New Comps Board Guidelines Discussion

Glad

Following Andrea's post in the disc thread (quoted below)
I've started this thread for you compers to discuss how the comps boards can move forward and copied relevant posts into it to keep the discussion in one place

MSE_Andrea wrote: »

As someone else put very well.... STOP!

You're absolutely right. I don't understand what you guys want at all.

I looked at what several people were asking me, tried to get my head round it and obviously utterly failed because they were all asking me different things.

The point is, when this originally all "blew up" you contacted me saying please give us strict guidelines from MSE that we can follow, despite me wanting you guys to sort it out for yourselves as it's you that know best what you all want.

From the last few posts it really sounds like you're all very much capable of sorting it between yourselves so please, do whatever you all need to do to sort it amongst yourselves, then ask a BG to pop it as a sticky at the top of the board and unstick mine because bringing me into the equation has obviously just confused things completely all round.

The aim, at the end of the day, is for you guys to establish the best way of comping for yourselves and in a way that will minimise anything any forum user "has" to do, whether it's someone updating stickies or a BG "having" to move threads.

So, I really think it's best I bow out of this gracefully (hopefully).

But as I've said several times, everyone, please keep it friendly, and try to work it out calmly. Jumping at perceived "digs" at each other doesn't help anyone.

Andrea

I've also quoted my post from earlier this afternoon suggesting how this thread could run

Glad wrote: »

afternoon all

still feeling awful but that does mean housework or anything that involves moving from the sofa is out of the window so snuggling under a quilt with my laptop is the mission for the weekend

in answer to beffffff - yes I can start as many polls as people want until we get down to majority choices

would people also like a separate thread for discussion about new guidelines? if so I'll start one now and move any relevant posts from the last couple of days from here to the new thread, if we do that I think it would be a good idea to invite people's ideas and discuss them for a set period (say a week)
after that I'd be happy to go through it and come up with some ideas for polls, which would give us ideas on what the larger comping community would like (some people find it easier to vote anonymously on a poll rather than post their views )

we can run as many polls as people think necessary

then maybe 2 or 3 compers could collate all the info and write some suggested guidelines, which you could discuss or vote on again

I'd like to suggest Mamzie, One-Eye and Beffffff as they've already given it so much thought and between them seem to represent the diversity of the comps boards well (that is not to say other people haven't/don't, it's just an idea )


until then comps can be left being posted as they are unless something is very obviously in the wrong place

please let's keep it amicable all ideas are welcome :T and if you don't agree with someones ideas please post why politely and constructively, there are bound to be at least 2 different points of view! so we can say right from the start that most people are going to have to give a little and the discussion should be how each of you can adapt so that all compers will be able have the best chance of entering every comp you'd like to

Glad

if we could keep the discussion to sorting out the mains v regs board questions it would be easier

then later you can get onto other matters eg FB/Twitter comps

I just think it will be simpler to sort things out one at a time

it's your board so if you want changes suggest and discuss them, then as MSEAndrea has posted, once an agreement has been reached they can be posted as a sticky

edited to add - the next post by Mamzie was copied to this thread from the disc thread here so some of her comments may seem to going against what I've posted above, but there were so many good ideas in her post I thought it was very relevant in here as a starting point

Mamzie

STOP.....

can we just rewind things please..... PCL, don't delete the stickie, it working fab. Glad do you mean that every thread still on Regs is moving here too. We will lose comps as they slowly slide into GO and don't get reposted.

Glad, I really think that you and the other BGs need to explain things more to MSE Andrea. She has stated that its is difficult to understand comps as a non comper. I think you guys need to say what guidelines would will work on here to her, and that before she posts anymore rule changes its reviewed by you all or some compers. I have quoted her below, and it appears to me, that she is unsure of this herslef, by the end sentence of the paragraph???

(MSE Andrea)

What I can say is please post them as individual threads for each day/week/month noting in the title which day etc it is - that way when you discuss them you all know you're discussing the same one, plus when you click thanks you only need to look at the first post to know you've entered it, rather than wade through the thread to find the new post for the new day's comp? (I think I'm understanding that correctly?)

I can see the sense in moving some reg comps over to main, but I think that a BG and members need to pm her that single threads, with updated answers in work much better. That we are sensible people and are quite capable of using the thanks button to know where we are in a thread.

All we need is for her to set out some basic comping/Regs guidelines that will work... Please suggest anything I have missed below, or that is an obvious error. I intend to pm MSE Andrea myself, but want to clarify want I want to convey myself first, so would appreciate any help or constructive criticism.

