Giveaway ideas - have your say in how we run them

[Ms.Sue]

Part of the problem is the contest and who wins, but the other part is that the threads are just out of control. Typically 10 members have 50% of the posts in the whole thread.

In the last contest, there were 416 members that posted in the thread. 203 of them (half) had only 1 post. Why is that? Because they post once, see that it's mainly just a mad flurry of non-sensical posts by a small group of members and they don't come back. Is that good for the forum? (for the record, there's currently 150 members in the current contest with only 1 post)

The top 10 posters in the last contest accounted for 45% of the posts in the entire thread. In the current contest, the top 7 posters have over half the posts. The contests have just become a playground for 10 or 15 members to chit chat.

As a result, a very large segment of members don't even come to the contest threads any more. They were started as a means of driving traffic and they've resulted in just the opposite.

Nobody wants to post and then come back an hour later and see that in order to catch up with the discussion they have to read another 500 posts (by 5 people).

In one of the competition threads I saw quite a few members say they will post once to enter the competition but they won't be hanging around because of the 257997467807 posts.
They were active members on the forum so they wasn't just posing just in the competition thread.

For my chit chat I post in threads which are specifically for that purpose. I have great conversations with other people and getting to know them.

 

[dcfluegel]

ok, so do we cap it at 10/20 posts per day that count towards the weighted draw, and after that more posts doesn't equal more chances?

i think a cap on on the weighted draw would go a long way towards takin' some of the donkey outta Eeyore

as far as an actual number, 10 would be reasonable (imo) and 20 would definitely be an upper limit - mebbe split the difference and call it 15?

 

[Ms.Sue]

It also wouldn't address how so many posts are between so few. These folks are also the vocal majority. Yes, the contests can be fun. But, if we ask the 213 members from the last contest that had 1 post how much fun it was, the answer will probably be different then the response from the 15 or 20 people who are the most active (in the contest threads and in this one).

Which competition thread are you talking about?.

 

[Marina2]

It also wouldn't address how so many posts are between so few. These folks are also the vocal majority. Yes, the contests can be fun. But, if we ask the 213 members from the last contest that had 1 post how much fun it was, the answer will probably be different then the response from the 15 or 20 people who are the most active (in the contest threads and in this one).

That's because all the fun is in the participation. It's to be expected that those that have only one post haven't had as much fun as those that post more. I don't get your point. Is it that it's unfair that some don't have as much fun as others?

 

[dcfluegel]

In one of the competition threads I saw quite a few members say they will post once to enter the competition but they won't be hanging around because of the 257997467807 posts.
They were active members on the forum so they wasn't just posing just in the competition thread.

For my chit chat I post in threads which are specifically for that purpose. I have great conversations with other people and getting to know them.

that is the great part about free will - completely an INDIVIDUAL's decision as to whether or not to participate as well as where to participate

kudos to all for activity wherever they are active - personally, i try to spend some time in the new members area, welcoming and helping folks new to the forum... I also chat in some threads specifically for that purpose... I also chat with folks in contest threads - because folks I enjoy chattin' with are there too, as well as new folks, asking questions...

 

[Kprthevapr]

Part of the problem is the contest and who wins, but the other part is that the threads are just out of control. Typically 10 members have 50% of the posts in the whole thread.

In the last contest, there were 416 members that posted in the thread. 203 of them (half) had only 1 post. Why is that? Because they post once, see that it's mainly just a mad flurry of non-sensical posts by a small group of members and they don't come back. Is that good for the forum? (for the record, there's currently 150 members in the current contest with only 1 post)

The top 10 posters in the last contest accounted for 45% of the posts in the entire thread. In the current contest, the top 7 posters have over half the posts. The contests have just become a playground for 10 or 15 members to chit chat.

As a result, a very large segment of members don't even come to the contest threads any more. They were started as a means of driving traffic and they've resulted in just the opposite.

Nobody wants to post and then come back an hour later and see that in order to catch up with the discussion they have to read another 500 posts (by 5 people).

Or wake up to 57 alerts because one person quoted every post you made in the thread to get their post count up.
It would be nice if that stopped. It keeps a lot of people from posting more. Sure as hell slowed me down.

 

[Marina2]

The only issue I would see with setting a cap would be where to set it. If you set it too low, it would be too easy for everyone to hit that cap (I know there are some who wouldn't) and then what would be the point? If you set it too high, you're not really doing anything either. Both cases just result in more work on the moderator.

