Private Messages to CH

[AlwriteyThen]

On another note, @fxpreneur, you said you have seen 'new creatives' have a lot more PMs -- this can't be accurate as when I was 'new' not too long ago, I could not send PMs and as far as I know...

I hear ya, but does anyone else think it's a bit unusual that a few Newbies have sent over 50 PMs to Clients, and they've only been here for 3 or 4 months?

[jackieheraty]

I've seen that on some in only 2-1/2 months.

[BillWarburton]

I must say if you are using the pm to contact a contest holder to tell them how much you like their product, that would be trying to curry favor in my view.

[seezall]

Just flabbergasted as much as we have expressed our dislike of the ability and abuse of pms That it hasn't been changed, or tweaked in some fashion, If we can't play on a level field......

[LauraE]

How about 'charging' creative's points for more than 1 pm that they initiate? That would cut down a lot if they got below the threshold of creative privileges. Does this make sense?

[rareworthy]

@Chasity2ku well I can agree to extents and would do such, if I hadn't found out here recently that a lot of our comments are going unread. It's a dirt shoot if all that you put into the comments to explain you method and reasoning and basically (at least we know, they may not) how much work you actually put into that and like doing a complex math problem -- you show your work -- rather than just being a person that goes willy-nilly with abandon that throws ideas against the wall to see which one sticks. I'm sorry, the work and effort that I put in ... that WE put in (at least those of us that take this seriously) is important to at least be understood (it is WHY SH has comments at all versus 'those other sites'. But, they're going unread. But, I've talked about this, so to keep the conversation progressing, I'll shut up about it. Either way, the PMs work for now because at least they may actually read them when something about your entry may need to be verified, fact checked, a question regarding it, etc.So until one or the other is resolved ....

@AlwriteyThen it IS unusual and I want to know how they are doing it without the requirements being met. If the requirements have been met, then I don't know. Maybe its part of their process, maybe it is what it seems, maybe it's a glitch, anything is possible.

@BillWarburton If you are speaking about what I mentioned, I only told them that I was interested in knowing more POST contest because ... ~sigh~ Okay, I will be frank, it was about a certain company for products for a certain challenge/disability. Some of you may know what I am talking about, some may not. Either way, it is something that I happen to have difficulties with and wanted to know more information so I could check them out AFTER the contest. I was not garnering or currying favor and as I said, the result was far from favor as it was. It was just my curiosity and personal interest in knowing if I may receive more information after the contest concluded, that is all.

@seezall I'd go for tweaking and a lot of us would, heck Chasity offers a great idea of all messages being reviewed if we must keep it, but I think the ability to do such in the absence of other methods 'working' right now, is all we have and should keep until either this issue is fixed or it's ensured that important feedback be exchanged when it is essential that includes comments being read and feedback/reply being received so that our questions about entries or certain directions with those particular entries may be able to be communicated and responded to more frequently than such is the case right now.

[Dan]

Thanks everyone for your feedback.

We have shared previously why removing private messaging will be ineffective. We find more violations of our policy in "Entry Comments" than private messaging. If we remove private messaging, it will just mean these messages will be sent via Entry comment. Therefore, to completely address this issue, we would need to remove all aspects of private messaging including entry comments. This is not something we are prepared to do because we believe these communication tools are extremely important.

This is the reason we have chosen to audit messages to ensure they are compliant with our messaging policy. Every day we spend significant resources in auditing large number of private messages to CH in order to ensure that no creative is taking advantage of the policy. It would be easier for us to simply disable the feature but we really do not believe it will address the underlying concerns mentioned here. We have taken action against several creatives by removing their messaging privilege when we have found them to violate our policy. We will continue to do that.

[BrendaGravermoen]

Yikes! I can't even imagine sending that many PMs. I've been here a little over 2 months now and only have one PM to a CH, and that was in reply to them. I don't think I've ever initiated a PM. To me, if I have a question for the CH, I'll go through the contest to ask it and make sure that it is not private so that everyone has access to the information. If I need to clarify my entry, I do so through the comment section of the entry itself. Otherwise, I can't imagine why I would need to send a PM.

[DesertFlowr]

I'm new here and was just devastated when a CH wrote me a personal message saying, "I'd hoped for a more creative entry." Cheech. But then I put it in perspective that maybe my entries were too trite and I guess it was a learning experience. I never responded to the CH.
Still hoping for that first win

[AlwriteyThen]

Welcome Ms. Flower - Just let that remark roll off your back - Trust me, that one is tame compared to some we have received. Hang in there, and that first win will be very S-W-E-E-T

[DesertFlowr]

Well Alrighty Then, thanks for the encouragement!!

[BLUE]

I don't always agree with zeesal spelldRight? But this time I do, If u know how to talk to a professional, pm them. If they connect with u are instruct u futher. That's ur advantage. I say it's business maneuver. If you're a bother they won't answer. But I feel CH like the communication with us. Like Complements. We are working for them and should be able to pm .When I here 4yrs ago. We pm frequently, I would good luck and hope to see u again..And I don't know if this still happens. When CH returns they would pm me or others and just ask if I would come aboard and help. I some how found those old texts. The only thing I regretted was I talked badly to some for ex. Never ratin, or not guarantee. .We work very hard.but should always talk pleasant to them.

[AlwriteyThen]

Are we allowed to send PMs that ask CHs to "Look at our submissions?" I'm asking because it's obvious by the comments from the CH in a recent project (Contest #8732) that someone has done just that - I thought it was against the rules? - Just wondering -

[Kelparky]

I've noticed this too.

[Shelton]

Some contestants have 60 personal messages for several months of work. IMHO, SH could react to similar activity more rigidly!

[Commulinks]

SH has told us that they monitor private messages and comments and they take action if a contestant is breaking the rules. It's just that they can't tell us about it so it seems like people are getting away with it. But I don't think they really are. What we "see" sometimes isn't and can't be the whole story. SH can't prevent people from doing something like that (unless the contestant gets banned). But they do tell us that they take action. I don't think that seeing a potential infraction means that it has been "allowed"... you know what I mean? Once it's done, it's done and action from SH can only come after the fact.

[Shelton]

Of course, preventive measures are not possible. But dishonest behavior should have consequences.

[Commulinks]

@Shelton SH does take action and they have told us that broadly before. There are consequences. We just are not told about individual situations.

[BLUE]

Where do u find the CH contest #?

[AlwriteyThen]

When you're on the contest page, look up in the browser, and you'll see the Contest # listed.