Competitions Discussion Thread Part 12

grannybiker

Amilucky? wrote: »

Rules and guidelines regarding the regulars if they are on MSE they are very well hidden because I have never seen them

if there are rules and guidelines why have certain comps remained on the main board for years without them being moved to the regulars board

This always puzzled me, particulary with the monthly comps. Certain ones were nearly always moved if they appeared on the main boards, while there were others that were / are never challenged. All the comps I posted towards the end of last month were moved this month, despite the fact I've had several PMs in the past thanking me for posting them on the main boards rather than hidden away in regulars.

All those who've PMed me the say "Thanks!" after winning on the recent Visa "Win £2,000" comp (ongoing BTW, but now hidden in regs) said they'd only seen it when it was on the main board and fortunately popped it into their favourites

Amilucky? wrote: »

Any link that is posted in the stickies on the regulars board is now deemed as a regular and as such it is transferred from the main board

this is a rule that has only recently been applied and in my opinion has been applied without any forethought

bottom line if you want a comp to remain on the main board don't cross post a link to Gilla or PPD

So basically, if you stuck to "The rules" and PMed Gilla or posted a link in regs, as I always did with Sci-Fi and others I found, it was moved...? Checking sites regularly, searching (when it works!) typing out a post, searching for the answer all take up valuable time when I could be entering comps. Popping into regs to post a link took that extra bit, but I thought I was doing the right thing!
I was happy to do so as I thought I'd be helping others with a chance of winning... Isn't that the whole point of this forum?

jeanmd

I have to admit I very rarely go to the reg comps part, so would miss out on so many more comps then I already do. I tend to only enter once and that's when I come across them on the normal forum, even the daily ones. So if they are all moved I'd be sad. :sad:

bargainhuntergal

I think the reason that the discussion had been geared towards helping people who enter by end date is because that is what's causing the most problems with people missing lots of comps until the last draw or so when it's not been sent to Gilla/PPD to add to the stickies and they get lost into the great chasm that is the main board.

If you enter everything as it's posted it's not a problem if it's not been sent over as you'd come across is very soon anyway.

Also, one of the things that there is currently no 'rule' for are the ones which you enter once and go into all further draws, as these currently have no 'place' to go and when you enter by end date, again, you miss them until the very end.

If everyone sent the links over to the sticky threads (and a section/sticky was made for the enter once ones) then it doesn't really matter where the comps are posted as the links direct straight to the thread wherever it is.

I don't think advising people not to send the link to Gilla/PPD is a good idea as that will cause even more friction when people that enter by end date and also use the stickies to keep up to date with the regulars realise that they've missed some really good competitions until the very end.

Maybe everyone could come to an agreement that threads that were previously on the main board go back there and everyone looks out and makes sure the links are sent over to the stickies to help everyone else? In the short term this would probably suit everybody and make sure that the boards can work in harmony until further discussion can take place?

Edit: Maybe 'advising' isn't the right word, more 'informing of the situation' as it may cause people not to send the links over?

Glad

finatra26 wrote: »

what some people seem to want is a change to the current rules for the boards where some comps can be posted in the main board even if they are a weekly/monthly entry, so let's keep the discussion going and put it to the team in the new year
can we retain the normal status quo untill then Glad? I don't mean what has happened recently but the way it has always been & can the discussion be put to the users of the thread as well as the team in the new year?

this is affecting me as much as some of you
if a comp is posted as a 'new thread' each month and I get a pm one day saying it's actually a regular or a dupe of something in the regs board, or if I notice it that month, it doesn't mean I automatically would know it's been posted 'for years' on the main board, so I would move/merge it
it's like being stuck in the middle, following the board guidelines, trying to please the members, but you can't please everyone and I still think that while the regs board is there the discussion should be on how to make try making it work for you, before deciding it just won't
what I'd like to do is take some time to get my head around the board, come up with some suggestions, put them to everyone here and let you discuss them further, and that won't be until the new year ok

grannybiker wrote: »

This always puzzled me, particulary with the monthly comps. Certain ones were nearly always moved if they appeared on the main boards, while there were others that were / are never challenged. All the comps I posted towards the end of last month were moved this month, despite the fact I've had several PMs in the past thanking me for posting them on the main boards rather than hidden away in regulars.

All those who've PMed me the say "Thanks!" after winning on the recent Visa "Win £2,000" comp (ongoing BTW, but now hidden in regs) said they'd only seen it when it was on the main board and fortunately popped it into their favourites

So basically, if you stuck to "The rules" and PMed Gilla or posted a link in regs, as I always did with Sci-Fi and others I found, it was moved...? Checking sites regularly, searching (when it works!) typing out a post, searching for the answer all take up valuable time when I could be entering comps. Popping into regs to post a link took that extra bit, but I thought I was doing the right thing!
I was happy to do so as I thought I'd be helping others with a chance of winning... Isn't that the whole point of this forum?