I agree. Setting a 15 post cap would be the same as a one post cap. Everyone would hit that and then there's no weighted draw anyway. So more work all the way around. Might as well make it one post per person.

 

[greasegizzard]

Or wake up to 57 alerts because one person quoted every post you made in the thread to get their post count up.
It would be nice if that stopped. It keeps a lot of people from posting more. Sure as hell slowed me down.

Or a whole page of quotes from one person? I think the "No back to back post" rule from other threads would be good for this.

 

[redrebel821]

Or wake up to 57 alerts because one person quoted every post you made in the thread to get their post count up.
It would be nice if that stopped. It keeps a lot of people from posting more. Sure as hell slowed me down.

That's annoying, and the reason people get put on ignore. Another reason to stay away from the contests.

 

[markfm]

I see your point, I wonder if I can get Toby to code something so we can do it automatically, not impossible, he's pretty good

Something like, for each calendar day (don't forget to state that you'll use GMT, or whatever, as the basis of a day -- that could go in a main contest area sticky -- "Da Rulez for Da Contezt Drawings"), credit each person posting that day with MIN(actual posts by that member, 10)

"ignore posters who've already won" is either an input filter or done against the output of the above, but you have that part in place already.

 

[Marina2]

In one of the competition threads I saw quite a few members say they will post once to enter the competition but they won't be hanging around because of the 257997467807 posts.
They were active members on the forum so they wasn't just posing just in the competition thread.

For my chit chat I post in threads which are specifically for that purpose. I have great conversations with other people and getting to know them.

I think the manufacturers want an active thread though. One that dies after each person makes their one post isn't an attractive incentive for these companies to give out 100 or so prizes.

 

[Marina2]

Or wake up to 57 alerts because one person quoted every post you made in the thread to get their post count up.
It would be nice if that stopped. It keeps a lot of people from posting more. Sure as hell slowed me down.

Can't you turn off alerts for a thread?

 

[low_tar_neil]

I think the manufacturers want an active thread though. One that dies after each person makes their one post isn't an attractive incentive for these companies to give out 100 or so prizes.

Right, this is basically why they're all lined up, as soon as they all saw how big the Innokin one was they all started approaching us to do more. We have maybe another 5/6 scheduled right now

 

[Ms.Sue]

that is the great part about free will - completely an INDIVIDUAL's decision as to whether or not to participate as well as where to participate

kudos to all for activity wherever they are active - personally, i try to spend some time in the new members area, welcoming and helping folks new to the forum... I also chat in some threads specifically for that purpose... I also chat with folks in contest threads - because folks I enjoy chattin' with are there too, as well as new folks, asking questions...

My first competition thread was the Cloupor Mini and I read all the post from the start which I think said one post to enter.
So I posted my entry and then I saw all you guys having a great time chatting so I joined in and I carried on posting well after the competition had ended.

In the other competition threads I noticed people complaining about the serial posters but it didn't think about how they see things because I was myself a serial poster.

But now I'm socializing in other threads I'm seeing people saying they don't bother entering the competition threads for various different reasons it makes me feel kinda sad.

 

[greasegizzard]

Can't you turn off alerts for a thread?

I think the alert for when somone quotes you overrides it, though.

 

[Kprthevapr]

Can't you turn off alerts for a thread?

It's annoying when ONE person quotes everyone's posts, not just mine.
And yeah I could go through and change my settings, but why should I have to do that for a damn contest?

 

[redrebel821]

Right, this is basically why they're all lined up, as soon as they all saw how big the Innokin one was they all started approaching us to do more. We have maybe another 5/6 scheduled right now

Some of the individual vendor contests have split the way entries are counted...X amount of numbered, product specific entries per member per day are counted.... Spam and chat entries are not counted.

 

[Marina2]

Right, this is basically why they're all lined up, as soon as they all saw how big the Innokin one was they all started approaching us to do more. We have maybe another 5/6 scheduled right now

I think the plan you posted earlier is the best of both worlds.
But, like I said earlier, no matter what you come up with... someone's not going to like it.

We need to keep the incentive going for the companies though.

 

[redrebel821]

It's annoying when ONE person quotes everyone's posts, not just mine.
And yeah I could go through and change my settings, but why should I have to do that for a damn contest?

That's just a lazy way to get 800+ entries

 

[Marina2]

Some of the individual vendor contests have split the way entries are counted...X amount of numbered, product specific entries per member per day are counted.... Spam and chat entries are not counted.

And those contest threads die early in the day after all have made their requisite posts.