This comp is screwed

Dave,
Have you tried entering every well from 1 through to 51?

Wayne

I'm not going to try and win with a wrong answer.

Dave

Hi there
I note from your profile- you are using eTrex with iPaq 2210. I would like to contact you off forum with some querys (if you can help)..
op(dot)support(at)tsn(dot)cc
Thanks
signman

That's right. David told me so.

From David:
"To reduce our management time for the comp I had to have the system check the answers (instead of me having to read everything), there is no room for additional intervention from us it already takes significant management to load the data. We decided that a correct answer needed to be spelling and syntactically correct to win.

It all simply shows that no matter how hard I try I will not please everyone."

That's true enough - try as hard as you like you won't please everyone.

It's fair enough too that the computer checks it to a point. He can't spend all day checking entries but this example highlights the problem it creates.

I'm not much for writing code but there must be a solution using wild cards or something.

Dave

Fair enough, the bloke can't spend all day monitoring responses. I understand why he has set it up the way he has.

It's not perfect but I suppose it is that or nothing. We'll have to live with it or live without it. It is what it is and must be accepted as such.

It certainly seems to be getting a bit of interest.

Me, I haven't even had a guess. Now if someone puts up a shot of the inside of the Royal Oak Hotel, Cheltenham, Public Bar, circa 1978 I'd be a Monte.

Cheers,

Jim.

Site of Well 22 - this is an enormous hole with an unusually tin-lined round well shaft (most others are square 6x4 and framed with wood). Trough is in tact and quite long. The Whipping pole has fallen in, the trough has a header and there is a bucket. Tracks to secluded clearings are everywhere here - lots of camping opportunities.

From the Trek notes

Dave

Hi TPM,

I think you may have missed the point. The opener for the comp stated :

"This competition is all about YOU getting together your pics of places you have been and seeing how well the rest of US know our country. "

It didn't say anything about guessing how it was phrased & punctuated.

I'm not angry just frustrated.

Given that I got it right twice I would have found the renewal quite handy, as I'm sure the people who won did.

Dave

Agreed fully.

David is doing this out of his own pocket.

It's a game.

It's fun.

It doesn't cost you anything to enter.

Lighten up.

I too guessed the tunnel picture, but it didn't register.... too bad.

I have sent David some more photos, bribes may be sent to Lone Wolf @ .......

How much Wolfie?

Is it extra to find out how you typed it?

One point that I just thought of. Having to close and reopen the browser to enter does get the visitor stats up...

I don't know what the solution is, or if there is one.

Dave

"How much Wolfie? "

Well, because I'm old, and deaf, can you yell dirty to me?

Hi Geo,

I realise you are frustrated and I am truly sorry if I upset you.

But if your biggest trouble in life is a photo description then you are way in front of others around the world.
I am in West Africa at the moment and I saw two people dead on the side of the road on the way to work this morning and hundreds more whos issue was how will they survive today..... It just seemed a bit trivial to me , no offense was intended.
If you are really hard up for funds you could always visit the site as a visitor ?

Heres to a better life for all , ching , ching : )

Cheers TPM

Hi TPM,

Don't fret, you haven't upset me. I've thicker skin than that.

Maybe this forum needs emoticons. A lot of people seem to think there's emotion attached to messages here, but pick the wrong emotion.

Maybe we are just all awfully nice and like apologising to each other just in case.

I joined the site by submitting a trek note. Probably more work in it than if I'd shelled out the shekels, renewed the same way again more work than shekels but I like the idea of putting in and probably would have done it without the reward.

On this one it's more that it's sooooo frustrating knowing an answer, and not being able to find the way it was typed. That's why after 20 or so guesses I started the thread.

I was beginning to think that someone had labelled it with the wrong well name or spelt the native name wrong or something.

Based on the conditions of punctuation & grammar that had previously been stated I couldn't think of any more legitimate combinations.

I work in a world of other peoples problems and try hard not to bring them home at night. I do often come home extremely glad that I've had a better day than most I have dealt with.

You just have to give the missus and kids an extra hug and say thanks to noone in particular at times.

Hope your way to work tomorrow is less cluttered - if only for the fact that it may mean two more survived the night.

Dave

Dave

No Hard feelings here mate.

I know what you mean about getting frustrated though, I think my mouse just died and RSI has set in over some of those last pics!!!
Google and alltheweb Images has sent me an email asking if I would let some others have a look !!!! LOL

Unfortunately the world has alot of problems and I am not sure how many can actually be fixed. Life is cheap, in Aus will have such a great lifestyle. Thats the best thing about 4wds the escape factor.

Hope to share a beer in the future and swop stories : )

Guys,

That CSR one was put in in that fashion to get people to use ExplorOz to find the answer it was written in plain text on the Canning Stock Route trek note in the waypoints section - Exact case and spell and everything.

The weekend has cost me over a couple of hundred bucks already even with the complex (trek note based .)answer David if you do not like it do not enter please but stop beating up the comp in the forum or I will just shut it down. I have had enough of your complaints about the comp since it started. If you do not want to waste time as you put it then DON'T. Why not use the rest of ExploOz to research the answers - that is what it is all about.

