[The Black Oil]

Originally Posted by The Hill Billy

The amount of effort that Faith especially puts in & the number of followers needs to be acknowledged. If posters are going to disrespect that - action needs to be taken.

Originally Posted by Faith

I don't think you guys realize just how much time we put into this behind the scenes! We mods have very busy lives and it can be a serious pain in the ass chasing posters every week. More than once, I've thought about throwing in the towel out of frustration.

To be fair, I think some people recognise it and the club wouldn't be as successful as it is without the mods. Anyone here who is also involved in a club/organisation in real life also knows the annoyance of drop outs and no shows (unless there's a legitimate reason). Am curious to know how you can see the place has more lurkers and followers. That's good to hear.

How about, if you don't turn up this year, you can't sign up for the following one? That way, you're benched without being banned.

[confusticated]

If forgetting or not planning ahead is an issue, maybe don't take signups for the full year at once, maybe do 3 or 4 months at a time? Although this does mean a lot more work for mods I know, so maybe not!

[ElleEm]

Originally Posted by Faith

I try to pm everyone a few weeks before their week to remind them. It's ineffective in many cases. For example, I PM'ed this weeks poster a while back with a group of others. I know she read it because I have the read receipt. I PM'ed her again early on Monday and didn't get a reply, nor is there a recipe up. She's been online since, because I can see it in her profile. What are we to do in cases like that?

This year alone there's been a few missed weeks. I'm on my phone so I can't check exactly, but it's only April and it's already stressful.

I would estimate that there's 10-15 drop outs and substitutions each year. I agree that banning is fairly pointless, but we feel we have to do something to discourage dropouts. I don't think you guys realize just how much time we put into this behind the scenes! We mods have very busy lives and it can be a serious pain in the ass chasing posters every week. More than once, I've thought about throwing in the towel out of frustration.

We're taking all your feedback on board and theres some great suggestions so far. Keep them coming, and we'll try to come up with another approach based on them.

Apologies, you're referring to me!

My laptop has been acting up and I don't PMs on my phone. Only had the chance to sit down at a computer today and do out the recipe.
I know I was given plenty of notice but sometimes things happen!

I think it's a good suggestion to get posters to submit their recipes earlier than due.

Also, is it made clear anywhere that the recipes go up on the date you're given? I only ask cos I wasn't sure if my recipe was to go up ON Friday 20th or during the week starting Friday the 20th? Also, the previous Cooking Club recipe went up late too so I wasn't too sure.

[Faith]

Thanks ElleEm . Please don't take my post as an attack or anything, I was just using this week to highlight how we're powerless after a certain point.

I'll post a proper reply to everyone's posts this evening when I'm back on my laptop.

[ChewChew]

I don't think to have the recipes submitted at an earlier time (say Monday for Friday) is very fair on the mods. It means then the responsibility is passed to them, and they have to be free on that Friday to chase the poster and then post their recipe because they are unable to do it themselves for whatever reason. At the end of the day, we as the users of tCC, signed up to this so it is our responsibility to make sure we make note of our date and post when we have agreed to!

I think maybe an idea could be if someone is a no show, they don't get considered for anymore years. That's it. You blew it.

Also, it might be an idea to have some people who are due to submit a recipe down the line to also be a stand in? Someone reliable and willing to help out? Not that noobs aren't... I'm just saying it might be an idea to get the names of a few people who are regulars and the mods can identify as being regular poster and reliable!

Just my 2c

[reallyrose]

I'd be only a little forgiving of people forgetting. I have a reminder set up on my phone and email for a date a little ahead of my week! (Cue reallyrose disappearing from the web and forgetting her recipe week. )

Stand-in recipes are a good idea. Perhaps, now, this week, (or whenever you have time! <3) mods could contact the folks that said they'd be available in case of drops outs. Then a little stock of recipe posts could be kept somewhere all mods can access it, on pastebin or similar. If there's a no show, then a recipe can be seamlessly posted! Hurrah! I'm sure other posters would also be willing to contribute. At the end of the year, if there's recipe posts left, they could be posted all at once. An omnibus edition!

Would it be possible to pm all CC participants for the rest of the year to ask if they are still up for it? Perhaps say something like "It's fine if you no longer want to take part but please let us know so we can offer someone else the opportunity."

I agree with the banning idea. I don't think it's fair to say people are not regular users of this forum when they don't post. I read C+R every single day. I rarely post because I don't have much to say.
I'd notice if I were banned and I couldn't come in to drool at the Food Porn What Are You Cooking thread. I would be sad!
If someone doesn't regularly read or post in C+R, then they probably only put themselves down for the CC on a whim and don't care anyway. We can do little about that! (except throw things at their houses.)

[BaZmO*]

Originally Posted by reallyrose

I agree with the banning idea. I don't think it's fair to say people are not regular users of this forum when they don't post. I read C+R every single day. I rarely post because I don't have much to say.
I'd notice if I were banned and I couldn't come in to drool at the Food Porn What Are You Cooking thread. I would be sad!

Getting banned doesn't stop you from viewing a forum, it just takes away your ability to post on the forum.

[reallyrose]

Originally Posted by BaZmO*

Getting banned doesn't stop you from viewing a forum, it just takes away your ability to post on the forum.

