Competitions Discussion Thread Part 11

MARTINS_DOLL

iwannabeonthebeach wrote: »

As far as I'm concerned, if people want to ensure that they always post the same competition, then they are on the wrong site. This is an OPEN forum.

A list wouldn't work. You cannot dictate to people what they do and don't do

Obvously it is, but if newer posters see that some folks get loads of thanks clicks, and just muscle in then it's bloomin obvious that any FM will in the end react...

It's just human nature
xxxx...

grannybiker

Just spotted the discussion about "Ownership" of competitions for posting, which has now made me worry about comps that I've posted !
I guess that pretty much all of the sites I've posted from, have, at some stage, been posted by someone else and I'd hate to think that they were upset when I've posted, (and when I do, I post the series, not just the "Popular" ones!) new comps .
I've only ever posted comps in an attempt to "Give something back," rather than up my thanks- like others- I couldn't tell you what it is ! (please don't get rid of it tho' - again, like others, I use it as an indicator I've entered!
One of the first comps I ever posted was one I found while entering a series. I thought one had been missed off as the poster of the others appeared to have finished (didn't know about PMs then !) and I was so excited to have a comp to share! I felt awful when they then came and posted it, duping- and nearly fled forever in embarrassment :eek:!
However, I stuck around and have been posting for over a year now, so reckon I've earnt the right to an opinion, and that's all it is - not worth falling out with anyone over... !
:beer: I do value the time, money & effort that goes into posting the magazine comps, and it's great to know that there's a commited band willing to sort them out between themselves :T. I understand why these comps are considered to "Belong" to that group of posters.
:A I also understand that ITV comps need to "Belong" to regular posters as otherwise the boards would descend into chaos the second the comp was announced live on TV and the scramble to post began :eek:. Our poor BGs have more than enough to do, (especially when "Search" lies- but that's another issue!)
However, and at the risk of getting splinters in my bum from sitting on the fence , I personally don't like the idea of having to consult lists before posting a comp you may come across on your own comping. Surely we should be aiming to get as many comps out there for folk to enter? Isn't that the point of this forum, sharing?
The only folk who truly "Own," the comps aren't actually allowed to post them.
I tend to post from many :eek: emails I receive (as a result of comping!) and check certain sites regularly in the course of my own comping, e.g. GMTV daillies, Capital radio, Sci-fi-Online - I'm sure you can think of more you've seen me post from?! I also post if I spot a new comp when I'm catching up with recently posted comps after a day at work and it doesn't show in search. Should I be PMing the person who posted the comp that originally led me to the site each time this happens? I'd never catch up :eek:!
If you find you're tripping over another poster, surely it can be sorted out with a few friendly PMs? I can recall several instances over the last year when this has worked for me, personally, e.g. CatOwen and I were tending to enter, and therefore spot new sci-Fi-Online comps at a similar time each day, so she left them to me; rather than "Race" ChelseaGirl to the Company ones I started going there later and only posted if she hadn't; PMed WeeOwen who also posts from Capital when I noticed they'd added comps, but I didn't have time to post them here; PMed Jujugaboo to say "I'll stop - you carry on!" when I realised they'd also started posting from the GoodToKnow email .... It's not rocket science, these are just a few examples, and I bet I'm not alone?!
Anyhow, I'll just wind up this rather long-winded post with an apology to anyone I've inadvertently offended or upset, either in sharing my opinion, or sharing a comp I've found.
:T Let's hope we can keep this forum a friendly and happy place where we can enjoy our (sometimes very lucrative!) hobby. :T
GBXXX

Jokey

Hi GB,
I don't think people want lists, the overall consensus is that there a VERY select few who are not new & deliberately wait for comps to be put up on sites, then swooping in & picking out the good ones but leaving smaller ones. This is what seems to bother most, well it's 100% what bothers me. IYSWIM? I have no probs if people have searched and found a comp, but think it's really time consuming and frustrating when they pick which ones are going to receive the most thanks and leave others. This has caused me to very nearly dupe a couple of times. Not because those comps I expect these comps to be left, but that I have searched & posted a few that haven't already been posted & then come across a single one that has, if you understand?

