Hi CAD, please know you are not alone. I was contacted once by the GOTD Exec/Admin team, when I was having problems posting comments in the main giveaway area - and I thought that was very courteous and decent of them - but then another time, when I contacted them via email about a different issue, they did not respond - so, it's not just you. It happens to all of us - but please don't let it bother you....as it's not worth raising our blood pressure and becoming ill over something that we have no control over.
Best,
Inas

Thanks for that response, graylox.

I wasn't implying any conspiracy theory :), but with my software developer hat on, it just seemed odd (if not somewhat rude) to me to have a specific forum to report GOTD/GGOTD bugs, but with what appears to be strictly one-way traffic.

At least now I don't feel quite as far out on a limb as I did before I read graylox's posting above! :D

Obviously the gestalt entity admin can't be expected to read every message in every forum, but one would hope (?) that the bug reporting forum would be one that they would read. If that's not the case, it would IMHO be more honest for them not to have a bug reporting forum at all. >shrug<

Just my POV …

Well, the ladies and gentlemen behind the curtain ("admin") are regularly visiting the forums - that's no question.
However, replying to every question is another.

I know, CAD, it's not helpful to you, knowing that I (and other mods/admins) had the same problems now and then, even with GGOTD. The fact, that neither BuBBy nor WR could help, because they couldn't see my comments, speaks against any conspiracy theory.
If you follow the forums, you can find several discussions to this topic. You are not alone.

graylox

Stephen: thanks for that insight/crystal-ball gazing. :)

And I should add that I shall make comments to GGOTDs as and when, because those seem to work for me. ;)

But my point remains: it's hardly reassuring when it seems that 'whomever' actually runs GOTD doesn't seem to ever visit these forums, and leaves it to their (unpaid!) mods. such as your good self to make 'informed guesses' about what appear to be bugs in THEIR system.

Why create a forum section which allegedly exists to 'Help us detect a bug or technical problem' if you're not going to bother to interact with it? That looks on the face of it like paying lip-service to your users while not actually caring two hoots about them.

Customer service from yourself, BuBBy, other mods., admins. and 'gurus'—100% :)
Customer service from GOTD owners/tech. staff—0%

I though it was linked to the system that was put in place several months ago, but was scrapped recently wherby you could comment on several differnt areas and give stars. you had to be logged into your forum account to be able to do that. 'Methinks' that that part of the system has been left behind.

logging in is not a requirement to post comments for the day's giveaway - at least, this has been my experience with the site's main page

Well, all I know is that the Add Comments box for any given day's (current) GOTD is pre-filled with my name, website, etc.; but if I post a comment, the page updates BUT my comment 'disappears' and does not even show up on the page as '...awaiting moderation.'

If I change the name to something else (i.e. change the name and email), it VERY OCCASIONALLY will accept my comment, but most of the time it doesn't.

I was wondering if there was some sort of block for posting GOTD comments, based on my IP address?

Anyway, since no-one 'in charge' of GOTD seems to have taken the slightest interest in these problems in the week since I originally posted them here, I'll just assume they don't give a stuff, and won't waste (any MORE) of my time bothering trying to add any comments to GOTDs.

My mistake for believing the forum description which claims 'Help us detect a bug or technical problem.' Or maybe in GOTD-land, unlike the rest of the universe, that process doesn't involve any two-way contact with the site's techies?

I usually post comments on the regular, main site without being logged in. The comments form simply asks for name, email address, and website, but logging in is not a requirement to post comments for the day's giveaway - at least, this has been my experience with the site's main page.

Just passing through - saw the comment about commenting without being logged in.

As I'm always logged in (Ball and chain to the site. LOL) I can't say I have noticed - but could it just be that if you have a registered forum name, it becomes reserved on the front page.

So, I (or someone else) couldn't use the name 'BuBBy' as it is a registered name - to use it, I would need to provide a password (via forum login) to get access to that name.

If that is the case, then it is probably a good thing - so others cannot post comments on your behalf without some authentication.

