thedevilman
CAGiversary!
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As of 8/25/2013, rather than posting my own giveaways in the Code Drop topics, i'll now create a new topic for each giveaway that i do and link to it here! Sorry, i have missed posting links to some of my giveaways. I'll try to remember to do it in the future.
Alternate Free Giveaway Methods (Anti-Lurker AND Anti-Stalker Methods... and Anti-Hoarder Methods)
(For giving away free Digital Codes of Virtual Goods or anything else for that matter.)
I occasionally give away codes here and there and thought i would share my model for how i do it. If you are looking for your giveaways to be a little more fair and hope to give more people a chance, I hope you find it helpful. I hope that this will not just be something that clutters the forums.
After re-reading the whole thing before submission, i also hope that this does not come off as smug. Reading it again, it does seem to have a hint of that kind of tone. I assure you, this is not my intent and i only offer it as an alternative for those that are also looking for additional good giveaway methods.
Of course, when you give your stuff away you should be able to give it away however you want. Absolutely! And if you don't have the time to set up something that is a bit more elaborate and only have time to just drop your codes in the public forums for the fastest to grab them, i'm just happy with anyone generous enough to share with others in any way! Thank you to everyone who has ever given your free goods to others!
However, if you're sick of the same people always getting the codes that you are giving back to the community... AND have just a little bit of extra time to put into the process... There are some methods that i personally use when i give things away that might also help you. These are methods that help get your freebies to a few more people than just the usual code hoarding stalkers. And to people that might actually appreciate it a bit more in many cases.
The reason i use these methods and why i am creating this topic?
Basically, because "Stalkers" are as bad as "Lurkers". Maybe worse and often times the same people are both and both suck. When i give away free stuff no matter how valuable, invaluable, common or uncommon... the idea that the same people that always get the free stuff will likely get MY free gifts as well, makes me a little sick.
(More Of My Soapbox Reasoning) lol
So over time i have come up with some methods of giving away my codes that opens up the pool of potential recipients a lot more. Here are the basic general guidelines i use for this more Anti-Lurker AND Anti-Stalker based approach.
Anti-Lurker AND Anti-Stalker Giveaway Methods: (And Anti-Hoarding further down.)
I had originally thought about starting a new thread for giveaways using only Anti-Lurker, Anti-Stalker and Anti-Hoarder methods. But there are already so many specific types of giveaway topics that i thought this would hopefully just serve to offer more giveaway methods rather than to confuse things further.
Of course you can give your stuff away however you want. I just thought i would share some of my methodology for all the reasons i've stated. What do you think? How do you combat lurkers and stalkers? I know some people don't even care about that. This topic is for those who do.
Thank you to everyone for sharing with the community and giving back regardless of how you do it!
-theDevilman
My Contests Blacklist:
List of members blacklisted from my contests for various reasons. It could be because of any of the following reasons: Cheating, Trolling, Thankless Hoarding, Just Being an Ass, etc.
noobcake's Giveaway (11.07.2013) - Xbox 360 Destiny beta codetheDevilman Giveaway (9/23/2103) - Multiple Prize Bundles!Shutterfly Free Mug Codes Contest - 6 Codes!theDevilman Giveaway (8/25/2103) - Xbox & Steam Codes!- All my older giveaways were all in many various giveaway topics.
- I stopped tracking my giveaways here. Too much to keep track of. Just keep an eye out for my topics.
Alternate Free Giveaway Methods (Anti-Lurker AND Anti-Stalker Methods... and Anti-Hoarder Methods)
(For giving away free Digital Codes of Virtual Goods or anything else for that matter.)
I occasionally give away codes here and there and thought i would share my model for how i do it. If you are looking for your giveaways to be a little more fair and hope to give more people a chance, I hope you find it helpful. I hope that this will not just be something that clutters the forums.
After re-reading the whole thing before submission, i also hope that this does not come off as smug. Reading it again, it does seem to have a hint of that kind of tone. I assure you, this is not my intent and i only offer it as an alternative for those that are also looking for additional good giveaway methods.
Of course, when you give your stuff away you should be able to give it away however you want. Absolutely! And if you don't have the time to set up something that is a bit more elaborate and only have time to just drop your codes in the public forums for the fastest to grab them, i'm just happy with anyone generous enough to share with others in any way! Thank you to everyone who has ever given your free goods to others!
