Magazine 'thread' competitions

comping_cat

I will admit, i was not a fan of this when it was started (im obviously still not a fan) but ive just done a little bit of research, and can only conclude that it is a very unfair way of posting competitions for the majority of compers.

Im afraid i dont know how to post individual posts, but this is an example of what i have found.

Post 334 is for a £500 Lipsy voucher - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4601135

Ive picked this one as i would say it would be a popular prize, however, it closed on the 24/07 and had 68 thanks.

This - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4493981 closed on the 30/04, is for facebook users and students, so a more restrictive competition, yet had 92 thanks.

This one - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3322354 again, a restrictive facebook comp, closed 2 years ago, when there was less people comping than now, with 455 thanks.

A Kindle fire comp on the magazine thread (actually, its just below the lipsy comp, post 345) 77 thanks, one that closed yesterday on the main board (and just the Kindle, not the books as well https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4717005) 681 thanks.


I just feel the way it has changed, it is now stopping a lot of compers from entering, and surely the boards are meant to run for the benefit of the majority, not the minority?

Daphne01

I agree it's more difficult now and not the way I'd like them posted, but looking at it from the posters point of view there are just so many mags to cover and many many more comps than there were previously, it would take forever to post them all separately.

Barnabysue

I think perhaps a lot of people do as I do and save the first page where they are listed and updated, so they never see the individual posts to thank them. I wasn't a fan at first, but I find them a lot quicker and easier now.

angiesandhu

I also do what BarnabySue does and just work from the first page. So I also don't look at the individual posts to thank.

bossladysal

I go to the end of the thread to thank all the posters about once a week but I can see why many would not as it's quite time consuming.
However, I find the new thread much easier than before, especially as they are listed in end-date order. And with the answer given next to the link you only need one click and you're on the right page. I find it much quicker than before to enter them.

jewels84

If anything I find the way they're posted now much easier to work through. With them all posted in the one place I just bookmark the thread and every couple of days check to see if there's been new posts and add them to my folders set up in my bookmarks. I do it differently from Barnabysue and bookmark the last page so I know where I've got up to.

I probably wasn't doing it efficiently enough when it was done the old way, but opening 20+ tabs with the MSE post then an equal number of tabs for the actual Mag page seems like a round about way compared to now.

About the number of 'thanks' - I'm not sure that these can be used to measure the number of entries accurately enough. I know there many opinions on the 'to thank' or 'not to thank' debate so don't want to go there but with the Mag Dailies and similarly the TAB/Puzzler threads I tend to use the thanks button to record those I've entered & where I'd gotten to on my last visit as there's no Tick/Cross. And as others have said, they work from the first page so wouldn't necessarily go the actual individual post.

I'm into a routine with them now so I don't have any issues with how they are currently posted.

fire**fly

i'm subscribed to the the thread & get instant notification each time a new post is added so can thank each op when they post a new one & follow the thread, am finding it lots quicker & easier to enter these daily as to what is was before when posted on mains in separate posts, also as daphne says when we find a new comp on them it's much easier & quicker to post the new found ones on the one thread as opposed to having to make a new post each time on mains for them

LadyMorticia

jewels84 wrote: »

If anything I find the way they're posted now much easier to work through. With them all posted in the one place I just bookmark the thread and every couple of days check to see if there's been new posts and add them to my folders set up in my bookmarks. I do it differently from Barnabysue and bookmark the last page so I know where I've got up to.

I probably wasn't doing it efficiently enough when it was done the old way, but opening 20+ tabs with the MSE post then an equal number of tabs for the actual Mag page seems like a round about way compared to now.

About the number of 'thanks' - I'm not sure that these can be used to measure the number of entries accurately enough. I know there many opinions on the 'to thank' or 'not to thank' debate so don't want to go there but with the Mag Dailies and similarly the TAB/Puzzler threads I tend to use the thanks button to record those I've entered & where I'd gotten to on my last visit as there's no Tick/Cross. And as others have said, they work from the first page so wouldn't necessarily go the actual individual post.

I'm into a routine with them now so I don't have any issues with how they are currently posted.

I do the same as you. With the exception that I thank every new post even if I'm not going to enter because it became a habit. :P

I find it easier to manage the magazine dailies now than how it used to be.

tttJay

fire**fly wrote: »

i'm subscribed to the the thread & get instant notification each time a new post is added so can thank each op when they post a new one & follow the thread, am finding it lots quicker & easier to enter these daily as to what is was before when posted on mains in separate posts, also as daphne says when we find a new comp on them it's much easier & quicker to post the new found ones on the one thread as opposed to having to make a new post each time on mains for them

I agree, this is how I do it as well....so much easier although at the moment with the "instant notification" not working for me, it's not quite as good but I really like the way it works normally. I do thank the threads but a big thank you to all of you who keep it going for us :A

bluesooz

Don't think you can really compare thanks

I don't do the magazine dailies - tried briefly then gave up! - so I may be wrong here but aren't the the magazine dailies and most of the comps in the main thread different 'types' of comps which surely would affect the numbers entering and therefore the comparative number of thanks.

As i understand it the magazine dailies require you to enter multiple times, once per day, for each prize (and I believe from previous discussions some prizes are spread over more than one mag) - so given that even if it is for a kindle I would not enter - but if the kindle comp is on FB/website I am highly likely to enter and give thanks- does that make sense?

I like them all being together, for the selfish reason that there would be even more comps on the main page I would need to red cross!

However I can see the thought that some compers are missing out on good prizes as they don't 'see' the comp as it is 'hidden' in the thread. However it only takes a few clicks using the list of mags on the first page to see what is available - and there are sooo many for some of the mags :rotfl:

ikkle87

I've never even looked at the thread lol, I'm trying to get back to grips with comping and had just carried on how I used to comp so didn't know about it. Oooops.

I think it's also worth noting now the tick and cross feature have been implemented not everyone presses thanks.

By the way, to post individual posts if you click the number in the top right hand of the post it will take you to the link for that individual post.