(as a backup - I recognize the email address provided by the regulars, so a fraudulent user would possibly get caught up by a vigilant moderator on that detail).

"I've noticed the Game Giveaway pages are missing their javascript files. (I get the home page after trying to view them.)"

I think (not sure) that the JS files are elsewhere on the GGOTD server, and are not viewable unless you have a password. They are not viewable on Iron browser either, but the Inspect Element function implies the scripts are stored elsewhere.
--
BFN
CAD

I've noticed the Game Giveaway pages are missing their javascript files. (I get the home page after trying to view them.) Maybe that's a cause?

(Maybe someone can try Firebug and see if the change would make any difference. I'm doubting it a bit because GOTD wouldn't change the current template for no reason.)

Your way ahead of me, Cad. I haven't done any html coding. I was, obviously, mainly thinking that it appeared it was part of the revamp they were doing while changing the comments on the main page back to the old system. It seemed logical to assume they might have been doing some other general tweaking at the same time, even on the game page. I probably should have said, "all the bugs weren't worked out, yet". Appreciate you posting that. Interesting. Maybe you should consider using the comment link on the bottom of the main page and sending that to them as a polite suggestion. Better odds that they'll see it that way rather than read it here. And, if you've managed to figure out why the thumbs aren't working, you could send that along, too.

"the educated guess from putting all these things together is that they're in the middle of revamping the pages and all the coding isn't done, yet"

Hmm …

Well, the relevant snippet of HTML page source is this:
(I've used { characters instead of < characters and } instead of >, so it will display properly in this message ;) )
{div id="comments-expand"}{a href="#" id="commentloader"}View all comments »{/a}{span id="p4469"}{span}</div}

Given the rest of the page content, I bet it was supposed to read:
{div id="comments-expand"}{a href="#" id="#commentloader"}View all comments »{/a}{span id="p4469"}{/span}</div}
(my emphasis)
--
BFN
CAD

CAD, that's how the new system was setup. It was a - dare I say it - strange amalgam of having to be logged into an account to do certain things, but being able to do other things anonymously. My only guess is that they haven't completely tore it down and reinstated the old "you can post a comment without being signed in system", yet. On the game page this weekend, the voting system is down and - as you say - you can't use "view all comments" in previous giveaways. A new version of java has just come out, so the educated guess from putting all these things together is that they're in the middle of revamping the pages and all the coding isn't done, yet.

That's seems a reasonable guess, anyway.

Lox.....LOL..... You crack me up!

You are not alone :)
I too can't post comments, not on GOTD and not on GGOTD though I'm logged in.
On the GOTD page sometimes appear that bad gateway, but not always. On the games site the comment just disappears. We are back to good old chaos days.
However, even the failure is not guaranteed, sometimes everything is fine. Despite of the bad gateway, the reviews are coming through - therefore there are so many double posts in the comments. Well - of course no guaranty - LOL

graylox

PS: BK - suggestions?
Yes, hope for the best, assume the worst, and take what you get.

I'm having problems with the GGOTD comments too, but it doesn't seem to make a difference if I'm logged in or not. I just tried to post on yesterday's game, "Crystal Cave" but I don't think it worked. I didn't get the usual message saying my comment was being...yada yada.... (whatever it always says). Plus it says there are 51 comments but I can only see 3 and I couldn't use the thumbs rating either.
Any suggestions?
BK

Just to add my own experience here: unless I am logged into these Forums FIRST, it seems I am no longer able to post comments to the GOTD pages (?). I discovered this by accident recently, when I happened to be logged in here first BEFORE looking at that day's GOTD page.

If I'm NOT logged in here first, any attempt to post comments to the GOTD page (but not to GGOTD pages, weirdly) fails. This is in both Iron browser and in IE6. My comment 'disappears' and does NOT get shown at the foot of the comments as '…awaiting moderation.'

And on another issue, the GGOTD comments seem to be 'broken.' It's impossible to 'expand' the comments for GGOTD pages which are not 'current.' Clicking the 'View all comments' link on 'old' GGOTD pages doesn't work: it just displays the first three comments again. Could this be due to the SPAN tag for those having an ID of # (which seems a poor choice), or is there some other reason?