There is another example today, I buy a magazine regularly, after taking it over from someone else, and post the comps online from that, if you search you can clearly see that there is a regular poster of this, anyway, someone has posted a competition out of the mag that I was about to do. They are relatively new so it isn't a problem at all to me, and explained this, BUT what is the problem is that there are 2 comps in the magazine, and the smaller one had been left. This is what upsets me, this is why I buy the mag because I post all comps in it and not cherry pick. The other comp may never have been posted if i didn't regularly buy for the purpose of posting. It's really frustrating seeing as I spend money on the mag to post for others, and I never even enter those particular comps either xx

I can honestly say that in any of my cases I was not referring to you, and I think 99% of people on the forum don't do what I'm trying to point out. It is only a very small amount of people xx

blackmidnight

grannybiker wrote: »

However, I stuck around and have been posting for over a year now, so reckon I've earnt the right to an opinion, and that's all it is - not worth falling out with anyone over... !
:beer: I do value the time, money & effort that goes into posting the magazine comps, and it's great to know that there's a commited band willing to sort them out between themselves :T. I understand why these comps are considered to "Belong" to that group of posters.
:A I also understand that ITV comps need to "Belong" to regular posters as otherwise the boards would descend into chaos the second the comp was announced live on TV and the scramble to post began :eek:. Our poor BGs have more than enough to do, (especially when "Search" lies- but that's another issue!)
However, and at the risk of getting splinters in my bum from sitting on the fence , I personally don't like the idea of having to consult lists before posting a comp you may come across on your own comping. Surely we should be aiming to get as many comps out there for folk to enter? Isn't that the point of this forum, sharing?
The only folk who truly "Own," the comps aren't actually allowed to post them.
I tend to post from many :eek: emails I receive (as a result of comping!) and check certain sites regularly in the course of my own comping, e.g. GMTV daillies, Capital radio, Sci-fi-Online - I'm sure you can think of more you've seen me post from?! I also post if I spot a new comp when I'm catching up with recently posted comps after a day at work and it doesn't show in search. Should I be PMing the person who posted the comp that originally led me to the site each time this happens? I'd never catch up :eek:!
If you find you're tripping over another poster, surely it can be sorted out with a few friendly PMs? I can recall several instances over the last year when this has worked for me, personally, e.g. CatOwen and I were tending to enter, and therefore spot new sci-Fi-Online comps at a similar time each day, so she left them to me; rather than "Race" ChelseaGirl to the Company ones I started going there later and only posted if she hadn't; PMed WeeOwen who also posts from Capital when I noticed they'd added comps, but I didn't have time to post them here; PMed Jujugaboo to say "I'll stop - you carry on!" when I realised they'd also started posting from the GoodToKnow email .... It's not rocket science, these are just a few examples, and I bet I'm not alone?!
Anyhow, I'll just wind up this rather long-winded post with an apology to anyone I've inadvertently offended or upset, either in sharing my opinion, or sharing a comp I've found.
:T Let's hope we can keep this forum a friendly and happy place where we can enjoy our (sometimes very lucrative!) hobby. :T
GBXXX

Everyone has the right to an opinion even those who don't post or are new etc..

You see this is what I don't get - ITV ones like you say - the argument is that they are on tv at a certain time, surely that's then the same with the emails you get, everyone gets them at a certain time? thesun competitions are posted at a certain time as are the telegraph stella ones so as you say because of the live search the same thing happens when everyone who receives the email goes to post them. This is my main issue with the 'rule' about itv comps.

Again I also don't like the idea of a list and I never suggested this.

Also unfortunately I lot of people don't respond well to PMs abut this so for some people it won't be a way of sorting it out (and as i've said to a few of you today via PM i've never actually sent a PM about this but as I bought this up in the first place i'm responding to most of the PMs and posts that are being put in here about all this). GB, i don't think anyone is annoyed at you x

MARTINS_DOLL

grannybiker wrote: »

