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tartantipster

NichStuff wrote: »

Good points Mariner13. Can't say I'm a particular fan of reading bs around offers BUT at the same time its not that onerous to have to click through a couple of pages and 'seasoned pros' shouldn't have to go back far in say a billy bogof thread as they'd be up to speed with current offers and details of any truly 'new' offers posted are usually found in the first post so not a huge ball-ache.

Either way, this won't fly as it'll be admin hell for limited benefit imho.

See this post: Today, 2:51 PM, Post #49, tartantipster, Serious MoneySaving Fan.

Also, we are not all 'Seasoned Pros'. I said, from OP:

"...Forum No.1 (Gambling Introductory Offer Loopholes) is cluttered and chocked with general chat. Please could you initiate a second Forum, No.2 titled Gambling Introductory Offer Loopholes - Chat. This would ensure that there would only ever be, exclusively: Introductory Offers/Freebets/Reloads/Cashbacks/Promotions/Bonuses/Incentives/Competitions in Forum No.1 meaning those not in need of, or wanting to avoid wading through pages of meaningless banter, could just get straight down to business, whilst making it easier too for Newcomers / Beginners / Amateur Match-Bettors to source the information that they require..."

This will fly but it's not or anyone else's decision, it's the board at MSE's;)

CountryLad

misskool wrote: »

I've been thinking, an easy way to implement your suggestion if to have a sticky that could be updated with the current offers (linking to the correct post where it's mentioned).

If you start the thread, I'll be happy to stick it on top (well, until the next person comes along and says we have too many stickies )

How's that work?

edit: I think that's a reasonable compromise to avoiding the chat

Works great, I think! Might get a bit choked up with chat though?

I was about to start a thread along similar lines called something like 'offers for week -14-20 Sept 2009' and keep the first post updated with links to the offers threads, along the lines of the threads that get done for big events. Wouldn't need stikied though imho - should stay near the first page. Has the advantage that a new one gets created each week, which keeps the size down, and doesn't rely on one contributor doing it every week.

I had thought of suggesting that the STEP 2 thread be locked, but with 5-10 posts at the end which could be edited by 5-10 nominated users with the offers - but that might not fit with the forum team policies, as they might be concerned that the 5-10 contributors might be construed as somehow privileged in status.

Edit; Also - I should point out that I don't think there are any changes needed, personally, but am willing to help.

NichStuff

tartantipster wrote: »

Hi Mariner13,

Thank you.

A) TT i respect your opinion, and the fact that you are trying to improve the board so it runs/works more efficiently, however what you propose will not work in practice

It can and will work with just 1% of the right, and positive attitude. We need to be open to improvement & change.

and judging by MK's post will not happen.

That is a matter for MSE bosses, and it's members (currently in discussion), MK won't make that decision. This is the reason I emailed MSE direct, See OP.

C) As an example i give the Will Hill BOGOF thread - a very useful, and frequently viewed thread, however it contains a lot of what you would classify as "Chat". I know recently i looked at the thread to find out what the latest BOGOFs were, and had to go back 2 and half pages to find the relevent posts - slightly annoying, but no great hardship. The thing is people will post anything that is even remotely connected to that offer in that thread, and then when people reply to those comments the link to the offer becomes even less. People simply wont post in a separate thread/forum.

You have not understood the point. Of course chat & questions are inevitable BUT what we want is Introductory Offers/Freebets/Reloads/Cashbacks/Promotions/Bonuses/Incentives/Competitions THREADS ONLY (and discussion about those same THREAD OP's) in one Forum, and other general chat & questions in another Forum - See OP.

If it drifts a bit well OK, but as long as it starts out (the OP) as above with each THREAD in that Forum. I.E. The starting OP THREAD in Forum No.1 (Gambling Introductory Offer Loopholes) should be exclusively exclusively: Introductory Offers/Freebets/Reloads/Cashbacks/Promotions/Bonuses/Incentives/Competitions. The starting OP THREAD in Forum 2 (Gambling Introductory Offer Loopholes - Chat & Questions) should be exclusively for that, just chat & Q's, get it?

D) We do have a general chat thread - how often does that get used ? Very rarely.

This can address that, full on!

E) Expecting a BG to read every single post, and then make a decision as to how relevent it is to the thread it's in and then possibly move that post to another thread really is totally unrealistic. If you don't believe me, have a read through the last 4 or 5 pages of the above mentioned thread, and consider how many of those posts should be removed.

I not am asking BG's to read every post but to monitor every THREAD, as long as it starts out correctly, See Above...(C) Self regulation will then come in after this and play it's part.

F) There has been a decent amount of feedback to this thread, but looking at the comments/thanks, a high percentage of people seem happy as we are.

I disagree, there are many in favour, and many more no doubt who have not bothered to post.

:beer:

TT - You are starting to come across like a dog with a bone. Bizarrely, the very reason you started this was to spend less time wading through (less relevant) stuff but this thread is now flufilling that prophecy and surely impacting on your time?!

If you REALLY think this can fly and think that the majority are in favour, why not put it to a general vote with a simple yes\no in favour and see how your poll fares. You'd have to manage it obviously to get an appreciation for the ball-ache of admin.

I'll cast the first vote...and I'm an ain't broke, don't fix.

tartantipster

innovate wrote: »

Personally, I think it's great that there is just one board rather than two, reduces the time needed to work through interesting bits.

