General Forum

Re: July prize draw

garethingram1 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:32:52 GMT

I joined, and renewed my membership, to support the site and get access to all the info, manuals, contacts, sell and buy, blogs etc etc.

The monthly draw is a great added bonus (not that I have won anything so far mind you!)

Keep up the great work Lee and keep it random!

Re: July prize draw

Puncher — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:04:14 GMT

Very Funny!

However I would only accept a statistical spread of prizes such as 1, 3, 5, 7 &9th

Re: July prize draw

soundproof — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:59:09 GMT

He-he. If I win anything I'll split with Puncher!

Re: July prize draw

9 LEE — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:45:44 GMT

soundproof:
Lee,
Send Puncher five BeoWorld pens and strike him off the list!

Done.

He has been.

Lee

Re: July prize draw

soundproof — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:29:40 GMT

Puncher:
OK - to increase the chance of others winning I'm willing to do the following -
As I have an (approximate) 1 in 50 chance of winning a prize in the monthly draw and there are 12 draws per year, I sould statiscally win something every 4 1/6th years. As I intend maintainly my membership for the next 21 years I'll just take my five prizes now and butt out of the competition.
Hope this helps,

Lee,

Send Puncher five BeoWorld pens and strike him off the list!

Re: July prize draw

Medogsfat — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:28:25 GMT

mobeyone:

My 10ps worth
Like Graham, I couldnt careless about the draw and my loyalty or whatever you want to call it lies with the survival of the site. If I am lucky enough to win a prize, fantastic! Its a bonus! and just that! However, its not something I dwell on nor is it something that causes me to have a whine and moan about not winning... something liverpool fans are acustomed to when it comes to.... nah wont go there!
Again, regarding how the draw works, is it really neccassary? I daresay that there is probably a healthy split on non UK memebers who have won so again I simply do not see the point of someone living on the subcontinent and that being the basis for a review on how the draw is carried out.

In the words of Metloaf - "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth" Mobe.

Chris.

Re: July prize draw

Puncher — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:17:53 GMT

OK - to increase the chance of others winning I'm willing to do the following -

As I have an (approximate) 1 in 50 chance of winning a prize in the monthly draw and there are 12 draws per year, I sould statiscally win something every 4 1/6th years. As I intend maintainly my membership for the next 21 years I'll just take my five prizes now and butt out of the competition.

Hope this helps,

Re: July prize draw

The Plumber — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:08:36 GMT

soundproof:
I just tried it! I didn't win!
The method Lee is using is completely fair, and expecting him to have this notarized would be too much, wouldn't it?
I just went to Random.org, and used the Integer generator.
Asked for ten numbers.
Specified the range from 1-572.
Then I just imagined that my number was 363.
I asked for numbers and got the ones below. As you can see, no cigar for me ...
BTW - I noticed a comment after the latest draw that someone was suspicious because the same member had won in more than just one draw. Given the nature of randomness, it would actually be more suspicious if (after a year of draws) there hadn't been a repeat. Then one could suspect Lee of going in and "fixing that" -- but he just goes by the numbers generated.
Also note what Lee says about printing out a list before each draw, where the members' names are listed according to date to expiration of membership. This means that you have (most likely) a new number for each draw.
Adding - specifying that the number generator should deliver 10 numbers ensures that there are no repeat wins within the same draw; while asking for 1 number at a time, ten times within the same range, may result in the same number coming up more than once.
My only explanation for not winning is that I must somehow have dropped off the list - ahem! :-)
Here's what I got when I asked for ten numbers:

So close Soundproof, you nearly won, better luck next time

Re: July prize draw

soundproof — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:04:20 GMT

I just tried it! I didn't win!

The method Lee is using is completely fair, and expecting him to have this notarized would be too much, wouldn't it?

I just went to Random.org, and used the Integer generator.

Asked for ten numbers.

Specified the range from 1-572.

Then I just imagined that my number was 363.

I asked for numbers and got the ones below. As you can see, no cigar for me ...

BTW - I noticed a comment after the latest draw that someone was suspicious because the same member had won in more than just one draw. Given the nature of randomness, it would actually be more suspicious if (after a year of draws) there hadn't been a repeat. Then one could suspect Lee of going in and "fixing that" -- but he just goes by the numbers generated.

