News: 0177839267

  ARM Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)

Discord's New Currency Pays Users To Interact With Ads (theverge.com)

(Thursday May 29, 2025 @03:00AM (BeauHD) from the everyone-has-a-price dept.)


Discord is [1]testing "Discord Orbs," a new in-app currency that [2]rewards users for engaging with interactive ads and promotional Quests . The Verge reports:

> In addition to spending Orbs on regular items on the Discord Shop, users can exchange the digital tokens for Orb exclusives like special badges or 3-day passes to try out Discord's subscription service, Discord Nitro. Discord says Orbs are rolling out globally to a "small number" of its users to start before a wider rollout. If you're part of the beta test for Orbs, you will get a notification like the one below.

>

> Before this, publishers or brands that offered Quests had to provide their own rewards -- things like avatar decorations or in-game bonuses. They can still do that if they want, Discord spokesperson Bradley Sheets tells The Verge in an email; awarding Orbs is simply an alternative option.



[1] https://discord.com/blog/checkpoint-3-leveling-up-discord-quests-with-orbs-and-advanced-measurement

[2] https://www.theverge.com/news/675481/discord-orbs-currency-quests-ads



So can we have IRC back? (Score:3, Funny)

by i kan reed ( 749298 )

Please?

Re: (Score:2)

by antdude ( 79039 )

IRC never left! I am using it, connect to the Matrix, daily. ;)

Wow (Score:2)

by abulafia ( 7826 )

They managed to make a service I utterly despise even less attractive to me. That's a little impressive.

Can you please elaborate what you dislike for it? (Score:2)

by yooy ( 1146753 )

I may need a community, and I was considering Discord. Please elaborate why not to use them.

Re:Can you please elaborate what you dislike for i (Score:4, Informative)

by test321 ( 8891681 )

> Please elaborate why not

My small contribution: FWIU you need an account to read anything published on Discord. When consulting a page whose community is managed by Discord, visitors don't see the content by default (they need to click somewhere, login, then read the comments on that separate Discord website) so you get fewer readers, fewer potential members. Content is not indexed so you don't get traffic from searches.

It can works if you target potential community members whom you can tell are already users of Discord.

Re: Can you please elaborate what you dislike for (Score:2)

by RegistrationIsDumb83 ( 6517138 )

Lots of people getting their accounts wrongfully banned, or sudden phone number or face scan requirement, etc. On YouTube, a channel called No Text to Speech covers it.

The Merch (Score:2)

by Sitnalta ( 1051230 )

I liked this joke better 20 years ago in a penny Arcade comic.

Did they get a new idiot CEO or something? (Score:2)

by ebunga ( 95613 )

Seems like something a wanker from EA would do. Did they can one of those losers for not raking in enough dough in microtransactions or kid-friendly gambling through lootboxes or something?

Re: (Score:3)

by TypoNAM ( 695420 )

This is because Discord former CEO and co-founder was replaced with a [1]former Activision Blizzard executive to prepare for IPO [slashdot.org] last month.

[1] https://slashdot.org/story/25/04/23/2040251/discords-ceo-and-co-founder-is-stepping-down

There will be a quiz (Score:2)

by hwstar ( 35834 )

Let me guess, there will be a multiple choice quiz at the end of the ad which you will need to get 70% or better on in order to get paid.

Re: (Score:2)

by Tony Isaac ( 1301187 )

And when you do, you'll be able to use your orbs to get a small discount on whatever product is being offered by the ad. And for a small additional fee, you can buy TWO!

Re: There will be a quiz (Score:2)

by mhajicek ( 1582795 )

Or "exclusive" cosmetics and reactions...

Artificial Engagement is Fake Engagement (Score:1)

by ConstantineXI ( 10114656 )

It's like Google's "countdown ads" I watch the countdown NOT the ad!

There was once a programmer who worked upon microprocessors. "Look at
how well off I am here," he said to a mainframe programmer who came to visit,
"I have my own operating system and file storage device. I do not have to
share my resources with anyone. The software is self-consistent and
easy-to-use. Why do you not quit your present job and join me here?"
The mainframe programmer then began to describe his system to his
friend, saying: "The mainframe sits like an ancient sage meditating in the
midst of the data center. Its disk drives lie end-to-end like a great ocean
of machinery. The software is a multi-faceted as a diamond and as convoluted
as a primeval jungle. The programs, each unique, move through the system
like a swift-flowing river. That is why I am happy where I am."
The microcomputer programmer, upon hearing this, fell silent. But the
two programmers remained friends until the end of their days.
-- Geoffrey James, "The Tao of Programming"