Competitions Time - what's happening.

bargainhuntergal

thingamaBob wrote: »

A word of warning.
It has been mentioned a few times that thread end dates can be guessed/estimated and changed when necessary. I.E an ongoing comp can have a ficticious end inserted and then changed when that date is reached.
There is actually a problem with the forum such that, on a number of occasions, when the the End Date is amended on the OP, the new date does not update on the thread header. I have seen this mentioned by other people and also found out myself when BTAA extended some of their competitions. This doesn't happen every time a date is changed but seems to happen randomly.
As an example, look at the old Radio Caroline thread HERE
At some point Rock Chick Bird has amended the End Date on the OP from 30/09 to 31/10 but the thread header is still showing 30/09.
I believe that Dalkirst investigated this problem some time ago but no solution was found.

I've noticed and mentioned (somewhere, I've no idea where! ) this before too! I had to get a BG to change the title for me so that the title inside the thread and the title outside the thread (the one that you can see on the main board) were both the same.

thingamaBob

Fiver29 wrote: »

For a newbie like me, can someone confirm what constitutes a regular competition? For example the Read Deal and This Morning, etc style comps seem to be regulars (i.e. they're on each day) but they're on the main board (or the Real Deal one is at least).

Al_Mac wrote: »

No one can, that's 99% of the issue.

Any definition will be based on whoever shouts loudest and the BG who takes opinions to MSE towers.

This thread is in effect pointless.

Regards

Cynic Al

Quite right Al.
I don't think any of this would have arisen if there was a clear definition of a regular comp posted somewhere for all to see.

bargainhuntergal

Munchkim wrote: »

OK, so we get you dont like the compromise that others like the idea of ON BOTH SIDES of this issue but to say threads would need posting each day isn't true for all of them, the Sugar one you mention, all of those can be entered on the last day, those actually stay open for a time after the month in which you enter so those who enter by end date would still be able to enter all of them on the last day or whenever they got to them and the same goes for the company thread as well, yes the glamour one may need posting each day but thats 1 thread at issue where right now we have hundreds, surely you can see this is a compromise that would mean each side gain something if not everything they want/need?

I really don't want to start an argument again, but the Sugarscape one, I'm not 100% sure that you can do them all at the end?

I think that the other day when I accidentally clicked the first link that the comp wasn't open anymore?

Like I say I'm not 100% sure so it's something that would have to be checked out, but I think they are open for a while, just the early ones aren't open right until the last day.

I'll go and investigate.

Edit: Just checked Sugarscape and they do still seem to be open, it may have been Company I was thinking of (memory isn't that great) will go and check that one out too.

Edit 2: It was Company, it was either all or all bar one of the links on the first page (in 40 posts per page view) redirected to the main page. Although I'm sure I've seen the Sugarscape ones close early too a couple of times, they normally just have an 'Access Denied' page.

crin

bargainhuntergal wrote: »

the Sugarscape one, I'm not 100% sure that you can do them all at the end?

I'll go and investigate. (QUOTE)

Edit: Just checked Sugarscape and they do still seem to be open, it may have been Company I was thinking of (memory isn't that great) will go and check that one out too.

Hiya the suage one wont be a problem after March as that will be the last mag printed they will be concentrating on the sugarscape.com website instead.

purplecatlover

Fiver29 wrote: »

For a newbie like me, can someone confirm what constitutes a regular competition? For example the Read Deal and This Morning, etc style comps seem to be regulars (i.e. they're on each day) but they're on the main board (or the Real Deal one is at least).

that is part of what started this whole debate. there is not any clear mse team defined deffinition of regular and we all have a different opinon of what counts as a regular.
for some its anything that can be entered more than once.
for some its anything ongoing and with no end date.
for some its any comp that is posted regularly with a new prize/question but using the same url, for others its still regular even if its a different url for each comp.

its incredibly confusing with everyone using their own deffinition and thus posting where they feel appropriate.

we need mse team to come in and define what counts as a regular and what should thus be posted on the regular forum rather than on main, OR if the regular forum is to be largely done away with and only the threads maintained.

bargainhuntergal

crin wrote: »

Hiya the suage one wont be a problem after March as that will be the last mag printed they will be concentrating on the sugarscape.com website instead.

