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lol

U can come out of the naughty corner now tox.....lol

..is it safe to emerge...? Crap! 19 points this morning. Grrr.

lol i got 13 . you get a big score soon

happened to me also, many months in a row. Wrote to admin but no response so now I don't bother with leaderboard or clicking every comp at all.

..and a '2' today.... :( lol

@toxicgherkin lol. Put it this way someone has to come last. hehe.
I don't think there is anyone who has a lower total daily points that has logged in every day and done the guessing game as well.

This is the first month, since joining last September I've got more points at the end of the month then you. lol Hmmm sounds like rubbing it in.

X fingers and hopefully the first month I get in the Top 20. Think just done enough. Now having a quick look at the spread on total daily points for this monthly leaderboard.

Some general observations for this month compared to previous months from about last September.

Given
Average daily points (50+1)/2 = 25.5
Average total daily points for 31 days 25.5*31 = 790.5
Approximately 50 regular members that log in daily and do all the guessing game entries for a month.

1 Looks like spread of about +130 to - 170 from total daily points from the total average the top 40ish. There seems about 40-50 regular members that login daily and do every days guessing game. Base this on rough observation since joining.

One major difference I'm noticing this month that the spread of total daily points for a month is spread on both sides of the average.
Noticeably a lot more below the average then previously and looking more normally distributed on both side of the average.

It seemed previously heavily skewed to above average with very few scores below average . This happened month after month. Which is why I was suspecting something wasn't quite right.

2. So If about 40-50 regular members loggin in every day and doing the guessing game I'm expecting if get just over the 790 total daily points and tick off all the competitions viewed I would expect very close to the top 20. Gee I compared it to what I got 796 going to be close X fingers might be based on a couple of extra competitions I have viewed.

3 Also got birthday bonus which can effect the leaderboard
50/12 = 4
So expect about 4 birthdays a month on the leaderboard each month.

So getting about breakeven random points now I would be expecting roughly Top 20 +- few positions. Only rough this might have an effect of requiring about another (10-20) points to be very as few positions are pushed down the list due to birthdays.

Overall
Then take in account points major points missed the odd guessing game etc seems be roughly a handful of members each month pushes down the cutoff for the Top 20 to back to about "breakeven" the 790 daily monthly points .

Rough comparison to previous months was approximately +75 (865 overall) from the total daily points average for a month to at least to be in the Top 20. The Top 3 seemed about +200 (seem consistently need about 1050 daily random points 31 days)
Now looking at this month scores that is about position 5.

Now statistically you might argue that all scores this month have just been randomly lower then previously.

Regarding suspecting something seemed flawed with the daily random points up to 1st February 2016. It was the spread of values looked abnormal consistently high and was by accident observed what appeared to be a statistically improbably. Ie the run of low and high values within time periods. "the smoking gun". If the values had been high then low probably would of missed it. The day after I recall their was the system went down possible for maintenance. lol

Never got an explanation if there was a issue with the random points.

So assuming that there was maintenance done to the random points system this would be first complete month since then. Also the first month the scores look roughly what would expect if got 40-50 members and do most of the competitions viewed etc be very close if not in the Top 20 if "breakeven" on the daily random points.

Looks like everyone on average got lower random scores on for this month then previously, if that helps. lol

@Lemond, I gathered the system had been reset, and I was royally on the receiving end, as were many others. It's random. I just cross my fingers as I click on the login, and wish others the same. ;)

@toxicgherkin Well done in hanging in there and not giving up.
Yeh you got the royal treatment :(. I noticed that early on in the month. We all were starting to miss you being off the leaderboard for most of the month.

It's the first month I've seen a good balance of statistics with scores also below the average which would expect being random.

As probably having the lowest total for the daily points throughout most of the month, what was your impression of how many regular members are dedicated to the leader board competition?

Interesting to generally compare this months spread of scores to previously and why I was suspecting previously there seemed a flaw in the daily point system. My spider tingling feeling of the randomness and statistics, especially after a few months last year.

Whatever was going on, thou might of had some sort randomness, it seemed it had the effect of unintentionally favoring groups of members. Probably as people are creatures of habit related to similar login patterns. EG. If you have a loaded die and people have a favorite number and that happened to be those loaded numbers they would be more likely to win. Or a random approach would better off then those who favorite number would be disadvantaged etc.

It didn't appear to be a simple pattern fixed at the same time every day. Overall would of been too time consuming to identify exactly what was happening.

Possible hints with roughly how much the distribution was skewed above the average previously each month could suggest more likely of been a once a week occurrence. Combine that now with 1st Feb being a Monday is setting of some tingling sensations. Probably the most likely scenario that happened. Most members logged in later got the high value batch each time. Very weird the random points flaw to even to happen in the first place.

It was the consistent grouping of high outliers each month 200-250+ generally for the same members with few scores below the average. Combined with the median score looking skewed significantly above the average as a result which made me suspicious.

