RE: MyGaming competitions

Status
Not open for further replies.
N

nanonyous

New member
RE: MyGaming competitions

As a foreword, I'm not sore that I don't win in the competitions, as there are many of them and I simply don't enter a lot of them anyway.

That, and I'm typing this nearly naked, in bed.


Anyway. There was, as often is, a competition on the MyGaming forum; the competition's entry method consisted of a system that's been used a lot in the past by this forum as well as other forums of various types, and it's one that quite simply aggravates me, and I'm sure many other people.

It's in the form of a 'choose a number between x-y' raffle where you have to post with the number(s) you choose.

Why does it aggravate me? Because there is no way to see what numbers have been taken without trawling each and every single post in a thread and then taking special note of each and every single number that's been chosen by someone else.

Then you go post your numbers up and have to go through each and every single page all over again to make sure that someone that had duplicate numbers didn't edit their post with numbers you chose before you.

Then you have to go back and check again just in case someone else was doing the same and you're still choosing duplicate numbers.


This is a system that is not only counter-intuitive, but also favours the early posters for the thread, as they have 'the least work' to do for their entries.

Now, don't get me wrong, I appreciate free competitions as much as the next guy and I, in that way, have no right to complain. However, I find it discouraging to take part in competitions at all when the bulk of them operate on such a basis, and as such may often not even look at notifications for competitions that work on a different system where, as an example, creativity and peer review gains merit for entries, instead.


As such, I'd like to suggest, as I did in a pm I sent to Tinman (didn't see a 'read' receipt, brah), that someone with the required know-how set up a PHP module to use with the forums that allows for selecting numbers for associated competitions' raffles based on username. As an added bonus, the competition admins should be able to determine who can and cannot enter based on previous competition winnings and/or minimum post requirements or the like.

This way, not only will there not be over 9000 kids that don't read the competition terms of entry, but everyone can easily and effectively choose their numbers for their entries without having to suffer immense frustration and what could end up hours of trying to get their entries in.



That and,
please don't bother with supposed 'get extra entries' drives, they don't increase users' chances and unless you implement a sane number choosing system, only adds to confusion and frustration.

I'd have gone to promote MyGaming if asked without there being a competition behind it, but really, if you have 100 people entering a competition with 1 entry each, each person has a 1 in 100 chance of winning. If you now tell them they can get an extra 4 entries by doing this, that and the other thing, but the total amount of possible entries is expanded to 500, and 100 people enter, they each still have an effective 1 in 100 chance of winning anyway, you just got them to do something they might've done for you anyway had you simply asked.

/rant
 
Wow, All that text complaining about something as silly as the way the comps are done.

If you dont like it, why not do the php work yourself? Whats that you dont know how? Than stfu and stop complaining about the way free stuff is given out...
 
Blaze786 said:
Wow, All that text complaining about something as silly as the way the comps are done.

If you dont like it, why not do the php work yourself? Whats that you dont know how? Than stfu and stop complaining about the way free stuff is given out...
Click to expand...

Whoa, that's quite hostile, man. It was just a suggestion dude, nothing wrong with that. I did not really see all that as a complaint. He makes some valid points as well. There are always ways to improve something, even if it's free, and a good way to do that is to have suggestions by the community.

Apart from that, this guys has done more for the community already than some of the guys that come here with their one liners.

For example, instead of having a list of numbers to draw from, why not have the participants names on a bunch of cards and draw that instead? Like the last competition, let's say, for the sake of simplicity, everyone got 5 entries. Then you just have 5 cards for each person. So instead of choosing numbers, you just sign up and a card with your name gets drawn?
 
Last edited:
nanonyous, not sure what you are moaning about, almost every single comp has a volunteer that specifically compiles a list of numbers taken etc. :wtf:
 
Blaze786 said:
If you dont like it, why not do the php work yourself? Whats that you dont know how? Than stfu and stop complaining ...
Click to expand...

First I was like "Dude, chill, he's just voicing his opinion and wants a better system"

Blaze786 said:
about the way free stuff is given out...
Click to expand...

But then I was like "actually you're right. We're getting free stuff ... for free. The very least we can do is put in a bit of effort to make sure our numbers are correct. Hell, we don't even buy a raffle ticket OR pay for delivery."
 
