Dimension X

I still haven't heard anything from the other two winners (acubfaninmd and Darkgod). It looks like they're not interested in claiming their prizes, but I'll wait until Friday morning (around 1:30 am - 26 hours from now) to draw two more names since I said I'd give them a week.

There has to be a better way to do this. I don't know. I asked people to opt-out if they weren't interested, maybe I should have had people opt-in instead. Maybe next year I should pick 6 names and the first three to reply in the discussion thread will be the winners. Or just give them 24 hours instead of a week.

It shouldn't be this hard to get people to take something for nothing.

lisadoris

Having folks opt-in might save some headaches down the road. Hey, whatever makes life easier for the folks running the Challenges is fine by me.

Cardsfan111

One suggestion might be to only include folks in the drawing who have stayed active the entire month with the challenge. That's a little difficult to enforce, but you could at least check at the end to see when they last updated their list. One of the 2 you're waiting on last updated theirs on May 9th. Just an opinion, but it seems more fitting to reward those who stuck with it from beginning to end.

Dimension X

And the other one updated his list two days ago (I noticed that yesterday). Why couldn't he have just come in here (or PM'd me) and told me that he wasn't interested in the prize (or better, yet opted out earlier) so I could've went ahead and drew another name?

If/when I do another one of these, I wouldn't want to limit it to people who "stayed active the entire month," because real life events can pop up that can keep someone from updating a list. I kinda like the opt-in idea (maybe have people who want to participate in the drawing post one of the lesser-used smilies at the bottom of their list - ), but I'm leaning toward the pick six names and let the first three responses have it idea.

davidh777

I think picking from a pool is reasonable, as is a shorter response window (48 hrs?).

Dimension X

By "picking from a pool" I assume you mean the "pick 6 and the first three responses in the thread get it" idea I floated, and yeah, I'll definitely cut the response time down next time (maybe 72 hrs since I myself was without internet access for a couple days at the start of this challenge).

Cardsfan111

But then the same rationale could be used about claiming the prizes--maybe real life events have kept them from responding.

The Man with the Golden Doujinshi

It falls into the "must be present to win" type of requirement. If something keeps you from being there and you win, you don't get it.

Happened to me earlier this year. I think I donated a dollar at work to something and they had a drawing for prizes at some event after work, which I didn't go to because I'd rather be at home. I lost out on a set of wine glasses but that's life.

Dimension X

Well, the time limit to respond takes care of that one. Maybe picking six names and letting the first three respondents have it would take care of the rest.

I think I might try drawing 4 names and taking the first two responses as the winners when I do the second-chance drawing. Any objections? If so, please let me know before 1:30 am.

BobO'Link

Drawing names and using the first responders can be unfair due to possible work/life constraints based on the time of the posting. Positive responses can be somewhat iffy as well and could make it more difficult to find and keep up with who's opted in. Then what happens when someone *meant* to opt in but forgot? I know life can get in the way causing "outages" of several or more days but I'd like to think that outside *major* issues anyone interested in a prize would check the thread (or subscribe) on a daily basis to see if they won. Whew...

I'd just go with a shorter window (48 hours?) and hope a winner didn't get knocked out because of "life issues".

Giles

well great, there goes my chance, heading out of town tomorrow morning for the weekend (no internet access)

Whiskey Warfield

If it helps to end the debate, I volunteer to be proclaimed winner of everything.

Dimension X

Would using first responders really be any worse than missing the thread during a 48 hr window? I can see if you thought the third name picked (and your name was first) jumped ahead of you, but I was thinking I'd take the names kicked out by random.org and alphabetize them before posting, so they won't be in numerical order as picked - all four names would be picked at the same time. If that makes any sense.
What time will you be leaving? The seven days will be up at 1:37 am EST (that's when I posted the first set of winners' names, although they got PMs a little earlier than that), and I hope to have the new names (however many I end up with this time) up around then.

Thanks for the responses. Keep 'em coming.