Above post I was trying to gauge now what the monthly total daily score would roughly be required to make the Top 20 which looks approximately about "breakeven" ie. 25.5 average daily score. This would be dependent on the number of dedicated members each month, currently approximately 40 members. With a slight influence of number of birthdays. Maybe a case for expanding for a Top 40 to encourage more members to more actively use the site. Also may reduce the probability of a win :( Doh.

General observation birthdays now should have a more impact for your chance to make the Top 20 or Top 3. Especially as those consistently group of high outliers are unlikely to reoccur.

Knowing roughly what the cutoff score for the Top 20 is and how many points tracking above or below average I feel I get a better feel for my position on the Leaderboard and if realistically to get into Top 20 etc. The leaderboard displayed throughout the month greatly influenced whether members haven't viewed the competitions yet which maybe be done right at the end.

Argh An old job was implementing a financial modelling and analysis system ie rating all the retail managed fund products. Looking a groups of similar classified managed funds and rating according using a combination of statistical/financial methods. Ie. measure against performance, benchmarks and risk/variance etc. Often would come across data errors or reevaluation of unit prices spread throughout a large database. One of the many roles to ensure the integrity of data as it would effect the modelling. Using various statistics like variance , mean and compared to benchmarks for that fund category. If outside a couple of standard deviations from the average it would be automatically highlighted to examined more closely. Or quick glace at performance distributions for a fund category compared to appropriate benchmarks

@Lemond, in my golden days of Leaderboard inclusion, it did seem odd to be amongst the same group of Top 20 users month after month. I'm glad the system seems to have been righted, though I'd appreciate more than this '8' this morning! Lol

@toxicgherkin Well looks had a good day. :) Was going to say 8 is a lucky number.

Yes the golden days of being about 4th on the leaderboard every month, how frustrating to tease you like that. I did offer you those spare points. lol

It gave me the motivation to hang in there if once, only once, end a week or month above your score. Closest I got was exactly the same score and got the boot tumbling down the list. Wasn't untill the New Year hangover period. X fingers that curse has been lifted. hehe

@toxicgherkin You've passed the low score to me, so far this month I've received a few 8's & 11s LOL

@Annaar lol Ouch -63 below the average so far. It would only take a few good days to get back to even. Hang in there your luck will turn around.

@Lemond thank you :-) there is nothing to do but wait for a good day lol

@Annaar lol. I look at it in blocks of least 3 days and end of week. Verses the daily pick me up. So often I got 50 then a 1 previously.

I'm just treading water trying to keep above even at the moment. I wouldn't mind getting up a few points with a birthday coming up. If get lucky enough to get up around +50 to 100 above the average points for the month I might even have a chance. I'm expecting a bumpy ride hopefully in the right direction. Damn 7 today still above average. X fingers for tomorrow see how the first week has panned out. hehe

Last month you had a bumpy ride you and still managed to scrape into the top 20. Well done. :)

Any luck you might pick up a guessing game win with the double guesses this month.

The interesting part looking at the lowest scores gives an impression there are about 40ish compers doing the leaderboard competition regularly. About 3/50 odds for winning something is quite good. A likelihood of a win every 18 months approximately. Putting in those terms doesn't sound as attractive lol. It doesn't take much time each day. The biggest hurdle is remembering to log in each day. :)

Point is hang in there and give yourself the chance for a win. Being smart about how much time and effort to put into comping. Having a healthy approach helps so while not winning and getting comping burnout. Have fun while not winning. I know it's a hard concept to grasp. hehe

Last couple of months have taken a step back and now steadily getting back into it. You could probably guess that as I haven't posted any international competitions for a while. I should do some for my birthday. :)

@Lemond if I manage to guess the secret number, I'm buying a lottery ticket lol.

Not entertaining many comps, so hard to get burnt out .. Only things I want for me & few for gifts, as I'm still out of work.

There haven't been that many comps to enter lately....

@Annaar :) Lot of other good sites if competitions.com.au isn't putting suitable competitions up. Even without trying always a dozen could do daily if in the mood to do them all. :) Just the womens weekly, guessing game, leaderboard, got a few there before you start. After a while you a lot get emailed to you from subscriptions from previous competitions. Just be careful of the spam ones looking like competitions. I get plenty of those. :(

My PC keeps reminding me I should look for competitions involving a new PC. Must be some out there. :)

Well your guessing game chances have just double what ever the odds are. It would depend if you maximize your odds if smart about it. No prizes for being the 2nd to guess the number put it that way. It would be just my luck when I finally guess it.

There would be about couple hundred members might play occasionally each week. It's been a while since I've been that low on the leaderboard to gauge. Definitely at least 100+ lol. One thing I noticed a while back for the winners a lot didn't actually guess the number they just got reasonable close. It probably reflects the popularity of the guessing game since and increase in members. I think there might even be winners that have won more then once. So odds can't be that extreme.

