New Comps Board Guidelines Discussion

Al_Mac

Glad wrote: »

ok
I'm a BG this is the new rule and I'll close the poll

Main Board - For all one-off comps with single entry

Regulars Board - For all regular competitions that happen more than once, that would otherwise get lost on the main competitions board amongst all the one-off comps

that's simple

It is and 99% of compers would live with that, truely.

korkythekat wrote: »

don't know if you are or aren't Al, hardly ever see you post except now & again in here when you 'pop' in or maybe i miss your postings :)

Point taken. I need to join the "regular posters clique". First time I've been encouraged to think like that. Thanks.

Glad

Al_Mac wrote: »

It is and 99% of compers would live with that, truely.

you're right it would take away all the confusion and be easy to say 'this is a reg' or 'this is a one off' but the discussions don't go that way and unless I saw a lot of support for it I couldn't even seriously suggest it

trying to please everyone invariably means you don't please anyone

fire**fly

Al_Mac wrote: »

Point taken. I need to join the "regular posters clique". First time I've been encouraged to think like that. Thanks.

get out :rotfl: you used to post reg then delete your posts :rotfl:

purplecatlover

its what i always thought was meant by regs :rotfl: but ive been told repeatedly that im wrong and im in a minority and just cause i want to keep regs and get it used properly doesnt mean it is what should happen :cool:

ill admit i was rather disappointed to see the pps a simple and consistant rule that is easy to follow and understand would be brill!:T

Mamzie

Sorry all, I'm going to try and multi quote to try and explain better than my last post

bargainhuntergal wrote: »

I can see where One-Eye is coming from as the thing is, if you search out the end dates of all of those competitions you get:

Waitrose - Weekly - Ends on a Tuesday
Sunbuzz Crossword - Weekly - Ends on a Friday
Sunbuzz Wordsearch - Weekly - Ends on a Friday
Silver Creek Villas - Monthly - Ends last day of the month
Telegraph Where In The World - Weekly - Ends on a Wednesday
Observer Viewfinder - Weekly - Ends on a Thursday
Independent Jumbo crossword - Weekly - Ends on a Friday
TV News win movies - Weekly - Ends on a Sunday
Jelly Belly Bean World - Monthly - Ends last day of the month
Hornby - Monthly - Ends last day of the month
Brook Taverner - Monthly - Ends last day of the month (Edited to add: This also has monthly in the link)
Green & Spring - Monthly - Ends last day of the month
fuk.co.uk (in association with Tic Watches) - Monthly? Various early month end dates - One competition a month
Tic Watches - Monthly? Seems to be one a month(ish) - Generally towards the end of the month end date (Although Decembers was middle of the month)
Zandra Rhodes handbag - Monthly - Ends 13th of the month

Which just confuses matters even more as neither definition is wrong? So we're still none the wiser as to whether they're ongoing regs or separate comps each time?

But we run a search to check for dupes, not to see how often a comp runs or if its a reg, thats what I read the comp info and T&Cs for.

One-Eye wrote: »

Silver Creek Villas has same prize, new question and a specific end date every month shown below the entry form.

Telegraph and Observer are so similar - They both have a photo and text clue and you have to decide where in the world they are. Both run each and every week (except maybe Xmas). They both have a specific end date for each week's comp. Yet one is a regular and one is not?

Silver Creek Villa commit to running a recurring Ongoing Comp every month, - Monthly Prize Draw - bookmark to return every month ... its a recurring draw date mentioned on the entry form.

I have no idea what the Observer is saying in their T&Cs, but according to the proposed guidelines we are discussing then Telegraph within their T&Cs are committing to run a weekly draw, which will be recurring with no apparent End Date in sight...

I think some confusion occurs, when people see a Draw Date and think its an End Date. However if they read the T&Cs, they may find that the comp will be an Ongoing Recurring competition either with or without an Overall End Date. Sometimes a comp is posted as an individual d/w/m thread when in fact, it has a much later End of Promotion Date, so could be in a single thread, linked to the relevant sticky. Then we don't miss re-entering each entry time, which is what happens if a comp fails to get reposted some weeks/monthes

Does that make things any clearer - I'm trying to define it better in my own mind now as well.

Marg2k8 wrote: »

Thank you to everyone who has spent time trying to sort things out. Sorry, I do not have time to read through everything and thank you all individually, due to real life getting in the way. I have voted that I could live with Mamzies rules. Mamzie has spent a lot of time working out these rules and I applaud her for that. I would however have voted for any well constructed rules at all, even if they were totally opposite. For me, the main thing is that at least we have a set of rules to work to.

I just want to say a huge thank you Marg, your post means a lot to me, as I have been overly sensitive sometimes when reading some posts. I promise everyone I have only been trying to help, and work out possible guidelines that we could all live with, xxx

Al_Mac wrote: »

It is and 99% of compers would live with that, truely.

