420 Magazine Seeking A Volunteer For Contest Titles

[Teddy Edwards]

420 Magazine is looking for a temporary volunteer to help us with collating members' contest titles.

We need to create a simple but complete list of all winners of our contests. We need an historic record of successful members; this will also be invaluable in checking that a member has not won in the previous 3 or, in the case of Member of the Month, 6 months.

Our old software used to display the titles in a member's profile. Unfortunately, that is not an option with our new software.

This invaluable job will involve going back through all our contests to collate a list of past winners. It should not take too long once started and it would provide important support for our hard-working team.

If you are reliable, have an eye for detail and can dedicate some time for this role, please post your application in this thread or send it to hr@420magazine.com

Thank you in advance for your 420 Magazine volunteering spirit.

 

[TorturedSoul]

If I can't get myself hired at the local burger joint Wednesday, I'll have the time. [EDIT: On second thought, it shouldn't take more than a few hours at most. This should be all finished by then, whether it's me or someone else who ends up getting picked to do it.] The work is simple, just somewhat repetitive. All you need is a list of names under each contest, with the date(s) that they won? And kind of a "textual calendar" showing which ones are currently ineligible, and for which contests - along with the months when each will again be eligible for said contests?

Not a great deal of thinking required, just the ability to pay attention and expend some non-physical labor. The only work I've hustled up keeps getting pushed off into the future, and I've only got one interview scheduled <SIGH>. I've got to do some pavement-pounding, but I'll have time this week. However, I may end up sleeping some in the next 24 hours... So someone else may end up just going ahead and doing it and submitting the report as a fait accompli, lol, while I'm away from the keyboard.

If not, though... .

 

[Old Salt]

Started... Using Excel.

 

[TorturedSoul]

That's great (I don't like spreadsheets)! Are you going back ten years?

I just got curious, and it looks like Ms. Fox was our first Member of the Month. I remember her, think she was pretty active for about three years (that I was here?) or so. Wherever she has gone, I hope she is well.

 

[Old Salt]

That's great (I don't like spreadsheets)! Are you going back ten years?

I just got curious, and it looks like Ms. Fox was our first Member of the Month. I remember her, think she was pretty active for about three years (that I was here?) or so. Wherever she has gone, I hope she is well.

I use what I have. It can be exported as a CSV and imported to most other applications easily.

 

[Teddy Edwards]

Started... Using Excel.

Thank you, Old Salt. Please include the annual winners.

Please if you don't mind include the Creme de la Creme contest winners (re-named Photo of the Month in January 2018), and also the winners of Grow Journal of the Month (which started in November 2016).

 

[Old Salt]

Thank you, Old Salt. Please include the annual winners.

Please if you don't mind include the Creme de la Creme contest winners (re-named Photo of the Month in January 2018), and also the winners of Grow Journal of the Month (which started in November 2016).

I've sent current progress back to Sept 2016 to the support mailbox.

 

[Teddy Edwards]

Old Salt has completed the job.

We are truly grateful for his tangible support for our mission.

Thank you, Old Salt. Your seasoning has added considerable flavor to our 420 Magazine dish.

 

[TorturedSoul]

EDIT: Let's see if I can figure out how to do this thing: <CLEARS THROAT> @Teddy Edwards , I have a suggestion:

Our old software used to display the titles in a member's profile. Unfortunately, that is not an option with our new software.

I do not know whether or not the new forum software has provisions for such a thing, but in my web-search wanderings, I have noticed that some forums display "badges" (various icons) under their users' names to the left of their posts. I'm not a fan - but I realize that the kids like them, lol. Things like:

• Member for {number} years.
• Created {1000 / 2000 / 3000 / 4000 / etc.} posts on the forum.
• Successfully completed a grow journal.
• Reviewer for {company, probably one of the forum's sponsors}.
• Staff member.
• Posted at least one strain smoke and/or grow report.
• Winner of {contest}.