Just spotted the discussion about "Ownership" of competitions for posting, which has now made me worry about comps that I've posted !
I guess that pretty much all of the sites I've posted from, have, at some stage, been posted by someone else and I'd hate to think that they were upset when I've posted, (and when I do, I post the series, not just the "Popular" ones!) new comps .
I've only ever posted comps in an attempt to "Give something back," rather than up my thanks- like others- I couldn't tell you what it is ! (please don't get rid of it tho' - again, like others, I use it as an indicator I've entered!
One of the first comps I ever posted was one I found while entering a series. I thought one had been missed off as the poster of the others appeared to have finished (didn't know about PMs then !) and I was so excited to have a comp to share! I felt awful when they then came and posted it, duping- and nearly fled forever in embarrassment :eek:!
However, I stuck around and have been posting for over a year now, so reckon I've earnt the right to an opinion, and that's all it is - not worth falling out with anyone over... !
:beer: I do value the time, money & effort that goes into posting the magazine comps, and it's great to know that there's a commited band willing to sort them out between themselves :T. I understand why these comps are considered to "Belong" to that group of posters.
:A I also understand that ITV comps need to "Belong" to regular posters as otherwise the boards would descend into chaos the second the comp was announced live on TV and the scramble to post began :eek:. Our poor BGs have more than enough to do, (especially when "Search" lies- but that's another issue!)
However, and at the risk of getting splinters in my bum from sitting on the fence , I personally don't like the idea of having to consult lists before posting a comp you may come across on your own comping. Surely we should be aiming to get as many comps out there for folk to enter? Isn't that the point of this forum, sharing?
The only folk who truly "Own," the comps aren't actually allowed to post them.
I tend to post from many :eek: emails I receive (as a result of comping!) and check certain sites regularly in the course of my own comping, e.g. GMTV daillies, Capital radio, Sci-fi-Online - I'm sure you can think of more you've seen me post from?! I also post if I spot a new comp when I'm catching up with recently posted comps after a day at work and it doesn't show in search. Should I be PMing the person who posted the comp that originally led me to the site each time this happens? I'd never catch up :eek:!
If you find you're tripping over another poster, surely it can be sorted out with a few friendly PMs? I can recall several instances over the last year when this has worked for me, personally, e.g. CatOwen and I were tending to enter, and therefore spot new sci-Fi-Online comps at a similar time each day, so she left them to me; rather than "Race" ChelseaGirl to the Company ones I started going there later and only posted if she hadn't; PMed WeeOwen who also posts from Capital when I noticed they'd added comps, but I didn't have time to post them here; PMed Jujugaboo to say "I'll stop - you carry on!" when I realised they'd also started posting from the GoodToKnow email .... It's not rocket science, these are just a few examples, and I bet I'm not alone?!
Anyhow, I'll just wind up this rather long-winded post with an apology to anyone I've inadvertently offended or upset, either in sharing my opinion, or sharing a comp I've found.
:T Let's hope we can keep this forum a friendly and happy place where we can enjoy our (sometimes very lucrative!) hobby. :T
GBXXX

GB... You did have the decency to send me a PM re some new comps from a certain website... which I did reply to you to post the comps... :beer: No worries at all here hunni xxx.

I was personally very grateful that you did that, as you saw me post a comp from that particular website... :beer:
Older type principals I guess...
xxx

Jokey

Okay, completely off any of the last few topics, but was wondering how people layout their emails when entering competitions?

I currently lay it out like this:

Answer - Blah Blah

Many Thanks
Joe Bloggs

1 Street St
Jameson
JL6 6LB

07777777777
01234567890

me@you.com

But that is it, that's my sig so I use split links and pop the details in. However, I was wondering if you actually personalise the emails? For example:

To,
thanks for the competition, I believe the answer is...

IYSWIM? Never know if what I'm doing is right

TIA xx

fire**fly

hi everyone, just to say this is in GO now, if anyone wants to make a new one, i'll have the first guess please

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...7#post33348647

.

NoNameWoman

I really don't normally like to get involved in sensitive discussions but here's my 2 cents:

I very much appreciate that people devote a lot of time and effort getting some comps posted.

But I think since regulars have greater search skills and greater familiarity with the site, they should allow this room of error for new members who probably don't know who 'regulars' are and what comps are 'associated' with them. Seriously, as much as I apreciate everyone's point, this is not common-sense knowledge that new members are expected to know straight away.

Additionally, there was a period of time when my laptop, for instance, just died and I couldn't have been more grateful for those who posted competitions that I normally post, you never know you may be on holiday or just unable to keep up and it's great to have a 'back up' post if this makes sense

Thanks again everyone for everything you do to make this site such a great place to be xxx

purplecatlover

re emails..

mine are simply
answer (if one is required)
anything else they ask for (eg age for sci fi)
then my sig which is
name
addy
phone no
email addy

im too lazy to make them all nice etc lol and rarely cut the unwanted info form my sig though have in a few cases copied phone number/name up to the body bulk.

also on the subject of emails can i just say howeasy it is when an email comp is posted with subject and answer together so can be copied once then switch to email page and paste and arrange iyswim? saves clicking back and forth to copy and paste first one and then the other, and also means post can be thanked and clciky clicked on to get to email, which for some reason opens in the same tab on my browser (unlike any other clicky which go to a new tab).

nb not to say that tohers do it wrong or anything like that, just that i find it particularly easy and thus quicker when its laid out so 1 copy is all thats needed, but i alos know that it takes more work for the poster to go trhough and identify and pull out the specific info re subject rather than just copy the whole set of instructions, and i know how long it takes to post at all. neve rfeel like i say thank you enough so ill say it again now. thank you to everyone who posts them

fire**fly

I posted elver man's ' webuser ' ones as noticed he'd not been online,
i did check & went to pm him but didn't as he'd not been online since 27th, so thought maybe to put them on sorry