The first of the month isn’t exactly our favourite day! Over night our list of open competitions is dramatically reduced as loads of sites close their prize draws, and then go and open up a new one. Our job is to check them for new prizes, update the details and try and get the site back up to date as speedily as we can.

This time consuming task involves trawling through our database, selecting sites we know will have updated and then might have updated. Often we find that a site has stopped competitions or hasn’t updated. What users often don’t realise is that for every new competition appearing today, we’ve probably checked a few other other sites who haven’t updated.

Getting the start of the month list cleared up as soon as possible is high priority. It usually takes a few days, a number of rechecks, help from users (thank you) and a little bit of automation to get you the latest prize information for the new month.

On average we have around 80-100 sites (not competitions) closing a day. At the end of the month that figure can be as high as 600 sites (if not more). It’s all hands to pump, and often a long working day, to make sure we make a big impact in getting sites reactivated on Loquax.

Of course on top of that we’re updating offers and news on other sections of Loquax and other sites we manage. Plus there’s admin and user issues to look into as well as the “business” bits and bobs we need to do to make sure there’s a free website available for you to use.

The only good thing about the start of the month competitions is that we have around 30 odd days to sit back and relax before the madness starts all over again!

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The BBC have been fined a record £400,000 by Ofcom for faking competition winners. Eight different TV and radio programmes were mentioned in the ruling including shows by Jo Whiley, Russell Brand and Liz Kershaw as well as Sports Relief and even Children in Need. The fine was handed out as competition entrants were invited to enter phone-in competitions that they had no chance of winning.

The Liz Kershaw show, which was fined £115,000, for example ran for 17 months with with supposedly “live” competitions, but which were in fact pre-recorded snippers with production staff posing as the winners. A total disgrace!

To find out more you can read an article over at The Telegraph or watch this video:

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Voters could soon be offered the chance to win prizes in a new initiative to try and get people interested in voting (The BBC). The idea that you could win something or even pick up a free doughnut was not a way to buy votes but a method to incentivise voters to take part in the democratic process.

The Daily Mail suggests that a prize draw to win prizes such as a Plasma TV would be an ideal way to overcome low turnout figures.

I’d be swayed by a free doughnut (there’s not much I’d not do for a free doughnut come to think of it….. hmmmmm, doughnuts) but the prize incentive could lead to all sorts of problems!

Would naughty compers try and get extra entries by getting their kids and pets to vote?
Would some compers try and vote in another area because they had a better prize?
What if the winner has the same surname as the winning councillor?
Would automated entry services charge to vote and enter for you?

Would the chance to win a prize encourage you to vote?

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The internet’s first ever balloon race has come to an end and the top 500 travelling balloons announced at Orange’s Play Balloonacy. This has probably been one of (if not the) most innovative online competition. The competition had entrants tracking their balloons all over the internet, boosting, collecting stars and heading for rainbows. Some entrants, including Loquax users, spent many sleep deprived hours making sure their raccoon, dolphin, parrot or camel kept up with the leaders.

In fact it became more of an endurance test rather than just a float along nicely balloon race.

The winner was Reginald Ringtail who covered 5033 internet miles, however Loquax user Iwannawin made a valiant effort to take top spot, but fell short by 300 miles. It has to be said that Reginald seemed to have a jet engine up their backside in the final hours of the competition, so well done to them.

Hopefully Orange will run the balloon race next year - perhaps even make it an annual event. A lot of people didn’t seem to figure out how to play until late on in the game, however next year everyone will be better prepared and more organised for the challenge.

Did you enjoy Play Balloonacy? Why not leave a comment below!

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