Giveaway ideas - have your say in how we run them

[Ms.Sue]

Thanks for your post, that's why I wanted to have this discussion so we can come to a consensus with clear rules going forward. I appreciate we've changed the rules a lot from competition to competition, and I'm sorry if it's not always been clear - we always use random.org, and recently we've done mixture of weighted by post count, and each individual user who posts getting a single entry, so there are two types of draw. But I really want us to see if there is a better way of doing things, and if there isn't then we're just going to have the rules set in stone and prominent so everyone knows what they are.

The thing is when you change the rules not everyone knows you done that.
Before it was you enter with one post and that's it.
But when you decide to change the rules to the more you post the more chances you have then the people who only posted the once obviously won't get a chance to win.

This forum is huge so obviously the competition threads are going to be a good incentive for people to post but everyone is different.
Some of the members who aren't as sociable as others won't get a chance to win but why should they be excluded especially if they pay to become a supporting member?.

I don't envy you or SJ's job as no matter what you do, you won't keep all the members happy.

 

[Robino1]

Don't know if this is workable or even more fair but here goes...

ECF gets xx amount to giveaway. Half of that goes to single entry contestants. Half goes to weighted.

Do ten drawings each time with five for each type.

Make sure each vendor has an evenly divided amount donated to the contest.

Keeps the chatty people posting yet gives the quiet ones an equal chance.

 

[Ms.Sue]

Quite a few people have said they have heard others say about the competition being fixed so lets see if they have the balls to speak out...

 

[Daddy]

Don't know if this is workable or even more fair but here goes...

ECF gets xx amount to giveaway. Half of that goes to single entry contestants. Half goes to weighted.

Do ten drawings each time with five for each type.

Make sure each vendor has an evenly divided amount donated to the contest.

Keeps the chatty people posting yet gives the quiet ones an equal chance.

Still gives the chatty people an advantage since they are essentially entered in both.

Like I said in my previous post "you can't make everyone happy" and I'm of the opinion ECF should make the rules based on the contest and keep them secrete.

 

[Daddy]

Quite a few people have said they have heard others say about the competition being fixed so lets see if they have the balls to speak out...

Lets say it IS fixed.

So what?

Who cares?

Have you lost anything?

 

[hittman]

I don't feel like the contests are fixed or rigged but I have noticed a lot of the same people winning. I'm not complaining. I've won in two of the first contests. It would be nice I think to see some fresh names on the winners lists. A simple fact is that some people have to work and some people either don't or are retired and have more time to spend on the forum. I do like the idea someone else mentioned of limiting entries to one or two a day no matter how many times a person posts. I think that would even the playing field. If someone wants to spend a good part of the day on a thread chatting then they should be free to do that. If they are just spamming to win then maybe it shouldn't count. I think many of the regulars on the contest threads just like to talk to each other and have a good time.

 

[Marina2]

@low_tar_neil

Please decide how to do the giveaways amongst the admins of ECF yourself and don't tell anyone how you draw. Opening up for discussion is a bad idea in my opinion. You are likely to receive a thousand different ways of running a competition and 999 people who end up upset because you didn't pick their way.

The forum is much more then the competitions and giveaways and it should stay that way. Quite frankly people should be thankful that the forum and manufactures are even doing these massive giveaways - instead we often see people scrambling like little children after candy has been tossed at a 4th of July parade.

If you really wanted to spice it up and make it random, go outside of this "competition and giveaway" forum and randomly select people who post substance in other areas of the forum and reward them. But whatever you do, I think opening it up for public debate will likely end in arguments and unhappy people, which is exactly what you are trying to avoid.

My 2 cents.

Thank you for the informative forum, it has literally changed my life.

Words of wisdom right there.

And I second the notion that this forum has literally changed my life. Thanks to everyone, members and admin alike that make ECF what it is without any competitions whatsoever.

 

[Robino1]

Still gives the chatty people an advantage since they are essentially entered in both.

Like I said in my previous post "you can't make everyone happy" and I'm of the opinion ECF should make the rules based on the contest and keep them secrete.

Single entry would mean only those that have One post.

Rule should be posted at start of competition and those that do not want to participate in the chat clearly know that if they continue to post they would then fall under the weighted rule.

 

[Daddy]

Single entry would mean only those that have One post.

Rule should be posted at start of competition and those that do not want to participate in the chat clearly know that if they continue to post they would then fall under the weighted rule.

So if you posted more then once in the thread you don't get entered in the single entry?

And rules being open does nothing positive in my opinion. The randomness of how you guys pick is part of the fun. Remember the x cube 2 giveaway? People practically all over the world was setting their clocks to when @SmokeyJoe usually logged online so they could participate in a triva question or anything else he was randomly doing. It was fun. It was exciting when he finally showed up and the place went nuts. It was also completely random.

 

[dcfluegel]

Quite a few people have said they have heard others say about the competition being fixed so lets see if they have the balls to speak out...