Et cetera. Basically whatever the staff and members could think of, I suppose. Arguably provides useful(?) information about the member and might(?) allow others to better judge his/her words' merit. Also probably increases the general level of enjoyment at those forums, while at the same time giving the members little(?) goals to shoot for. I think I even saw one that was sort of a campfire with a bucket of water being poured onto it, lol, which I guessed meant that member was good at spotting and "putting out" flames around the forum. Hovering the mouse cursor over these things generally cause one of those textual pop-ups that explain what the award is for. There may have been some kind of "x2, x3, xwhatever" beside some of them, or the same award might have been shown multiple times (I honestly didn't pay that much attention, since I was only ghosting through to read the information I was searching for when I did the web-searches).

IF this forum has such an option or there is some kind of plug-in available that provides it, it might be another way to go for these things than trying to add information listing the member's contest win(s) - especially if the member has one multiple contests, possibly multiple times each. That can begin to look just a wee bit unweildy (and you might run out of room with some of our superstars ).

Just a thought, brought on by your comment that I quoted.

Oh, COOL! I just went to the drop-down menu for creating an unordered list in my post and found out where the tools to increase/decrease paragraphs had gone to. Oh, that's great, lol - I was looking for it just the other day. Mama always said, "If you really want to find something, just stop looking, and it'll show up sooner or later." Shame she has never managed to follow her own advice . Many a night, when I was just a lad, I'd get up to go to the bathroom and find her ransacking the house, still looking for something. . . .

 

[Old Salt]

I just got curious, and it looks like Ms. Fox was our first Member of the Month. I remember her, think she was pretty active for about three years (that I was here?) or so. Wherever she has gone, I hope she is well.

Yes she was, back in Jan of 2009.

 

[Amy Gardner]

Thanks for doing that @Old Salt


So - there are members whose MoTM title displays under their username... is that going to stop as well? I’m a bit confused. And people are starting to ask me why there’s no title under mine!

 

[Old Salt]

... Here you go Amy...

Amy Gardner
Well-Known Member
420 Member of the
Month March 2018​

Well, at least you know what it would look like. You earned the title during the software change, so there may be a glitch, or the staff may still be very busy. Congratulations once again. The title is well deserved.

​

P.S. I obviously had too much time on my hands

 

[Teddy Edwards]

The new software only allows a very limited number of characters under the username. We have looked into it with the software provider, and there is nothing we can do to change it.

I had not added recent titles to member's profiles until we got to the bottom of the issue.

I've now added yours, Amy. However it's a problem for members with multiple titles (such as Cola Monster). You'll notice that such lists are cut short currently.

Previously, I had a simple way to check that recent contest winners were not mistakenly re-entering within the 3 month period (or 6 months for MOTM). That's why I needed an historic list, for reference.

We will be discussing possibly creating a "Hall of Fame" for all winners so that achievements are publicly visible. We just haven't had the time yet, dealing with more urgent issues in the back.

Thank you for your patience.

 

[Amy Gardner]

Thanks Teddy, yes I can see the challenges it's brought you! Honestly, I hadn't thought about it until people started asking me!

​

 

[TorturedSoul]

I've now added yours, Amy. However it's a problem for members with multiple titles (such as Cola Monster). You'll notice that such lists are cut short currently.

TROPHIES! That's what they're called - I think. Earlier, I was thinking badges, icons, stickers, doodads, but couldn't remember trophies. Or... achievement badges, lol? Anyway, look into that. Whip one up for Nug, Plant, and Member of the month; the first two ought to be easy. So should Photo of the Month. Member of the Month could take a little creativity. "Officially recognized review of a sponsor's product" might be... good for everyone?

I don't know if it would look better to have duplicates for multiples of the same contest, an "x2" (etc.), or perhaps superimpose the two-digit year onto it. That would work for everyone that didn't win the same contest in the same year. Maybe a fancier rendition of same for "...of the Year." Completed grow journal.

IDK. What would be fun, lol? Not really my area of expertise, I fear.

Previously, I had a simple way to check that recent contest winners were not mistakenly re-entering within the 3 month period (or 6 months for MOTM). That's why I needed an historic list, for reference.

The ability to sort (etc.) the data in a spreadsheet should be a timesaver, then. Old Salt was really using his head on that one.

We will be discussing possibly creating a "Hall of Fame" for all winners so that achievements are publicly visible.

We just haven't had the time yet, dealing with more urgent issues in the back.

Y'all do an awful lot of work on an average day. I think everyone that has been a member at any Internet forum, especially a busy one, for more than five minutes understand that - and that you are only human.