Having taken heed of all the people here who recommend that when entering PC 
Comps one should write ones name and address at 90deg. I wonder what people 
thought about writing in a colour other than black. On the one hand red (or 
green) would stand out more, but on the other, might the competition 
organisers be of a mind that only black writing is acceptable (rather like 
the tax office).

Also on another point I often come across PCs that are larger than the norm, 
do people think that in using them, I might be disqualifying myself as they 
are not of a usual size. ( if a normal PC is 14cms in length, these are 
20cms)

Good Luck To All      (except for the chap who blocked all the traffic 
coming home today. To him I wish all four wheels should fall off his car, 
one by one; but not till he is home safely)

Jonathan

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 01:09:11 +0100, "Asher's Dad"
 wrote:


>Having taken heed of all the people here who recommend that when entering PC 
>Comps one should write ones name and address at 90deg. I wonder what people 
>thought about writing in a colour other than black. On the one hand red (or 
>green) would stand out more, but on the other, might the competition 
>organisers be of a mind that only black writing is acceptable (rather like 
>the tax office).


If the draw is being done conventionally it shouldn't make any
difference at all - they won't look at the writing until after the
draw is made. But an increasing number are done electronically, so
that they can datacapture your details for a mailing list, and if they
are doing it that way they may be using OCR to scan your details, in
which case you'd need to write in blue or black for the characters to
be read. 


>
>Also on another point I often come across PCs that are larger than the norm, 
>do people think that in using them, I might be disqualifying myself as they 
>are not of a usual size. ( if a normal PC is 14cms in length, these are 
>20cms)
>


You really need to get the full T&C from the source of the comp. IPC
magazines, for instance, used to always say (and I've not checked for
a couple of years so I don't know whether this is current) that all
entries must be on a plain white standard sized postcard, so even free
cinema cards would be disqualified. 

In a local paper or a small company's draw, a bigger postcard might
just give you a slight advantage. In a bigger one, if the details are
datacaptured as above the size won't make a scrap of difference. 

With a bigger company, a bigger card won't get you disqualified unless
it specifies "standard sized postcard" in the rules. But your card
probably won't get into the draw as it stands. At the Diss handling
house, and I imagine it is standard procedure across the board,
anything that arrives on a non-standard sized or over-decorated
postcard has the details transcribed on to a standard sized plain
white card which is placed in the draw in place of the original. 

Jane
- -

remove PICKLE to reply to me

According to :

>Also on another point I often come across PCs that are larger than the norm, 
>do people think that in using them, I might be disqualifying myself as they 
>are not of a usual size. ( if a normal PC is 14cms in length, these are 
>20cms)


I quite often use the slightly larger ones (free ones from
wagamamas are good) to do things with lots of answers, such
as the Mentathlon events.  But I think the one time I won 
it was with a standard size.  So who knows, maybe I've been
disqualifying myself all this time!

-- 
UK Competitions: http://comps.org/

Vicky Conlan wrote:

> According to :
>> Also on another point I often come across PCs that are larger than
>> the norm, do people think that in using them, I might be
>> disqualifying myself as they are not of a usual size. ( if a normal
>> PC is 14cms in length, these are 20cms)
> 
> I quite often use the slightly larger ones (free ones from
> wagamamas are good) to do things with lots of answers, such
> as the Mentathlon events.  But I think the one time I won
> it was with a standard size.  So who knows, maybe I've been
> disqualifying myself all this time!


I buy A4 white card and cut it into 4 pieces, A6 size. I've had a good few wins.
These are the only cards I use apart from recycled Xmas cards!!
Graham

-- 
GRENMUS
                GrahamHAM@HAMgrenmus.freeserve.co.uk
                Have a HAM sandwich before you reply ;-)
                G. Sumner Ormskirk

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 01:44:36, Jane Willis
 wrote:

>
>>Having taken heed of all the people here who recommend that when entering PC 
>>Comps one should write ones name and address at 90deg. I wonder what people 
>>thought about writing in a colour other than black. On the one hand red (or 
>>green) would stand out more, but on the other, might the competition 
>>organisers be of a mind that only black writing is acceptable (rather like 
>>the tax office).
>
>If the draw is being done conventionally it shouldn't make any
>difference at all - they won't look at the writing until after the
>draw is made. But an increasing number are done electronically, so
>that they can datacapture your details for a mailing list, and if they
>are doing it that way they may be using OCR to scan your details, in
>which case you'd need to write in blue or black for the characters to
>be read. 


