NOVEMBER 2012 – RADICAL INCLUSION...the Pre-registration Period begins
1) New user creates a new account. The user’s email account is verified.
2) New user pre-registers by uploading a passport/mugshot quality photo, enters required contact info and valid photo ID number. Foreign travelers may substitute their passport number as their photo ID.
3) After submitting this data, the quality of the photo is verified and data is checked for repeat entries. If the data and photo pass Droid Control, a unique purchase code will be generated, assigned and emailed to the user. The user's full name and code can then be forwarded to anyone to purchase a group of tickets during the Ticket Registration Period in January. This purchase code can only be used to register once.
JANUARY 2013 – RADICAL EDUCATION, RADICAL FAIRNESS...Ticket Registration Period begins.
4) Everyone has 7 days to register for tickets. In order to filter out lazy virgins who heard about BM at a frat party or youtube video, everyone must successfully complete a word puzzle prior to being accepted into ticket registration. Vets and well-groomed virgins will know the answers or where to find them. Newbies would have to learn the Ten Principles, read the survival guide, BM website, etc. There could be multiple puzzles to reduce cheating. Some questions would repeat; others would be unique. Example question 1) "If it didn't come out of your body, don't _ _ _ - _ _ - _ _ - _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ ." Example question 2) In 2011, what was one of BRC streets renamed to? _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ . Everyone has one week to complete the puzzle before the registration period ends.
5) After logging in and successfully completing the puzzle, the user purchase code will be activated in the system. The user could then register for a ticket in the random selection (aka...the Lottery) or forward their full name and purchase code to another party.
6) Each user registered in the Random Selection process, will be assigned a randomly selected Purchase Order number. This number will decide the order each user will be selected for a ticket during the Main Sale and subsequent ticket resale process.
7) If the user is selected in the process but there is an issue with the credit card or lack of funds, rather than cancel the potential transaction, the user would be notified and allowed a short window of time to rectify the issue.
8 ) Tiered tickets are obsolete, create unnecessary demand, and simply award a select few at the expense of others.
RESALES - Tickets go back to the people, not to third parties. Ticket Depreciation.
9) Any ticket holders needing to resale their tickets can begin the cancellation, resale, and refund process at any time. The user simply logs into their account, agrees to have read and understood the Ticket Resale Terms and Conditions, and clicks a the resale button. The ticket barcode number will go back into the ticket pool for potential resale to an unknown third party at face value. If it can be resold, the original ticket holder will be refunded a portion of the original price, minus a depreciated value and processing fee. The depreciating value would give incentive for people to not wait until the last minute to cancel the ticket. This depreciating value would be based on the date the user began the resale process and not when the ticket was finally resold. After a ticket is resold, the hard copy ticket's barcode would be invalidated and the new ticket purchaser can either print out a new "paper ticket" with a new barcode or have one printed out at Will Call. If the ticket has not been resold, the user can remove the ticket from the pool at any time and attend the event. The funds generated from Ticket Depreciation Values would be made public and donated.
10) People who were not selected in the original ticket registration period would be eligible for the Ticket Resale process based on the original Purchase Order number their. This number would be shared with the user so they could determine the chances of them receiving a ticket. This user could log in and check if they are close in line to purchasing a ticket.
Ticket Depreciation Value examples:
- resale by before paper tickets issued...minus $50
- resale by July 1st...minus $75
- resale by Aug 1st...minus $100
- resale by Aug 15th....minus $200
- resale by Aug 25th...minus $300
AT THE GATE – Have your ticket and photo ID ready.
11) Everyone’s ticket is scanned and their photo ID number is compared with the database. If they do not have a photo ID (e.g.. people who forgot their ID, kids who don't have an ID, etc.) the uploaded photo will be used to verify they are not droids. If they are a potential droid, they will be requested to go to a special will call line. The vehicle carrying them will be directed to a waiting area while their passenger’s info is verified.
Artists, theme camps, and volunteers could be able to skip the lottery process based on their size/involvement/clean up from the previous year.
This solution:
...Stops scalpers 100%.
...Stops third party sales.
...Penalizes ticket hoarding.
...Reduces server overload and crashes.
...Makes it fair for all burners and virgins to have a chance at getting a ticket (not just the one’s with the most friends and credit cards).
...Filters out lazy newbies from buying a ticket.
...Encourages virgins to learn about the event BEFORE buying a ticket.
...Encourages burners to participate by volunteering, having theme camps and art installations.
...Encourages theme camps and artists to follow through with their projects and clean up their camp.
Okay, now I’m gonna say it....
Whoever designed this year’s ticketing system should be relieved of their position to design next year’s. Honestly. They designed a nearly perfect system for scalpers, virgins and burners to increase their odds while cheating thousands of others out of tickets. I double-dog dare anyone to argue with me on this point. Then, adding the tiered system to a random selection process merely illustrates the degree of total failure. Seriously. Who believes it’s fair to award the people who can afford a higher ticket with the lowest tier and better odds? There are many experts in various fields who raised the alarm back in November 2011 and their voices were dismissed and BMorg plowed full steam ahead. In January and February 2012, again many of them spoke up. But the damage had already been done. Now the causalities of those who don’t have tickets in our community currently exceeds 75 to 90%.
Please. Help restore our faith that those that designed the failed 2012 system and those who signed off on it can learn from mistakes. Please honor those of us who can’t go this year by perfecting the system for 2013. How? Let us bring in the eyes of the experts to test next year’s system with fresh brains. Let the outside experts in to help collectively locate and close loopholes permanently...BEFORE implementing, BEFORE final processes are announced, BEFORE tickets are sold. The strength of a system is only as strong as it’s loopholes. Please open up the process to public opinion. Many in the community are very concerned similar untested systems will be implemented in 2013. Please help ease the concerns of the community by being candid and open about next year’s ticket process. Begin this openness as soon as possible and BEFORE BM 2012. The sanctity of our family reunion in the desert has been incredibly damaged. We cannot afford to continue to repeat our mistakes in 2013.
Radical inclusion requires radical fairness, radical education, and radical openness.
Hey everyone...grab a cup, pull up a soap box...the Whine Bar is officially open!
...let’s hear it!