Oh... then I don't get it at all! If I were banned, I mightn't notice.

[The Hill Billy]

A banned poster must log out before they can access a forum that they are banned from. Not the end of the world, but a damn inconvenience for the duration of the ban - particularly if they are regulars.

[Padraig Mor]

I think some form of a ban is appropriate as well. The Cooking Club is very much over subscribed and its simply not fair on those who didn't get on the list to see some of those who did simply not bothering doing their week.

[Faith]

Originally Posted by BaZmO*

You can generally take a fairly educated guess of which poster will fail to put up their recipe and not bother to reply to PMs.

Honestly, you can't. It's impossible to tell. I've been *convinced* someone will fail to post a recipe, and then they've gone on to post a fabulous, popular one. Equally, I've seen very reliable posters pull out at the 11th hour.

Originally Posted by Mellor

Maybe have a submission deadline a few days early. The forum is set to unapprove new threads. Say by monday night, posters should have submitted thier recipe/thread. And on friday you (the mods) approve the new recipe. If they miss the monday night deadline, then they get a ban and it gives you time to organise a stand in by friday. That way, the recipes go up regularly every friday even when its not the scheduled person.

There's no reason why people can't post threads a week or two early and they can sit there unapproved until they are ready to go

This is a possibility. We'd have to soft-delete them though, and then bump them when we restore them. But it's a good idea.

Originally Posted by confusticated

If forgetting or not planning ahead is an issue, maybe don't take signups for the full year at once, maybe do 3 or 4 months at a time? Although this does mean a lot more work for mods I know, so maybe not!

We thought about doing this year in 2 halves, but it's very complicated. I'm moving country and starting a Masters this summer, so there's so way I'd have time to organise the whole thing at that point.

Originally Posted by ChewChew

I don't think to have the recipes submitted at an earlier time (say Monday for Friday) is very fair on the mods. It means then the responsibility is passed to them, and they have to be free on that Friday to chase the poster and then post their recipe because they are unable to do it themselves for whatever reason. At the end of the day, we as the users of tCC, signed up to this so it is our responsibility to make sure we make note of our date and post when we have agreed to!

This, to a degree. It is the poster's responsibility, and we already chase people a lot. Unless we ask the next, say, 4 posters to submit their recipes as soon as possible, and soft-delete them until the correct week.

I think maybe an idea could be if someone is a no show, they don't get considered for anymore years. That's it. You blew it.

I certainly agree with this. Although, if someone fails to post a recipe, they almost never sign up again the next year anyway.

Originally Posted by reallyrose

Stand-in recipes are a good idea. Perhaps, now, this week, (or whenever you have time! <3) mods could contact the folks that said they'd be available in case of drops outs. Then a little stock of recipe posts could be kept somewhere all mods can access it, on pastebin or similar. If there's a no show, then a recipe can be seamlessly posted! Hurrah! I'm sure other posters would also be willing to contribute. At the end of the year, if there's recipe posts left, they could be posted all at once. An omnibus edition!

I like this. We might consider asking stand-ins to actually post their recipes as soon as they can, and soft-delete them until they're needed.

[neuro-praxis]

Would more mods help? I'm sure several regulars would be willing to help out and lighten the load.

In the schedule for 2012 Faith asked if all posters listed could please thank her posting of the schedule to indicate their acceptance of the date offered. There are 48 dates and only 40 thanks.

That's 8 that can get the boot right away. That post is months old.

I think the banning is a fair idea. I'd also make it a month long, so that they properly notice. We already know that you mods are fair and should someone find themselves in hospital or in an emergency of some kind, that would be the exception.

But there is no excuse for not giving notice of dropping out.

What about putting the onus on the scheduled poster to pm and confirm in advance that they are going to put up a recipe? If they don't, they lose their place? Even as I type this I see the problems with it. This is a difficult one.

I also like the idea of stockpiling a few emergency recipes with pictures. I would be happy to submit a recipe in the coming weeks for such a stockpile.

Huge thanks for all the hard work, mods. Most of us appreciate it a lot! C&R is without doubt one of the nicest forums on boards.

[The Black Oil]

Possibly 7 people since Faith can't thank her own post and she already has a recipe up.

How about for the future schedule if you haven't thanked the list after a certain time, say a month after it's posted, you're out and a stand in is put in place. Might overcomplicate things.

[Padraig Mor]

Originally Posted by neuro-praxis

What about putting the onus on the scheduled poster to pm and confirm in advance that they are going to put up a recipe? If they don't, they lose their place?

This could be an idea alright. PM, say 2 weeks, before your date. No PM? - you get one reminder with 3 days to reply. No reply to the reminder - someone from the 'reserves' gets 10 days or so to formulate something.

I also like the idea of stockpiling a few emergency recipes with pictures. I would be happy to submit a recipe in the coming weeks for such a stockpile.
.

I can knock one of these together if required. Pictures are already taken.

[Faith]

Okay, I've fired off a PM to several people who offered to be stand-ins, asking them to prepare recipes in advance. That should help.

We've confirmation that this week's and next week's posters are ready to go.

If you have a recipe that you'd be happy to supply as a stand in, could you send me a PM to confirm, please? Don't include the recipe, just let me know that you're willing.

Hopefully then we can amass a few "spares" that are ready to be activated if someone fails to post .