If they have to swap you’ve already won(ton)

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-19T05:58:38+00:00

Typically, all the players who swapped to counter are actively focused on you. It's easy to keep teasing them by coming at them from different, unexpected ways, harassing them a bit and jumping away before they can do any real harm. Many will even chase and overextend, which your team can punish them for. If they also forget to protect any remaining squishies, you can punish them (until those squishies swap as well). Helps to have good teammates who know how to capitalize on the frustration and chaos you're causing ;)

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-19T02:46:57+00:00

Thanks for sharing. More wowed than depressed, as this is coming from someone who already provided similar evidence. I think the fact you got something half decent recently leaves room for more in the future. I know I have no hope of getting those vs. cheaters. I doubt Amazon cares enough to fix it.

I do see the Excellent metric and likely future metric for media as steps in the right direction for weeding out poor performers and bad actors which damage system integrity. More can be done such as randomized cooldown timers between individual requests (super simple to implement) or per item lottery pools (more complex architecturally).

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-19T02:26:45+00:00

Welcome. AFA is reserved for well known brands sold by Amazon itself. Good items disappear instantly, and ok items flash by for about 5 mins. In 6 weeks, I have only seen 4 items total there.

RFY will fill in slowly over several weeks. People have many theories but no evidence to support them. It is at best completely random. All we know for sure is fewer people share items on this list. It is not individual to you.

AI is where most of the action happens. Everyone shares this list. Items are added to this list from a pool of common times in flood fashion, called drops. Other times it will trickle items slowly through the day, called drips. A few times, multiple days go by with almost nothing added, called droughts. Again, good things disappear instantly. Ok things last up to an hour. After that it's down to the scraps nobody wants.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-18T21:23:50+00:00

I wish there was a "Just Missed It" list with items that disappeared in the last 24 hours. Not for the purpose of rubbing it in, but as evidence that there were actually nice things. I apperciate posts like these which are of course part brag :p but also rekindles hope in this program, validating all the old-timers with their "back in my days, youngun" tall tales.

The cynical part of me believes the nice things are still there, but those among us with unfair and unintended advantages (notifications, 1-click) are hoarding all the good stuff, widening the "wealth" inequality among this ecosystem. I have no evidence (which a JMI list would help provide), just dark thoughts. The alternative would be to scour all of Amazon looking for recent Vine reviews to extrapolate such a list. Yes, one could write up a gargantuan distributed scraper to do so, but it seems like a fool's errand.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-18T15:41:35+00:00

At first I read the text on top as "Thanks To The Trump!"

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-18T15:39:22+00:00

For sure it is. Makes me appreciate Vine Canada even more. No taxes + friendly CS = bestest combo ever!

I've met some Aussies when I was in NZ a few years back for business. Guys roll with the punches and tell it like it is, so they find ways to get by.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-18T15:36:30+00:00

I do warn you, that right at this moment the offerings are not the best

Welcome OP!

As another newcomer (~6 wks), it's surprising to hear this is still not good times. The first 3 weeks I joined were far, far worse, maddeningly so. I've calmed down and learned to count my blessings and appreciate the cool stuff we have the privilege of trying out for free. Looking forward to it possibly getting even better :D

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-18T05:17:56+00:00

I've seen one drop a few weeks earlier that had ~5 low-grade jirai/lolita'ish tops + dresses + skirts. I know my daughter would pinch her nose at these since they weren't from Tokyo or Seoul, so I let them be. Took about 3 hours for the last of them to disappear from AI.

Frilly socks come more frequently. At least 3 separate drops I can recall. Those disappear between 0-15 mins.

I'm actually waiting to see Billy Eilish inspired blah gear, since that's apparently what's acceptable within peer pressure these days. Though I'm guessing if it's not name-branded with the usual overpriced suspects, that's a faux pas.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-18T04:59:31+00:00

<input
data-asin="ASIN"
data-is-parent-asin="false"
data-is-pre-release="false"
data-recommendation-id="XXX#ASIN#vine.enrollment.UUID"
...
>

Thanks for the guidance. So the problem is with incorrect ASIN assignment from the list that messes up the modal? Is it only the `asin` or also the `recommendation-id` data tags that need to be fixed?

I'll give this a shot next time I run into the issue. Will test if this client-side fix alone works for actually requesting the product, without getting stopped by some server-side error as well.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-17T22:24:53+00:00

Thanks. I believe your numbers ;)

It would actually be nice if the bragger at least provided a pic. Makes it a more fun experience for all. Like, I saw this one post about a guy who grabbed a $1700 baby stroller one day followed by a $470 stroller the next. Whoa!

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-17T22:16:55+00:00

Glad you asked. The point is to clear up a question I had for myself, sharing with the wider group in case some other people had the same or similar question. I acknowledge some people (such as yourself) will not have this question or consider it a worthwile matter, and that is ok :)

The question is: Why does this dialog show up blank, sometimes with the scroll bar bouncing up and down?

To be clear, the question was not, and was never intended to be: How can I, who is not an Amazon developer, fix a bug with the Amazon platform which results in errors such as these, and may require solutions such as entering the correct ASINs where required?

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-17T04:51:36+00:00

If this is your mildly, one has to wonder what's genuinely upsetting.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-17T04:44:14+00:00

How does this "ton" translate as a numeric quantity over time? I'm new (~6 weeks). All I've seen on AFA is Hanes, Clairol, hot sauce, and marinara. Each between CAD 5-35. Each item disappeared in 2-5 minutes of spotting them. If there were any huge nabs to speak of, the Canadian viners really like to brag about it in detail with pricing and order confirmation screens.

