Better comping system with the new style forum - I think

Blulu

I can’t promise, but I think I’ve found a better way to comp, with the awful forum changes. I thought I’d share it, in case it might be helpful. It won’t work for end-date compers.

 

It is really for those who have always comped like I did. I would start each comping session from where I stopped, and work my way to the top of the board from page 6 to page 5, then page 4, etc. I would then make a note of the time I got to, and start from there with my next session.

 

The trouble is, unless I’m missing something, we can only show a short list of 20 comps at any one time. This means frequently having to keep refreshing the page, in order to move to the previous one.

 

Well, what I now realise is that it is better, to work from the top of the forum, working from page 1, to page 2, then to page 3, etc.

 

The reason is that there is no need to keep refreshing the page. When I get to the bottom of the list, I simply open the next page. If anyone has posted any more comps, I don’t miss them. It just means the top few comps on each fresh page are already ticked.

 

Once I reach where I last comped to, I go back to page 1 again, and do any comps that have been added since I started that session.

 

I still note the time I stop comping, as then I know when I have reached that point the next time. Although, so far, it is pretty obvious, because I get to where all the comps below are already ticked as skipped/entered.

 

Sorry if I’ve explained it badly. But it might be worth giving it a go as doing it this way makes it a lot less hassle when refreshing/moving to the next page.

 

Blu XXX

mjm3346

Vaguely similar but I simply work through them as they are added, using the bookmark flag so I can so through pages without needing to open the 90%+ I am not interested in and at the same time simply drop any that I want to look at further/enter into a folder or open in a new tab then I can look at them when I have gone through the list or any time later.  I don't bother with entered or skipped as the bookmark flag shows if I have seen a comp or not and when I reach a post with no replies that is bookmarked I know that's as far back as I need to look.

(obviously I don't use bookmark for anything else)

Blulu

Nice one mjm. I will sleep on it and think about it. I admit, I really like the idea of not having to open the ones I don't want to enter, which, like you, is most of them. The only thing is, doesn't that mean you get an MSE email every time someone posts on one that you've bookmarked? Or am I missing something obvious - again? LOL

Cheers

Blu XXX

One-Eye

I do something very similar (and did almost the same with the old forum).

1. Use https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/competitions-time?sort=new to get the forum in "first post" order (ie. not "last post" order)
2. At the top or bottom of the first page, CTRL+Click on the numbers 2, 3, 4 etc. to open each page in a new tab. I usually find 4-6 pages is enough to find where I previously finished.
3. Working from the highest page number I look for the thread I finished on last time - the newest thread marked with the "entered" or "skipped" button.
4. I then work through the pages (highest page to lowest page, bottom of each page to top of each page), only opening threads I am interested in, until I get back to the top of page 1, and I mark that thread with "entered" or "skipped".
5. I refresh page 1 to see any new posts since I started.

Of course I am relying on the entered/skipped being visible, so with the occasional new forum problems making the note of the time is a good back-up.

Blulu

Brill. I think I'm going to leave this thread for a few days and see what pearls people post, then choose the one that seems the best. Others may want to do the same.

Thanks for the reply and to others who might yet post their system/s.

Blu XXX

allisoca

I usually comp in the morning. Starting with the latest post, work back to midday the day before, entering or skipping as I go. Then back to the beginning cross off/enter any new ones till noon. If I get time during the day I cross off any I’m not interested and leave any I’m interested in till the next morning. It’s not as easy as it was, but it doesn’t take long to comp now. 

mjm3346

Blulu said:

Nice one mjm. I will sleep on it and think about it. I admit, I really like the idea of not having to open the ones I don't want to enter, which, like you, is most of them. The only thing is, doesn't that mean you get an MSE email every time someone posts on one that you've bookmarked? Or am I missing something obvious - again? LOL

Cheers

Blu XXX

I don't use the bookmark function for anything else so have all notifications for it turned off - doing it this way I use the board "as is" and also don't need to keep any separate record

thingamaBob

I do virtually the same as One-Eye except that I am clicking in every post to click Entered/Skipped on all of them. There's so few being posted at the moment it doesn't take much time. Hopefully, by the time it picks up (if it does), the ability to click Skipped from the main board will be back.

Marg2k8

I'm using the bookmark thread instead of entered/skipped too, to save opening each thread.  Saves clicking in to them.  I have also pretty much given up on the compliment button now (don't shoot me for not thanking people) as its too fiddly.  That way, I don't click into mag daily threads or NME/expressly either as I enter these from the home pages of the mags. 

For puzzler and take a break, I bookmark the regular comps board and check it once a day and if there are new posts, I click into it and am taken to the first of the new posts. 

strawbubbi

thingamaBob said:

I do virtually the same as One-Eye except that I am clicking in every post to click Entered/Skipped on all of them. There's so few being posted at the moment it doesn't take much time. Hopefully, by the time it picks up (if it does), the ability to click Skipped from the main board will be back.

This is what I do but if you've not been on for a few days it quickly adds up and then it's easily 10+ pages to go through. I really hope they add the enter/skip buttons back soon! Being able to actually see the ticks and crosses is much easier and pleasing haha

smitchy73

I start at page 1 each day, enter all the new one's that I want to, click enter and compliment(when working), if it's the likes of the radio comps for large amounts or daily, I bookmark them.  I go through the pages until I find where I left off the day before or last time I was in.  Every few weeks when I'm bored or exhausted Netflix etc, or if I'm up at the crack of dawn, I'll sit and and go through all the pages and double checking i've not missed any worthy comps.
For the post/text comps page, I'll enter those with my postal or text or email entry and compliment them and bookmark them so I know i've entered.
No idea if i'm doing it right or not or if there are better ways to do it, but I find it works for my simple mind.