Megasack Giveaway Day 7: Goodyear Newton MTF and MTR Tyres

Great comp so far!

Just for info, I got a bad gateway note when I did the 2nd entry for suscribers only. When I refreshed I got 2nd email, not sure if that was for the 2nd entry or a dulicate of the main one though.

Love the look of Amanda's face trying to hold it together 😆

I might be wrong, but I didn't get a second entry option today.

*** The second entry is there now, but I've reached my submission level.

I'll check and make sure you are on the list twice @Orange5

Sorry for the bad gateway errors. This year the form software seems to be complaining because we have two forms on the page at once and the rush of entries was pretty enormous today. We are making some changes so that should not happen again.

I'll make sure you are in there twice @kendonagasaki

Similar issue with the entry form. Entered the answer as in writing the answer and submitted. Enter again via the second option. Page refreshed this time with a multiple choice style option for the question answer. So made my selection and resubmitted my answer and was advised that I had reached my submission level.

Received 2 emails for the initial submission and the second enter submission.

How many people does Benji reckon would get a question about ETRO correct?

Missed a 'T' from the question 🙂

It is European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation (ETRTO)

I got the same message as well.

I've only had one email confirmation today, does that mean I've only one entry?

Was that an insight into daily life at STW with Benji, King of Tangents? Looks fun. 🙂

I see you've replace the second form with a tick box. I ticked it, but only got one email. Not really going to worry too much about it, but good luck in your efforts to sort it out.

Like Fathomer, I've only had one confirmation email today..?

You'd know if Sara Cox popped her clogs, because there'd be an 'RIP' thread up before the family could even be informed.

Yep bad gateway error when I tried to enter this AM. Can you stick me down for my double entry please folks.

Are we supposed to get an email confirmation? (Looks like it from some of the comments) I haven't received an email confirmation for any of my entries. It's a conspiracy!

May be I live a sad life, but I'd tune into watch these vids even if there were no competition.  Love the fact that on today's there was no difference between the final cut and the outtakes (save for perhaps the velvety tones of the boss in the background)

<Benji mumbles something about pound notes><br /><br /><Amanda thinks what the **** is a pound note><br /><br />

🤣

I had server error earlier today when making both entries (after "submitting..." was displayed for quite a while).
Hopefully entries were submitted.

Yep, format seems to have changed this week, with a tick box for your double entry. Only got one confirmation email as well.

Balls I haven’t been ticking the ‘I am a member box’.

I've also only had 1 'go', with no 2nd go option appearing (despite being logged in) today.

Only 1 confirmation email too.

And the missing one is a dead cert winner today too.

Gripping video 😉

Are we supposed to get an email confirmation? (Looks like it from some of the comments) I haven’t received an email confirmation for any of my entries. It’s a conspiracy!

Send me your email address and I’ll flick you my confirmation so you don’t feel left out.

May be I live a sad life, but I’d tune into watch these vids even if there were no competition.

Yep. I've said it before, they could do a GCN/GMBN/pinkbike style magazine show with a bit of chat about bikes and other related stuff. I appreciate its more work but it doesn't need fancy production, in fact its better with a some shonkiness. YouTube does pay a little and it'd drive traffic to the site.

Glad you’re enjoying the videos. Our podcast is basically our shonky bike chat randomness, if you want to check them out.

This year’s videos are a little easier on the production front thanks to the fact we’re not dying of cold in the old studio, but they’re still pretty resource heavy. Podcasts are just a bit easier to get turned around - you get 40 min of chat instead of 10, for about the same amount of production time. Would love to do more videos now it doesn’t involve risks usually only found on the north face of the Eiger, but will see how it goes!

podcasts are just a bit easier to get turned around – you get 40 min of chat instead of 10, for about the same amount of production time

Podcasts usually are around 40mins, whereas 10-15 mins is probably about right for a YouTube magazine show.

I still don't understand podcasts..

I'm about to dive in and sort and pick the winner for this prize. Just want to reassure members that I'll be making sure that you are in there twice after yesterday's tech nightmares.

Sorry for the change in format but we had to get something sorted on the fly while the server was objecting to us using two forms on the page for some unknown reason. That's why we combined the members extra vote into a tick box in the main question form. Yesterday was a tech day we'd really like to forget.

Good work!

I didn't enter as don't need tyres

I've checked for everyone who asked on this thread and gone through and double checked. You are all in there twice.

The only manual adjustment I had to make was for jkomo who missed the extra tick box. I've doubled your single entry. That suggests to me that despite any errors everyone who should be in there is and everyone who needs a double entry has one.

Now I'm off to random.org to pick the winner. Winner as usual will be in the next day's story due around 11am.

@weeksy are you listening to podcasts in a language you don't speak?

Podcasts are just like the radio, except you don't have to wait for Moneybox Live, or some dreadful listener phone in to be over, before you get to listen to The Archers, or whatever it is you actually want to listen to. It's like Netflix, but for your ears only. Or like Spotify, but without the musical instruments. Although you can get podcasts on Spotify, so maybe that will confuse you further. I recommend you start with Making Up The Numbers because it's all about mountain bike racing, and it's definitely in English, so I think you'll understand it!

Just for balance I have received 2 emails for every entry

With the new tick box system there will only be a single confirmation email. If you are a full member and you've ticked the box all is well and you will be counted twice.

@stwhannah i just don't get them, but i don't get talky radio either. Not really sure why, but if i'm in the car with radio i want music to sing along to, not talking. I've tried one, once... got bored...

Why is an extra tickbox needed anyway? Can't the extra entry be done automatically?

Or is that just asking for more tech nightmares, merging the forms/paywall/login systems or something?

I’ve tried one, once… got bored…

I think I understand what you mean. I’m incapable of taking in spoken words unless I’m very focused on them, but with podcasts I’m very picky- the production has to be spot on and the people talking have to be either funny or very interesting or I switch off.

I’ll check and make sure you are on the list twice @Orange5

Thanks, Great there's loads of interest (even if it means my odds go down!)

@ossify the form software is called Forminator. It's not software we have written. Now Forminator has the ability to know if you are logged in or not, which are the two default settings with Wordpress but we have users who have different statuses ie full members. Forminator can tell if you are logged in or not but it can't tell if you are a full member. So we have to have another way to do that - the simplest way is for us to get you to tick a box to declare you are a full member and then in the big spreadsheet that I download each morning I verify those claims manually by crossreferencing your user ID, which is a hidden attribute logged by in the submission, with our members database.

Our devs could write our own form system that links to our members database and allows the checks to happen automatically, but they are best used to find the issues with the servers right now, plus the time it would take them to write that bespoke software would be lengthy and would need to be maintained periodically to keep it updated and secure. The most economic choice is for me to spend half an hour each morning checking the entries using the Forminator software for the 3 weeks of MegaSack.

Hope that explains things.