(vic) British Ales Comp

[brett mccluskey]

Andy / Brendo,

Can we assume the competition date on the CompMaster website is correct? I.e. 9th Jun 2011?

Gives a couple more weeks to prepare, instead of 15th May, which I initially thought was the date.

The club website still says 15 May,and i've not recieved any mail saying different (I'm judging) :unsure:Just logged in to Compmaster and 15 May is the date stated there :huh:

 

[Andyd]

The club website still says 15 May,and i've not recieved any mail saying different (I'm judging) :unsure:Just logged in to Compmaster and 15 May is the date stated there :huh:

For a second there I thought that I couldn't cop a break, but when I log in as me it looks correct.

PM me your compmaster username and I'll see if it's some sort of weird timezone issue...

Regards,

Andy

 

[WarmBeer]

Andy / Brendo,

Can we assume the competition date on the CompMaster website is correct? I.e. 9th Jun 2011?

Gives a couple more weeks to prepare, instead of 15th May, which I initially thought was the date.

Forced a refresh, and it's all good now.

Fortunately, just bottled off a Mild, so will have something to put in.

 

[fcmcg]

Andy / Brendo,

Can we assume the competition date on the CompMaster website is correct? I.e. 9th Jun 2011?

Gives a couple more weeks to prepare, instead of 15th May, which I initially thought was the date.

WB,
The Melbourne Brewers web site does say 15th of May on it's banner ad for the competition. . I do seem to recall that it was about May last year .
Good luck regardless
Ferg

 

[brendo]

Just a reminder guys - all entries must be lodged and paid for via compmaster by 12pm this Saturday - 7/5.

Entries will be picked up from Grain & Grape, Brewers Den and Greensborough Homebrewing this Saturday after 12pm, so make sure they are dropped off by that time and no later or you could miss out. Entries can also be dropped off at Oscar's Alehouse on the day (15/5) by 1pm, with judging to begin at 1:30pm.

If you are in the area, make sure you drop into Oscars, say G'day and enjoy one of the many beers that Brad has available for your beery pleasure!!

Cheers,

Brendo

 

[fcmcg]

Just a reminder guys - all entries must be lodged and paid for via compmaster by 12pm this Saturday - 7/5.

Brendo,
Not having a go mate..i'm on the computer..but when i rang and informed some of the less internet savvy Westgate members that they would need to get their entries sorted so i could help them enter via computer , they said "forget it..it's too hard"...which is a pity..
I do hope that next years beerfest doesn't go this way ( online entry only ) as one of our members ( who isn't on computer ) won best beer in show...just some feedback and maybe something for the commitee to consider ?
I may however try and get an entry in...if i can clear the fog of a new born baby in the house and get out of my PJ's...
regards
Dad...oops i mean Ferg

 

[brendo]

Brendo,
Not having a go mate..i'm on the computer..but when i rang and informed some of the less internet savvy Westgate members that they would need to get their entries sorted so i could help them enter via computer , they said "forget it..it's too hard"...which is a pity..
I do hope that next years beerfest doesn't go this way ( online entry only ) as one of our members ( who isn't on computer ) won best beer in show...just some feedback and maybe something for the commitee to consider ?
I may however try and get an entry in...if i can clear the fog of a new born baby in the house and get out of my PJ's...
regards
Dad...oops i mean Ferg

I hear ya mate... but British Ales is a small comp and to be honest entry numbers didn't suffer last year as a result of it being only online.

I don't believe that there are plans at this stage to go down this path with Beerfest next year, however the response was pretty supportive given over half the entries were handled online.

Lastly, but not least, congrats on being a Dad - I trust all are well and healthy.

Brendo

 

[Andyd]

Hey Ferg,

Yeah, people not being able to deal with online processes is something I run into on a daily basis at work (despite most of these people usually being very capable of hurling abuse by email .

We don't have any plans to make Beerfest exclusively online, and CompMaster has been recently redesigned to cater for competitions which have a mix of online and offline entries. Of course scoresheets for offline entries will not able to be accessed through the online interface.

I do understand the pain, and the irony is that these guys are often the ones who have supported the hobby for many years through participation in the organisation of events, so I'm keen that they're not lost in the process.

In the meantime I'd also like to hear from anyone who does find it hard to enter online - my goal is to improve this, and if your members have suggestions I would sincerely like to hear them.

Cheers!

Andy

 

[Wolfy]

Not having a go mate..i'm on the computer..but when i rang and informed some of the less internet savvy Westgate members that they would need to get their entries sorted so i could help them enter via computer , they said "forget it..it's too hard"...which is a pity..
I do hope that next years beerfest doesn't go this way ( online entry only ) as one of our members ( who isn't on computer ) won best beer in show...just some feedback and maybe something for the commitee to consider ?

Obviously the system needs to cater for all levels of computer-user, but once all the bugs are ironed out, and it is working as expected, rather than pandering to a small number of Luddites, I hope the committee give more weight to the advantages of the online system to the organizers and all other competition participants.

 

[haysie]

If the online system is so good, how come only ONE brewclub in Australia is using it? Are all the other brewclubs infiltrated by Luddites :unsure:

 

[brendo]

If the online system is so good, how come only ONE brewclub in Australia is using it? Are all the other brewclubs infiltrated by Luddites :unsure:

no mate, it is new and both Bayside and Vicbrew have expressed interest in using it to run their comps this year - so I think you will see it being used more extensively in the future. Of course it will be up to indvidual clubs as to how and where they use it.