I am not entirely certain this is simply a case of seeing if they have the courage to speak out - to an extent, it is also a question of whether or not they truly believe that there is an actual integrity issue here that would lead to the contests being 'rigged' or 'fixed' in some way - if so, that not only damages the credibility of the contest but of the entire forum...

granted, *I* am one of those names that keeps popping up on the list - and I am also pretty consistently participating... bit of a conundrum

 

[RaceGun59]

Don't know if this is workable or even more fair but here goes...

ECF gets xx amount to giveaway. Half of that goes to single entry contestants. Half goes to weighted.

Do ten drawings each time with five for each type.

Make sure each vendor has an evenly divided amount donated to the contest.

Keeps the chatty people posting yet gives the quiet ones an equal chance.

Best idea I have read so far.
"@Robino1 for President!!"

 

[Daddy]

if so, that not only damages the credibility of the contest but of the entire forum...

I think people need to loosen their tin foil hats up a notch or two.

And I disagree with you that even if the competitions were fixed that it would discredit the forum. The competitions and giveaways are free to enter. If there was a fee to enter them, then yes, you might be right. Free is Free. You win some, you lose some.

If people were smart they would look at the past winners and draw their own conclusions. The giveaways have been awarded in the past based on post count or are at least weighted. The top posters win practically every time. So if people want to win, post more. Simple.

 

[Robino1]

So if you posted more then once in the thread you don't get entered in the single entry?

And rules being open does nothing positive in my opinion. The randomness of how you guys pick is part of the fun. Remember the x cube 2 giveaway? People practically all over the world was setting their clocks to when @SmokeyJoe usually logged online so they could participate in a triva question or anything else he was randomly doing. It was fun. It was exciting when he finally showed up and the place went nuts. It was also completely random.

That's basically what I'm saying. This gives the quiet ones a chance also.

Yeah, those were fun with SJ.

As far as opening a rule of contests discussion, I truly feel like Neil is trying to keep our members happy and to do this in a way that benefits all who participate in these contests.

Maybe it could be something as simple as if a person has won, they can't enter the next contest.

I don't know what the solution is or should be. As this is still a work in progress, I think it's good to get other ideas. We learn something from each contest.

 

[dcfluegel]

I think people need to loosen their tin foil hats up a notch or two.

And I disagree with you that even if the competitions were fixed that it would discredit the forum. The competitions and giveaways are free to enter. If there was a fee to enter them, then yes, you might be right. Free is Free. You win some, you lose some.

If people were smart they would look at the past winners and draw their own conclusions. The giveaways have been awarded in the past based on post count or are at least weighted. The top posters win practically every time. So if people want to win, post more. Simple.

don't get me wrong - I am not endorsing nor supporting the idea of a rigged contest - I think it is spurious and fallacious... but, to follow a train of thought - if the contests are run by the forum, and the contests were 'rigged', then where exactly would you purport the integrity outage to lie? and wouldn't an integrity issue - if visible - lead to a credibility issue?

I think Robino's suggestion has merit - excellent premise

 

[Robino1]

Best idea I have read so far.
"@Robino1 for President!!"

Uh no thank you I would be assassinated within a week.

Thanks for the vote of confidence though

 

[dcfluegel]

Uh no thank you I would be assassinated within a week.

Thanks for the vote of confidence though

but think about all the cabana boys disguised as secret service agents... er... mebbe i got that backards...

 

[Daddy]

Maybe it could be something as simple as if a person has won, they can't enter the next contest.

Best idea. Keep it simple.

I agree that Neil is trying to get feed back to calm the masses who think things are rigged. My first post in this thread stated instead of helping this probably causes more tension by getting "a thousand different ways of running a competition and 999 people who end up upset because you didn't pick their way.".

I do kind of like the you can't win back to back competitions. I suppose I have self imposed that rule by essentially sitting out the competitions I have little interest in. Perhaps others can not restrain themselves.

 

[Ms.Sue]

I don't think that the ECF contests are rigged nor would they cheat for "forum favorites". I've heard that in all the contests here, lol.

And that's what I do if I don't like a contest. Move on without complaining and enter one that I do. I enter the ECF competitions because they are a lot of fun and excitement.

The 1st competition I entered was the Cloupor Mini and I heard people say it there and it has been said in all the other competition threads I've been in.

In my opinion I don't think all the people have said it's rigged are jealous because they didn't win. I've seen some people who have won some competition say it in other competition threads.

 

[dcfluegel]

lol - i has no restraint - i just PIF half the stuff i win... it works

 

[Daddy]

but, to follow a train of thought - if the contests are run by the forum, and the contests were 'rigged', then where exactly would you purport the integrity outage to lie? and wouldn't an integrity issue - if visible - lead to a credibility issue?

I think the contest are to serious. To be honest I haven't put enough thought in to the integrity and the contest, so I am not in a position to respond appropriately.

What I was getting at is that even if they were rigged somehow for some reason that would not discredit information in other parts of the forum, which I believe is what the competitions are designed to do - bring people to other parts of the forum.