Also note what Lee says about printing out a list before each draw, where the members' names are listed according to date to expiration of membership. This means that you have (most likely) a new number for each draw.

Adding - specifying that the number generator should deliver 10 numbers ensures that there are no repeat wins within the same draw; while asking for 1 number at a time, ten times within the same range, may result in the same number coming up more than once.

My only explanation for not winning is that I must somehow have dropped off the list - ahem! :-)

Here's what I got when I asked for ten numbers:

Re: July prize draw

mobeyone — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:51:19 GMT

My 10ps worth

Like Graham, I couldnt careless about the draw and my loyalty or whatever you want to call it lies with the survival of the site. If I am lucky enough to win a prize, fantastic! Its a bonus! and just that! However, its not something I dwell on nor is it something that causes me to have a whine and moan about not winning... something liverpool fans are acustomed to when it comes to.... nah wont go there!

Again, regarding how the draw works, is it really neccassary? I daresay that there is probably a healthy split on non UK memebers who have won so again I simply do not see the point of someone living on the subcontinent and that being the basis for a review on how the draw is carried out.

Re: July prize draw

Craig — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:38:47 GMT

joeyboygolf:

I pay my £30 to help fund the site. I renewed my subscription to help fund the site. I would not care if there was no draw, I would still pay to help fund the site.

Graham, I could not agree more with your comment. Yes, I enjoy the prize draw every month. If I win something then that is a bonus, but I would pay £30 a year just to fund the site. All the extras that come with it, manual downloads, been able to use the for sale and wanted forums. Are just that to me, extras. As for the mechanics of the prize draw I don't see a better way of been able to do it than is been used at the moment.

Craig

Re: July prize draw

Stonk — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:26:57 GMT

Lee,

Perhaps you could add this info somewhere in the Prize Rules? Might save you having to explain it each time.

At the very least we could point the members towards it who get miffed because they didn't win £1000.00 worth of kit within two months joining.

Steve

Re: July prize draw

joeyboygolf — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:19:34 GMT

What is there to be more scientific about?

There are around 500-600 ( since I dont know the exact figure let's call it x) gold members and each has been allocated a number. Each month a random number generator on the net is used to select 10 random numbers and the corresponding members win the prizes. Simple!

Also simple.

If you don't agree don't join.

Also simple.

I pay my £30 to help fund the site. I renewed my subscription to help fund the site. I would not care if there was no draw, I would still pay to help fund the site.

I am sure that using statistics you can prove that you should have won every month but that's statistics for you!

Rant over, simple.

Re: July prize draw

9 LEE — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:13:56 GMT

Okay...

On the day of the draw, as near to the actual draw time as possible, i download an Excel spreadsheet with every current Gold Member on it. Each Gold Member has an individual number on the left hand side of the spreadsheet, and the members get nearer to the top of the spreadsheet as their remaining membership shortens. So, in effect - if you are due up for renewal the day after the draw you will probably be number 1 through to 5 or 6, and after renewing you will be around 550 or so. i hope that's clear.

I then go to random.org and request a number sequence starting with 1 and ending in the individual number of the last member.. let's say 572. I ask it to select 10 random numbers, one at a time, between 1 and 572 inclusive. This way, every member has a fresh chance of winning as the numbers are chosen automatically, one at a time, between 1 and 572.

I am truly sorry if this appears an underhand or 'fixed' way of doing it, but i'm no professional mathematician or statistician like yourself Pattabhiraman and simply thought this was a pretty good way of doing it. If it makes you feel better, we have one Brazilian member - and he won a few months ago!!

As i mentioned before, if someone else wants to draw the numbers - or indeed do the draw, it would certainly be a reduction in my already full workload! I do it because i really enjoy it and it gives something back to the loyal members that support the site financially, not to distribute prizes to members in countries with the most members or such like.

I'm not offended by all this - just to make it clear. Everyone has the right to ask how it's done, but i am at a complete loss as to how to make it more fair or transparent.

Lee

Re: July prize draw

Pattabhiraman — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:50:45 GMT

i am statisician and work for Nielsen India (world leaders in market research); if you can reveal the mechanics of the draw i can further add to it by being more scientific