Those two issues, plus the somewhat poorly-designed forum software in use here (don't get me started on that!) does make what would otherwise be a pleasurable daily 'trawl' much more frustrating than it needs to be.

Then there is the whole 'RSS feeds don't work because of the illegal character in them' thing, <sarcasm>and the frequent 502s are just the icing on the cake.</sarcasm>

Don't get me wrong: I truly enjoy GOTD and GGOTD and do appreciate all the hard work done by everyone who contributes (well, except A----f maybe :)), but it's genuinely becoming very annoying to have to remember things like 'login to the Forum or you can't post a comment,' and to have to use the largely unfathomable bbPress. (Other, and MUCH better, free forum software exists…).

Yours in increasing frustration,
Cad

To answer aRenegades question about why Ashraf’s comment manages to always be in while others aren't. He must have access to the console (which I have on the gamegiveaway side)so that he can post them then moderate his own comments. Which makes me wonder why he doesn't bother moderating any one else’s.

As one of the moderators on the main site, I can say that I routinely have to approve Ashrafs' comments. He doesn't have any moderation privileges (and sometimes has to post request to other moderators to correct typos or website links in his posts - something that would be unnecessary were he a moderator).

The fact his post appears first - is because he posts first (excluding the idiots who post "Hey I'm first" - and get deleted). Usually there aren't any useful or constructive comments for roughly 30 minutes.

If a moderator doesn't get back to check the comment queue for an hour - then it might look like there is only one comment and the others are being held back. However reality is never this sinister. In the absence of information, some people just assume the worst - that there must be an evil agenda - the paranoid "GOTD is out to get me". Maybe the moderator is stuck in traffic returning from grocery shopping, or asleep (stuck in traffic?)

Don't let it get to you too much. The world will keep turning, and in the scheme of things a comment taking a bit longer to appear won't make world of difference in a few hours time.

If it is life threateningly urgent - you could try sending smoke signals from the GOTD forums.

As the request says - Please comment only on the software here. If you have technical problems or suggestions on our project, please leave us a note in our forums.

Although some users protest that being directed to use the forums to ask for help is a significant violation of their freedoms and privacy (ie. They can't be bothered registering a free account) - The correct place to ask for help, or just ask questions in general, is actually in the forums. The front page is for "comments" - and comments don't require an answer or response.

If your comment needs a response or answer then it is a question and can be posted in the forums (it will appear immediately without a moderation delay).

Graylox, I happen to agree with you, in fact, had even typed up a reply on the same note as yours. When I saw him being defended, though, I felt I was definitely in the minority and in fact perhaps wrong in my 'judgment'. I therefore deleted the not-yet-posted reply (had it typed up on Notepad). Bladed Thoth did the same as Ashraf, but not with a hidden agenda. I enjoyed the former's reviews, both on the comments page, and on his forum site. His reviews were as important to me in my decisions to download the GOTD, as Whiterabbit's have on the GGOTD. Both were/have been the key to my download decisions.

lol Graylox.

It may be that he doesn't have admin rights, but his posts are always there bang on time, even on a weekend when other comments don't appear for sometimes several hours. It would seem strange the giveaway owners giving A admin rightss just to post his comment but not moderate. that was the agreement I had to make to be able to post my comments. I only enquired because i found a lot of my reviews were going to the spam folder due to the links I'd post. So onre of the guys who finds games for the project gave me admin rights to the comment section, much like what happend when I initially got moderator rights on the forums, which enabled me to add to the reviews i posted here (I've not posted them for some time now because it took me a while to change all the coding from that used in the comments section), but I intend to resume just as soon as I 've got a little more energy. :)

I was asked to stand in for Lee as an admin while he went on vacation last year, and retained the rights when he returned. Shortly after we lost him.

I'm not going to review the reviews of the often so-called top reviewer (what's correct ref to the place on the list - mostly), just my humble thoughts to the phenomenon.
Sometimes I have the feeling the name has a typo and should be ashraM. Why? Every time anybody says something critical about him, lots of followers are praising his mighty deeds like miracles.
Maybe the reason is to be seen in the meaning of the Name: A. refers to someone claiming descent from Muhammad...