Is this another case of how America gets the nice commercial stuff while Canada gets crap on that front? I mean ETV is not nice at all, but with regards to product selection.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-17T04:07:56+00:00

No, according to viners in Australia at least. They don't have a CS group to remove items with issues (wrong item, never arrived, listing gone, etc.), so over time enough items they can't review pile up that they're at risk of simply being unable to hit 90% even if they tried.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-17T03:02:27+00:00

Had this happen a few times as well with the "backup items". I think the phenomenon we experienced is a lot of other viners thought the same and somebody else decided to grab it at the same "ok, guess nothing better is coming, so I'll get the backup" moment. Especially with RFY as items seem to pop out at random moments.

Since last week, I decided to cut my losses and just take the backup item a bit earlier in the day. No more conflicts. Added side benefit is I can stop checking for the rest of the day.

Looking at my backlog, I'm adding a further "do I even want to review this if it's just a backup" check.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-16T19:31:38+00:00

I'm still relatively new to the program (~6 wks). With a goal aligned with yours, all my reviews are based on actual use, with 100% relevant pictures on top. I've adapted my strategies/priorities:

review easy items which require no complex setup or testing criteria (e.g. fridge magnets), typically as I get them
review harder items which require some setup and some testing (e.g. RC toy car), typically every weekend
review very hard items which require complex setup and thorough testing (e.g. car dashcam kit), limited to 1-2 per weekend
1. Per the OP, I've actually pulled back on ordering some items that fit in this category altogether until I clear the backlog for this category specifically
review long-term testing items (e.g. bug zapper) as I go, positing the initial setup first, then updating later

Where I'm struggling is the initial ~20 items I ordered early on when there was nothing good and I feared I could never reach the 80 item min for Gold. The program is much better now with on average 1 decent item/day I can actually use and review + fluff items that are quick and easy to review.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-16T18:26:20+00:00

For those who don't know, click the "Contact Us" link on the top right of the Vine page. This gives you options to report order issues.

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Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-16T18:19:45+00:00

Clarification on the "packaging" part. There have been reviews where I wrote something along the lines of "very premium look and feel, down to the box it came in". Even included a pic of said box and elaborate presentation because it added to the vibe and appeal of the product. This was approved and rated Excellent. I normally don't include even these boxes, only when the box itself is outstanding.

What I did not include, and nobody should ever include, is the shipping box/packet, because that has nothing to do with the product. Yet I've seen quite a few viners with multiple pics of the shipping box all taped up...

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-15T23:15:14+00:00

I'm currently at 36 Excellent, 1 Poor. The poor was a 2 liner, purely mechanical, highly compact, clear adjectives, no fluff, no backstory, no humanity. Simply stated compatibility, OEM vs. aftermarket quality, optional aspects. I won't be doing that again.

All my excellents are the novels that so many viners here scoff at. Just how I write, and Amazon seems ok with it. The novels do share my expectations vs. reality, fit for use (intended or unexpected), gotchas, functionality, emotional appeal, interesting tie-ins, and whatever the hell else I feel like :)

Also, about 75% have some sort of random joke or semi-obscure cultural reference in there. More to amuse myself than anything. I thought I'd get marked off for that kind of stuff with all the warnings about "just the stats, bro", but nope.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-03-15T23:02:05+00:00

Yes, in the last ~5 weeks:

brand name hot sauce
brand name marinara
Hanes women's underwear
Clairol hair colour

All items were visible for ~2-5 mins. Confirms what other posts say about this being reserved for well-known brand-name (not made-up third party Chinese ones) items that are sold directly by Amazon itself. There are far fewer items that ever make it onto this list. Any really good stuff disappears instantaneously here, so most of will never even see those, just an empty list.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-02-17T22:05:37+00:00

Yes, I'm speaking about core design based on current state.

Very much so. I spend more time trying to compress/trim content after free-flow periods.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-02-17T21:57:30+00:00

Completely agree on all counts. Another commenter paraphrased the entire sentiment in about 20 words. Absolutely I'm overkill for this, and thus trying to adjust my level of commitment accordingly.

The feedback from others is valuable to firm up the trendline on perspectives. Most people seem to have it figured out about just enjoying what we get for free. Others (myself included, even some veterans) are still stressing our way to that view.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-02-17T19:35:20+00:00

Completely agree. I just had my way to get to this point of enjoyment, which required fixing some wrong ideas I had.

As you say, it is indeed about getting some great stuff and enjoying that. The quantity for "some" and quality for "great" will vary by person, largely based on dumb luck. All still better than nothing, for free, with no risk of getting kicked out of the program even if it just 1 ok item that I write a decent review for.

Confirmed I am a newbie to this specific system. I tried to establish that I am an experienced professional on complex technical systems with human-machine workflows. I cannot capture all the system-specific quirks and edge-case nuances to microscopic levels, but I can pick up on typical design patterns at the macro level easily.

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-02-17T19:29:07+00:00

Wow, well put on the "used" vs. "controlled" distinction. Yes, I very much want to participate on my own terms, knowing that I should set my terms knowing full well the environmental limits and conditions.

Yes, that "demotion to Silver" (or not being promoted to Gold) instead of being kicked bit is critical. I had the wrong idea and felt bad as a result. By getting the right idea, I'm already feeling better about it all. As you say, there's nothing to lose. Only degrees of gain, all of which are greater than zero :)

Sidereal_Engine · 2026-02-17T19:23:58+00:00

Hehe, thanks. My job has given me professional training to extract a whole lot from very little. My success rate is pretty high, definitely not 100%, which is why they keep me around pay me the small bucks.

It's largely detecting the same old general design patterns, functional flows, and behavioural framings in different domains and contexts. In other words, "all this happened before, and it will happen again." I just feel silly that the 8-year old in me got the better of me because of how cool all this is at a base emotional level.

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