Just have to get it out...

Wednesday (of all days) I had mandatory duty and had no time to set up a proxy for the LardoGanzaaa. I wanted to get a Desert Dog Father.

I really respect things like "ethics" and "duty" so I wouldn't even have thought to try and e-mail off my cell phone or anything like that for a 'Ganza while on duty.

Duty was working the local county fair that evening. Of course everything went much, much later than it should and I doubt hours past the "go" meant anything at that point but when I got home from duty I sent an e-mail for a Desert Dog Father, knowing I wasn't going to get it due to the lateness of it.

So, was it really rejection when I go the "You didn't score" e-mail when I was expecting it?

Disappointed - yes. Surprised - no.

I will say, in trying to look at the positive, while on duty I helped a 14 year old girl that was struck in the back of the head by debris from an event, gashing her head open with a cut about 3" or so vertically. Another Deputy and I were there within seconds of it and I gloved up and held her head and maintained compression on the wound until the medics got there - probably 5 minutes or so - and kept her conscious (eyes were rolling back at times) and calm by talking to her and her parents and keeping her Mom focused off the injury and reassuring everyone that she would be alright. Scalp/head wounds always have a lot of blood and having someone down in a crowd is always a unique situation.

Several things went on, of course, but that was probably the most rewarding thing of the evening that I got to do. I haven't had a chance to check up on her but there wasn't any later reports about a serious injury - I'm sure she had a scan and hope she was alright.

If you're ever looking for Murphy, contact me...He's usually able to get a hold of me so I can give him a message. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for listening - - enjoy your Dogs. I enjoy mine...just not this one.

I'm sorry you missed out. It's cold comfort but so did I and a number of other people, I'm sure.
My job is not nearly so immediately essential as yours (I work IT at a major university), and I could have watched the forums, but that would mean I'd have to neglect my duties, which would inconvenience (though unlike your duties, not endanger) lots of people, not the least my team mates and our users (we had a few hundred students affected by a failure which we were trying to resolve while the 'Ganza was going on).

I think there are a number of people in our position to a greater or lesser extent, each 'Ganza.

Just like you I'm not surprised but a little disappointed to miss out all the same.

At the risk of sounding like a sore loser, I think it would be interesting to run some 'Ganzas with different rules/formats at times to allow higher chances of success for those that do find the traditional 'Ganza hard to "get to".

I can probably dream up a several formats that might work but the one I have come up with over the last day or so and like best is a sort of reverse 'Ganza.
The start time is chosen after the requests are placed. The 'Ganza is open for a period of time, say 9am-9pm. You email your choices as normal. After 9pm Jerry then chooses a time between 9am and 9pm. The order of service is from whatever time Jerry chooses. so if Jerry chooses say 10:15, then someone whose request arrived at 10:15 would get served first, someone whose request arrived at 10:16 second and so on until noon. If there is anything left over after the 9pm people are served, then you wrap round and start serving the 9am people, then the 9:01am people, etc etc. By having a nice long open window you increase the chances of people being able to participate at one end of their day/shift or the other. To increase the tease factor Jerry could elect to not tell us the time he chose.

Another one I like is same format as now, but different timings.
e.g. run a normal 'Ganza at 10am instead of 10pm. So those people who work days will be on the same footing as those who work nights normally are.

A third would be some sort of online treasure hunt. You know a series of clues are published and the people who get the answer right are served in order of receiving the right answer.

No format will suit everyone, but by varying formats and timings occasionally then perhaps you can spread the pleasure and pain around a bit.

On the other hand, there's always bribery, which fully comforms with the 'Ganza tradition (and treachery)!!!!!!
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Why not just have the email orders sent and pick with a random number generator ? In this manner- folks that are at work- appointments etc won't miss out to the ones that have the time to sit on the computer <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />. Some are on vacation and they just purely miss out unless they have a proxy <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />. It is their ball- so they can do whatever they want- but I agree that SOMETHING should be changed <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />. Thanks

I hear you. I'd been out in the field for like 3 weeks on exercise, so I had no idea that a Ganzaa was even on horizon, so I missed out on getting one of the Vex's, which I really like the look of.

Sometimes it can suck having a job that can call on you at anytime/anywhere.

That's would certainly be a possibility and is an easy one to run and one I'd not be unhappy to see, but you still need a window of time you will accept orders in.
I suspect it is that window size (highly variable e.g. "sometime Fri night before 11") and the fact that it is not fixed that causes a lot of people who are not basically "off duty" to have problems.

The driving idea behind the reverse-a-ganza was to increase the window and make it fixed (as long as it is fixed you can make arrangements, take a break or whatever to enter) giving most people who are likely to be near PC on a given day a chance to enter, without making the thing drag on like a traditional order/pre-order window and depending on how the "start time" is chosen introduce an element of randomness or at least chance, while still retaining some of the existing format, so that it will not need a huge rethink at the backend.

To be sure the trad-o-ganza probably works well for the majority of likely participants ( 9-5 North Americans), which is why I'd suggest occasional variant-o-ganzas, instead of outright replacement, since the 9-5 Nth Americans are probably the vast majority of Bussekin customers. Also I think that variations are likely to be less showmanship-ee, less "exciting" as there will be less anticipation, less scope for treachery, which I suspect a lot of people, 'specially them old time hogs, might miss.

Perhaps part of the "problem" is that the community has grown over the past few years both in size and in "breadth" (more foreigners in different time zones like me, for example). I've no idea how much by, but I am pretty sure it has, even in the fews years I've been a Busskein fan and maybe the 'Ganza "as is" is not as well suited to a community of the current size and composition as it was a few years a go. Or maybe I'm just talking out of my back hole.

As you say it is their ball, and they can, should and will do what they like.
Which is as it should be.

That said one of the really great things about the Bussekin folks is that they do listen to feedback and the bossmen keep their eye on things, so I am confident if they perceive a problem they will address it.

nope, no rejection. I KNEW i could'nt any more blades (or anything for that matter) right now. food and shelter is more of an important issue right now

cmdr249 by doing good you might not have gotten what you wanted, but one day you will be rewarded and something better will happen for you. sorry you missed out on something you wanted.

but your duty was far more worth than a blade, as you helped a young lady who needed you at that time.~RT

Thanks guys. I don't mean it to sound like a whine but just wanted to get it out.

That's the "fun" of the 'ganza and the way it goes.

I consoled myself today by picking up another Scrapper 5 off the Exchange. =D

That sounds like a really good idea.

That sucks you didn't get a chance to participate in the Ganza. I wished there was something that I really wanted, but I can't afford those Busse prices and I have a DFLE so the Desert DF didn't interest me too much.

I like how the Ganza's work. Its too easy to get a proxy to get you a blade.

Not in my eyes. I know what you are saying about having a job the limits your time. I am a teacher and coach a few sports so believe me I know it sucks. I cam to this wonderful site because I thought I could order a DF right then and there. I learned that I could order the SOD since that was what was opened, and that was the second to last day. Since being here I have got some of the older releases from other members and on the secondary market. I wanted to try for the DF in the ganza but being short on funds made that decision easy. I will get a DF someday.

Thanks for serving the community too.

The ganzas are tough for me too. I feel like I have missed out on some things I wanted and was happy when the salesmodel changed. I was around when the S5 went on sale though and enjoyed hanging out with folks waiting for the word...and of course I had to be the jerk who did a false alarm! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ...couldn't resist!

I had hoped they would release the Vex and appreciate all the time the waki has been offered to give me a fighting chance of getting it.