Just another option, and options are good I would have thought.

 

[haysie]

no mate, it is new and both Bayside and Vicbrew have expressed interest in using it to run their comps this year - so I think you will see it being used more extensively in the future. Of course it will be up to indvidual clubs as to how and where they use it.

Just another option, and options are good I would have thought.

Fair enough Brendo but its not another option when it is the only option, as in this threads comp.

I would like someone to convince me that the online is a win for the entrant, i.e reduced entry fees for one which hasnt happened, I just see no pro`s at all for the entrant apart from the online judging sheet is an earlier report than snail mail, sure I see the benefits for the club and heaps of them but at the end of the day I would much prefer to print a form, fill it out, drop off entry with real $.

 

[Fourstar]

how hard is it to scan a form into a computer.

Some would say, how hard is it to use a web-form?

I would like someone to convince me that the online is a win for the entrant,

In my opion and i speak for no one else, efficiency is everything. The time it takes to goto a webpage, find the entry form, print X amount of forms on a crappy slow inkjet printer, by this stage i could have completed one online entry. The first time round is the chore, you have to register which is the only part i hate about any website really but ti comes part and parcel of creating an account.

Once registered all of your particulars are completed and you never have to touch them (unless you move of course).

A few benifits to the end user are as follows.

- Most handwriting ive encountered (mine included) looks like its been written by the entrants left foot. The online form is another safeguard, not just electronically it will be flagged but also paper based once printed that the entry does not end up in the wrong category.
- Cataloging of the entrants historical judging sheets to view at their disposal in soft copy.
- I call this one the Sarah Murdoch syndrome. Validation of scores so prizes are awarded correctly. (im sure people dont want their 1st places taken away from them due to a countback cock-up.)
- Cost, yes there was a benifit to the entrant. those who had an online entry saved $2 per entry IIRC.



Anyway, no use flogging a dead horse. Its all been said before. To me the biggest positive is how smoothly it helps the compeititon run, any benifits to the entrant IMO are merely coincidental besides festures that a purposly built for entrants.

As an entrant, I couldnt give two hoots if i had to exclusively use offline or online entries. After all, im not the one who runs the competition. If someone wants to use eletronic as an entry method, so be it. If it turned out paper based entries where easier on the compeition organisers, i would use that method. After all, they are the ones busting their butts to ensure a compeition runs sucessfully, smoothly, accurately and entrants get the most bang for their buck. If using an online entry format acommodates that well im all for it.

 

[haysie]

Anyway, no use flogging a dead horse.

I agree with that only.

Stinks of elitism by a faction group of gen y`s whom think their way is the only way. Effiency my arse to the entrant, there is absolutely no benefit too disclose your personal details online when you have to visit the HBS to drop your entry off anyway, unless the new NBN can deliver beer via optic i`m not sold.

 

[fcmcg]

I do understand the pain, and the irony is that these guys are often the ones who have supported the hobby for many years through participation in the organisation of events, so I'm keen that they're not lost in the process.



Cheers!

Andy

Andy ,
Thanks for your feed back and for listening . I understand how much work goes into organizing and running a competition.
You are very right , the very person I alluded to in my previous post has been a massive supporter of all brew clubs and the comps they run . He said he wanted to support Melbourne brewers as they also support Westgate with their entries into Stout Extravaganza.
The irony is you HAVE lost him in the process..and you were always going to loose anyone who was unable to enter online.
Guess this means you guys may have a chance in winning best in show now lol h34r:
If I can convince him to let me put an entry in , I will...
Regardless , I hope it's a good comp and well supported , as it should be . All clubs need us brewers to support the comps!
Cheers
Ferg
Ps what about an option for entrants to put entries in , in other names ? What I mean , is if I am a registered user of compmaster , how about an option to let me put entries In on other names , under my login. ?
Just a though...

 

[Maple]

Holy f#k, seriously?

You use an online forum, for which you need to sign up for, to air your discontent?

I would accept hand written snail mail responses/objections whatever, but unless acting on proxy for someone (to which I would also ask for the signators declaration of said proxy allowance) this is just too rich...

Maybe the Internet should be a privilege and not a right.

Grow up or log off.

Ferg: this is not a response to your constructive post - for clarity.

 

[fcmcg]

sound's like a bit of discrimination,wonder if Equal opportunity would like this..you don't own a computer or have internet you can't enter a event..

Du..now settle down...This type of reply is not constructive..

 

[haysie]

Holy f#k, seriously?

You use an online forum, for which you need to sign up for, to air your discontent?

I would accept hand written snail mail responses/objections whatever, but unless acting on proxy for someone (to which I would also ask for the signators declaration of said proxy allowance) this is just too rich...

Maybe the Internet should be a privilege and not a right.

Grow up or log off.

Ferg: this is not a response to your constructive post - for clarity.

Deleted previous post, no intention to disrail the thread.
But WTF are you talking about. If you are the man whom runs around on the net forums... take me on ..take me on. Whos the goose here? Yes derailed!
Do you have anything postive or constructive to add to the questions regarding the competition or online entries? Log off or grow up.
Had no intention to bite into this online thing again until Wolfy posted, Brendo was secular in his response, Fourstar was blah blah blah, Maple was a complete fool.

 

[Maple]

Bring it. 'nuf said, nuff nuff.

 

[haysie]

Real winner and a committeman (how the feck did that happen)

maybe something do to with that faction mentioned earlier