Petition: Keep DUC Alive! (NOW CLOSED TO SIGNATURES)

1/24/12:

Divas, we got some news recently...DUC closed the store at the end of January and reverted back to daily gifts.  I'm happy about the daily gifts, but scared for what this means about DUC's future.  DUC has been devolving so much over the past year, and I think closing the store is just one more step in the direction of DUC closing completely.  Just look what's happened this past year:

1. We are told we have a new FM launching soon, but then all talk of it drops away.
2. New item creation for the store ceases.
3. Miss Diva takes an "extended vacation" from Facebook & Twitter.
4. The newsletter updates become few and far between.
5. We go down to one challenge a week instead of two.
6. Tokens become obsolete.
7. The DUC store closes.

What's next? I'm afraid it might be the closing of our beloved game.  Many of you think so too, and that's why we started a letter/petition.  We needed the owners of DUC to know how devoted we are to this game, and to ask them how we can help keep DUC afloat.  


Below is the petition that 250 DUC members signed between 1/24/12 and 2/2/12, including comments in many cases.  The comments were sincere and touching, and I thank all those who contributed.

To bring attention to our cause, many members also chose to enter a makeover similar to this in the "Rainy Day" challenge. We titled them “We Love DUC!” or “Keep DUC Alive!" and a few made it into the top 50.  Way to go, divas!

The petition/letter was sent to the appropriate recipients by email on 2/2/12.  Let's hope we get some feedback, and soon!

Tracy (tmck18)

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1/24/12

To the Owners, Managers and Staff of DressUp Challenge:

We, the members of DressUp Challenge (DUC), have witnessed a frightening devolution of our beloved design and makeover game over the past year.  Communication from you has become stagnant through a retreat from Facebook, Twitter and the DUC News page; item creation for the DUC store has ceased; talk of a promised updated Fashionmaker has disappeared; frequency of challenges has diminished; and now the store is closing.  Whether it is a lack of resources, staff or funding, we are not sure, as the logistics have not been voiced to us.  We are certain there is a reason for the lack of communication, and we understand that.  However, because of this devolution and lack of communication about it, we believe DressUp Challenge is in peril of shutting down.  We feel that we cannot sit idly by and watch its demise without doing all we can to keep our treasured game alive.

We believe DressUp Challenge is the most unique, challenging, and delightful fashion design and dress-up game on the Internet.  We have searched the Internet far and wide, and haven’t found a site that compares with DUC in relation to the quality of design tools in the Fashionmaker, nor the inspiring weekly challenges and Makeover Creator.  The potential that DUC has for fun artistic expression through fashion design is simply unparalleled on the Internet. DUC is it. When we add all that to the beautiful camaraderie we find with other DUC members, the friendships that blossom through participating on DUC, we feel absolutely blessed to be part of it.

We are writing and signing this petition to show our support for DressUp Challenge.  We want it to stay.  For this purpose, we are asking you one thing: please let us know how we can help keep this amazing game on the Internet.  Do we need to click on more ads?  Do we need members with certain skills or experience to volunteer their time and talents?  Do we need to start paying for DUC subscriptions?  Is there anything we can do?  Please tell us how we can help save this site from shutting down.  We also have some ideas that might help you on your end.  Open a discussion with us; help us help you keep this game alive.

We love DressUp Challenge, and thank you for it.

Sincerely,

The devoted members of DressUp Challenge
(Written by tmck18)

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UPDATE:

We Did It!

Divas, exciting news!  I sent in the petition/letter to several sources on 2/2/12 in the early afternoon with all 250 signatures.  Then I came to find when I signed on to DUC the following day that DUC had responded to us via the newsletter!  Here is what it stated:

February 3rd Update:

Hi Divas,

A number of you have raised a concern about the possibility that DUC is closing. While the store has closed, we want to assure you that DUC is not closing down. We are committed to keep DUC running so that you continue making all those wonderful designs. Thank you for making DressUpChallenge so special!

xo,
Miss Diva DressUp

We did it, divas!  We inspired DUC to address our concerns instead of leaving us in the dark.  Whether or not they were thinking of closing DUC before the petition, we showed them how much we love this game and want to keep it alive!  Congratulations to all who signed the petition, and/or wore lifetime shirts in the "Rainy Day" challenge.  We united, and DUC noticed.  Way to go, divas!

::HUGS::
Tracy (tmck18)