Point taken. I need to join the "regular posters clique". First time I've been encouraged to think like that. Thanks.

I would love it if we could just go back to that as well. But the discussion and the original polls went against that unfortunately. Atm, we are trying to find a different way, rather than have the last guidelines update which said to have every d/w/m reposted in Main as new threads every d/w/m

bargainhuntergal

Mamzie wrote: »

But we run a search to check for dupes, not to see how often a comp runs or if its a reg, thats what I read the comp info and T&Cs for.

I ran a search to check on the previous ones just to be sure what I was saying was right about the end dates (and thus the start dates) being regular.

This is exactly why there's so much confusion though, because both definitions could be argued as being right without very specific guidelines in place, so wherever they're posted, people will probably always argue that they should be somewhere else?

I've gone and looked at the websites and the terms for each specific competition (bar the email ones from papers etc) trying to see what the links and differences are between them, so hopefully we can see why they're all defined differently at the mo:

Waitrose:

• It says 'All you have to do is solve our prize crossword on page 19 of this week's issue of Waitrose Weekend'
• The prize stays the same
• Different question
• Competition end date: Date changes every week in the terms
• Promotion end date: Not stated
• Not sure if the link changes (assume so as specific numbers in the link)

Silver Creek Villas:

• It says 'Monthly Prize Draw Competition'
• The prize stays the same
• Different question
• Competition end date: Date changes every month in the terms
• Promotion end date: Not stated
• Date changes every month in the terms

Telegraph Where In The World:

• It says 'All entries must be received by 4pm on the first Wednesday following publication of each weekly 'Where in the world?' prize draw in The Daily Telegraph Travel section.'
• The prize stays the same
• Different question
• Competition end date: No specific dates mentioned
• Promotion end date: Not stated
• Same link? (From terms www.telegraph.co.uk/whereintheworld)

TV News win movies:

• It says 'Welcome to our weekly competition on TV NEWS!'
• The prize changes
• Different Question
• Competition end date: No dates mentioned (Can't find any terms?)
• Promotion end date: Not stated
• Same link

Jelly Belly Bean World:

• It says 'C'mon then - put your money where your mouse is and take this months delicious challenge.'
• The prize changes (This months is a Spring basket)
• Different questions
• Competition end date: No specific dates mentioned (mentions last day of the month)
• Promotion end date: Not stated
• Same link

Hornby:

• It says 'Each month, you have the chance to win a fantastic prize in our website competition'
• The prize changes
• Different question
• Competition end date: Date changes in the terms each month
• Promotion end date: Not stated
• Different link (has the month in the direct link)

Brook Taverner:

• It says 'Monthly' in the page title and in the link
• The prize changes
• Different question
• Competition end date: Date changes every month in the terms? (Though the terms I'm seeing are out of date, it says 'This competition will run from the 01/10/10 and will end on the 30/10/10.')
• Promotion end date: Not stated
• Same link

Green & Spring:

• It says 'This month we are giving everyone the opportunity to win Green & Spring's new Intensive Hand cream, Lip Balm and Revitalising Travel Candles.'
• The prize changes
• No question
• Competition end date: Date (and prize) changes in the terms every month
• Promotion end date: Not stated
• Same link

fuk.co.uk (in association with Tic Watches):

• It says 'This month they are offering one lucky winner a choice of one of their Kennett Watches which is one of the latest designer watch brands to hit the UK.'
• The prize changes
• No question
• Competition end date: Date changes on the page each month
• Promotion end date: Not stated
• Different link

Tic Watches:

• It says 'In March we are offering this amazing Alessandro Baldieri Watch which is ONLY 1 of 300.'
• The prize changes
• No question
• Competition end date: Date changes on the page each month
• Promotion end date: Not stated
• Same link

Zandra Rhodes handbag:

• It says 'Every month we are giving one lucky winner the chance to win a signed Zandra Rhodes handbag in our web exclusive competition!'
• The prize changes
• Different question
• Competition end date: Date changes on the page each month
• Promotion end date: Not stated
• Same link

Hopefully I'm not confusing matters even more, and the above actually helps somewhat with trying to define everything.

Edited to add: From what I can see the only things that stay the same in all of those are the mentions of 'weekly', 'monthly', etc and having no promotion end date stated so that's probably the easiest way for everyone to define them?

Going on the current description on the Regulars forum 'For all regular competitions that happen more than once, that would otherwise get lost on the main competitions board amongst all the one-off comps' technically I suppose all of the above are that? They all happen more than once regardless of any changes of prizes, questions, dates in the terms and links?