I wonder on average, how many days does it take for the number to be guessed correctly? I wouldn't think that many days currently.

Lets assume takes 3 days on average for a correct guess to occur each week.
Assuming play the leaderboard gives currently roughly 50% chance of having double guesses for any given month.
Rough odds first day with 2 guesses 1/500 , Odds of someone else guessed it first day approx 1/5 i.e 200/1000
Second day 1/250 v approx 2/5
Third day 1/166 v approx 3/5

Going to be approx 1/100 to 1/200 for each week sounds about right come down how many members are doing it regularly and if maximizing your chances. Got 4 guessing game competitions per month makes the rough odds 1/50 per month.

So include the leaderboard competition approx 3/50 and 1/50 for the guessing game per month. Expect on average to win roughly once a year on average between the two competitions. I think more realistically more towards 18 months going by @toxicgherkin leaderboard/guessing game wins lol.

If doing the site just for the guessing game . You might question is it worth the commitment. Doing both the guessing game and leaderboard still looking at a good commitment of time and effort. Hint to @Admin case to jack up the prize money on offer and inflation to consider. :)

I would like to see the guessing game to be out of 10,000 with more members playing now then when it was first introduced. I.e. less chance then of been beaten due to someone guessing correctly on the same day. Also maybe extending to a Top 40 getting double guesses to encourage more site participation. The odds would be the same using current rules. It comes down to the number of members playing each week :)

Now verses a lotto ticket win you got to remember the system is designed to suck money out of its participants. Good luck at beating the odds there. hehehe

@Lemond A lot of comp sites publish same comps. Eg MindFood might have a DVD comp win one of 3... They advertise on numerous sites ... 3 DVDs & may be 1000 people trying to win (good luck with that ) LOL

IF it's one I want or know will be a much loved gift, I enter.., otherwise I don't

When it comes to guessing game, I've noticed that if no one guesses the closest guess wins. More people might play if the kitty doubles the week following no win.

Between trying to get a job, social media, reading newspapers online, comps ... I' in front of the screen way too much...

Last night was a nice break & Chris Isaak was fantastic. Back to reality today, interview at recruitment agency in the afternoon.... Will have to convince 20yo to give me a job. Getting to agency interviews is getting close to impossible... Tis my age... Will never see 20 again :-)

@Annaar Good Luck for the interviews. A more important competition. :) Lesson is how to improve your chances for success and not letting the odds of failure dictate your choices. Gives you a estimate of what is required to win.

I did a Facebook competition yesterday with those sort of odds. About 2000 entries with 10 DVD's to give away. Extra entries for each tagged entry. I put in 3 tags. So about 1/70 chance to win. I think I need a lot more contacts to tag to have a realistic chance for those type of competitions. About 10 times as many lol.

Probably the major difference between the average comper and the ones winning regularly "beating the odds" are more organised and understand the competition, and terms and conditions, and what is required to give a good chance to win, whether it be skilled based or random competitions.

You can apply that approach to job interviews. It comes down to how badly you want it and what effort willing to put in. It might require big a commitment of time/money to the type of job you desire, like getting appropriate education or training. As job interviews are skill based a random approach or doing nothing is highly unlikely to have much success if any. You might randomly get to the interview stage then find have no realistic chance for the real prize, the job! You might even get lucky being in the right place at the right time.

You need to assess what skills you have and how can improve them to give you that edge over your competition.

Good Luck

@Lemond interviews last year and today will be based if I'm the right fit for the team, as I have the right attitude, majority of the skills required for the jobs.

No one comes in into any jobs knowing everything....

Not sure about the odds as interview seemed to have gone OK, but after I came home and decompressed some things are replaying in my head and I am starting to second guess myself... do it every single time LOL

Have more chance of getting the job then winning an overseas trip comp :-)

@Annaar For the guessing game and leaderboard was looking at it from the perspective how it attracts active members to the site.
For the guessing game I don't think it's a problem attracting more members to play it. It looks like a good percentage just play the guessing game and don't actively use the site. A lot of winners of the guessing game have either stopped comping or rarely check out what competitions are on offer.

Rolling over the kitty if no one guesses it correct, I don't think it would change how the site it utilized by it's members. It might temporarily attracting more users to the site. It would probably have to roll over quite a few times like powerball to have a noticeable effect. Going by rough trend of percentage just doing the guessing game to active members it might only result in a small flow on effect to number active members.

Expanding the leaderboard to a Top 40 and having a Top 4 prize list might have more of a desired effect of encouraging more active members, who checking out those feature competitions and advertising. Currently it seems static at about 40-50 members each month. The good side to that currently there is good chance for a leaderboard win, however over time the incentive to be an active member diminishes if prize value doesn't change.