Voicy said:
First I was like "Dude, chill, he's just voicing his opinion and wants a better system"



But then I was like "actually you're right. We're getting free stuff ... for free. The very least we can do is put in a bit of effort to make sure our numbers are correct. Hell, we don't even buy a raffle ticket OR pay for delivery."
Click to expand...

Or is there's a better way of making it easier for everyone, then suggest it.

Just because the air we breathe is free, doesn't mean we don't have to keep it clean.
 
Nanymous raises good points. Unfortunately our time here is filled with other things, and I wouldn't know how to create a PHP module.

How about a system whereby people simply post once in a competition thread. Their post will count as their entry? I admit the numbers thing does get a bit crazy.
 
Last edited:
to0kenZA said:
Or is there's a better way of making it easier for everyone, then suggest it.

Just because the air we breathe is free, doesn't mean we don't have to keep it clean.
Click to expand...

Suggestions are like poepholes, everyone has one.

Also there are ways of voicing suggestions, without the ranting.

The stuff is free, if you want an easier way of getting said free stuff, do something.
 
Tinman said:
Nanymous raises good points. Unfortunately our time here is filleds with other things, and I wouldn't know how create a PHP module.

How about a system whereby people simply post once in a competition thread. Their post will count as their entry? I admit the numbers thing does get a bit crazy.
Click to expand...

See Blaze, now what was so wrong about that?

No offence towards you okes, but this is exactly the kind of elitist stench that makes myBB such a dank place and why I would much rather prefer this community. Yes, everyone has an opinion so what's wrong with that?

Sure it's free stuff, but did you see how much effort the organizers had to do last time, with all those freakin' numbers? It must have been a ball ache of note.
 
As I mentioned, someone keeps a log of the numbers that have been taken.........I always check that first before picking a number. :rolleyes:
 
Why not reserve the 2nd post of the thread for the numbers thing, instead of updating it randomly through the thread. at least it saves you having to wade through looking for the last update. Other than that, the main job is still of the mods who have to allocate the numbers to the correct person and make sure he/she had the number 1st.
 
DenSweeP said:
Why not reserve the 2nd post of the thread for the numbers thing, instead of updating it randomly through the thread. at least it saves you having to wade through looking for the last update. Other than that, the main job is still of the mods who have to allocate the numbers to the correct person and make sure he/she had the number 1st.
Click to expand...

Now thats a great and easy to implement Idea!!! :D
 
Blaze786 said:
Suggestions are like poepholes, everyone has one.

Also there are ways of voicing suggestions, without the ranting.

The stuff is free, if you want an easier way of getting said free stuff, do something.
Click to expand...

Dude he wasn't ranting. I think it's the best complaint I've ever seen since he goes through the effort of fully describing his problem and a suggested solution. I'm inclined to agree with him, though as TM said, not enough time, so until then, just read the posts of the people who go through the effort of tallying it up for you.
 
Since each post has its own number (blue bar, right-hand side), why not use that as the poster's entry number? The mod would still have to police the thread though; it would be incredibly difficult for some individuals to post only once in any given thread.

Oh ya, the 'top' button doesn't work.
 
Juice's suggestion would work provided, as he said, people could learn to only post once. No "sry bra ur not allowd 2 enter" posts by other users.

Grimspoon, the issue is that those mods or volunteers still have to wade through the posts 'frequently' to weed out the posts that don't belong and tally up what could become insane amounts of numbers. Those people also have lives they'd like to get on with; having to sit there wasting their time on something convoluted can only serve to tire them out.

DenSweep, as with above, it still causes an issue for those trying to get their entries in in that they have to meticulously pick through the invalid entries to find people that have already tried posting 'their' numbers, then post any numbers that they think aren't taken yet, then wait on the mod or volunteer to see which of their numbers are now valid, then go and try to get the other numbers picked. If it were only one number per person, that would keep things significantly more simple, but still make it more frustrating than it needs to be.


And Blaze, you might have noticed (guessing you didn't) that I suggested someone make a PHP module, not the guys running MyGaming's site/forums. This forum looks to be using phpBB v3, so it's open to allowing external PHP modules of the sort. If this is a community driven forum, there should be a few dozen, if not hundreds of users, that have the knowledge required that could set it up in minutes; just because it's easy doesn't mean that everyone is able or inclined to learn how to do it, but at the same time doesn't mean there aren't people that already know how to.