As for closing browsers and opening to get around the session block counts - that is cheating - if I wanted you to be able to just answer answer answer I would not have put that function on the comp - But like everyting I do not stop you from doing it and as for increasing sessions counts via this method - I really did not want this to happen - maybe I will have to waste more time and add a check based on time for your user account and lock you out for a few hours each time you enter. The issues go both ways.

I am really upset about you posting this pic and info in the forum - YOU ARE RUINING THE COMP. If I kill it off I can assure you it will be because of you.

Okay David,

It appears that I and a few others have missed the point completely.

We have previously had quite a good relationship and have bantered on a number of productive issues.

I was at no point aware that the purpose of the comp was to get people to explore your site. I was going along with it's stated purpose of seeing how well we know our country.

You have asked why the hell I've posted this. Well there were myself and several others who were beating our heads against a brick wall trying to get an answer accepted that we knew was correct and couldn't get the syntax right on.

Your original stated methodology completely precluded the use of "CSR" in any answer.

You stated you needed to make it harder as it was costing money, the obvious answer as we discussed was more difficult pictures not pictures which were extremely easy for anyone who's done the Canning and then putting the terminology in such fashion that the answer was extremely difficult to come up with. I would have thought a well that looks just like many of the other ruins on the Canning would have been harder rather than the only one restored in this fashion.

As part of our previously sensible discussion on this issue by email there were several other options also.

If you are that angry and it looks that you are, zero my member money account as I reckon it's only about $4 shy of covering the voucher won by Trevor. This is a genuine offer. I won't be upset if you do.

Given that you stated that the answer was expected to be found on the site you expected to shell out for that one in a short space of time. The number of people offering advice at times on the Canning trip indicates a substantial number of forumites have done it some time or another.

I'm not the only one who's found it frustrating though judging by some of the member messages, forum posts and emails. Knowing the answer , trying to win and keeping on getting told it's INCORRECT is frustrating Frustrating isn't fun.

Again. Take the member money, call it square and I'll both ignore the comp in future and keep my opinion on its methodology to myself.

I made a mistake, I was wrong in posting this thread. My apology is offered sincerely.

Dave

I am not going to zero your MM account - that has got nothing to do with anything - I wrote the comp - I pay for the comp - I make the rules for the comp. Use this site for research use others - I have no specific agenda - to force you to read our site - it just happened that in this particular answer you needed to look at the Canning Trek Note to get the best clue for the way points are referenced in the system. Trevor worked it out and was awarded with the correct answer - because he used logic to work out the answer, mind you he told me he would not have known without your pics and clues to the place as he has never been there.

I added the CSR Well one with the funny title to hope that the comp would not have run out over the weekend (as it did) - I would have added syntax clues as the comp went one - however you posted this and gave it away to others. Then the comp files then ran out forcing me to maintain the comp system first thing this morning instead of what I was scheduled to do. Each places takes about 10 mins to read emails, adjust images, get GPS pos, load the place, enter the comp table and add the info + prizes etc.

As for using harder pics - Easy - NOT I am provided pics by a great number of people who use this system. I want to use the images as given because cropping and editing would take even longer. It is certainly one way of doing it however, it is not the way I have done it thus far. So I make the pics easier and the syntax harder - make the pics harder and people will get frustrated that the pics are two hard - I cannot win with everyone all the time.

I was also under the impression that you had already decided not to waste your time on the comp after the email you sent me, so I was even more shocked to see more issues in the spotlight from you plastered in the forum.

I do not have a problem with you at all, I do not need to get square or whatever. The comp is meant to be fun and enjoyable, if my rules detract from your enjoyment do not use it. I have received NOT one other complaint about the comp, sure several have said it is frustrating when you know the answer but get it wrong but hey that is part of the comp we are currently running.

David,

please do not bother with my prize. I suggest what you have been putting up has been overly generous and I agree it was not won "fair and square" since I haven't been to the spot (although I wish I had).

From the numerous threads on the subject everyone enjoys the competition, many it would seem are "addicted". I'm sure it is not about winning the prizes but more about proving that you know more about our great country than the others on here.

A small prize probably adds to the interest but it needn't (in my opinion)be substantial. Perhaps it could just be $5 Member Money or 200 PointPlace Credits? Maybe that isn't workable for non members but I am just putting it up as an example. It could be a special point system that accumulates like Fly Buys that can be redeemed for something down the track when they accumulate.

Just a suggestion, I acknowledge it all takes computer coding to manage that we are all unaware of.

Any, the comp has certainly generated some interest and it would be a shame to lose the benefits that can come from that.

Thanks

Trevor

Am I getting this wrong, but geocacher got it right, but because he didnt spell it 100% correct according to the Brian Cohen, he didnt win?

Thats pretty piss poor if its correct.

Hi Truckster.

I'm not sure. I was the 21st to take a crack at it and could only see 5 of the previous attempts. There may have been someone in the other 15 that took a shot at Well 22 but unless they put their hand up we'll never know.

I'm over it. I'm not proud of this thread. Not one of my shinier moments.