I've got to say if these types of comps were posted in the regs board there would be no need to repost every week/month and pm Gilla a new link etc, especially the ones that are the same link and details every time, so extra time for comping

jeanmd wrote: »

I have to admit I very rarely go to the reg comps part, so would miss out on so many more comps then I already do. I tend to only enter once and that's when I come across them on the normal forum, even the daily ones. So if they are all moved I'd be sad. :sad:

if you tend to enter only once and only when you come across them on the main board, wouldn't it be easier to scan down the dailies/weeklies sticky and have a link to them to save missing out
and if people do get used to checking those 2 threads then the main board will only contain threads with an E: end date

I've realised that the issue is the definition of a regular thread, at the moment it's anything that can be entered weekly/monthly etc but with comping now such a big thing that's not quite as clear cut, so let me give it a few weeks or so of thought, post those thoughts here and see what people think

but please everyone keep saying what you think, discussion is healthy and helpful :T

toniq

No Boardguide is favouring me by giving the Advents a temp sticky, that's been the case for quite a few years with the Advents.

Daft statments like that cause friction on the boards, and yes there are advents on the main board because they need questions answered daily and it's easier to keep them in the same thread than scattered all across the advent thread.

Yes the advents cause chaos, they always do it's part of comp life in Dec, I have tried to organise it.

I'm gonna stay well away from any discussion infuture when it's just digs and assumptions, I'm really shocked that was said, because the mags haven't been given a sticky it's out of order the advents have ?!?!!?!!?

I'm gonna let that all go over my head as i'm here to comp,not get involved in this type of stuff.

Amilucky?

toniq wrote: »

No Boardguide is favouring me by giving the Advents a temp sticky, that's been the case for quite a few years with the Advents.

Daft statments like that cause friction on the boards, and yes there are advents on the main board because they need questions answered daily and it's easier to keep them in the same thread than scattered all across the advent thread.

Yes the advents cause chaos, they always do it's part of comp life in Dec, I have tried to organise it.

I'm gonna stay well away from any discussion infuture when it's just digs and assumptions, I'm really shocked that was said, because the mags haven't been given a sticky it's out of order the advents have ?!?!!?!!?

I'm gonna let that all go over my head as i'm here to comp,not get involved in this type of stuff.

Aw!

I''m so sorry to here how you feel toni you are doing a magnificent job with the Advents and even though I am not doing them this year I really appreciate what you have done and are doing

[STRIKE]to be honest Toni I think that the poster in question wasn't having a dig at you nor implying favouritism

they where unhappy with Darrens post because he wouldn't allow a sticky to be posted in regards to the search problems see http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=39055374&postcount=1782
[/STRIKE]
in recent years the Advents have always had a sticky so there is no favouritism on anyone's part by providing one again this year

I personally feel that the debates in comps discuss are bringing to the fore a lot of tension and heated debate along with bitterness and acrimony and the debate should now end with a poll of MSE'rs taking place in the New Year

nether be frighted of speaking your mind Toni because if everyone chose not to do so it would be a very sad old world indeed

talking about speaking your mind please see my post in the inn
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=39086036&postcount=5314


Best of Luck

finatra26

perhaps the answer to all this is is not in changing where the comps go but in changing how we put the end date on comps when they are posted. Would it be possible for the owner of the thread to keep re-editing it with the new end date so that peeps who comp this way would not miss out.


Perhaps not - ignore that - probably 90% of the comps are posted by the same 30 or so peeps & they would need a 26 hr day to keep up

I still think the format of the end date could be changed in some way though to make it easier

Perhaps E: 31/12 (comps that must be entered by that date

31/12 (can be entrered every day till hogmanay if you are sober enough)
W: 00/00 (you could subscribe to these and would see if they are bumbed)

I know this isn't quite right but I am hoping someone runs with this till it looks better & then if we are having a poll it could be one of the options

Amilucky?

finatra26 wrote: »

perhaps the answer to all this is is not in changing where the comps go but in changing how we put the end date on comps when they are posted. Would it be possible for the owner of the thread to keep re-editing it with the new end date so that peeps who comp this way would not miss out.


Perhaps not - ignore that - probably 90% of the comps are posted by the same 30 or so peeps & they would need a 26 hr day to keep up

I still think the format of the end date could be changed in some way though to make it easier

Perhaps E: 31/12 (comps that must be entered by that date

31/12 (can be entrered every day till hogmanay if you are sober enough)
W: 00/00 (you could subscribe to these and would see if they are bumbed)

I know this isn't quite right but I am hoping someone runs with this till it looks better & then if we are having a poll it could be one of the options

if the comps on the regulars board are to have an end date then they would need to start E: so that when an advanced search is done all of the end dates across both boards would then be displayed together

by starting the title W: it would mean that they would stay at the top of the board

both boards need to complement each other so they should really work in the same way and searches should be seamless and bring together results from both boards

as the end dates E: on the main board work and are a tried and tested method they should be implemented on the regulars board in some way but the tags (D) daily (W) weekly etc would need to come after the E:

people on the regulars board would then be able to see which comps to enter first by looking at the first end date on the thread

jeanmd

I understand what you are saying Glad, I've just struggled to get on top of comps this year for some reason. I use to be really good and just had to do what was posted on the day, but I seem to have had a block and can't finish the normal forum never mind going over to the regs. I do end date order now and try keep a couple of days in front. I don't sweat if I miss some, just know I'll miss more if they are all moved over to reg comps.

p.s. I know I need to become more organised and that's why I'm not winning as much as the previous years.

dontknow1

Not sure if this has been mentioned but we may see a major drop off in face book comps as they changed the rules on the 1st of December more or less banning them unless they are in a separate application

http://www.facebook.com/promotions_guidelines.php