Edit: I remembered another way I was thinking of opting in for the drawing - Have a poll on the list thread with two choices, "in" or "out," where we can see the respondents' names, and just use the "in" names for the drawing.

davidh777

The only bummer I could see would be if, say, there were three prizes and four people responded within minutes of each other so someone would miss out just because of lack of access or some other "real life" issue (confused by this idea of DVDTalk not being real life ).

First response isn't a terrible thing, though. That's how we run, for example, the reality-show-game drafts (but then those are a total crapshoot regarding when you pick and your chances of winning ).

Dimension X

On the three of these giveaways I've done now (this one twice and the Comedy Challenge), I've had such bad luck with winners responding that I'd be lucky to get three out of six, but yeah, with my luck, six people would all post at exactly the same minute or something.

Cardsfan111

I've set my alarm.

Giles

6 or 7am, not sure if I'm up to staying up til 1:37 though.

Dimension X

6 or 7am would probably be early enough if I did pick 4 names (I'm telling you people, I'll be lucky to get two responses out of four ). Maybe I'll stick with just two new names (assuming those two guys don't jump in at the last minute), but cut response time to 3 days to acknowledge it in this thread and you still have up to 7 days to pick your prize.

Mostly, I just want to finish this up. I hate leaving things half-finished.

Undeadcow

Trivia contests are always nice; participation requires attentiveness and there is a clear deadline for prize announcement and claiming.

Also it might help to clear identify the price announcement date at the start of the challenge.

It is refreshing to see so many people partaking in the challenges just for love of movies alone without interest in secondary gains like $20 store credits.

Dimension X

What kind of trivia should I ask? It's not like I can ask horror or sci-fi questions and be fair to everyone participating.
How much clearer could I have made it? It's in the first post in both threads.
That's fine if that's what people want to do. That's why I asked people to please "opt out" (again, in the first post in each thread) if they weren't interested in being included in the drawing (and I mentioned it again a couple of days before the end of the month). Two people did opt out, so someone read what I posted.

Does this mean you want to opt out of the second-chance drawing?

BobO'Link

Not really... color me confused. I'm going by the premise that x number of names are picked for x-y number of prizes. Judging by the scramble to "get on the first page" when list threads go up and that many "miss out" because they're at work, sleeping, etc. at that moment/hour it seems that a first responder type drawing would suffer from the same issues. Example: Winner works 3rd shift, the announcement goes "live" half way through the shift, they would respond but can't due to work, those who work 1st/2nd *can* and *do* respond so they miss out. OK... so maybe their name was lower in the numerical order and would not have won anyway but they don't know that.

I still think 48 hours is long enough for notification/acceptance. Additionally, due to the "chose your own prize" option, you should be able to either pick something quickly (24 hours or less) or let the host and sponsor know there'll be a delay. At least that way those guys not left hanging.

You'll not find me complaining as I don't do these for prizes, those are lagniappe, so do what you feel is best. I'm just playing "devil's advocate"...

Dimension X

I get what you're saying about the scramble to post, and some people will be asleep/at work/both and could miss out. I was just assuming, based on past experience, that I could select twice as many names as I need winners, and only end up with half of the people responding anyway. So no one would be left out.
I think you're sort of saying the same as I posted a little later that I thought I'd do tonight:
I don't really care how long they take to pick the prize, I just want to know that they want a prize.

Edit: The above is what I will do tonight: pick two new names, give them 3 days to answer in this thread if they want to claim the prize. Then, on the fourth day, we'll try again if we need to.

Dimension X

Let's try this again. Since two of the three winners never claimed their prizes, and it's now been a week since the first drawing, it's now time for the second-chance drawing.

The two winners of the second-chance random drawing (chosen at random from the list of remaining participants, using Random.org) are:

Screwadu
zaphod2467

This time the winners have 3 days to let us know, by posting in this thread, that they want their prizes, otherwise the unclaimed prize opportunities will be re-gifted on June 11. So if your name wasn't picked, don't give up hope yet.

Whiskey Warfield

gimme gimme gimme

Undeadcow

Congratulations to screwadu and zaphod2467 (end of the world challenge!). Thanks again to Dimension X for hosting and GoldenWheels for the prize contribution.