But then as we've learned from the discussions the majority of people don't want those competitions to move over to regulars at all? (Personally I'm on the fence as I can just adjust the way I comp depending on the outcome of everything)

The thing that confuses me is that things like 'Tissot' is an updated each week thread on mains (because it has an promotion end date is the only reason I can think of?), but it has the same likeness in every other way to some of the above comps that are posted as different comps each time:

Tissot:

• It says (in the terms) 'There will be only one prize per random selection per week. The prize to be winning during the first week will be the TISSOT watch, the following week it will be a Jungfraubahnen Voucher, the week after a TISSOT watch and so on.'
• The prize changes
• Different questions
• Competition end date: Date changes on the page each month
• Promotion end date: 30/04/11
• Same link

I'm not saying which way is right or wrong as I honestly don't know (and have never really known tbh as it's always been a sort of grey area) but looking at the points above, it makes me see even more why there's so much confusion around and why a clear definition really needs to be made before anyone can even think about what to do as everyone needs to be singing off the same hymn sheet with it all to even stand a chance of sorting this all out. Even with going back to how everything was 6 or so months ago, these inconsistencies still exist in some form or another.

comping_cat

Almost all competitions are regular - the ones i post, i post every week at the same time so under Glads rules they should all be on the regular board.

I wont be posting on the regular board tho, as they all have a different question/prizes, and sometimes have different links so i class them as one off - the same as all the ones that Lakshami posts, weeowen, elverman etc - they post them from the same sites at the same time at regular intervals, but they normally have different questions, prizes and links.

If these are meant to go on the regular board it will need explaining to me, because i had a quick look at the weekly and monthly ones last night and got completely confused (although i did find quite a few i used to enter on the main board but obviously dont get posted there now, i also found lots of enter once and you are in all future draws - why are they there? they are not regular, but one off!)

I know Glad is a BG, but is this what heather, Diva and Dalkirst agree with as well? This is why i suggested they ALL get together and discuss it, because as you can see, its not as straightforward as it looks.

toniq

korkythekat wrote: »

please don't let the few who never seem to be here just lately only to comment when they feel like it drive you away

I'm not sure how to interpret this, The way I at first glance last night read this was only people that have been posting loads on these discussions are allowed to post here?

I thought the whole point of this thread was to get as many view points across concerning what constitues a reg.

I'm hoping I read it wrong as it gave me an uncomfortable feeling, and yes Al's post did too he was way too blunt and could have rephrased what he wrote a bit more tactfully.

If this is a closed discussion between a few please say.

comping_cat

Im getting myself more involved than i had wanted to now, but another suggestion from me (and at the day, if the 4 BGs decide on any rules i will go along with them) but is there any need for weekly or monthly stickies? We could see at the weekend by all the ones that grannybiker posted that they can have end dates and be posted on the main board and would just mean a couple of extra busy days (like it used to be) a month when all the monthly and weekly ones are posted up, and like i said in my previous post, most competitions are regualr and on the main board, there are very few one off competitions.

I can see the need for a daily thread, as all those being reposted every day would be a waste of posters time and would clog up the board, but what about a different, new sticky in the regular competition of No End Date competitions? That way, people who enter by end date will know there is a section that they can visit if they want/have time to that we have no idea about when it will expire. If it is found to have an end date then it can be moved to the main board.

Maybe people who only enter via the regular board only will also find lots of new competitions to enter that they are missing out on, on the main board if that is the only way they can enter?

grannybiker

comping_cat wrote: »

Im getting myself more involved than i had wanted to now, but another suggestion from me (and at the day, if the 4 BGs decide on any rules i will go along with them) but is there any need for weekly or monthly stickies? We could see at the weekend by all the ones that grannybiker posted that they can have end dates and be posted on the main board and would just mean a couple of extra busy days (like it used to be) a month when all the monthly and weekly ones are posted up, and like i said in my previous post, most competitions are regualr and on the main board, there are very few one off competitions.

I can see the need for a daily thread, as all those being reposted every day would be a waste of posters time and would clog up the board, but what about a different, new sticky in the regular competition of No End Date competitions? That way, people who enter by end date will know there is a section that they can visit if they want/have time to that we have no idea about when it will expire. If it is found to have an end date then it can be moved to the main board.

Maybe people who only enter via the regular board only will also find lots of new competitions to enter that they are missing out on, on the main board if that is the only way they can enter?

I had quite a few PMs thanking me for posting those comps . They're all ones I have in my own favourites folder to enter each month, so I think they're "Good." Much more time-consuming to post them according to the new guidelines now tho', so would be delighted if all weekly / monthlies could be posted on main with the appropriate end date.

Glad actually suggested this way back when this was discussed before and it's pretty much ( a few exceptions, and inconsistencies :rotfl:!) what happened in the past, or the "Way it was before!" that many folk seem keen to return to.

Can see a lot of folk going along with it as a) it's simple & b) all compers could easily adapt to it.

All we need is a rule to say it's allowed to iron out those inconsistencies and we're done & dusted here :j.
Or am I over-simplifying things....?


ETA - No ignoring any replies... work