================================================================

Possible Competitions Board Guidelines

There are 4 Forums within the Competitions Board. The Main Board is where you will find the majority of competitions to enter. There is a Regular Sub Forum, where Ongoing Competitions which have no apparent end of the Promotion but which have a Daily/Weekly/Monthly draw are posted. At the top of the Regulars Sub Forum, you will find the Daily/Weekly/Monthly (d/w/m) Sticky Threads maintained by Volunteers to co-ordinate links to the Regular Competitions posted throughout both Main and Regular Forums. The I Won, I Won Sub Forum is where you can share your news when you win a competition, and read fellow members winning news. While the Game Over Sub Forum is where expired competitions are moved too by our Board Guides (BGs).

1) How to Post Competitions - Post all single/limited entry Competitions and Regular Daily/Weekly/Monthly Competitions with a Promotional End Date in the Main Board. Please search beforehand to ensure it has not already been posted by someone else. Do not repost a competition if it has already been posted on the Main or Regular board, as this may cause people to duplicate entries and creates extra work for the BGs in merging posts. How/where to post ongoing and d/w/m is covered below. Please update the relevant Daily/Weekly/Monthly Sticky thread in Regular Sub-Board with a link to the Thread, and competition info when posting a Regular Competition.

NB Competitions which are postal/text/phone entry are directly added to their own Sticky Thread at the top of the Main Board.


2a) Ongoing Competitions - These are competitions with no apparent Promotion End date, but which hold a regular d/w/m competition, they may require repeat d/w/m entries, or can be a one time only sign up. These competitions are to be posted in the Reg Sub Forum - State “Daily/Weekly/Monthly prize/entry” in the thread title. New posts can be added to the thread for new questions/answers/links. Please update the relevant Daily/Weekly/Monthly Sticky thread in Regular Sub-Board with a link to the Thread, and competition info.
(or)

2b) Ongoing Competitions – These are competitions with no apparent Promotion End date, but which hold a regular d/w/m competition, they may require repeat d/w/m entries, or can be a one time only sign up. These are posted as E: 99/99 (Ongoing) on the Main Board, instead of a normal or guessed end date. This will enable them to be found via the forum display options or by running a search. Please update the relevant Daily/Weekly/Monthly Sticky thread in Regular Sub-Board with a link to the Thread, and competition info.

3) Daily Regular Competitions – These are posted as a single thread per competition for the duration of the Promotion - State “Daily prize/entry” in the thread title. New posts can be added to the thread for new questions/answers/links. Please update the Weekly Regulars Sticky with a link to the Thread, and competition info.

4) Weekly Reg Competitions - These are posted as a single thread per competition for the duration of the Promotion - State “Weekly prize/entry” in the thread title. New posts can be added to the thread for new questions/answers/links. Please update the Weekly Regulars Sticky with a link to the Thread, and competition info.

5) Monthly Reg Competitions - These are posted as a single thread per competition for the duration of the Promotion. Please state “Monthly prize/entry” in the thread title. New posts can be added to the thread for new questions/answers/links. Please update the Monthly Regulars Sticky with a link to the Thread, and competition info. NB, Occasionally a Monthly Competition may require an individual thread every month. Please use common sense with posting and ask a BG or on the Competitions Discussion thread if advice is needed.

6) Expiry Date Format - Post all comps using the expiry date format, e.g. E: 01/01 Win.... If unsure of end date, then use your best estimate and put guessedenddate anywhere in the thread. This is only to be used where a Promotion has a definite (but uncertain) End Date and not for Ongoing Competitions as these are to be posted in the regulars Forum.

7) C&P - Do not c&p entire articles from sites due to copyright issues.

8) Only Competition Threads - Only Threads linking to a Competition may be posted on the Main Comps Forum. There are Sub Forums where you can post a thread in when you win a prize, etc. All miscellaneous threads and duplicated competitions need to be merged/moved by a BG to the original or correct thread or forum, which increases their workload.

9a) No Bumping of Posts - Posting on competition threads is discouraged unless communicating information to fellow compers, as this causes threads to be bumped, and can affect the way that people view the threads to enter. Please ask any comping questions on the Comps Discussion thread. Please use the Compers Inn for chatting.
or

9b) Help, Hints and Tips Sub Forum - This is a place to ask all Questions, chat, etc in. Posting on competition threads is discouraged unless communicating information to fellow compers, as this causes threads to be bumped, and can affect the way that people view the threads to enter. (Possible if Regs Forum allowed misc threads)

10) Title Tags – These are very useful in thread titles (see below) so are often used when posting a new competition, to help members decide which competitions to enter and assist with searching the Competitions Forum.

