Why do people post competitions?

sleepyjones

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/66996830#Comment_66996830

About 5 minutes, just under. My point being that if I can find one in about 5 minutes, I don't see how people can be too busy. If everyone spent 5 minutes looking for a comp that hasn't been posted and post it then we'll get a lot more comps for everyone to enter.
Sure, you won't always find one ... but is it worth taking 5 or 10 minutes to look?

weeowens

sleepyjones wrote: »

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/66996830#Comment_66996830

About 5 minutes, just under.

Gold star for you :-)

weeowens

sleepyjones wrote: »

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/66996830#Comment_66996830

About 5 minutes, just under. My point being that if I can find one in about 5 minutes, I don't see how people can be too busy. If everyone spent 5 minutes looking for a comp that hasn't been posted and post it then we'll get a lot more comps for everyone to enter.
Sure, you won't always find one ... but is it worth taking 5 or 10 minutes to look?

They just do not do it as is shown on the recent MSE Thorntons Comp.

duchy

You are assuming all are forums -where thanks are good manners . There's plenty of other sources like private groups (usenet, email etc) , comp listing sites .

I agree if the aim is to enter for absolutely everything then dupes can be a problem -I'm a lot more selective than that nowadays and only enter for prizes I have a genuine interest in .

I'd would question why people think there is only one way to gather , enter and record comps - one method won't suit everyone just because it suits some

weeowens wrote: »

Re the bolded red I would question why one would do such as that.

The comps are posted,in the main,via MSE,so why 'play' on these other sites.To do so just seems to bring a world of problems re dupes?

That is unless you have lots of comping friends that are not on MSE that must be thanked for comps that are also on MSE.

Am I being to simplistic in my approach?

Using multiple comping portals is just pure silly,but that is just my view & we can all comp as we see fit.

sleepyjones

duchy wrote: »

I'd would question why people think there is only one way to gather , enter and record comps - one method won't suit everyone just because it suits some

I kind of figure that MSE has the biggest list, help and advice and a quick and easy way to mark and record your interaction with that competition ... and seen as everyone is soooo busy and have no spare time, I would assume that MSE would be the best option?

If people have time to go through more than one site because presumably they have different competitions (or what's the point?) then that just brings me back to why can they not post some of those on here?

weeowens

duchy wrote: »

You are assuming all are forums -where thanks are good manners . There's plenty of other sources like private groups (usenet, email etc) , comp listing sites .

I agree if the aim is to enter for absolutely everything then dupes can be a problem -I'm a lot more selective than that nowadays and only enter for prizes I have a genuine interest in .

I'd would question why people think there is only one way to gather , enter and record comps - one method won't suit everyone just because it suits some

No worries.We all comp in different ways but I just think that if you use the MSE functionality re tracking entries it makes the whole process simpler.
If you spot a comp via one of the methods that you mention maybe just post it & then use the functionality.All bases are thus covered.

diddlydoop

I actually find it quite sad that others would question why others don't post comps and maybe it is because of this attitude that some choose not to get involved in the forum or maybe they choose to help out in other ways who knows but really it is of nobodys business why people choose not to post competitions. I choose to post those comps I see because I want too and that is all anyone needs to know in the same way that those who choose not too do not have to give a reason why not. People who post comps should be applauded for taking the time out of their day for others but it is their choice to do it and just because they do it shouldn't mean they have the right to question why others do not or tell others they should or even could. Maybe it's just me but I don't think it helps in any way to question something that could have many different answers depending on any individual.

emiai

I can imagine a huge number of compers use MSE without posting anything, some may not even log in to the forum - as its not a requirement.

Some may even take comps direct from MSE to list on their own little sites / groups that spin off on FB etc

There is an element of hostility that comes with posting on the forum, what if I find a competition that someone is a regular poster of and didn't realise? Its enough to put some people off.

If I find one that isn't here, I will list it - but I don't actively search comps really, I just use what is already listed here or what friends RT.

By all means you can feel free to Rt anything I find on twitter, but I don't have the time to post all those that I RT every day on here, thats why I use twitter - I am not at home, not at a PC, and use my mobile app for that , so I can comp in the free time I do have (and many of them simply are multiple entries into the same thing)

I treat Twitter as a separate entity to MSE - I always have done.

(I wonder if anyone is interested in organising a Twitter list for MSE'rs - where comps can be shared without having to get access to a pc to post the details here - especially if the contest will end within the hour for those MSE users who are actively engaged in twitter competitions)

MaineBlue

I post competitions because I want to give a bit back tho the MSE community for all the comps that I enter, simple as that.

I do, however, only search for and post when I have time and I don't always post every competition that I find. And that isn't being selfish. That is because a) I don't always have time b) the website where the comp is hosted have pulled comps because they've been posted on MSE c) I want to increase the odds of winning

So, I can imagine lots of you now getting all giddy 'cos I was honest and posted C)

And again I stress that it isn't being selfish. I found a comp. I want to win it so why on earth should I choose to share it. Simple maths, if I share it on MSE then there may well be 1000+ more people enter. But please, before you start to crucify me, please show me where it says if you use MSE to enter competitions that you have to post comps on MSE? At least I do post comps.

Take a really popular competition, a great holiday or a huge AV bundle; these can attract 500-1000 'thanks' (and I guess for every 1 'thanks' there's going to be 5 more people who enter (i.e. people who don't thank or people who use MSE who aren't logged in / aren't members). So my point here being is a good comp gets posted and anything up to 6000 people may enter as a result of MSE. Do we have 6000 'regular' comp posters? Nah. I'd say we are lucky if we have 60 regular comp posters.

So, why don't these people post comps on MSE? Probably because of all 3 reasons I have stated above along with they CBA, hostility from others, why should they post, they find a comp and it's already posted here, and god knows how many other reasons.

Nonetheless, they aren't being selfish, they just choose not to post whereas some of us choose to post. So what? There's more than enough comps on here to keep us all busy anyway.

So rather than be critical in any way of those who choose not to post just applaud those who choose to post.

sleepyjones

A lot of Twitter comps are on a pretty fast turnaround so I don't necessarily think there's a big issue with TW comps.

In reply to diddlydoop, I don't really understand how questioning why someone doesn't post a competition would dissuade them from doing so in the future? I don't make a point of going into the "I Won" forum and berate someone because they won something and only have 2 posts. I'm only even mentioning it in this topic because It came up as part of the conversation. Why people choose to, or choose not to as a byproduct of that, is the topic of this whole thread.

A slightly skewed analogy, that I'll probably get some hate for ... but the Jimmy Carr/Gary Barlow tax avoidance K2 thing springs to mind, technically he didn't do anything illegal ... was it morally questionable, yeah ... he chose to do it for whatever reason, but do I (or you) find it sad that others would question why he chose to "avoid" paying tax? Nope, not for a second.

This is the last thing I'm going to say on this because I don't want to make (any more) enemies on here I acknowledge that people use the Expire button, help out with question answers, post answers to the "I'm new to this" brigade ... and I get that there can be passive aggressive replies to some new competition postings if it's been posted before or if it's the wrong kind of competition (I'm not pointing fingers at anyone one person in particular), but I'd like to think I'm not part of that mob.
It's not a case of posting every competition you find, it's not a case of having 120,000 Thank You's and 2000 posts ... you know?, I don't think it would stretch people too much to post 1 competition a week ... but that is just my opinion, if people choose not to then fine.