I've got bigger things to worry about now. It turns out a stretcher that collapsed at work last year while I was unloading a patient has seriously damaged my shoulders and will take me off the road for anywhere from 3 months to more than 12. I've just been told by my GP that I'm depressed. I'm not sure where I'll be working for the near or not so distant future, but the likely options for alternate duties all involve 200-250km round trips to work. I'm not writing this by way of trying to pull the sympathy vote either.

The mood state may explain why I appear to have pi$$ed a few people off here over the past few weeks. I'm not normally a grump, a bit pedantic maybe but not what I've been lately. After I came home and told SWMBO she kinda agreed with the doc which was less than reassuring but probably backs a few here up.

Today I've had the pleasure of steroid injections into the shoulders under ultrasound guidance and no guarantee of success. Bilateral shoulder surgery doesn't sound appealling either.

I'm going to take a break for a bit, can't work anyway. (Can't reach anything in the kitchen cupboards or on the toolboard in the shed either which is really annoying :o( ) Hopefully I can get my head straight without drugs. You guys couldn't cope with me if I was overly cheerful either :o)

I apologise again to David - and to anyone else I've ticked off in the past few weeks. Regardless of the situation and how I felt about it I handled it badly.

Regards

Dave

G'day Dave,
Sorry to hear about your little depression problem, unfortunately I can relate to you. Don't worry too much about it, you'd be suprised to know how many of us out here have it.
Mine came to the surface a couple of years ago after I busted my shoulder up one too many times after stepping off my dirtbike, which caused me to have to stop racing.
It's not that big of a deal once you figure out what works best for you, before you go taking any of that chemicalised medical crap that the quak tries to hand out, and you have to declare every time you fill out a form, go down to the chemist and get yourself some 'Sam-e', works for me, SWMBO reckons she can at least live under the same roof as me now, lol.

All the best
Avagoodn
Pezza

Despite the nay sayers regarding treatment regimes based on pharmacology I'm going to try and do it the Australian blokes way first.

Take a trip over to speed week at Lake Gairdner which has been planned for months - can't do anything here anyway. Look at fast cars and bikes. Bend arms only from the elbow and have a few Melbourne's and Bundy's.

Unfortunately for my co driver that's going to mean he's gotta get the swags off the roof. I'm not taking any chances on this one. Too much at stake.

Hopefully I'm just pi$$ed off with the world - that I was the sucker injured by an identified fault that some in the organisation I work for did not take seriously - and not really "depressed".

Once I have a break I might come back rested, partially repaired and in a better frame of mind.

Dave

That sentence reads badly... not sure where I was going there...

Wish I was coming with you, sounds like fun.
Seems I may have jumped the gun a bit, I certainly hope so, though I'm sure your SWMBO will let you know quick smart if your attitude comes to the surface again. lol.
Hope it all works out.

Avagoodn
Pezza

Dave,

"Can't reach anything in the kitchen cupboards or on the toolboard in the shed either"

You mean your tools are all neatly on a toolboard not strewn around all over the floor like most others ???? What's a shed for??? That's a fine example of pith poor planning on your part is'nt it :)))))) If you were as sloppy as most of the rest of us you'd be OK, even with the shoulder problem.

Have a damn good break and enjoy yourself. I'm sure everything will work out OK.

Regards

P.s. DON'T mess up the kitchen. Men have died for less :))))

Hi Gramps,

Sheds a mess. Luckily some of the mess is usefull and was already at floor/bench level though scrap is in roof racks and I can't get at it - have to ask SWMBO to get stuff for me at times.

Put some new shelves in a while back an the ones below shoulder height are tidy. Most of tools that aren't on benches are on walls which is a problem.

Beer fridge is at floor level - no problem.

As for your PS. There must be karma. Not long after I started this thread I went to put some diet coke cans in the fridge. One dropped and exploded aaaallllll over the kitchen - and the 2 y/old. Five minutes to calm the 2 y/o and an hour cleaning what I could reach. Mopped the cupboard doors which is something of a new experience.

SWMBO was out at the time. When she came home she had to clean up all the mess above about 5 ft. I quietly slunk off to get needles in shoulders. I wasn't having a good day.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Dave

They don't make Coke cans like they used to!

Take care of yourself Dave and get that lazy bugger Luxolok to do all the digging if you get bogged on your trip.

Cheers Mate

Hi ya John.

And I thought the reference to shoe laces was controversial!!

Whilst Dave cannot reach for the stars he sure as hell can rely on us to lift things down from his roof rack. I just pray that he can reach down south for himself cos I'm not getting into shoelaces or a wipe here or there!! Might have to back him up to a tree or two but that's it.

On a more serious note Dave is one I would want on my team anyday..this guy can be relied upon and I have watched the way he happily supports others in need. A break from the day job and a week or so away with good mates will do us all the best...but there will be limits!! He'd better be weaing elastic sided boots and learn to wrap toilet paper around a stick.

Give me a sellcall if you are out and about...leave this Thursday and back in 11 to 12 days. Cheers

Cheers Leigh
Have great trip and will try and get you on the HF.