11) Magazines – These will normally have regular poster (please check before posting), as these involve people committing to buy the magazine regularly and to solve each issues puzzles. Puzzler/Tab magazines are posted in one thread due to answers crossing over different issues. Most ITV.com comps are posted by Comping Cat to avoid dupes on the board.

12) No Vote For Me Competitions - Please do not post vote for me competitions, they are not allowed on this forum.

13) No Advertising Of Own Websites or Self Promotion - This site is free from advertising. Posts on any board considered to be advertising goods, services and/or companies will be removed. This includes the posting of a competition from your own site or from a site that you are employed by. We also do not allow advertising via PM. Examples of this can include anything from a specific sales post or a link to your own website in which you attempt to sell something to someone offering their holiday home to forum members. Unfortunately we cannot allow any advertising of any description no matter how honourable the intention.

14) Free Competitions Only - This is a not a place to advertise competitions you have to pay to enter. Limited cost text message type competitions are allowed up to a max of £1.53. This is also the Max cost for Purchase required Competitions.

15) Linking Regular Competitions to Main Board - It's ok to post a thread on the main board with a weekly/monthly end date linking to the actual comp thread on the regulars board. The thread shouldn't include a link to the actual competition site though to avoid duplicate entries and the risk of disqualifying yourself. Please add (REG) to the title to save Compers who use Regulars needing to open the thread or duplicating their entry.
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16) Finally - Please remember to be polite and helpful to fellow posters.[/FONT]

Some Title Tag Sugestions

We all want to be able to enter competitions easily and quickly, however we do need to co-operate and help each other to be able to do this. These are a selection of Title Tags that members have found useful in the past. You will not need to use every tag in every title, just which ever ones work best for your competition.

a) Please mention Kids, photos/purchase required, effort, email, newsletter sign up, etc in title if entry requires these. Occasionally a competition may have specific entry requirements ie 10-14 year olds, teens, 21+, etc, please ensure that these are mentioned if necessary.

b) Please mention FB, Twitter, Blog in the title, when a competition depends on these sites for entry.

c) Please remember to add Daily, Weekly or Monthly in the title when posting a competition with multiple prizes or entries. Please remember to update the relevant Regular Sticky Thread in the Regular Sub Form

(some of these guideline have been already stated in the MSE Please Read thread)

beffffff

Really feel for all you BGs Glad. You've all got a huge ask in the coming days now to change the dates on all the regular threads, move them, then move an extra 100+ comps to GO each day and merge any extra dupes that arise out of these new rules.

This doesn't feel very well thought through, and doesn't feel like what was voted for in the polls. That may have been unclear but at least it was democratic. Small tweaks and more clarity around the poll results would have been better for most than a whole new way of working that creates extra work for all posters

And we're going to miss so many comps as once they're missed once they will fall off the radar until someone finds them again days/weeks/month later

purplecatlover

Mamzie wrote: »

STOP.....

can we just rewind things please..... PCL, don't delete the stickie, it working fab. Glad do you mean that every thread still on Regs is moving here too. We will lose comps as they slowly slide into GO and don't get reposted.

its staying until tuesday because im going to have limited access until then, then if andreas post still stands the daily prize draw section will be redundant. to leave it will mean many of us (or at least those of us who cant remember if it was today or yesterday that we entered between those and the 200 odd comps we skim through picking out what we want to enter by end date) will dupe comps since they will also be on main.

but I think that a BG and members need to pm her that single threads, with updated answers in work much better. That we are sensible people and are quite capable of using the thanks button to know where we are in a thread.

a few months ago i would have agreed with you there, but if you go back to the initial discussions quite a few people complained that they found it impossible to keep track of ongoing threads and therefore chose not to use the postal sticky or the tab and puzzler ongoing threads as they found it impossible to keep up with or find where they left off. many people have insisted they would prefer each comp to be posted each day/week/month so they can see the prize without having to open the thread and dont have to look beyond the first post to get the new answer and/or link and that they do not have time or inclination to go to the regular board or the reg stickies to find comps that are "hidden away" from the bulk of compers.

andrea has listened to what they want, and the want for consitancy and all comps to be posted the same way. this way there will be no regular board, everything will be on main and it will be a mess but at least no one will miss anything because its hidden at the end of a thread or on another sub forum :T

and there will be no more complaints or comments of not understanding how to post a comp, or where it should be posted as it is now very very simples. everything goes on main, if its a weekly it has a new end date each week, a monthly has a new end date each month and a daily has a new end date each day.