A good reason to use red (or green), in that case!

PWH

-- 
Remove "eeek" to contact me!

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 20:09:24 +0100, Paul Harley
 wrote:


>On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 01:44:36, Jane Willis
> wrote:

>>If the draw is being done conventionally it shouldn't make any
>>difference at all - they won't look at the writing until after the
>>draw is made. But an increasing number are done electronically, so
>>that they can datacapture your details for a mailing list, and if they
>>are doing it that way they may be using OCR to scan your details, in
>>which case you'd need to write in blue or black for the characters to
>>be read. 
>
>A good reason to use red (or green), in that case!


No, because they will do the draw from the list they have produced
electronically - if your details can't be read you aren't in the draw.

Jane
- -

remove PICKLE to reply to me

Thanks for such a full answer



>>Having taken heed of all the people here who recommend that when entering 
>>PC
>>Comps one should write ones name and address at 90deg. I wonder what 
>>people
>>thought about writing in a colour other than black. On the one hand red 
>>(or
>>green) would stand out more, but on the other, might the competition
>>organisers be of a mind that only black writing is acceptable (rather like
>>the tax office).
>
> If the draw is being done conventionally it shouldn't make any
> difference at all - they won't look at the writing until after the
> draw is made. But an increasing number are done electronically, so
> that they can datacapture your details for a mailing list, and if they
> are doing it that way they may be using OCR to scan your details, in
> which case you'd need to write in blue or black for the characters to
> be read.
>
>>
>>Also on another point I often come across PCs that are larger than the 
>>norm,
>>do people think that in using them, I might be disqualifying myself as 
>>they
>>are not of a usual size. ( if a normal PC is 14cms in length, these are
>>20cms)
>>
>
> You really need to get the full T&C from the source of the comp. IPC
> magazines, for instance, used to always say (and I've not checked for
> a couple of years so I don't know whether this is current) that all
> entries must be on a plain white standard sized postcard, so even free
> cinema cards would be disqualified.
>
> In a local paper or a small company's draw, a bigger postcard might
> just give you a slight advantage. In a bigger one, if the details are
> datacaptured as above the size won't make a scrap of difference.
>
> With a bigger company, a bigger card won't get you disqualified unless
> it specifies "standard sized postcard" in the rules. But your card
> probably won't get into the draw as it stands. At the Diss handling
> house, and I imagine it is standard procedure across the board,
> anything that arrives on a non-standard sized or over-decorated
> postcard has the details transcribed on to a standard sized plain
> white card which is placed in the draw in place of the original.
>
> Jane
> - -
>
> remove PICKLE to reply to me 

"Jane Willis"  wrote in message 
news:gisq5117np61tu73cu83oooj45g52ltiv9@4ax.com...

> On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 20:09:24 +0100, Paul Harley
>  wrote:
>
>>On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 01:44:36, Jane Willis
>> wrote:
>
>>>If the draw is being done conventionally it shouldn't make any
>>>difference at all - they won't look at the writing until after the
>>>draw is made. But an increasing number are done electronically, so
>>>that they can datacapture your details for a mailing list, and if they
>>>are doing it that way they may be using OCR to scan your details, in
>>>which case you'd need to write in blue or black for the characters to
>>>be read.
>>
>>A good reason to use red (or green), in that case!
>
> No, because they will do the draw from the list they have produced
> electronically - if your details can't be read you aren't in the draw.
>
> Jane
> - -
>


I think what Paul maybe is saying is this.......if a document is 
scanned/photocopied and the writing is in red it actually produces a better 
print out if using a photcopier that doesn't "do" colour.

