News Bit-tech adds new competitions feature

This is much akin to the the MP's expenses debacle... it may be OK in the letter of the law but is really right? All it does is damage your credibility as I refuse to believe that people such as yourselves would think its even proper in this day and age.

Thats archaic and far from user friendly! Is it really that hard to included an unticked by default 'opt-out' box? What about an automated 'enter your e-mail and we'll stop' page?

Other then that, looking good! Would be nice to intergrate forum accounts though.

 

Very nice,now all you need to do BT is ged rid of the full home page advertising link.I cant click scroll without opening a new page,irritating,just like me!

 

While that's all nice and good:

You've given us the email option, where's the web option?

I can't see a valid reason to create a policy of opt in without an easy option of opt out.

What was wrong with the previous system of being able to selectively choose how you might be able to be contacted - when you put your details in?

 

I would think the opt in/out is Dennis' way of boosting their list of contacts to be given to 3rd parties. While I don't blame them for trying it this way, I do think BT should have more standing on how they build their site. If this is what is really going on.

I DO think if your making a whole new section available for all the great competitions of BT and including others from Dennis, providing a quick "this is open to UK only, or global"; does allow for more people to enter. I have quit doing the competitions earlier this year as it became to much hassle to find out if the comp was available for the states. I still come to BT at least twice a day for news, reviews, and to waste time in the DeMot' thread. While I completely understand that BT is a UK operated site, it still is one of my top 3 sites when it comes to anything IT.

 

Maybe if you do have U.S. competitions you could put up a quick bulletin saying that it is, or state right in the first few lines that it's UK only.....

 

Nowhere in the Dennis' terms and conditions does it say that the competitions are UK only, it only mentions the age, which is 18 unless stated otherwise. And since the competition application form does allow for the country of residence to be chose, the competition must be open worldwide.

 

I think the same as Queelis. If it gives the options for different countrys I would guess that everyone can enter.

One thing I was wondering about. When i enter another comp all my contact date stays intact but country changes to UK. Entered 2 comps without noticing it and had to enter again.

 

As long as you guys don't forget the modding "BIT-TECH" modding competitions (the world's best modding competition), I am Ok with it.

 

Thanks for the feedback; agreed, we do need to make it more obvious which competitions are open to UK readers only, and which open to international readers.

As for the data privacy stuff, it's a company-wide policy to do it this way; Tim and I have made our opinions about it clear to people internally, but the result is what it is. When it comes to competitions, entering them (and giving away data) is, of course, optional.

 

Broken for me:

HTTP Status 404 - /the-competitions/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

type Status report

message /the-competitions/

description The requested resource (/the-competitions/) is not available.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JBossWeb/2.0.1.GA

 

Bit tech adds new competitions feature

I have the game finally, and im sad but there arent any cephalopods.
Please, can you make a patch which adds cephalopods and corrects the bugs preceding versions?
Thanks...
Other, the game is great

 

I entered all the competitions, and noticed that the Answer seems to be set already when I went onto the page.

 

The unit you have pictured is a Touch 2000 not a Modern V can you clarify which model you are giving away?

 

Likewise, it made my life much easier only having to answer one question and enter 6 compos from it!

Shame there is no opt-out check box.

 

well this is all very nice, I think dennis publishing is being very unscrupulous with the way they are forcing you to give data... Maybe I'm wrong but I always thought legally there was supposed to be the option whereby you had to actively opt in for them to be allowed to pass your data on...

out of interest, how will winners be notified?

its easy to setup a spam email account (gmail) and give false numbers, but i still would like to know if I've won

 

I am with droitwichdosser on this . If there is one thing putting me off dennis publications it is the maladroit handling of the comp entry system. Sifter 3000 need to go back and shout a lot louder at the people who won't budge on this, probably neanderthal loons from marketing or beancounting.

I am beginning to think we need a recall to get the Custom PC site back. There was even a better standard of spelling on articles in that!

 

After some email back-and-forth, I've managed to extricate myself from Dennis Publishing's spam list. With no option to opt-out upon entering a contest, the requirement to do this every time I wish to enter is far too onerous to make entering worthwile. Not to mention that the use of an opt-out clause after tha fact rather than an explicit opt-in is technically a violation of The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003. Specifically, as summarised on the Wikipedia page:

 

ppl can someone tell me how many entries per person???????