Post of the Month April

starlite_2

Judi wrote:

Why shouldnt he? Its his site after all, and its his money that pays the £50 with.

Fair point..but does he not also make money from , say his guardian article, that often includes information that users of m.s.e have posted...

I just think it'd be fairer to have a vote..so users that have benefited from a post can have their say and have the prize fairly given out..

ho humm

beer2006

starlite wrote:

Fair point..but does he not also make money from , say his guardian article, that often includes information that users of m.s.e have posted...

Conspiracy theory No 122.

Martin only has this website so he can leach ideas off us..................

Mmmmm :think:














:rotfl:

madman2000

I would also like to nominate heavyheart, the post had me in tears.

alanshave

LOL. Think your just a tad late madman!

Edinburghlass_2

starlite wrote:

why should martin get to make the finaldecision?

I'd say that posts that are more relevant/ useful to us all were nominated this month..surely those should be the 'top' and surely you should base the winner on m.s.e users votes!?


edit- but still..well done matthew - must have been a nice welcome to the board for you! hope you stick around..

starlite I think, yet again,you seem to be missing the point of MSE and the Chat Forums. The Main Site, where you will find a wealth of information spanning a variety of subjects is what powers the Chat Forum. Every article on the Main Site is researched by Martin with help from his very able team of researchers and then links are placed onto the Chat Forum so they can be discussed. This is kind of how the Chat Forums began and the Main Site is what pays for the Chat Forums, keeps MSE ad-free and enables Martin to donate a lot of money to charity.

We as users are not voting for the POTM but nominating a post. Now this nomination can be one, very personal post to one user or it could be a raft of nominations from different users, each one very much has its merit and earns its place in the POTM nominations.

Hundreds, in fact thousands of people view MSE the day after the email tips goes out but members are always way outnumbered by guests. My biggest pleasure on MSE is when I see new members sign up just to be able to post about how much they have saved from one article/tip gleaned from the weekly email. This has been proven this week due to the new article and discussion thread about negotiating a new deal with NTL/Telewest where a goodly number of new users have posted with their fantastic results but even better if the result has not been what they hoped for the regular MSE Telephone Board users have been ready with helpful advice.

That, to me, is what MSE is all about, not grumbling about the fact that Martin gets to pick the winner of the POTM on his own website.

Former_MSE_Andrea

Hi everyone, time to calm down a bit I think.

As I said to Double R when he/she pm'd me - the final decision is based on several points, not just the number of nominations made. If it was, then the result would be wide open to rigging and, although I've not counted the nominations, this month's winner may well have been a thread asking people to thank each other, which has nothing to do with MoneySaving and would be very confusing for the other almost 500,000 people that receive the email but don't post on the forum!

And thanks Edinburghlass, very nicely explained

Edit: I've pm'd you Mattheww

starlite_2

okay..thanks andrea and to e.glass for you r veryfair and wellthought out posts
(something i'm sadly lackingin the ability to do)

I just thought the comment 'out of martins pocket' was a bit unrealistic, when he makes a lot from the monysaving 'brand' which all of us users help perpetuate and publicise .

fair play he hasn't sold out and this board is still mainly ad. free, but then., as an example, why does he go on a board put a plug in for 'this weeks guardian' etc..
that is subtle advertising , but still advertising (and for his employer!), in my book.

sorry i've strayed well off topic now..

Johntea

It must be a nightmare having to pick a member...Theoretically I (and my bank account!) have found around 90% of threads are great and genuine bargains, everybody would be winning the £50 if I was faced with picking the best bargain!

I couldn't believe my humble mobile phone bargain won me POTM back last year, ironically I went through hell trying to get the bargain for myself!

phoebe03cat

Well Virgin did say that they would be taking steps to ensure that Alan did not win the prize. Obviously they succeeded! Smacks of a certain complicity if you ask me (is that the same as rigging?), but do accept that it may be to everyones interest in the long run though.
Interpreted literally the most helpful/useful post is clearly able to be measured by some open criteria, any comments Martin on why it isn't?