Bad grammar - let me try again. I have to frequently photocopy some 
documents and the master copies are in red. Thus resulting in a stronger 
blacker appearance than if the master copy were in black.........iyswim. :o)
zo

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 19:51:05 +0100, "Zo" <if-you-can't-beat
'em@btopenworld.com> wrote:


>I think what Paul maybe is saying is this.......if a document is 
>scanned/photocopied and the writing is in red it actually produces a better 
>print out if using a photcopier that doesn't "do" colour.
>
>Bad grammar - let me try again. I have to frequently photocopy some 
>documents and the master copies are in red. Thus resulting in a stronger 
>blacker appearance than if the master copy were in black.........iyswim. :o)


Very odd - you can tell when an ef is going to be read by OCR because
they say in the rules the form must be filled in with blue or black
ink, or sometimes just black, and a manager from a major  handling
house told me that they did that because they are the only colours
that can be read. 

But then given the fact he usually replies to my emails with a phone
call, perhaps he isn't the best person to trust on technical matters.
Obviously nobody has told him that red is the new black.

Jane
- -

remove PICKLE to reply to me

>>Having taken heed of all the people here who recommend that when entering 
>>PC
>>Comps one should write ones name and address at 90deg. I wonder what 
>>people
>>thought about writing in a colour other than black. On the one hand red 
>>(or
>>green) would stand out more, but on the other, might the competition
>>organisers be of a mind that only black writing is acceptable (rather like
>>the tax office).
>
> If the draw is being done conventionally it shouldn't make any
> difference at all - they won't look at the writing until after the
> draw is made. But an increasing number are done electronically, so
> that they can datacapture your details for a mailing list, and if they
> are doing it that way they may be using OCR to scan your details, in
> which case you'd need to write in blue or black for the characters to
> be read.
>

>>>>>>>    SNIPPED


Sorry for being obtuse but does this mean that addresses at 90 degrees can't 
/ won't be read and thus entered,
If so it is no wonder that I have never won a major prize by PC,   moan, 
moan, moan, ( I thought I would get in early for the Monday Moan slot)

Good Luck To All

Jonathan

On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 16:38:25 +0100, "Asher's Dad"
 wrote:


>>
>> If the draw is being done conventionally it shouldn't make any
>> difference at all - they won't look at the writing until after the
>> draw is made. But an increasing number are done electronically, so
>> that they can datacapture your details for a mailing list, and if they
>> are doing it that way they may be using OCR to scan your details, in
>> which case you'd need to write in blue or black for the characters to
>> be read.
>>
>
>>>>>>>>    SNIPPED
>
>Sorry for being obtuse but does this mean that addresses at 90 degrees can't 
>/ won't be read and thus entered,
>If so it is no wonder that I have never won a major prize by PC,   moan, 
>moan, moan, ( I thought I would get in early for the Monday Moan slot)


I'm pretty sure ones written at 90 degrees would be OK - after all
that's what most people do nowadays,  but they might have a problem
with ones written diagonally.

Jane
- -

remove PICKLE to reply to me

"Jane Willis"  wrote in message news:4j156111aqu84a211fagi95r1dfo0lrodk@4ax.com...

> On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 16:38:25 퍝, "Asher's Dad"
>  wrote:
> 
>>>
>>> If the draw is being done conventionally it shouldn't make any
>>> difference at all - they won't look at the writing until after the
>>> draw is made. But an increasing number are done electronically, so
>>> that they can datacapture your details for a mailing list, and if they
>>> are doing it that way they may be using OCR to scan your details, in
>>> which case you'd need to write in blue or black for the characters to
>>> be read.
>>>
>>
>>>>>>>>>    SNIPPED
>>
>>Sorry for being obtuse but does this mean that addresses at 90 degrees can't 
>>/ won't be read and thus entered,
>>If so it is no wonder that I have never won a major prize by PC,   moan, 
>>moan, moan, ( I thought I would get in early for the Monday Moan slot)
> 
> I'm pretty sure ones written at 90 degrees would be OK - after all
> that's what most people do nowadays,  but they might have a problem
> with ones written diagonally.