I have a suggestion for tartantipster: if you feel so strongly about the need for a revamp etc of GIOL, how about you setting up an entirely new forum, owned by you, moderated by you? It's easy enough to find free forum software, and you might even find free hosting if you, and your users, can bear the ads that will have to come with free hosting.

A) Personally, I think it's great that there is just one board rather than two, reduces the time needed to work through interesting bits.

I said, from OP:

"...Forum No.1 (Gambling Introductory Offer Loopholes) is cluttered and chocked with general chat. Please could you initiate a second Forum, No.2 titled Gambling Introductory Offer Loopholes - Chat. This would ensure that there would only ever be, exclusively: Introductory Offers/Freebets/Reloads/Cashbacks/Promotions/Bonuses/Incentives/Competitions in Forum No.1 meaning those not in need of, or wanting to avoid wading through pages of meaningless banter, could just get straight down to business, whilst making it easier too for Newcomers / Beginners / Amateur Match-Bettors to source the information that they require..."

I have a suggestion for tartantipster: if you feel so strongly about the need for a revamp etc of GIOL, how about you setting up an entirely new forum, owned by you, moderated by you? It's easy enough to find free forum software, and you might even find free hosting if you, and your users, can bear the ads that will have to come with free hosting.

MSE is world reknowned, it has the members, the numbers, the community, and therefore the info & input necessary to make it all worthwhile - GIOL only needs is some fine tweaking to make it perfect for all our MB'ing careers.

wobbler2008

Seems a bit daft only having one BG for a forum as popular as GIOL is.

Nintendo2k

I don't really use mse very much these days, but here's my two cents anyway.....

1. People will post chat and questions on the "offers section" no matter how many sections you have. Most people post chat/questions in the appropriate thread (stickies and the chat thread), but some people start a new thread. The same kind of people will continue to do the same no matter how many sections the forum has. Of course this is not counting when people need help asap in an emergency.

2. You are updated on the newest offers if you look through page 1. In extreme cases you may need to click on page 2, but these offers will come back to the front page within the same day usually.

The intentions of TT and jaydee (who posted about this earlier) are good, but there are too many (new and old) users here to make it work the way described by TT. You may see a slight improvement, but nothing really measurable, and the board guides will still have to put up with the same kind of work.

But one good thing that could come out of something like this is more of a community feel for the GIOL people, where you have threads where you can post whatever. There probably is a section for this somewhere on the mse forums, but I would imagine a lot of people posting here don't know or have any interest in other things than GIOL.

Fella

misskool wrote: »

I'm very open to another board guide and I have suggested to MSE and they have said they are not looking for another one. I cannot magic another board guide out of the air.

I'm not trying to second-guess MSE/Martin here but my first thought reading that is that perhaps Martin would not be totally unhappy to see the end of the GIOL board? After all, if you (MissK) decided (or through circumstances were forced) to suddenly quit, the board would have no BGs at all, which could very easily lead to the end of the board in next to no time (not hard to think of a few different scenarios that would cause an unmoderated GIOL board to implode...).

I would have thought there always needs to be a minimum of 2 simply because of "handing over the baton" as it were. To be any kind of a BG for GIOL requires a lot of specialist knowledge, it's not a role anyone (i.e. a BG from a different board) could simply pick up from scratch.

tartantipster

misskool wrote: »

I've been thinking, an easy way to implement your suggestion if to have a sticky that could be updated with the current offers (linking to the correct post where it's mentioned).

If you start the thread, I'll be happy to stick it on top (well, until the next person comes along and says we have too many stickies )

How's that work?

edit: I think that's a reasonable compromise to avoiding the chat

I thought about that but it won't work. It needs to be the way I said.

tartantipster

NichStuff wrote: »

TT - You are starting to come across like a dog with a bone. Bizarrely, the very reason you started this was to spend less time wading through (less relevant) stuff but this thread is now flufilling that prophecy and surely impacting on your time?!

If you REALLY think this can fly and think that the majority are in favour, why not put it to a general vote with a simple yes\no in favour and see how your poll fares. You'd have to manage it obviously to get an appreciation for the ball-ache of admin.

I'll cast the first vote...and I'm an ain't broke, don't fix.

A) TT - You are starting to come across like a dog with a bone. Bizarrely, the very reason you started this was to spend less time wading through (less relevant) stuff but this thread is now flufilling that prophecy and surely impacting on your time?!

No I'm not, I'm only answering the points put to me, which I am more than happy to do, showing my belief and conviction in the cause.

If you REALLY think this can fly and think that the majority are in favour, why not put it to a general vote with a simple yes\no in favour and see how your poll fares. You'd have to manage it obviously to get an appreciation for the ball-ache of admin.

I have concerns from several replies that members are 'not getting the concept' and that is obvious. To go to vote you must put your case and be sure & confident that members understand it or else you are flogging a dead horse or dog for that matter, LOL!:p Besides I have mailed MSE direct. The general vote YES/NO is easy, and no ball-ache at all.

:beer:

CountryLad

tartantipster wrote: »

I have concerns from several replies that members are 'not getting the concept' and that is obvious. To go to vote you must put your case and be sure & confident that members understand it or else you are flogging a dead horse or dog for that matter, LOL!:p

lol! I know the feeling TT! I think I am clear on what you are suggesting, but I'm still willing to listen. Perhaps you could re-post your argument from a fresh angle, or spelling things out a bit more for us mortals?