New Comps Board Guidelines Discussion

purplecatlover

ahh i see, thanks comping cat for explaining.

the posting on mian but linking to regs was an attempt at a compromise...rather than those comps being posted and updated in an ongoing thread and then also posted as a new comp on main which meant that those of us who did use the ongoing threads and/or stickies to enter then duped are entries if we didnt remember we had already entered it that week or month. i dont like it, it makes more threads to work thorugh to find those comps i do wnat to enter when im working by end date and thus means more pages of comps on that end date but i do prefer that to the previously acceptable allowing to dupe on main if the comp was only in regs. (if you search for tracklements or bear garden for example these comps started as ongoing threads, then got posted as new comps each month on main, so the people updating the original thread gave up so as to help prevent duping, the last month or so with the new linking posts the original threads have gone back to being updated).

i thought that was the point of the sticky threads too, but it seems alot of people keep their own lists and search those comps out on main if there is a new answer etc rather than use the stickies or follow an ongoing thread. they say they miss comps if they are not posted on mian newly each time and some want the stickies maintained with a new link each time. so instead of adding between 5 and 10 new links, removing the same amount of now ended links each day, id be adding and removing 50ish each day (less some days, more other days depending on how many are in the daily prize draw, facebook and twitter ocmps sections with new answers or new entry required each day).

or the other suggestion is we have one rule for daily prize draw, another for enter daily to gain extra entries, another for weekly prize draw, another for enter weekly for extra entries, another for monthly prize draws, one for monthly entry for extra entries, one for enter once and stay subscribed to be entered forever more, one for enter once,unsubscribe and resubscribe to enter subsequent times etc etc etc. with a separate poll to determine what the majority want for each type of regualr comp and then a guideline drawn up for each type of regular comp according to those polls.

purplecatlover

re title tags, other unwritten rules etc can i please draw everyones attention to this post by mamzie if you have not seen it

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=41935938&postcount=3

eta glad said earlier in the discussion that once we sorted out how to post regular comps we could then have a new thread to discus anything else that needs clairifed and the possibility of having a chat sub forum

One-Eye

Unless you want comps like The Sun Buzz – £200 Crossword moved to regulars – VOTE NO

purplecatlover

i repeat

or the other suggestion is we have
one rule for daily prize draw,
another for enter daily to gain extra entries,
another for weekly prize draw,
another for enter weekly for extra entries,
another for monthly prize draws,
one for monthly entry for extra entries,
one for enter once and stay subscribed to be entered forever more,
one for enter once,unsubscribe and resubscribe to enter subsequent times etc etc etc.

with a separate poll to determine what the majority want for each type of regular comp and then a guideline drawn up for each type of regular comp according to those polls.

perhaps we should adopt the suggestion andrea last suggested? make it simple, do away with regs totally and have everything as a new post on mian, including tab, puzzler, postals, and all daily, weekly and monthly threads. vote NO if this is what you want

martinsnest

Is it only me but I cant make head nor tail of all this. It all seems to work fine for me now so why try to change things that are working well???

Mamzie

but the Poll is purely about ONGOING COMPS with no End Dates....

Mamzie wrote: »

how am I reading the poll differently???

It still means reg comps with a End Date whether they are repeat entry or multiple prizes drawn throughout the promotion going onto Main not that they need reposting every d/w/m - while the ongoing comps that are already left in regs, that have no end of promotion date mentioned and are multiple entry/prize stay on Regs.

The wiatrose comp has a definate end date of 22/03/2011 mentioned every week in its t7cs - why would that move?

(And why am I on comps discussion instead of the debate thread... argh, going to c&p there too)

One-Eye wrote: »

POLL WARNING – The poll is HERE

The question really means “Do you want this guideline implemented?” – please vote accordingly.

If you think posting a monthly comp as an individual comp (for the current month only) is the best idea – VOTE NO

If you don’t want existing comps that are posted individually each month moving to regulars – VOTE NO

If you think regulars sub-forum should contain only those comps that have no new Question/Answer/Link/Prize each time – VOTE NO

Mamzie

I am sure we are are voting on whether point 2a is acceptable to allow us to post comps easier with some guidelines, after all the niggles the last 6 mths.. Point 1 covers END Date single and ongoing comps, and how to post them. These are the proposed guidelines in Post 3 after being tweaked and amended the last week or so, on this thread and via pm...

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) 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 – Theseare 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 - Theseare 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 - Theseare 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)

bargainhuntergal

I told myself I wasn't going to post on this subject again, but as this is still going on I thought I'd pop in again and just add my thoughts

I'm still very confused as to what it is people want, to me there seems to be a lot of talk of not wanting a certain thing, and not so much talk about what people do want, even when it's mentioned 'go back to how it was 6 months ago/how it was before', I don't know about anyone else but I can't really remember what it was like before so I'm having trouble grasping what that is.

I'm sure I've said this before but I'll say again I do think that what this shows is that people really care about what happens on the comps forum and that's a good thing!