I've won many times with postcards done diagonally :))

On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 16:46:36 GMT, "charybdis" 
wrote:


>I've won many times with postcards done diagonally :))


Yes, but the question is were those wins from places that datacapture
your details by OCR scanning? I bet you  a tube of Smarties that not a
single one of them was. 

Jane
- -

remove PICKLE to reply to me

"Jane Willis"  wrote in message news:6r5561lkihdmcs48ait9rp6rg9g8in9mfh@4ax.com...

> On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 16:46:36 GMT, "charybdis" 
> wrote:
> 
>>I've won many times with postcards done diagonally :))
> 
> Yes, but the question is were those wins from places that datacapture
> your details by OCR scanning? I bet you  a tube of Smarties that not a
> single one of them was. 


No idea :) :(

On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 17:11:44 GMT, "charybdis" 
wrote:


>"Jane Willis"  wrote in message news:6r5561lkihdmcs48ait9rp6rg9g8in9mfh@4ax.com...
>> On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 16:46:36 GMT, "charybdis" 
>> wrote:
>> 
>>>I've won many times with postcards done diagonally :))
>> 
>> Yes, but the question is were those wins from places that datacapture
>> your details by OCR scanning? I bet you  a tube of Smarties that not a
>> single one of them was. 
>
>No idea :) :(


I get to keep the Smarties then......

Jane
- -

remove PICKLE to reply to me

"Jane Willis"  wrote in message
news:4865611qvo6nhc3618t5e85p13n6m87h6k@4ax.com...


> >>
> >> Yes, but the question is were those wins from places that datacapture
> >> your details by OCR scanning? I bet you  a tube of Smarties that not a
> >> single one of them was.
> >
> >No idea :) :(
>
> I get to keep the Smarties then......
>
> Jane


Old^Wolf thinks you never had any Smarties in the first place. He thinks it
was a nefarious ploy on your part to acquire chocolate!...What lengths some
people will go to to assuage their addiction! :-)

Cheers

-Ar^ch

On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 18:22:47 +0100, "Father Christmas"
 wrote:


>Old^Wolf thinks you never had any Smarties in the first place. He thinks it
>was a nefarious ploy on your part to acquire chocolate!...What lengths some
>people will go to to assuage their addiction! :-)


Bah, foiled. I'll just have to make do with this bar of Lindt white
chocolate with roasted almonds. Which I am *not* sharing, not even
with Old^Wolf.  Anyway the nuts would probably get stuck in his teeth,
what few he has left.

Jane
- -

remove PICKLE to reply to me

we scan 1500 + xray forms per week with paper-port and the red ink high risk 
text always scans /re prints best.

"Jane Willis"  wrote in message
news:vu6561t5j6lsacg8mshu0035748d901a21@4ax.com...

> On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 18:22:47 +0100, "Father Christmas"
>  wrote:
>
> >Old^Wolf thinks you never had any Smarties in the first place. He thinks
it
> >was a nefarious ploy on your part to acquire chocolate!...What lengths
some
> >people will go to to assuage their addiction! :-)
>
> Bah, foiled. I'll just have to make do with this bar of Lindt white
> chocolate with roasted almonds. Which I am *not* sharing, not even
> with Old^Wolf.  Anyway the nuts would probably get stuck in his teeth,
> what few he has left.
>
> Jane


I do not permit Old^Wolf to consume chocolate of any description. It makes
him extremely.........unsociable :-)

As for his teeth, he still has every single one....all nicely strung in a
bracelet which he wears on special occasions.

Cheers

-Ar^ch

On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 18:27:37 +0100, ".LoveGod.--" 
wrote:


>we scan 1500 + xray forms per week with paper-port and the red ink high risk 
>text always scans /re prints best. 


Maybe. But if it is going to be scanned it says either "black" or
"blue or black" ink in the rules, and if you use red your entry will
be disqualified long before it reaches the scanner.

Jane
- -

remove PICKLE to reply to me

rules are a bit of a joke in some comps  -- makro coke comp ef well out of 
date / still on shelf and being to lazy to read the rules sent it and won.

..LoveGod.-- wrote:

> rules are a bit of a joke in some comps  -- makro coke comp ef well
> out of date / still on shelf and being to lazy to read the rules sent
> it and won. 