However, if you're sick of the same people always getting the codes that you are giving back to the community... AND have just a little bit of extra time to put into the process... There are some methods that i personally use when i give things away that might also help you. These are methods that help get your freebies to a few more people than just the usual code hoarding stalkers. And to people that might actually appreciate it a bit more in many cases.
The reason i use these methods and why i am creating this topic?
Basically, because "Stalkers" are as bad as "Lurkers". Maybe worse and often times the same people are both and both suck. When i give away free stuff no matter how valuable, invaluable, common or uncommon... the idea that the same people that always get the free stuff will likely get MY free gifts as well, makes me a little sick.
(More Of My Soapbox Reasoning) lol
The "First Come First Serve" method of gifting digital or virtual goods codes (or anything for that matter) very often leads to the same small pool of people at any given time poaching the vast majority of everything. So the intended element of random luck in this method is virtually destroyed because of people that live on and stalk free giveaway threads every day (not to mention email and RSS subscription feeds with instant notifications) and are extremely well practiced at being much faster than your average hopeful.
Here is the idea i'm trying to get at... If i am giving free food away out of the back of a truck and the same people that have more time and strength keep pushing their way to the front to get the bulk of the food... And the smaller hungrier people in the back that don't have the time to be there every second, get only occasional scraps... i'm going to change the way i give out the free food! This is how i was raised. To give everyone an equal shot and especially to look out for those people less able to bully their way to the front. And to try and find a way to at least slow down those that would try and cheat the system unfairly. And if i'm giving away free codes (or anything else) and want to make it easier for EVERYONE to have a chance, that is what i'm going to do!
Many of the regular code poachers do not like the idea of a game or contest to win codes. They want codes posted publicly so they can keep snatching them up before anyone else even knows they're there. And the "first person to quote or pm" is just another variation of the 'First Come First Serve' method. Sure, that prevents lurking since people actually have to show themselves, but stalkers aren't always lurkers by any means.
Many of the same people that prefer codes be posted publicly also don't like the idea of a game or a contest to award codes. However, the "First Come First Serve" method IS a game and IS a contest. Pure and simple. To pretend it is not shows a complete lack of understanding of the definitions of a game or a contest. Adding caveats does NOT make it 'more' of a game or a contest. It just adds some small additional factors to make it harder for lurkers and stalkers to always be the same people to get codes.
Clearly, being the fastest to quote or PM is both of these.
Some of the people that are very polite and always good about saying "thank you", can sometimes indeed be stalkers. And there is nothing inherently wrong with that. Especially when they are decent and polite about it. BUT, i still just do not like the idea of even a nice person getting the bulk of all my codes just because they have more time to stalk freebies. Even if they are very nice about it.
I realize that i make some generalizations about the majority of whom actually wins codes at any given time. This is, of course, not always the case. But often times, it is.
Here is the idea i'm trying to get at... If i am giving free food away out of the back of a truck and the same people that have more time and strength keep pushing their way to the front to get the bulk of the food... And the smaller hungrier people in the back that don't have the time to be there every second, get only occasional scraps... i'm going to change the way i give out the free food! This is how i was raised. To give everyone an equal shot and especially to look out for those people less able to bully their way to the front. And to try and find a way to at least slow down those that would try and cheat the system unfairly. And if i'm giving away free codes (or anything else) and want to make it easier for EVERYONE to have a chance, that is what i'm going to do!
Many of the regular code poachers do not like the idea of a game or contest to win codes. They want codes posted publicly so they can keep snatching them up before anyone else even knows they're there. And the "first person to quote or pm" is just another variation of the 'First Come First Serve' method. Sure, that prevents lurking since people actually have to show themselves, but stalkers aren't always lurkers by any means.
Many of the same people that prefer codes be posted publicly also don't like the idea of a game or a contest to award codes. However, the "First Come First Serve" method IS a game and IS a contest. Pure and simple. To pretend it is not shows a complete lack of understanding of the definitions of a game or a contest. Adding caveats does NOT make it 'more' of a game or a contest. It just adds some small additional factors to make it harder for lurkers and stalkers to always be the same people to get codes.