All we need is for her to set out some basic comping/Regs guidelines that will work... Please suggest anything I have missed below, or that is an obvious error. I intend to pm MSE Andrea myself, but want to clarify want I want to convey myself first, so would appreciate any help or constructive criticism.

she has had a few pms form me, and im sure form other people explaining that we just need guidelines that will work, especially since her last update. the using links to reg threads was a compromise that should have worked though would have meant some extra threads on main but would have prevented dupes. judging by the various complaints over using them, and over threads being merged or even over threads being posted in regs forum that was too complicated a solution. there was still no proper consensus as to what counted as a regular comp so we were still in exactly the same place as before anything was ever attempted as a solution :eek:

this new solution solves all that too its simple, its easy to understand, its easy for everyone to post.

its just going to be a nightmare for the bgs for example re merges as 10 people try to be first to post the new answer to a daily as soon as it goes live at midnight :rotfl:and those of us who comp by end date a day or two ahead of actual end date will miss out on heaps unless we start also comping by newly posted or find a way to sift through each days 200 plus new comps to find the ones that end earlier in the day or are dailies we would normally have hit via the thread

thingamaBob

purplecatlover wrote: »

and those of us who comp by end date a day or two ahead of actual end date will miss out on heaps unless we start also comping by newly posted or find a way to sift through each days 200 plus new comps to find the ones that end earlier in the day or are dailies we would normally have hit via the thread

It's not only "end date" compers who will miss out on comps. Although I comp as much as possible by "newly posted", I often find that I am a day or two behind. So most dailies will be gone to GO before I get to them. (If the BG's find enough time to move them at all)
I feel sure that one of the reasons the Regs board was created was to help keep the main board tidy and manageable. If this goes ahead, it means that the Regs board will virtually disappear and the messy main board it was created to resolve, will return.

beffffff

IMHO this decision needs to at least be reversed for dailies - I think it's workable for weeklies and monthlies as some weekly/monthly comps are posted each week/month and some are made into regular threads, depending on who posts the comp and their interpretation of any rules. But for dailies it's ridiculous and I can't believe it's what anyone really wants(?????)

However, if this is really going ahead I think we need to try to come up with some ground rules or there's going to be comps missed all over the place and people duping the comps that are "good" prizes whilst ignoring the ones that are not so good.

My suggestion:
Maybe we could now have one regular comps sticky, a bit like the postals sticky? There could be details of who posts what on the 1st page?
And we can then all add details of any new regular comps to it as we first find and post them and say if we are happy to repost it ourselves each d/w/m or if we need a volunteer to take it over?

We also need to decide who posts all the existing regular comps. Is it just a free for all each d/w/m? Or is it the OP? Or maybe we could put a call out for who is willing to take a few extra posts on each d/w/m and then split them out between all volunteers and add them to the 1st page on the sticky mentioned above? I know this wouldn't be perfect as some newbies won't know about it. But at least it would maximise the chances of all comps staying on MSE and minimise the work for the BGs having to merge dupes?

Oh and Mazmie I think that list is great and hopefully it isn't too late. My only comment is that personally I think maybe we should have a firm rule for monthlies. Either one regularly updated post OR post them new each month. I'm fairly sure there will be disagreement between different compers and different BGs if it's just open to common sense because we all look at things differently.

One-Eye

Possible Posting Guidelines (based on the work started by Mamzie)


1) Post ALL comps on the main board. Please search beforehand to ensure it has not already been posted by someone else. Note that postal/text/phone competitions have their own section.

2a) Post a daily regular comp in a single thread for the duration of the promotion (or for a maximum of ** days if the promotion lasts longer). State “Daily” in the thread title. New posts can be added to the thread for new questions/answers/links. Post a link to the thread at the end of the daily sticky.
OR
2b) Post the comp as an individual comp with an end date for that day only. A new thread will be required the following day, and no link in stickies is required.

3a) Post a weekly regular comp in a single thread for the duration of the promotion (or for a maximum of 52 weeks if the promotion lasts longer). State “Weekly” in the thread title. New posts can be added to the thread for new questions/answers/links. Post a link to the thread at the end of the weekly sticky.
OR
3b) Post the comp as an individual comp with an end date for that week only. A new thread will be required the following week, and no link in stickies is required.

4a) Post a monthly regular comp in a single thread for the duration of the promotion (or for a maximum of 12 months if the promotion lasts longer). State “Monthly” in the thread title. New posts can be added to the thread for new questions/answers/links. Post a link to the thread at the end of the monthly sticky.
OR
4b) Post the comp as an individual comp with an end date for that month only. A new thread will be required the following month, and no link in stickies is required.