I remember the beginning: Some of his comments were deleted and admin got a notice about the fact, that GOTD's reg-codes were published in that blog.
Well, suddenly the cliff-hangers were on top of the site, and it seems, that the blog doesn't openly pass cracked keys any more. (To be honest, it's a long time ago I had a look at that blog.)
WR, are you sure he has admin rights on the first site? Couldn't it be, he gets the list with the coming giveaways and a team member posts his comment?

I had a good laugh, as I read on other sites about the blog-wars between some free-ware and/or crack-ware providers. One blamed the other about "stealing" their content, but all were united in accusing our #1 reviewer for flooding forums under several different names; just to get even more points in the search engines.
And that's where GOTD gets its deal: more clicks for GOTD = more clicks for the ashram = more clicks for GOTD =...

Oh, I really miss BladedThoth —Andrew, I even clicked on his ads.

Please Andrew, come back.

By the way, we actually have some expert reviewers, just to name mike and fubar, but occasionally we get in-depth reviews from some other users too. Not to forget BuBBy's comments (far too seldom now).

graylox with a touch of satire and a hint of sarcasm and without mentioning the "click-me-name"

GOTD allowing ashraf to what boils down to advertise his personal web site at their expense, and for as long as he has been doing it, falls into the category of the unknown. I know that after so many hits a person’s web site becomes eligible for Google to use it to for their own advertising services campaign. Therefore, in that sense ashraf has been ripping off GOTD and laughing all the way to the bank. I would suspect a deal was cut where in exchange for services as a moderator, the ability to know the GOTD well ahead of its scheduled release to the community. The guy probably figured that if people can post links to alternative programs, why not take that to the next level and link to his fledgling homepage, hence the cliffhanger ploy; http://www.tfd.com/ploy If that indeed was the case I would certainly argue that somebody isn’t doing their job the way it should be done.

Regardless, whiterabbit, happyperson, hotdoge, your answers have reaffirmed in my mind that your principles are primarily driven out of a sincere consideration for others. However, a person with those character traits can on occasion leave themselves vulnerable to be taken advantage of. Nevertheless, I for one would rather take that chance than having it any other way...

Good luck to Ashraf in making money he may need it, "click the spam link & read the “For final verdict, recommendations"
only good or bad !! if not good get bad way is it not not so good, or need to be better !! over all it a good read

I have no problems with Ashraf making money, I was just pointing out that he wasn't giving his time freely as it was earning him money. :) And as I said, I have no problem with that; you are right free enterprise should be applauded. :)

Peace to you also Inas

W.R.

@Renegade, @WhiteRabbit - your points are well taken about Ashraf making money from visitors to his site clicking on his advertisement links - but, hey (in my humble opinion) free enterprise is a good thing, in which many people engage - and, clearly, the GOTD executives are okay with this arrangement - or else they would not have approved it to begin with.

@Renegade - I also agree with you that (to quote you) "what's fair for one should be fair for all", yes indeed - you are 100% correct - and maybe GOTD would agree to a similar arrangement for others, if they choose to do so - but I guess we'll never know, as we do not have a say in what GOTD does.

In summary, as I always say - the most important things in life are health, family, and friends - so, this matter truly is not worth stressing over. The situation is what it is, and we clearly have no control over it - so why worry about it? It's not worth it (in my humble opinion).

Anyway, I wish everyone peace, happiness, and serenity always......

Inas

Lol, aRenegade, you took the words right out of my mouth. I have to agree with you on the promotion of his own website, which will bring him good revenue. So saying that he provides a valuable service to all GOTD users by ‘volunteering’ his very busy and valuable time to do so is only partly true because he is actually earning money for doing this, which I wouldn’t say is volunteering; whereas I don't get anything except for maybe satisfaction when I review the game giveaways. I post the full review on the site like it should be so.

