Feedback, comments, thoughts wanted please.

Pegasus

Administrator
Staff member
I'm wondering why so few folks have entered the two current competitions:  :confused:

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=19201.0 - Win a ?160 Rab Jacket

http://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=19190.0 - Win 50m Spanset Gold

Are the prizes not of interest to cavers? Do folks own enough rope and warm jackets? 

Are forum readers not aware of the competitions??  Maybe they don't see them on/or visit the home page, or the Rab competition 'advert' isn't working?

Are folks not interested in entering competitions on UKC no matter what the prize? 

Are the competitions too complicated, could we run them better?

Are cavers reluctant to enter for fear of ridicule/negative comment from others? (Sadly, I have already received this feedback  :().

Is it due to 'I never win anything'? - currently there's an 8:1 chance of winning a Rab jacket, not bad odds.

Any other suggestions - please PM me if you'd prefer not to comment here.

Would forum members prefer competitions stayed or went?

Thank you, Pegasus

 

Leclused

Active member
Are foreign forum members also allowed to post trip reports. For the conservation topic it is not the case so I thought It was the same for these competitions.

Dagobert
 

Madness

New member
I think the competitions should stay. Even though I never win anything in competitions ;)

Personally I don't cave that much so material for trip reports is limited. I do like to read other people's though. They make me want to get off my arse and do something.
 

maxb727

Member
I would enter if I had something to write about. I think I get put off by not having something epic enough to write about although I am sure that shouldn't be an issue and is just my perception.

I know one of the writers for the down jacket and I think their story is very well deserving of a jacket - amused me somewhat.

I will try to make more effort to enter them :)
 

JoshW

Well-known member
keep them!

I think alot of the problem is people, although they find their trips interesting and fun, they might not be as interesting to read about. I found that for a long time I didn't want to write up any reports, but it's actually alot of fun once you get started.

Right now I'm not particularly concerned about the fact not many have entered (call me selfish if you want)
 

me

Active member
Please keep the competitions  :D

On the one hand it is hard to beat some of the stories already posted on the other I have nothing to write about at the moment and yes I agree with JoshW
didn't want to write up any reports, but it's actually alot of fun once you get started.

;)
 

Alex

Well-known member
Hmm was my post just deleted? If not sorry for repeating myself...

The reason I have not posted anything is simply because I just don't think I have done anything interesting enough in the last month that others would be interested in simply. I could just copy one of my old trip reports from the club forums (public available) but I thought that would not be within the spirit of the competition.

But yes keep them I may yet do something interesting...
 

pwhole

Well-known member
I'm not short of 'typing frenzy' normally, but the reality is my work is so project-focused, usually via the club forum, that many of my trip reports would be meaningless or counter-productive if posted here, unless it was a rare one-off fun trip, and they are rare. Similarly, the requests for tales on specific topics are unlikely to get much from me, especially if said event type has never happened. I have been cold underground and hated it, but can't summon up the energy to specifically write about it just to win a jacket -  I spend half my day typing up caving stuff already. Also my friends would probably throw rocks at me if I turned up in a Rab Nebula, as they would think I had 'gone funny' and got a job with the BBC or something. Rope is more appealing, certainly, but still not enough.

That's not to say the competitions shouldn't be run at all - I think they're a good idea, but I would rarely enter them!
 

Pegasus

Administrator
Staff member
Leclused said:
Are foreign forum members also allowed to post trip reports. For the conservation topic it is not the case so I thought It was the same for these competitions.

Dagobert

The only problem with overseas members winning a prize is the cost of getting it to them - if you can arrange caver post or collect from Hidden Earth and don't mind the wait enter away!  Or you could nominate someone in the UK to receive your prize if you are feeling generous  ;)
 

AR

Well-known member
I've not done many underground trips of late on account of having my wrist broken by one of our horses at the beginning of September (said nag has now gone to France...) so haven't done anything I thought worthy of a write-up recently. Like Phil, I'm not a down jacket type but I'll have a think and see if I can chuck something in to make up the numbers.
 

Pegasus

Administrator
Staff member
Madness said:
I do like to read other people's though.

You've hit the nail on the head - it's one of the main reasons for running the competitions -I'm often told how much folks enjoy reading the various tales...

You never know, you might win something as we've started choosing winners by random now and tales from years gone by are perfect for competitions such as the Rab jacket one.

Thanks for the feedback  (y)

 
I've entered most of the competitions and will do for the jacket one - although I do own more than my fair share of warm jackets! Might be worth noting that the Rab jacket is not a down jacket and hence probably more useful to cavers.

There's probably a direct link between the effort required and the number of entries. Writing up a trip report type entry takes effort and as anyone who has produced a club newsletter will tell you there's people who will always write something and people who never will.

I like the competitions - a range of different styles of competitions will help - trip reports, photos, caption competitions, random winners, voting etc. 

I hardly ever visit the home page (unread posts is my landing page) so regular bouncing of the competition threads might help.

Hope this helps
Steve
 

Leclused

Active member
Pegasus said:
Leclused said:
Are foreign forum members also allowed to post trip reports. For the conservation topic it is not the case so I thought It was the same for these competitions.

Dagobert

The only problem with overseas members winning a prize is the cost of getting it to them - if you can arrange caver post or collect from Hidden Earth and don't mind the wait enter away!  Or you could nominate someone in the UK to receive your prize if you are feeling generous  ;)

Did not wait to enter a story :) Hope you enjoy it

BR

Dagobert
 

bograt

Active member
Although being not a great contributor to competitions, (I never win anything anyway..) I do enjoy reading other folk's experiences, it keeps me 'caving young', I think the UKC competitions are a superb contribution and Pegasus (et-al) should be lauded for their initiative in getting the sponsorship and promoting them..
 

badger

Active member
defiantly keep the competitions, its up to us cavers to make the effort, hopefully it will snowball.
for me I have some interesting trips for me, but seem always to forget to write them up I have the time, and have the time to comment on others, how recent does the trip have to be, can I write a trip up from March this year?
 

rsch

Member
Pegasus said:
I'm wondering why so few folks have entered the two current competitions:  :confused:

Mostly because stories I have plenty, but stories not previously repeatedly told or published elsewhere I have rather fewer of and fresh stories to fit the specifics of a given competition I have fewer still.

Which is not to say I've got absolutely nothing, only that it'll take a bit of work to come up with something worth contributing.
 

cavermark

New member
steviet_scg said:
There's probably a direct link between the effort required and the number of entries. Writing up a trip report type entry takes effort and as anyone who has produced a club newsletter will tell you there's people who will always write something and people who never will.

I like the competitions - a range of different styles of competitions will help - trip reports, photos, caption competitions, random winners, voting etc. 

I hardly ever visit the home page (unread posts is my landing page) so regular bouncing of the competition threads might help.

Hope this helps
Steve

Same here  :)
 
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