Think about it. 10-30min creating the module, that allows for all future competitions, whether free or not, to be entered in an efficient, sane manner by every contestant, and to be moderated and checked by its administrators in a matter of minutes or even simply seconds, vs one that wastes what could amount to hours of every contestant's time, as well as that of the competition administrators.

My post served to demonstrate potential frustration regarding the competitions. Your post served to demonstrate a narrow minded opinion that was typed before taking into consideration the factors that made up the post you were replying to.

*edit* Also to the competition admins, the 'please don't bother with promotion drives for entries' remark is based on that you could just as easily have a competition entry requirement involve the posting of a facebook status pointing to the thread or similar.

Gigabyte, for their 'fans' competition, would have a series of pictures on which users would post a +1 for their entry. What this does is it lets all their friends know that they've commented on "someone's" photo, which, if someone clicks on the link to go see what it's about, can also see what group it's a part of and thus might start looking at more information regarding the group and/or competitions/associated content.

It does pose the problem that many people would like to keep their superhero identities hidden, so they don't want to associate their forum name with their real name, which would mean the competitions would need to be run solely on Facebook or a similar platform, with the forum thread simply directing to the discussion for the competition on Facebook, instead.

You get your publicity, users get their entries for free stuff, everything is immediately remarkably more simple for all those involved, except those that don't want Facebook profiles.

The only catch is that, because of a lack of facebook name/forum name linking, you can't have minimum post requirements, so the PHP module on the forums would still work better.
 
Last edited:
Nanonyous between myself and Toxin we manage to keep the comps rolling properly so that people don't go and choose duplicate numbers with lists in which we create. We also add the comp rules for that specific comp at the bottom of the list, in bold and highlighted for everyone to see. No one should have any excuse to say that they did not see the comp rules as we add them to the list of competition entries.

We do try and avoid duplicate entries, but what I like to do is inform those that have taken duplicates to please change their numbers, just to make it fair for them and this way they also get notified about their numbers being taken already and can quickly come in and change it.
 
And I appreciate the effort you guys are putting in for everyone, but fact remains that people simply do not read competition rules, because it's too much effort for them. Additionally, as I've said several times now, it's all good and well that you guys make lists of valid and invalid entries and chosen numbers, but when there are already several hundred numbers chosen and a few dozen people with multiple numbers that were already taken, that's several dozen people that will "quickly come back to change their numbers", which means that there is a very good chance there will still be a bunch of those people editing their posts choosing duplicate numbers, and you will still have to go review all the entries to see who chose what numbers first in their post edits and who still has invalid picks.


In other words, multiple people have their time wasted, both entrants and competition admins, and I don't doubt that at least one of those people that often enters competitions and often has their time wasted has the knowledge required to make a PHP module for the competitions.
 
Ok well as for the rules, if people find that it's too much effort to read them and follow them, well thats at their own discretion however they will not be entered into the competitions. If people don't like that, well then that is just too bad, it's not our problem that they are just too lazy to read and follow the procedures that have been put in place to allow fair entries to those who actually make valid contributions to the site. I honestly do not feel sorry for them, that's just their own bad for not following the same rules as what everyone else has since the start of the site 2 years ago.
 
You just said the same thing three times in one paragraph. :D

And I was implying that it's the problem of other entrants and that it causes extra trouble for the competition administrators, especially when having to weed out post-spammers that don't read rules such as this past competition's of needing 40 posts in 2010, not 40 posts in total for their entry to magically become valid.

I'll say it again; I don't expect MyGaming staff or admins/mods to make the PHP module, I'm hoping that a community member with the required knowledge would take it upon themselves to.
 
nanonyous said:
You just said the same thing three times in one paragraph. :D

And I was implying that it's the problem of other entrants and that it causes extra trouble for the competition administrators, especially when having to weed out post-spammers that don't read rules such as this past competition's of needing 40 posts in 2010, not 40 posts in total for their entry to magically become valid.

I'll say it again; I don't expect MyGaming staff or admins/mods to make the PHP module, I'm hoping that a community member with the required knowledge would take it upon themselves to.
Click to expand...
Well since its your idea and you are a community member and the one fighting so hard for this, why dont you do it then. You seem to be knowledgeable enough to do this.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top