MARKETPLACE - Allow me to start by explaining what restocks are for those unfamiliar
with the term. A restock is when a store in Neopia brings out more items for
sale. The time of restocks varies somewhat from store to store, but most restock
several times an hour.
However for many users, restocks are more than just a time to check if the
Pharmacy is carrying a Neezles Jab or if the Food Shop has that special treat
your NeoPets has been craving. They are an opportunity to make some serious
NP; fast.
These users camp themselves outside their store of choice and wait patiently
until new items are stocked. Then, faster than you can say haggle they grab
up as many items as time and Neopoints allow. You might ask, "Why does one user
need 15 copies of the same book?!".
Well, the answer is that they don't really. They are not buying the items
to use them, instead to sell them for profit in their shops. There is big NP
to be made by buying items cheap in Neopian stores and then jacking up the price.
So what's wrong with earning a little extra NP for yourself and your pet?
To understand the answer to that question, we need to go off track for a moment
and explain a little about modems and ISPs (Internet Service Providers). There
are many different ISPs, and many different kinds of modems. Some like Cable,
DSL, and T1 connections are substantially faster and more reliable than others
like a 56K dial up connection. Unfortunately faster ISPs and modems can also
be much more expensive, and many users cannot afford them.
What this means is that depending on your ISP and modem, a Web page may load
almost instantly, or it may take anywhere from several seconds to several minutes
to load. You might be wondering at this point how this has anything to do with
restocks.
Part of the problem lies in the fact that NeoPets creates a finite number
of items in a day. Split between a colossal 40 million NeoPets users, that doesn't
make a lot of items to go around. It certainly doesn't make for enough items
for everyone to buy 20 or 30 at a time.
The other part of the problem brings us back to the issue of ISPs and modems.
Because there are hundreds or even thousands of users lying in wait for items
to be stocked, they appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. People with
slow Internet connections not only can't use restocks as a means of profit,
but because the page takes longer to load they often cannot buy the items they
need to feed and care for their pet(s).
These users are then forced to buy the items instead from the people with
the fast connections, who have increased the prices to make NP. But there's
more. The people who buy massive amounts of items at a time not only make profit
by selling their items at a higher price, they actually create the demand for
their items because they hoarded all of the store's supply.
In defence on those who restock, it has been brought up that you don't need
to sell items to make NP. You can play games to earn it as well. Even if you
couldn't, you can go to the money tree or soup kitchen. And to some extent,
they are right. There is no question however that the abuse of restocks to buy
dozens of items creates an imbalance in the game, giving those who can afford
a fast modem a much easier time, and makes the game vastly harder for those
who cannot.
It can even be argued that this imbalance is at least partially responsible
for the begging and scamming that is so prominent on NeoPets. People want only
what the other users have, but have to work much harder to earn it because of
their Internet connection. So instead they resort to begging rich users to get
items, or scamming in an attempt to get rich quick.
This is not to excuse or support the aforementioned behaviour, and laziness
and impatience are certainly factors as well. It is however hard to deny that
the actions of a handful of users has a incredible impact on the millions of
other users with whom they share the site.
I am not here to suggest that restocks and the use of them for profit should
be banned. There will always be some unfairness on NeoPets, much as there is
in real life. Instead, I am here to suggest that users take personal responsibility.
What do I mean by that? I mean only to say that before you clean out a store
of everything in it so you can get rich faster, stop and consider how your actions
affect the other users. Do you REALLY need that many items, or that much NP?
Could you not just as easily play games so that other users could get the items
they need?
Those with fast Internet connections are given a great advantage, and must
not lose sight of the fact that it is up to them to self enforce, and to not
abuse their advantage. They must act responsibly and always think of how their
actions affect their peers on the site, rather than being caught up in greed.
So the next time you're at a restock, about to buy 30 itchy scratchy creams
to sell for profit, stop and ask yourself:
- Do I really need these items?
- Do I really need the NP?
- If I buy these items, will there be enough left for other people?
- Is what I'm doing responsible?
Thank you, and happy restocks. | 
