Yearlong County Contest

I claim Lancaster County, NE.

I Claim Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Home of the Wofford Terriors!!!

I also claim for today Hennepin County, Minnesota.

See, I toldya, Jackson...just keep markin' em up and spendin' em...the hits will come!!

Hey Jackson,

Congrats on all the hits in new states. Kalisiin is right about the hits. It took several months for me to really start getting a lot of hits. Then the hits came fast and furious, and have kept coming ever since. I'm really glad to see one more regular user on the site.

Tony

Thanks Folks!! I'm really satisfied about the amount of hits I starting receive and where I'm receiving them. Hopefully, it stays that way!!

Tony wrote:Hey Jackson,

Congrats on all the hits in new states. Kalisiin is right about the hits. It took several months for me to really start getting a lot of hits. Then the hits came fast and furious, and have kept coming ever since. I'm really glad to see one more regular user on the site.

Tony

Yeah, tony. Tll me about it. You are still on jet fuel and basically turning the contest into what I did not want...a runaway. Do you have any suggestions on how we can rectify this?

I'm thinking, maybe, six months in...we project out for a yer for total hits for everyone...and then handicap accordingly, at 95% of the difference...rounded down to nearest integer.

For example...if we set a base at 200 hits for a year...and at 1/2 year...I had 75 hits....we would project I would get 150 hits for the year...so my handicap would be 95% of 50 (the difference between 200 and 150) - so my handicap would be 47.5 - rounded down to 47.

If you had gotten 98 hits by that time...we would project 196 hits...your handicap would then be 95% of 4...again, the difference between your score and the base...so, you would be at 3.8 - a handicap, then, of 3, because we would always round down.

Thus, in that scenario, you'd need 45 hits more than me to beat me. does this make some sense?

I think we could use this formula, because at six months we should have some solid numbers. This would also help to bring Jackson, Tim, and Dave all within a much closer range...as well as Markus...thus putting this contest back on track as to my original intention...which was and is...to give everyone a legitimate, fair chance of actually winning.

But I'd like to know what some others think about this idea.

In either case...that IS how I intend to score for next year's contest...weightings would only be used for those who joined next year and who did not play the last year, thus they would not have an established record of hits with which to handicap them.

I'm fine with handicapping after 6 months. I've posted my ideas to help with weighting. I'm fine with whatever you decide what to do with your contest. I, too, would like to keep it competitive.

If you do keep the weighting systems, I would suggest eliminating the hit percentage bonus/penalty. The reason is that since I joined the contest I have lowered my hit percentage from 6.8% to 6.2% by added almost 3000 bills to my total this month. I will soon be below 6% and will have a bonus in that catagory. I'm sure that is the last thing you want to happen.

Tony

I agree with your suggestion about the hit rate bonus/penalty. That is an area where you are getting a boost that you do not need.
However, if we are good with handicapping six months in, and dropping the weightings....then I think we ought to keep the weighting...because the weightings would be used for any new entrants to the contest who did not have any established numbers from which we could handicap.

I'd like some input from other players, because I really do NOT want to unilaterally change things...although this year IS going to be somewhat rocky and change a lot, because of the very fact that we DON'T have good numbers on which to fairly handicap.

Next year will be a lot better. However, I can hardly see anyone else objecting to this, since it would greatly benefit Dave, Tim, and Jackson. The three who stand to take any sort of loss from this are yourself, Markus, and myself...the three current leaders.

So, unless I hear otherwise from Tim, Dave, and Jackson, I'm going to assume they would be in favor of this change, after all, it would benefit them. Yeah, it is my contest and I can do what I want with it, true...but, still...it is a bit discomforting to be running a contest where the rules change mid-stride....although I am finding it necessary to do this, in order to keep it competitive.

I think, since you and I are in agreement on this, Tony...and since I would assume Tim, Jackson, and Dave would be...we have only to hear from Markus...and I doubt he would have any major objection. Given this...unless I hear some major objection from a few people on this plan, I think that is what we will do.

It will hopefully create a more competitive contest.

And I'd still like to consider the possibility of a second prize. But that is open for debate.

I'm fine with whatever decisions are made. I'm just have fun playing!!!

Sounds good. I'm having fun doing it...it's a labor of love for me. But I AM agonizing over making this more competitive for everyone, and giving everyone a fair shot at winning.

I think, unless there is any major objection, the six-month projection idea is the best.

We could even combine the projection, plus weighting. I'd like to know what anyone thinks about that idea.

If we go that route, I agree with Tony's suggestion of removing the hit rate bonus/penalty.

I claim Montgomery County, Kentucky.

And so, Kentucky, at long last, joins our little contest!!

I claim Crawford County, IL.

I Claim Hillsdale County, Michigan. This one I thought would come sooner!!

I FINALLY get to claim another...instead of getting hits in counties I already have...or have otherwise been spoken for!!

**begins singing** I get Mercer County!!
Mercer, NJ is MINE!!!

I'm claiming Ottawa County, Michigan.

And I guess I'll also claim Livingston County, Michigan while I'm at it!!

I shall have Putnam County, NY for myself!

This is overall, my 99th County hit on Trackdollar...my next new County will be #100!

I shall have Sullivan County, TN

Not a new county for me... but new for 2011...and unclaimed as yet.
So I'm still at 99 Counties.

Interesting user note. Wonder what language it is in?
It isn't English, and it ain't Klingon, either.

[url=Deschutes, OR]http://www.trackdollar.com/report.htm?url=BH76E34239D7C9B3201163ED1847574E0121FBE61D[/url]

Diamondback Dave wrote:[url=Deschutes, OR]http://www.trackdollar.com/report.htm?url=BH76E34239D7C9B3201163ED1847574E0121FBE61D[/url]

You did it wrong, Dave, but the link still works.

THIS is what you wanted...Deschutes County, OR

I claim Madison County, ID.

I claim Douglas County, OR.