[OPEN] Trusted Loot Recruiting

Thats a nice celebration party :)

<3

I will answer briefly for every paragraph as my time is quite limited :<

• Yes, I do think there's alot wrong with closed groups the same way I think there's alot wrong with public giveaways. All points you raised against closed groups is valid and I agree with them almost completely, just personally easier for me and probably others both time-wise and mentally to resort to them as opposed to open giveaways. I do like to make puzzles and contribute to events a lot more though.
  Also correct about the forum, I do think however that there's a time and place for everything, making tasteless remarks about things you don't agree every single time you see them, even unprompted, is just spam imo, and this happens A LOT across the entire forum. If you have something to say I believe you should say it outright or make a thread (As I have in the past). Beating around the bush and snarking is not the way.

For someone who doesn't have money to throw around, they sure can maintain eligible membership in x many groups and make giveaways in all of them. So that's a lie.

• I meant this more as in most people don't have too much money to spare for buying their own games but also for giving out games, and want to both give unconditionally and receive, though the way the site is saturated with so many fake users and collectors it's virtually impossible to both give and receive unconditionally outside of closed circles, meaning they have to resort to a place where there are conditions for both. I trade, too, but it's a completely different thing. Comparing closed groups to trading is like comparing cheap wine to grape juice: sure, the ingredients are the same, but the process and environment is completely different, and the consequences are drastically different... Though ultimately you're correct, these groups have many caveats and downsides, like those you mentioned.

• Very very true, "monkey display" sounds about right :,) I really apologize for my outburst, I'm not usually like this at all. I was a bit cranky myself and that was the straw that broke my back I guess ;/ Didn't think about it much when I posted that reply but thought about it during my workout and realized it was veryyyyy very crass, vulgar, and even hypocritical. I stand by the general gist of what I said, not at any single person but in a broad scope, so directing that rage towards someone is not productive at all and quite hurtful I bet, too ;(
  I guess we all need a bit of therapy <3

Also, the tags are extremely childish but tbf I use them mostly to mark notes about people, so it's more from habit than an intentional 'going out of my way to do it', I just have a... colorful... vocabulary when I'm severely irritated XD

P.S, you've made truly great points, I think I'll leave most of the monthly groups I'm a part of and try joining / hosting more events/mini-events/puzzles.

You have an interesting take on the group only giveaways for the website and I would like to throw my 2 cents, being on the site as long as you are, and seeing several iterations of the whole steam games being not gift-able via email, and stored, heavy region restriction, and the influx of asset flippers.

Who holds the owner(not necessarily op in this case) accountable to maintain their standing in these groups?<

No one, this is voluntarily exchange where you join such a group.
The utopian world is that the owner lead by example and pick moderators with the same mindset.

Can we kick the owner of the group and it's moderators if they don't meet their quota for the month?

In a perfect world this should not happen without proper reason (absence, military service, illness, etc.)
That is one of the reason I went with Masafors Group of Friends rule style which does not require monthly contribution.
As I don't consider someone not joining giveaways at all as leecher - they technically, do not leach.

Requiring users to give in order to receive, isn't that trading?

I guess in some way, but still there is the element of entering a giveaway for a chance to win and not direct trading.
For me personally, joining such a group was to min/max the website and enriching my library with quality games.
The "issue" is that in the process I was sucked in to the eco system of giving more that I get, hence the Lvl10 and mostly positive ratio in all the groups I in, and were.

Asking users to be part of other elite cults to prove their status isn't that pyramid scheme behavior? Of course it is, which is what this entire thing is.

Here I will give my experience being in many of the active groups ATM for the past year or so.
The request to be in such a group to begin with show a record of goodwill, usually if you have a good ration in one place, you wouldn't ruin your reputation in another place on the same website, what for? you might lose your spot in the first place.
And due to the mentioned influx of asset flippers, judging solely on the LVL/public ratio/or some other public metric is flawed unfortunately.

Do you not see how they could exploit people for their own gain?

I will address the whole paragraph.
You are absolutely correct!
Hence for me personally I lead by example, and make sure that all of the private groups I in, I have a good reputation/ratio.
I will not mention names, but there is such example in one of the groups on this site, so it does happen.

The reality is more around them not being able to trade these games on a trade website because the ones they give have a lower value than what they want to get. Instead they use these groups.

In my young years here on the site, I was trading as well (Before the whole region locking happen)
For me personally it was really hard to evaluate the value of some game compared to other, I only know the official sources for games like fanatical, humble etc.
But seems like there are sources where you suddenly have a 30$ game influx for some reason in trading, where they got it for like 10c.
Hence the request that the last 25 giveaways will be an OK games, not asset flippers or 1$ games, and the games made for the group will be obviously checked to maintain a decent quality.

When you wanted something in return you went to steamtrades and made a deal there.

I think the core principal here is not the expectation for something in return for what you give, but more that when someone give something you might want, you have a better chance that 1 in 1000.

To summarize, I get where are you coming from, and in some way you are correct that the site have been deteriorated since its inception.
But as you said, I am already deep in, as you as well based on your profile.
So lets just enjoy our addiction, and maybe in the process make someones day

View attached image.