Nice one, I like it :))

In article <d3tvve$c1u$1@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk>, Asher's Dad <jonathan@re
gal.ISaNICEguyfreeserve.co.uk> writes

>
>>>Having taken heed of all the people here who recommend that when entering 
>>>PC
>>>Comps one should write ones name and address at 90deg. I wonder what 
>>>people
>>>thought about writing in a colour other than black. On the one hand red 
>>>(or
>>>green) would stand out more, but on the other, might the competition
>>>organisers be of a mind that only black writing is acceptable (rather like
>>>the tax office).
>>
>> If the draw is being done conventionally it shouldn't make any
>> difference at all - they won't look at the writing until after the
>> draw is made. But an increasing number are done electronically, so
>> that they can datacapture your details for a mailing list, and if they
>> are doing it that way they may be using OCR to scan your details, in
>> which case you'd need to write in blue or black for the characters to
>> be read.
>>
>
>>>>>>>>    SNIPPED
>
>Sorry for being obtuse but does this mean that addresses at 90 degrees can't 
>/ won't be read and thus entered,
>If so it is no wonder that I have never won a major prize by PC,   moan, 
>moan, moan, ( I thought I would get in early for the Monday Moan slot)


So how should I be sticking my labels on then?  The Post Office say to
do your own address at 90 degrees to the recipient's address but then
that could mean a wasted entry to some comps?  

Or should I be writing my address on every postcard I send and not using
labels at all?

Arghhhhhh the dilemma!

-- 
Cerian

On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 20:21:48 GMT, Cerian  wrote:


>So how should I be sticking my labels on then?  The Post Office say to
>do your own address at 90 degrees to the recipient's address but then
>that could mean a wasted entry to some comps?  
>
>Or should I be writing my address on every postcard I send and not using
>labels at all?


I think if you ARE going to use labels, then sticking them at 90
degrees is fine. But a lot of people drawing the cards will look at
printed labels and think "professional comper" and may well bin a card
they drew with a label on. 

I know a lot of people will say they DO win using labels, but I still
think that in some cases they will have lost out on prizes they would
otherwise have won. Over the years I have won a lot more from
postcards than the law of averages says I should - and for the record
I never use labels and always put my details at right angles to the
addressee. 

Jane
- -

remove PICKLE to reply to me

In article , Jane Willis
 writes

>On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 20:21:48 GMT, Cerian  wrote:
>
>>So how should I be sticking my labels on then?  The Post Office say to
>>do your own address at 90 degrees to the recipient's address but then
>>that could mean a wasted entry to some comps?  
>>
>>Or should I be writing my address on every postcard I send and not using
>>labels at all?
>
>I think if you ARE going to use labels, then sticking them at 90
>degrees is fine. But a lot of people drawing the cards will look at
>printed labels and think "professional comper" and may well bin a card
>they drew with a label on. 
>
>I know a lot of people will say they DO win using labels, but I still
>think that in some cases they will have lost out on prizes they would
>otherwise have won. Over the years I have won a lot more from
>postcards than the law of averages says I should - and for the record
>I never use labels and always put my details at right angles to the
>addressee. 
>

Thanks Jane,  I guess I'll have to start ditching the labels then, it's
just I seem to enter so damn many that my arm will drop off if I'm not
careful :)

-- 
Cerian

Cerian wrote:

> In article , Jane Willis
>  writes
>> On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 20:21:48 GMT, Cerian 
>> wrote: 
>> 
>>> So how should I be sticking my labels on then?  The Post Office say
>>> to do your own address at 90 degrees to the recipient's address but
>>> then that could mean a wasted entry to some comps?
>>> 
>>> Or should I be writing my address on every postcard I send and not
>>> using labels at all?
>> 
>> I think if you ARE going to use labels, then sticking them at 90
>> degrees is fine. But a lot of people drawing the cards will look at
>> printed labels and think "professional comper" and may well bin a
>> card they drew with a label on.

 
No good if you have arthritis in the hand or fingers then.