Maybe doing both ideas might work using the guessing game to reel them in and the leaderboard to keep them.

Also the hint of improving the site with the competition in the forum run last year doesn't seem to have come to fruition yet. This may be be the underlying cause why there isn't more active members.

Like most competitions it's all about the promoter getting their brand/product out there. Competitions.com.au would be selling eyeballs for their featured competitions and advertising. It seems that there are around 150-250 regular members and about 50 dedicated members that are highly active on average each month. A more active member base hopefully would flow on to larger prizes, or more competitions offered exclusively from this site. Makes me think about what has happened to the weekly caption competition. Was fun thou probably didn't suit my skills so mixed feelings about its loss.

I'm guaranteed, "well highly probably" for dinner tomorrow with a good friend that the discussion will touch on how free to air TV etc treats viewers like customers selling your eyeballs. :) They have been running a long term campaign on removing advertising from SBS. SaveOurSBS.org for anyone reading if interested.

It should be a very interesting conversation what they have been currently doing and achievements. Last year it resulted in a bill being rejected to shift advertising from off peak periods to peak viewing periods. Currently it seems to be ideas floated to merge SBS and ABC backroom operations to reduce costs. This could have implications on quality of content and loss of services.

@Annaar lol. Yeh I'm way too self analytical. Long as do it in a healthy way to improve yourself and maximize your chances for next time. All a learning process. Like doing WOL competitions. I need lot more practice. I think I've been unconsciously avoiding them. It might be just what you need to wind down. hehe

Regarding winning an overseas trip well there's a can of worms you've discussed your dissatisfaction with previously. It seems to be major dissatisfaction with compers in general. Was doing a post in response to someones "win" on that and own experience. lol

A lot of travel competitions seem to heavily weighted towards promoters as a direct marketing ploy to attract sales. I.e aimed at those that can already afford to take the prize or genuinely interested and planning a trip. Way of weeding out the general comper and reaching their intended market.

Often appear to recover a good part of the costs for competition promotion. I wouldn't be surprised they get some sort of kickback or commissions with the additional costs of taking up the prize. Disguising themselves as a competition where it's more of a discount offer to lure in customers. Using that "fuzzy" feeling of "winning" a trip and preying on peoples emotions.

I should be more focused just doing some more competitions. hehe

@Annaar Agree can't know everything when going into job. It's probably a good warning sign to any employer if come across anyone thinking they know everything.

Like in IT/programming etc I need a good base and knowledge of skills required gives that intuitive ability to flexibility in whatever computing task. Having that good base I know what questions to ask, if don't know. From experience, try and not word it as "There's a problem" hehe. Seems bosses don't appreciate "problems" and interrupted the wrong way.

If specifically required focus on that skill to bring it up to speed. EG. It might be a specific computing language or software tool used.

An old job a good understanding of financial statistics and analysis was required apart from the computing side. Bit rusty now on those specifics. Underlying those mathematical skills naturally flow into computing with problem solving. Also explains my curiosity on the odds for competitions. lol

@Lemond when it comes to interviews & recruiters sometimes I know immediately that nothing will come out of the meeting, sometimes I'm unsure & keep on thinking back to what was said, what should have been said.

Usually really cautious when asking questions but for some reason today asked 3 questions & he couldn't answer them. AT ALL.. Changed the subject each time.

Years ago, if you had the skills you were hired. Now you have to be right fit for the co. Age is a huge factor.

Did you see the thing on compung on Tv this am? Apparently we have to enter at least 3 comps per day.., some days it's almost impossible lol

@Annaar No I missed the thing on comping on TV. Which show was it? I have seen previously some small segments about competitions on the morning shows a while back. More self promotion of a particular competition site and how are full of winners.
.... Well it has happy compers at times at least. hehehe

3 competitions per day equates to 1000 per year and get a couple of wins a year on average. Nah it's far from impossible doing that many. if look at it as few minutes a day and do 3 a day. If looking at have to do 100 per month it seems bit more of a mountain. It can sneak up on you the amount of competitions entered. Pity my spam emails as a result of comping don't sneak up the same way. It's more of a flood each day. It would be 150+ at least. That's my biggest challenge/problem lol. I've won a lifetime supply of spam emails.

@Annaar Good point asking a prospective employer questions. They also have to suit your requirements. Some are even outright dodgy.

There have been some dishonest practices by recruiting agencies in the past exploiting government kickbacks for "offering" jobs and interviews for fictitious jobs etc. Hopefully this has been cracked down on. Would make a frustrating experience if that is still happening.

Age shouldn't make a huge difference. I guess it may depend on the industry and physical requirements. Experience must count for something still. Lessons you have learnt and how improved verses little experience. If can demonstrate the willingness to learn new skills if required. Younger might have current educational advantages if the new skills being taught are relevant. Unless your talking about age where lower pay rates come into it.