One-Eye

All the options above can co-exist, or some options could be banned. If we are to have all regulars on the main board then I think we should focus on which of these options we don’t want.

2b is the option that would cause MAJOR problems, and everyone who has posted here so far (beffffff, purplecatlover, Mamzie, thingamabob, Amilucky?) is against it. You can add my name to this list. Does ANYBODY think 2b is a good idea?

Current practice is supposed to be 2a, 3a, 4a
Actual current practice is 2a, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b
Andrea’s proposal is 2b, 3b, 4b
Mamzie’s proposal is 2a, 3a, 4a, 4b (post #1546)
Beffffff mentions 2a, 3a, 3b, 4b as a possibility (post #1550 last paragraph)

I would favour 2a, 3a, 3b, 4b as the first stage of re-organisation, with 2a, 3b, 4b as a possible second stage if the first stage works.

beffffff

My last paragraph was based on Mazmies rules...where she said dailies and weeklies were single threads but monthlies could be either based on common sense. I said I thought monthlies should be one or the other not left to the individual. I didn't state a preference but mine would actually be that monthlies were posted in the same way as Mazmie suggests for dailies and weeklies (eg one updated thread)

So if you're keeping a list 2a, 3a, 4a would be my actual preference so all the stickies can be used as designed and no comps get forgotten about. But that won't happen.

I would also be happy with 2a, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b. Provided everyone just lets it lie if they disagree with how a certain post is posted (eg if you think a 4a or 3a should be a 4b or 3b (or vice versa) just hold your breath, count to 10 and forget about it )

My worry with 2a, 3a, 3b, 4b (that you put me down for) would be that some monthly comps would fall off the radar. But I could live with it (or even 2a, 3b, 4b) IF we could split all the current comps on PPDs (and Gillas) sticky up between us to post each month (or week) so they don't get missed or duped at 00:01.

My absolute last choice is what MSEAndrea has told us to do, namely 2b, 3b, 4b.

purplecatlover

One-Eye wrote: »

All the options above can co-exist, or some options could be banned. If we are to have all regulars on the main board then I think we should focus on which of these options we don’t want.

2b is the option that would cause MAJOR problems, and everyone who has posted here so far (beffffff, purplecatlover, Mamzie, thingamabob, Amilucky?) is against it. You can add my name to this list. Does ANYBODY think 2b is a good idea?

Current practice is supposed to be 2a, 3a, 4a
Actual current practice is 2a, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b
Andrea’s proposal is 2b, 3b, 4b
Mamzie’s proposal is 2a, 3a, 4a, 4b (post #1546)
Beffffff mentions 2a, 3a, 3b, 4b as a possibility (post #1550 last paragraph)

I would favour 2a, 3a, 3b, 4b as the first stage of re-organisation, with 2a, 3b, 4b as a possible second stage if the first stage works.

the problem with the current system of posting using 3a and 3b, 4a and 4b is that there is no consistancy, no clarity, no one knows whether to update a thread or start a new one, people ignore the fact that there is a thread to update and post a new thread anyway because its hidden away at the end of a thread etc etc etc. also means they are duped. i cant see how they can really work together with links both in ongoing and new threads each time?

i really do not want it to carry on with that confusion, they need to be posted one way or the other. for now we have little option but to follow the new rules and start posting all dailies with each days end date too....i agree its stupid but its what people who want to be able to see every prize in t he thread title without opening the thread want, and at least it means all comps are treated the same. dont like it but ill work around it and as i have been told numerous times go elsewhere for a daily list or accept that im going to miss a heap of them, forget it and move on *shrugs*

maybe andrea will review things again when she gets time ro read and attempt to understand what any pms she now gets are asking. maybe she wont, in the meantime its going to be great fun avoiding dupes and getting everything moved :rotfl:

the other option (unless thats what you mean when you say to use 3a and 3b at same time) is to post and update ongoing threads but allow them to be posted with the current day/week/months end date and moved to game over each time with a link to the ongoing thread, in which case the ongoing could be linked in the stickies, the people who dont want to have to keep track of threads can find them by the linky in the new post each time and if they dont get posted and they miss them then they can accept being told to forget it and move on or go elsewhere :cool: but im repeating myself again ,and we were supposed to be trying that for the last month or so and have ahd great success and cooperation over it :rotfl:

also why would 3b adn 4b only become used after a while? might as well jump straight into it now rather than carry on with the confusing aspect of ongoing threads which people cant follow.