Does anyone here understand the appeal of this site (Gaia Online)? As far as I can tell, people first create a "Chibi" character, then spend the rest of their time doing pointless things (like creating message-chains that have nothing more than the word "bump" in them) to earn "gold" they can exchange to "dress" their character.
As far as I can tell, the clothes don't enable any special features, unlock any areas, or grant the character any special powers. It's just, well, dressing up dolls?!?
For all the aforementioned, the site seems incredibly popular, with many people donating real money (on what appears to be a regular basis).
I just don't get the bizarre appeal of the place, much less the reason for it's continued success. What am I missing?