To answer aRenegades question about why Ashraf’s comment manages to always be in while others aren't. He must have access to the console (which I have on the gamegiveaway side)so that he can post them then moderate his own comments. Which makes me wonder why he doesn't bother moderating any one else’s.

I'd say its a small price to pay (that is to moderate the rest of the comments)for being allowed to direct a large proportion of the giveaway community to his site. There are around 10 thousand users visiting this site every day. If only 10% of those visited his site (i.e. 1000) and clicked on one of the links that will earn him money for every click; that’s still at least $10 a day for doing his reviews. That may not sound like much but over a year it begins to look like a good earner. ($3650) Not bad really…..

Of course it could be much higher. I don't exactly know how the click and pay scheme works or how much you get for each click, (I guessed 1 cent per click) or whether you just have to visit the site to get the earnings. I do know that a previous reviewer of this site created a review site off the back of the giveaway project and from what she said, she was getting a considerable sum from the click and earn scheme. (I visited the site and she'd managed to get quite a few sponsors). Maybe I should do the same; though with games a rarity these days I doubt I’d get many community members visiting, lol. (plus I haven't the energy or knowledge to set up a web site)

All in all I don’t blame Ashraf for doing what he’s doing. If he’s got the energy and the foresight to use the giveaway project for his own ends that’s fine by me (though my previous musings in this post may belay that thought, lol). We certainly need reviewers to give an assessment of the applications that are being given away instead of the sniping and non productive and usually negative comments that seem to be commomplace nowadays.

This still doesn’t explain how his comment (not to be confused with review) manages to always be in while many others aren’t.

Anyway, I to want to be very clear, that I personally believe ashraf is more preoccupied with nitpicking than he is in objectively evaluating a piece of software. That’s along with a selfish promotion of a personal website that on its own merits would be as obscure and as mundane as the cliffhanger endings he uses to force user’s to it. I sure hope he’s paying GOTD for using their site for that purpose because that’s what advertising revenue is all about; profiting on the good name of another. If he wants to do a service for GOTD visitors then resorting to cliffhangers is in my opinion not the way to go about it. Imagine if every GOTD visitor did something like that, leave unfinished sentences linked to their personal sites! What about Whiterabbit, who does as through a job evaluating a game as any professional started ending his game reviews by posting “For final verdict, recommendations, and full review please Click Here”. That’s the difference between open sharing of information and an underhanded tactic. I’m sorry but what’s fair for one should be fair for all.

For my final verdict about ashraf please click http://www.tfd.com/nitpicking

"GOTD has an agreement with Ashraf, whereby GOTD gives Ashraf a heads-up on what the day's GiveAway will be, so that he (Ashraf) can then download and review the latest version of the day's giveaway from the Developer's website. I thought all longtime GOTD members were aware of this fact - but apparently not."
______________________________________________________________________
This is news to me but no big deal because he does do an excellent job with his reviews!

@aRenegade - GOTD has an agreement with Ashraf, whereby GOTD gives Ashraf a heads-up on what the day's GiveAway will be, so that he (Ashraf) can then download and review the latest version of the day's giveaway from the Developer's website. I thought all longtime GOTD members were aware of this fact - but apparently not.

Anyway, I do want to be very clear, that I personally believe Ashraf does an excellent job of reviewing the Giveaway offerings - and he provides a valuable service to all GOTD users by volunteering his very busy and valuable time to do so.

That said, the real issue at hand, is why it takes so long for some GOTD moderators to post GOTD members' comments.

As WhiteRabbit smartly pointed out, it was probably because of the Easter Weekend.

By the way, I hope everyone had a happy, relaxing, peaceful Easter weekend.

Cheers,
Happy Person

I still can’t understand how it goes about that one person can get a comment in at 3:01am, while countless other’s stay in limbo. A person would have to know in advance what that day’s giveaway is going to be in order to get in a so called ‘review’ 60 seconds after its release. It just seems awfully strange, unless that same person is also responsible for clearing comments. If that’s the case, someone isn’t doing their job. Talk about stacking the deck, phewwww! Anyone?