Author Archives: Alexander
Demon Koala In A Box
Part-Koala, Part-Ancestor… 100% going to kick your ass as soon as you open this box
Item Of The Day: Squirrel Spatula
ferckinclerser over on Instagram posted this little video of packages bought by the bot. At the end you can see the cat suspiciously eyeing the pile of random packages. It looks like a dinosaur shaped ladle and squirrel spatula were among the haul.
Question About Budget Fiddling
Q: I adjusted my budget and number of packages a couple of times today, as it took a moment to make up my mind. I know that increases are pro-rated on the next month’s bill, but if it is changed a few times, does that cause any issues? My hope is that I was just updating a table that is then checked by some process once a day or so, so that every update doesn’t kick a bunch of things into action.
A: Stay safe! It is a tricky question. Like you suggest, if the bot updated the billing amount every minute you might end up with a whole bunch of pro-rated charges and a crazy monthly bill. We don’t want that. On the other hand the bot should respond quickly to changes subscribers make, so it can get on with the business of buying packages. It gets complicated fast.
The site indeed just updates a table, which then kicks things into action every 24 hours only for accounts that have had no activity for the past 4 hours. So there will be no issues as long as you make the changes you want to make within a few hours of each other.
Item Of The Day: Elephant Ring
Take a look at this little ring senpai_tj posted on Instragram. When you wear it must seem like you are squishing a tiny elephant!
Question About Pranks
I got a question recently from someone looking to sign up.
Q: I’m considering signing up for your service as a prank on a good friend. I was actually genuinely intrigued and interested in giving it a try for myself but noticed the for self/for prank checkbox at the last second and decided driving a buddy nuts would be even better.
A: The prank option on sign up doesn’t have a huge effect on the packages. The packages are presented/delivered in the exact same way and there are a few small differences in how packages are prioritized. I am just interested in why folks are signing up. Your friend’s packages won’t have any indication that they are from you.
Question About Totally Random Packages
I got a question yesterday from someone who just signed up for the bot….
Q: This may be a dumb question, but I can’t find a definitive answer – do I *have* to set keywords to get packages, or does a lack of keywords just make the packages totally random?
I was thinking I’d wait and see what I get before I start tweaking, if that’s an option, but I don’t want to just not get anything because I didn’t set any keywords. 🙂
A: Good question! You don’t need to set keywords to get packages. However the bot will wait a bit for you to set keywords before buying anything, so not setting keywords will delay the first packages by 1-2 weeks.
Item Of The Day: Steampunk Whovian Pocketwatch
The bot buys quite a few Dr. Who knickknacks. This pocket watch is listed for nearly $20 on Etsy ($15.50 + $4.02 shipping)!
Crafty Unboxing Video: Jessi Doesn’t Get Much Useful In 7 Packages
Take a look at Jessica’s latest hands only unboxing video where she opens seven more packages ordered by the bot…
Item Of The Day: Elephant Temporary Tattoos
I just discovered all the pictures tagged with #bobcatinabox on Instagram. Here is one with some fine temporary tattoos that the bot sent out…