I forgot about that and I only read it earlier today!

I wonder if they'll do a similar sort of thing, daily comps? But without having the keywords printed in the magazine? Will be interesting to see what happens!

purplecatlover

Munchkim wrote: »

OK, so we get you dont like the compromise that others like the idea of ON BOTH SIDES of this issue but to say threads would need posting each day isn't true for all of them, the Sugar one you mention, all of those can be entered on the last day, those actually stay open for a time after the month in which you enter so those who enter by end date would still be able to enter all of them on the last day or whenever they got to them and the same goes for the company thread as well, yes the glamour one may need posting each day but thats 1 thread at issue where right now we have hundreds, surely you can see this is a compromise that would mean each side gain something if not everything they want/need?

now your missing the point! i have not at any stage said i dont like compromise. im quite happy to go back to the sci fi for example comps being posted on main and linked in the daily sticky.
i was attempting to make a point. each comp in the glamour thread is a new prize every day, so by the deffinition of new prize = new competion then the likes of glamour needs posted everyday. though yes it works as one thread and that is fine. but if thats the case for say the glamour comp then why is that not the case for other comps where the prize changes daily/weekly but they are posted as new comps at every prize change.

there is no consitancy so its confusing.

im not even going to attempt to explain any further, some of you are determined to be offensive, insulting and argue at every point made or suggestion put forward.

yes there needs to be compromise, and clarity. i appear to be in the minority who doesnt always have time to comp on main thus uses regualrs more...but that does not mean that im not allowed an opion, nor that im not allowed to state that opinion...and be heard without being dismissed as a minority so not important and tough! which is what it feels like many people in here are doing....few are stepping back and saying ok i dont agree with you but i can see why you see that and lets figure out a compromise. instead im being told im iin the wrong, and im not allowed an opinion! if you go back through my posts in here, there is one where i stated what i thought of as regulars that needs to go in regs board and what i thought of as regs that could be posted on main and linked in the stickies. which yes was a compromise. if you go back you will see that glad and others ahve also suggested compromises but mostly we have been met with responses implying no your wrong i wont even consider that idea! which is why a few of us are standing up for ourselves and repeating ourselves....and you know what a very very few people have listened and then tried ti make their own suggestions for compromise, or checked out things so their arguments against are based on how things are now and not simply i dont like the regs board and i dont use it so everything should go on main!

Munchkim

bargainhuntergal wrote: »

Edit 2: It was Company, it was either all or all bar one of the links on the first page (in 40 posts per page view) redirected to the main page. Although I'm sure I've seen the Sugarscape ones close early too a couple of times, they normally just have an 'Access Denied' page.

Thanks for checking, with the sugarscape "Access Denied" message, that doesn't always mean the comp is closed, I had that on a few of their comps where other people were able to enter without any problem, it's happening a lot less that it used to but they do have a fair few bugs on their site.

I totally understand what you mean in this as well and since you use the daily thread the change wouldn't change anything for you but for those who dont and comp by end date who dont ever see these threads as they are in regs, even seeing them when the first few might possibly be closed is more than they will have had access to before the way it's been changed to be done right now where they're not on the normal board at all:(

Fiver29

purplecatlover wrote: »

that is part of what started this whole debate. there is not any clear mse team defined deffinition of regular and we all have a different opinon of what counts as a regular.
for some its anything that can be entered more than once.
for some its anything ongoing and with no end date.
for some its any comp that is posted regularly with a new prize/question but using the same url, for others its still regular even if its a different url for each comp.

its incredibly confusing with everyone using their own deffinition and thus posting where they feel appropriate.

we need mse team to come in and define what counts as a regular and what should thus be posted on the regular forum rather than on main, OR if the regular forum is to be largely done away with and only the threads maintained.

Sounds very sensible to me.

purplebutterfly

This comp HERE is a perfect example of what needs to be classed as a regular.

Not only are there 4 draws but it can be entered as often as you like. It doesn't specifically state in the T&Cs whether each draw starts afresh with entries following the previous draw. If that IS the case, then how many draws will people miss? I've just picked it up because I'm working through that date right now.

If it was in the dailies, you could enter every day. Even if it was in the weeklies, you could enter every draw. As it is, how many people will only find it in time for the final draw? :eek: