instructors in the real world usually have their tip jars either next to them, close to the exit door, or someone will pass around the tip jar to visiting patrons. In virtual worlds these same locations (except for maybe the exit door because they can teleport out, however keep in mind that some avatars will walk out towards a nearby mall or attraction after wards) are just as effective whether it be an object rezzed on the stage or the host personally instant-messaging the audience upon arrival and throughout the show or session, even sometimes in multiple languages.

Collection methods
How the tip makes it into the hands of the receiver depends on the circumstances of the situation. In the real world sometimes cash is given directly to the person providing the service while in other cases a container, such as a jar, is located nearby. The same is true in a virtual world in that avatars can directly pay another avatar via their profile or they can right click on an object and select the pay option.

In the case where the money goes into a container, the shape of the container can affect the amount paid into it. Those with only a slot on the top will likely only receive a few coins inserted one-at-a-time with the occasional bill folded up while other containers with an open top usually receives a handful of coins or a bill stuffed into it. Virtual tip jars have similar limitations in that when an avatar right clicks the object and selects the pay option they might see up to four predetermined amounts and/or a field that allows an arbitrary value to be typed in.

Going the extra mile
Laws and moral standards vary from location to location on whether a venue owner is permitted to receive a portion of their employee’s tips and with that not all places inform their customers when this is occurring. Whichever the case psychologically this can affect whether and how far the person receiving the tip goes above and beyond their basic duties. This is true in the virtual world too though many venue owners will instead rez a separate object to directly receive donations that can be used towards rent or other maintenance costs.

Sources
http://www.accountingweb.com/item/102054
http://browntrout.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/the-design-of-the-tip-jar/
http://www.qualitydigest.com/inside/quality-insider-column/temps-and-tip-jars
http://blog.discmakers.com/2011/11/the-tip-jar-effect/
http://topcultured.com/35-tip-jars-designed-to-make-you-give-more/#idc-cover
http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/2010/05/should-bartenders-at-weddings.html
http://curlywurlygurly.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/heres-a-tip-i-detest-tip-jars/
http://www.ehow.com/about_6671654_tip-jar-etiquette.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/26/britain-tip-jar
http://www.indeed.com/forum/job/waiter%2Fwaitress/Owners-taking-our-tips/t72806

Disclaimer
Kerhop Seattle has volunteered as an instructor for more than one virtual school teaching basic classes about building and scripting, but has never rezzed a tip jar during classroom sessions. The gadget shop Kerhops Innovations also does not solicit for additional income. An in-world ride “Test Track” based on the real-world attraction of the same name does have a donation bucket located near the landing point with hovertext which clearly indicates that all income goes towards rent.

Kerhops Innovations (Twitter)
Kerhops Innovations (Store)
Kerhops Innovations (Marketplace)
Test Track (Attraction)

Version 1.2

Some of you may have noticed a little blue car driving around a small roadway in my outlet stores such as the one at WEDcot and in Builders Oasis Mall.  The new Vehicle Move System V1.2 now includes a HUD and information markers to assist with writing movement commands without having to calculate a lot of math.  The picture you see here shows the markers at the points of transition (i.e. at the beginning of a turn, at the start of a tilt, etc).  The simplified process now only requires clicking the HUD, selecting a movement command (i.e. turn left), and then clicking the starting and ending markers which will result in the movement command available in local chat to copy/paste into a note card.

 

Machinima

 

 

I’ve been asked over the past week if the path-following vehicle movement system that was just released could be used for movement of a camera or vehicle that the avatar sits in and the answer is a definite yes!  I have wanted to record a video anyways on how the system could be used as well as a rollercoaster or dark ride so here you go.  This video was recorded in a busy Business Park sim which has a couple of night clubs and twenty avatars running around so there was a bit of lag during filming.

The movement of prims within a virtual world is appropriate in many situations such as for show (i.e. parades) or as a form of transportation (i.e. trains) as well as entertaining avatars (i.e. amusement rides). Vehicle-Move System from Kerhops Innovations and on the marketplace allows you to specify a starting location, smooth travel along a path, and the ending location of a prim with minimal editing of a notecard all without causing sim lag due to physics. Working examples of a parade, train, and amusement ride are all included as a starting point for your own non-transferable creations. Objects, notecards, and rezzer scripts are full permission while all movement-related scripts are no-modify/yes-copy/no-trans.

Moving Lights

Another blast from the somewhat recent past from my discontinued product enviroMOOD (since replaced by OctaPane Panorama) is a moving lights gadget inspired by Trans-Syberian Orchestra when I saw them several years ago. You can pick up this gadget from the main store for only L$25 from now until the end of June 2011. Permissions are YesModify except scripts, YesCopy, NoTransfer.

Business Park

Some time ago a new sim called Business Park was started by Wili Clip and AmyNeville as a hub for both job finders as well as where complimentary businesses can open a shop.  Eventually there will be groups where scripters can work on projects together along with various other collaboration among businesses.  Recently,  they decided to have a transport system installed where a green vehicle would circle around the sim.  For now, the vehicle system is just for looks and doesn’t stop at any stations but the technology used to smoothly move the vehicle around is the same technology used for the high-speed rollercoaster as well as the slower dark ride.

Rocket to the Sky

Currently, the demo models for Knight of Optics Rollercoaster and Terror/Tour for Two Dark Ride are high above the main store with scripted LM givers in the shop.  However, while teleporting from one place to another might be the most common method of travel it’s also a little boring (and who hasn’t been logged off in the middle of a teleport?).  Therefore, now in the back of the shop is a new rocket to the sky ride that will take a single passenger up to either of the above-mentioned attractions which features both texture-animation afterburners and sound effects.  Enjoy!

Giant Snails

Kerhops Innovations has long been a supporter of RacerX Gullwing giant snail racing which is held on the Hawthorne sim.  You might even see these giant snails on the regular streets when they hold a cross-country (multiple sim) fundraiser of which you can find more details at the TreetTV web site or on the Giant Snail Racers blog.  Some of the scripts used by the giant snails were either created by Kerhop Seattle, such as the brake lights on the back of their shells, or an existing script improved, such as the vote board near the audience seating area.  Occasionally, you might see a Kerhops Innovations branded snail participating in these races (hint, it’s the one with the huge glasses).  :)

Terror for Two Ride

Here is another addition to the amusement park ride series except this time the ride is a little slower.  In addition to a spooky dark ride version called “Terror for Two” also included is a plain “Tour for Two” white building for those wanting to texture it yourselves.  Perhaps you’ll want to put up an art gallery that shows off your masterpieces or even a snowy scene during the winter time, the possibilities are endless!

Demo and vendors are in the sky over the main store  .

Heart Grid

Some time ago, I used to sell a product called enviroMood which has since been retired and replaced with OctaPane Panorama and OctaPane Panorama Mega of which one of the featured components was a twinkling color grid display. Recently, I decided to dig this out of inventory, recompile it into more efficient mono script code, and release the heart display again which will only be available for a limited time through the end of April for L$25 at the main store.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Uzume/32/210/35