Do you want the Challenges to be restarted?

[peterqd]

This message is for people who've signed up for the Crap Lens Challenges. Please don't vote if you are not signed up.

Now we have all 3 lenses back in circulation I would like to know the general opinion before I consider restarting the Challenges.

The idea was for this to be fun, and I'm truly sorry to say it is no fun at all if you disappear with a lens or don't respond to messages and we don't know where you are and when you're coming back. I don't enjoy chasing people at all, and if you want me to continue doing the co-ordination you have to make it easier for me.

1 You must inform me as soon as you receive each lens and when you post it on.

2 You'll have a maximum of 2 weeks to take your pictures and post it on. If you haven't taken your pictures you must send it on anyway. I will keep track of the dates and post the names of the current holders periodically, so everyone can follow progress. If you go beyond this time limit you'll find that your name has been posted twice, and everyone will know that you are holding things up.

The pictures can be taken in any weather conditions and any location, night or day - remember you are not being judged.

3 You must give me your email address and international phone number, just in case you disappear and we can't contact you by PM. If you delay, these will be passed to the person waiting.

4 If, for any reason, you are forced to keep the lenses longer than 2 weeks, you must let know as soon as possible.

I'd also like to remind everyone that while you have a lens in your possession you are keeping everyone else waiting for it. Please do bear this in mind and be as quick as you can with it. One week is perfectly long enough, not two, so I am allowing you some slack.

Please now vote, and please make any comments you want. If I'm being too strict please say so, and I'll be only too glad to send my spreadsheet on to anyone else who wants to take it on.

[GrahamNR17]

I'd like to see the Challenges recommenced and have voted to accept the rules

As an aside, it doesn't bother me too much how long people take, though I accept that for those at the end of the queue it becomes very frustrating. I suppose with a week each, maximum two, we can judge the length of the challenge, and build a little tension (of the excitement kind)

...and gawd knows I need some excitement back in my life

[Farside]

<types>
<deletes>
Relax.
Chill out.

[peterqd]

[GrahamNR17]

[William]

Yes please! I hadn't realised that they had stopped and am still anticipating a lens one day.

[Xpres]

Yes... please carry on...

[dragom]

Yes please.

[Jesito]

Hi Peter,

In the first place a big thanks for your initiative and your continuous push to make the experience successful.
I'ts a pity to have to put strict rules, but after what has happened I fully agree with the new rules.
And yes, please, keep it going.

I'd add a feature: To enclose a small notebook where each of the participant would have to write down a few sentences on his/her feelings or opinions, telling the date and some info about how the shots were taken. We did so in our spanish forum with a traveller camera and at the end it was the most valuated outcome of the whole process.

(BTW, if you want to take a glimpse on it, you can find it here: http://manualens.com/foro/index.php/topic,9825.0.html)

Again, thanks for your efforts and I hope this time we'll go through without troubles
Kind regards.
Jes.

[LucisPictor]

I second Jes in thanking Peter for his effort!
The notebook is a nice idea but it shoul be a very small and lightweight on in order not to increase shipping costs.

And yes, I would like to continue with the challenge.

[56 DIN]

just a proposal about your notebook

if you open an account in f.e. rapidshare or other data exchange programs, which are for free, you might take an excel sheet and everybody of the group has access through a pw given by Peter....shipment cost 0= and online info exchange.
And the others, who already have had the lenses could type in their impressions and all data

[mo]

Please keep it going,I like the online notebook idea....but may need instructions how to use it..

[peterqd]

[visualopsins]

No, absolutely not! Continue the challenges, don't re-start them!

[peterqd]

OK - just over half have voted so far, all in favour, so we have a majority vote and the challenge is restarting now.

This is the current situation as of today:


The solid color boxes indicate who is currently holding each lens and the ticks show who has already had it and sent it on. The bold ticks show who has posted pictures so far. There are 3 lenses and 21 members and so far, after nearly 4 months, only 6 sets of pictures have been posted out of 63. I hope this shows clearly why things need to be speeded up. This graphic will be updated every 2 weeks from now on.

I will shortly be asking everyone for their private email address and phone number. I'm really sorry that past experiences have made this necessary. Please give me these details quickly, as you won't be sent a lens unless I have them and your place in the list will be skipped. I promise they will be confidential and unused unless you hang on to a lens for more than your two weeks without letting me know why. But if you do, you'll receieve a PM first, then an email, then a mail letter and a phone call as a last resort, by which time your name will have been taken off the list.

Thanks for everyone's understanding and kind thanks - very much appreciated.

[EDIT]
If you'd like to PM me your email and phone number now it will save me the bother of asking you. Many thanks

[GrahamNR17]

Awesome

Thankyou Peter, you're a star

I'll do my images this weekend and pass the lens along the line on Monday

[peterqd]

Latest preogress update, 27 March.

Things are moving nicely, particularly the Optomax, which is now on it's way to Lloydy. Thanks to GrahamNR17 and NewStuff for being so fast - at this rate I might have to slow this one down! The Travenar was received by visualopsins on 16 March and Michael has confirmed the Focal is definitely in transit to Carsten.

If you haven't given me your email and phone number yet, please do so now, or I'll be on your tail!

[NewStuff]

I wish I could be so fast in getting the pictures uploaded. I'm posting this on my phone, I haven't had chance to get the shots off the camera yet, so I have no idea how they have turned out, as the LCD on camera isn't exactly great.

Work is, to say the least, as hectic as I've ever seen it. I will do my best, but I'm usually wiped out after a 12-14hr shift.

[peterqd]

Just an update on the current situation, 13 June 2012.



The Optomax is currently with Ian. Because Xpres and I finished with it so quickly and the Focal has been delayed, the two lenses are almost on top of each other. I've asked Ian to hold on to it for a short while.

The Travenar is currently with Mo in Australia, where I am now. The plan is that I am going to use it while I'm here and then take it back to the UK when we leave.

The Focal has just arrived with dragom in Portugal after being delayed due to a mix up about addresses. It would be great if the next few users of this lens could be as quick as possible please, to speed it up again. By the time dragom, Jes and hoanpham have finished with it, everybody will have tried at least one of the lenses.

[Jesito]

Peter,

I'll be quick, no problem. Next week we start the summertime schedule where we work from 8:00am to 2:00pm, so I'll have plenty of time in the afternoons (Hopefully )

Jes.

[peterqd]

Thanks Jes