I voted 'Yes' on the poll as I could do/can live with it that way, however, personally, it is only my opinion and I do appreciate that not everyone (or maybe even anyone) will agree with me, I still think (I posted the same suggestion back in October when this all started up but I don't think anyone that's recently seen the discussion has gone back that far so just wanted to bring it back to the table) posting weeklies and monthlies separately each time would work the best, with all dailies (anything that would currently be on the daily sticky), both the ongoing threads and the ones with an end date, in the regulars section (I'd change the name to Daily Competitions) (I don't think there would be many pages this way? Maybe 5ish (Though I've not worked it out for sure and it would fluctuate slightly at times! ) (Edit: I've just gone and had a look and there's around about 250 comps (13 pages when 20 threads to a page) on the daily thread, although a lot of them are the Look, Now, Nuts, Pick Me Up and What's on TV ones, which once they're posted, don't need updating, so they'd just drop down the pages as new ones are posted) and all the newly posted/updated ones would be on the first page or so in the default format? One click to get there? So easy to check for new ones?) (I'm thinking if all of the comps that are on the dailies sticky are in the regulars part with some title tags to indicate type, there might not need to be a daily sticky so it would save pcl a lot of work?)

I've seen it mentioned a couple of times that the weekly and monthly stickies would be redundant if this was to happen, going on the weeklies only (I haven't gone through the monthlies for over a year, always say I'll do them this month and never get around to it!) there would be at least 2 comps that I currently enter (The Can'tBarsed ones that have an end date a few months in advance but you can enter weekly for one prize at the end) that would still need linking somewhere (I'm not sure if there's any of this type on the monthlies, but if there is it would be the same situation) but I do think that even if there were no comps of this type that needed linking, having both stickies with a list of the sites (maybe type of prize if always similar?) and plain text URL's (no clickies direct to the site) (I wouldn't mind helping to do this so it can be C&P'ed into the post so no extra work for the sticky maintainers to get it started off) that need posting each time would mean that no comps should get permanently lost into the great chasm that is Game Over once the current one moves over, which I think was one of the worries of posting them each time? (I'd move the weekly and monthly stickies over to the main forum so that the regulars was just for daily comps/enter as much as you like (or as often as you purchase the product) comps)

Like I said though, this is only my thoughts on it and I don't expect anyone to agree, as we all think very very differently (this discussion has really highlighted how different we all are!) but that's what makes the most sense to me in my own mind. Though I can live with any decision made as long as it's consistent and everyone knows what's what!

Sorry for babbling and I hope no one minds me joining in with this again, I don't want to start any arguments or anything, but wanted to give people the opportunity to read ideas that have been mentioned before if they've only just joined in and not seen them previously, if you've seen it before please ignore this post, although if you've gotten this far you've probably already read it. :rotfl:

Edit: I meant to say, I know it's been mentioned that it would mean a lot more end of the month comps, but I guess if you're going to enter them/check them anyway, either from the monthly sticky or from the ongoing threads in the regulars forum, then it shouldn't matter too much time wise how you do them, ie. when they're posted, by end date (if I'm working by end date I always try and do a couple of pages of end of the month comps a day so that there's not as many to do at the end of the month), from the sticky or from the regulars forum? But maybe the advantage to having a thread each time is that if you don't like the sound of the prize from the title, it's easy to skip past so no need to check that site that time?

purplecatlover

we are back to where we where before hte discussion that began over a week ago which led to the current poll.

i would love to go back to "how it was 6mths ago" except more like 9 or 10 months ago where regular comps were posted on regs board and were NOT DUPED on main because they were "hidden away" and lost on regs.

where ongoing regular comps had one thread that was updated with new answer except in a few cases.

where when bgs merged dupes into an ongoing thread, or moved it to regs because it was a regular comp they didnt get moaned at to the point that they couldnt be bothered to move things anymore!

where it didnt depend on who was posting as to how things got posted (with a few exceptions ), the stickys were maintainable without requiring the replacing of existing links every day or week or month woth a new link to a new thread...whast the point of that?

to be honest i think maintaining list of all sites will be redundant. if people dont have tiome to click onto reg forum they surely dont have time to click into a sticky, search for the comp and see if its been posted or not that month (or week or day) and then post it if not.

every single compromise thats been suggested or attempted has been shot down and beaten upon....it seems people want all on main and forget about regs totally so i go back to my previous stanse. in the interests of keeping it simple and having one rule instead of many post absolutely every single comp in a new thread. that includes all daily answer and entry required, postals, tab and puzzler comps.

OR allow dailies to be ongoing threads, but that applies to ALL dailies, doesnt leave exceptions for ones that are "not really a daily" however having all weeklies and all monthlies as new posts includes all those in puzzler and tab threads, most are weekly or monthly issue and quite a lot of the postals.

or we agree that tab puzzler postals and dailies can stay as ongoing threads buy everything else is anew post.

i dont care any which way now to be honest, i simply want rules that apply to all the same type of comps so we dont have poster one posted this so even though on the site its called a weekly comp they want it new each weeka dn poster two posted this one so its an ongoing and updated thread each week.

perhaps those of you who where here when regs board was introduced can tell us why it was wanted in the first place? i wasnt here so i have no idea.

good luck trying to sort something. i will live with whatever, so long as the rules are clear and consistant! which "how it was" they are not!

eta: i think it was immortal beloved who pointed out that many comps would still ahve fallen under the irregular and thus couldnt be treated as a reg

beffffff

Glad - I think a lot of people are hung up on the where and not the ongoing thread thing. So although some people want new threads each w/m maybe if the majority are not happy with ongoing regulars living on regulars they may be OK with ongoing regulars existing but on main as ongoing threads? This would at least mean the stickies could remain for those that use them as anything further would mean no more stickies.

Perhaps, to save waiting a week before running another poll could you think of running one along the lines of:


IF the majority vote is no on poll 1 would the following be acceptable to you (YES/NO)?

Mamzie wrote: »

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) 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.