Clearly, being the fastest to quote or PM is both of these.
Some of the people that are very polite and always good about saying "thank you", can sometimes indeed be stalkers. And there is nothing inherently wrong with that. Especially when they are decent and polite about it. BUT, i still just do not like the idea of even a nice person getting the bulk of all my codes just because they have more time to stalk freebies. Even if they are very nice about it.
I realize that i make some generalizations about the majority of whom actually wins codes at any given time. This is, of course, not always the case. But often times, it is.
So over time i have come up with some methods of giving away my codes that opens up the pool of potential recipients a lot more. Here are the basic general guidelines i use for this more Anti-Lurker AND Anti-Stalker based approach.
Anti-Lurker AND Anti-Stalker Giveaway Methods: (And Anti-Hoarding further down.)
- 1. Offering Free Codes: If you have a digital code or codes, note what they are for. Also, post their region if it matters (US, UK, etc.) and their type if applicable. (For example if it is for a digital movie, specify if it is for UV, iTunes, etc.)
- 2. Time Limit: Set a time limit for how long you will allow entries to win the codes you are offering. (15 mins, 1 hr, 24 hrs, etc.) (This will help combat stalking.)
- 3. Contest Methods: Offer a contest that is NOT based on the "First Come First Serve" method. (This will also help combat stalking.) There are two primary ways of doing this. The "Random" method and the "Best in Show" method.
- "Random" Method Examples:
"If you want said code, PM me the reason you want it. All qualifying entrants that enter within the allowed time frame will be assigned a number and i will use random.org to pick the winner." - "If you want said code, quote my post and add your favorite 'insert-thing-here' to your response. All qualifying entrants that enter within the allowed time frame will be assigned a number and i will use random.org to pick the winner."
- "Random" Method Examples:
- "Best in Show" Method Examples:
- "If you want said code, PM me the reason you want it. All qualifying entrants that enter within the allowed time frame will have their responses reviewed and i will pick my favorite." (Remember essay contests in school? It's like that. This forces people to actually take some time and put some thought in.)
- "If you want said code, quote my post and add a funny picture of 'insert-thing-here' to your response. All qualifying entrants that enter within the allowed time frame will have their responses reviewed and i will pick my favorite."
- Anti-Hoarding Additions to Consider: (These can be used in case stalking is getting bad, to keep hoarders at bay or just because you want to)
- "Anyone that has won a code in this topic (or from me) in the past reasonable x amount of time does not qualify. (i.e. 1 day, 2 days, 1 week, etc.) I will go back and verify each participant."
- "Only people that have given codes away themselves in the past reasonable x amount of time qualify. (i.e. 1 month, 1 year, ever, etc.) You must provide a link to at least one of your own giveaways."
- "Only one code per person" (In cases where you are giving away multiple codes.)
- Etc...
- Get Creative:
- The examples of these methods that i've show are just that... examples. Get creative. Even something as simple as, "The 5th person to quote me wins", gives more people a chance and is fast and simple. This is not ideal against stalkers but certainly gives at least a few more people a chance since there is at least a little more time to alert people.
- "First Come First Serve" Methods to AVOID:
- Posting codes in public open forums for anyone to lurk.
- "First to quote or PM me gets it."
- "First to quote or PM me 'parameters-here', gets it."
- 4. Awarding Codes: Private Message the winners with their codes to keep lurkers from poaching them.
I had originally thought about starting a new thread for giveaways using only Anti-Lurker, Anti-Stalker and Anti-Hoarder methods. But there are already so many specific types of giveaway topics that i thought this would hopefully just serve to offer more giveaway methods rather than to confuse things further.
Of course you can give your stuff away however you want. I just thought i would share some of my methodology for all the reasons i've stated. What do you think? How do you combat lurkers and stalkers? I know some people don't even care about that. This topic is for those who do.
Thank you to everyone for sharing with the community and giving back regardless of how you do it!
-theDevilman
My Contests Blacklist:
List of members blacklisted from my contests for various reasons. It could be because of any of the following reasons: Cheating, Trolling, Thankless Hoarding, Just Being an Ass, etc.
- Cagamer99
- Zimmerman
- davevh84
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