In article <C4c9e.23294$JO6.14069@newsfe6-win.ntli.net>, charybdis
 writes

>Cerian wrote:
>> In article , Jane Willis
>>  writes
>>> On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 20:21:48 GMT, Cerian 
>>> wrote: 
>>> 
>>>> So how should I be sticking my labels on then?  The Post Office say
>>>> to do your own address at 90 degrees to the recipient's address but
>>>> then that could mean a wasted entry to some comps?
>>>> 
>>>> Or should I be writing my address on every postcard I send and not
>>>> using labels at all?
>>> 
>>> I think if you ARE going to use labels, then sticking them at 90
>>> degrees is fine. But a lot of people drawing the cards will look at
>>> printed labels and think "professional comper" and may well bin a
>>> card they drew with a label on.
> 
>No good if you have arthritis in the hand or fingers then.


Nope or have a bad neck and can't spend too long hunched over writing -
that's me that is :(  I find it hard enough to spend time writing the
addresses on to send them to, let alone doing my address too.  I'm
doomed you know!

-- 
Cerian

Jane Willis

>  writes
> >On Mon, 18 Apr 2005 20:21:48 GMT, Cerian  wrote:

> >
> >I know a lot of people will say they DO win using labels, but I still
> >think that in some cases they will have lost out on prizes they would
> >otherwise have won. Over the years I have won a lot more from
> >postcards than the law of averages says I should


I do

I don't know

I have too

So Jane, in a nutshell....I DO "SWMBO" permitting!

Thanks for asking :-))))))))

Cheers

-Ar^ch - Love me, love my Old^Wolf

On Tue, 19 Apr 2005 18:27:46 GMT, "charybdis" 
wrote:


>Cerian wrote:
>> In article , Jane Willis
>>  writes

>>> 
>>> I think if you ARE going to use labels, then sticking them at 90
>>> degrees is fine. But a lot of people drawing the cards will look at
>>> printed labels and think "professional comper" and may well bin a
>>> card they drew with a label on.
> 
>No good if you have arthritis in the hand or fingers then. 


Exactly, I think if you could prove that anywhere discarded cards with
labels on, then I reckon you could claim they were discriminating
against the disabled. But I know that 15 years ago, SHE magazine were
*definitely* doing that because I listened to a  long tirade about
"professional compers"  from one of the people whose job it was to
weed them out and throw them away.  I suspect a lot of places still do
it. 

Jane
- -

remove PICKLE to reply to me

>>>> So how should I be sticking my labels on then?  The Post Office say
>>>> to do your own address at 90 degrees to the recipient's address but
>>>> then that could mean a wasted entry to some comps?
>>>>
>>>> Or should I be writing my address on every postcard I send and not
>>>> using labels at all?
>>>
>>> I think if you ARE going to use labels, then sticking them at 90
>>> degrees is fine. But a lot of people drawing the cards will look at
>>> printed labels and think "professional comper" and may well bin a
>>> card they drew with a label on.
>
>No good if you have arthritis in the hand or fingers then.


Exactly. I have three types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis and 
I'll hit the next person who tells me I'm to young to have arthritis 
(born with one type and the OA and Fibromyalgia kicked in when I was 32 
or so). If I had to write out my address every time, I would be in 
agony. Plus I dislocated that shoulder yesterday morning, and it still 
isn't very happy with life. If had to hand write them all, I wouldn't be 
able to enter as many comps. Too painful. I've won quite a few small 
prizes sticking on my address labels, but nothing big yet. <sigh>
-- 
Andrea Fuller
Fur kids Grace, Poppy, Flo and Fliss

On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 16:54:36 +0100, Jane Willis
 wrote:


>On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 16:38:25 +0100, "Asher's Dad"
> wrote:
>
>>Sorry for being obtuse but does this mean that addresses at 90 degrees can't 
>>/ won't be read and thus entered,
>>If so it is no wonder that I have never won a major prize by PC,   moan, 
>>moan, moan, ( I thought I would get in early for the Monday Moan slot)
>
>I'm pretty sure ones written at 90 degrees would be OK - after all
>that's what most people do nowadays,  but they might have a problem
>with ones written diagonally.


There go my chances then...

--