confused by the internets

[ratcreature]

Can anyone explain this deviantArt Llama Badge thing to me? I understand that they were first introduced as some April Fools feature, so I took no real notice, but now they seem to have stuck around and mutated.

Initially I thought they were to be used like LJ's virtual gifts or something, but when I clicked on the llama icon there seems to be some Llama Badge trading game somehow connected to this new dA point system? and different badges and/or upgrades one milestone llama numbers are received? And by now I've gotten three Llama Badges (admittedly very few in what seems to be this framework since on some profiles the number of badges ranges well into the triple and quadruple digits) from people I don't recall interacting with, so I'm wondering whether people give these randomly or something? Or maybe instead of a fav'ing as feedback? Am I supposed to do anything with them in this badge trading game when I receive one?

Comments

[astridv]

I have no idea, man. I keep getting them, and always from people whose usernames I've never seen before. I'm as puzzled as ever.

[ratcreature]

With omens explanations and poking around some I think I now understand how this works in general with the badge collection towards llama upgrades, but it puzzles me as well, that I don't understand how the llama badge givers pick me, when I don't participate in the trading nor have given any myself. I mean, one I got from someone who also fav'ed one of my pictures, but the other two I don't think I've ever seen the user names before. Maybe they do it through the "random deviant" viewing to spread the net of mutual llamafication wider than the immediate circle. I think you must do that to collect thousands of them to get to highest scores I've seen so far.

[draigwen]

Mine seem to be either from people who fav something, or not long after I've uploaded someone. The OH tends to get more, and since he uploads more, it does make sense that it might be people seeing you on the home page or something like that. The whole thing bemuses me too, but since it costs nothing I tend to give llamas back. I figure it can't hurt and it might even bring people back to look at your profile in future.

[ratcreature]

Hmm.I hadn't thought of it as potential promotion venue, but I guess it could be.