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Q. Why would I pay for the right to put up a Page, when I can do that for free on other websites (like MySpace)?
A. There is certainly nothing wrong with putting up your information for free elsewhere, but there is much more to this website than simply putting up information about yourself. First, there is the financial aspect: You buy an exclusive right, giving it value that a non-exclusive right does not have. You may be able to profit from that exclusive Claim, and the website is an active partner in trying to enhance the value of the Claim. In addition, Claim Owners on this website have the ability to sell advertising space on their Pages. Then there is the "context issue". We believe that it is far more engaging for the visitor to the site to see people's information in the 'context' of where they live. The maps which underlie OnTheMapUS support that approach. We also believe that having a limited number of Claim Owners (as opposed to an unlimited number of 'spaces') will make each Claim Owner's information more visible.
Q. Does this website offer something like virtual real estate?
A. The term 'virtual real estate' has been commonly used on the Internet to mean something different. It actually refers to those sites that pop up at available URL's and do nothing but point the visitor to other sites, getting a referral or advertising fee in return. To our knowledge, no website has ever taken the approach of Claiming an actual town or investing in any way in a virtual representation of a real place. We like the term virtual real estate to describe this activity.
Q. Who would buy virtual real estate, or virtual anything?
A. Good question. The laws of supply and demand seem to work no matter what the commodity. Not everyone would pay $28,000 for a piece of toast with cheese that looks like the Virgin Mary... but someone did.
In June, 2004, USA Today ran an article called "Virtual Real Estate Boom Draws Real Dollars". It noted that people were paying up to $550 an acre for virtual property in a multiplayer online game (MMO).
In November of 2005, the AP reported (and many other publications picked up the story as well) that a Miami resident had bought a virtual space station for $100,000 in another multiplayer online game. A virtual island in the same game sold for $26,500.
The common thread in these examples and OnTheMapUS is that people expect to profit in real dollars from their investment in virtual real estate.
Q. How can I make money from advertising on my Claim?
A. When a Claim Owner Enables his or her My Referrals section ($50 per enabled Claim), we will immediately start showing content-relevant Google ads on their Page. We track the revenue generated from the Google ad click-thoughs from their Page and split that money with the Claim Owner 50/50. The Claim Owner can also directly sell ads in that space in addition to the Google ads. Learn More about My Referrals.
Q. Can I Claim a town that I don't live in?
A. Yes, but only during the Landrush period. After that, only verifiable residents of a town can Claim a town.
Q. What is a Squatter?
A. The term 'Squatter' applies to anyone on this website who Claims a town they do not live in.
Q. Do any special rules apply to Claims made by Squatters?
A. Yes. See Special rules for Claim Ownership by Squatters. In the long-term interest of all Claim Owners, we feel it is important to have Claim Owners be actual residents of the towns they Claim. That way, the town page is represented with more authentic content. Squatters who claim a town must agree to sell it if; 1) within the first 30 days of owning the Claim, a verifiable resident of the town offers 200% or more than what the Squatter paid for the Claim; or 2) within the first 90 days of owning a Claim, a verifiable resident of the town offers 300% or more than what the Squatter paid for the Claim.
Q. Can I Claim more than 1 town?
A. Yes, during the Landrush period a person can Claim as many towns as they would like.
Q. Why do you define a town as a zip code?
A. Some towns are much bigger than others, while some are quite small. The U.S. Postal Service has done a good job of breaking up towns into sections by population. It seemed to be a good way for us to define a town for the purposes of a Claim, as it sets 1 Claim per 20,000 or so people.
Q. What do I get if I Claim a town?
A. See Benefits of Claim Ownership. In summary, 1) the exclusive right to put up a Claim Owner's Page for that town; 2) the right to sell the Claim; 3) the right to sell advertising on the Claim Owners Page; 4) the right to a voice (vote) in this virtual community; 5) the ability to access areas of the site not available to others.
Q. After I Claim a town, how can I sell it?
A. The process if fairly simple. You can negotiate a sale in any way you like through any method; email, in-person discussion, phone conversation or Internet auction. We also will help you market a Claim by placing the Make Me an Offer button on your Claim Owner's Page. Once you and a buyer have agreed on a price, the transaction must be verified and recorded by OnTheMapUS. A 10% transfer fee applies to any sale of a Claim, and it must be paid by the Buyer, so that residence in the Claimed town can be verified.
Q. Can I link to my Claim from other websites or other profiles that I have?
A. Absolutely. We also help new Claim Owners to invite their contacts to visit their Page through an automated email.
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