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Ratch · Posted: Sat 21 Oct 2006 09:24 am Post subject:

How can we encourage participants to complete their build within the alloted timescale

We all know that sometimes other things get in the way of modelling and that delays cannot be avoided

Sometimes the delay appears to be one of motivation, but if this was the reason behind being unable to finish a GB then why would that person sign up for the GB in the first place

Two months for a smallish subject seems like ample time to me

and I know everyone builds at different speeds

but how can we tidy up the loose ends and encourage the completion of GB's generally

I don't have answers to these queries

but it is disappointing to see little or no progress from some GBers after such apparent enthusiasm to participate

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davecov · Posted: Sat 21 Oct 2006 14:02 pm Post subject:

Hi Ratch,

It is a problem and one I have been thinking about for a while especially as I have been one of the guilty parties. My HMS Manxman build has hit a brick wall two-thirds of the way through - photo-etch!

As you say, there are sometimes valid reasons why people cannot complete builds but there is also the perplexing situation of people signing up for builds and not doing a thing! This is particularly worrying if we are going to have more multiple choice GBs as it could well be that people are just voting for their favourite subject and having no intention of doing the GB. That is not fair on those who had voted for subjects that were not chosen but who really wanted to do a GB.

As to the builds themselves, it is really down to self-motivation and we are all guilty of "losing the plot" sometimes (me more than most I think)!

Perhaps the GB Leaders should be more forceful in chasing up offenders? Perhaps participants should make weekly reports, even if they haven't achieved much. That way we know they are still involved. Weeks of silence in a thread isn't much of an alternative!

I have been thinking for a while of extending the Group Builds somewhat. My working name for it is "Group Builds Plus". This was to allow new members to join in a Group Build even though it had already finished. Of course, it isn't the same as being in the original Group Build but would still enable them to take part and pass on tips that would be of use to future builders too. The same could be used for those members who want to be in the Group Build but for some reason or another they won't be able to participate during the official time period. Perhaps then, by knowing that they are not forced into building at a time not suitable to them, they won't be signing up to participate in the initial build. The initial build would then, hopefully, have only those fully committed to getting the build done on time. Of course there could still be problems but perhaps we will get around the problem of people signing up and doing nothing. It may also stop people voting for subjects that they have no intention of building it during the official GB period.

[It might also help me out as I buy a kit for every GB but there is no way that I can sign up and take part in all of them at the stated times. I've already missed out on the Hurricane and will no doubt miss some of the others in the pipeline (at least two of the next four). Of course, I could just build them on my own but it would be nice to display pictures of the build in the GB as opposed to as a demo-build - or not at all.]

You could also only include in each GB gallery, only pictures of models completed within the stated time span of the GB (unless there are mitigating circumstances). That may help with motivation. Also, anybody who doesn't make some sort of progress at all on a build will be removed from the GB too. That should then just have active builders in the GB.

At the end of the day it is up to us all as individuals to get the builds done on time. As this is not always possible, then perhaps there will be a way that we can separate the hares from the tortoises!

Just my two-penneth....

Dave

[By the way, I have moved these two posts to their own thread]
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farmroad38 · Posted: Sat 21 Oct 2006 16:13 pm Post subject:

I like the idea of allowing late/after the fact entry to builds.

I discovered about two weeks before the end of the Katy build that I had both the RAF refuelling and recovery sets, when I thought that I only had the former. I would have liked to join in, but I didn't because I thought it was very likely that I wouldn't have made the deadline. Ditto with the BN Islander - I managed to find one half price a week or two ago, but again I didn't join because I didn't think I could do it justice in the time remaining.

As to making people finish on time - don't know, I'm afraid. I'm sure that people generally start out with the best intentions, but sometimes get side-tracked, or find that they aren't as enthusiastic when it comes to the build itself. What I don't understand are people that sign up and then don't post anything at all.

Ratch · Posted: Sat 21 Oct 2006 23:50 pm Post subject:

I don't have a problem with people joining late

I believe the point of GBing is the shared experience - learning from each other and working out problems or better ways of dealing with certain aspects

Those who join late may not have been able to get the subject in time to join in, but may well have just as important a contribution to make, even though they're not building within the alloted timescale

I suppose what I was really alluding to was those who sign up and then do nothing

As I said earlier, I don't necessarily have the answer for how to cajole them into participating

other than general encouragement or the occasional bit of arm bending

I tend to look at it like this - if I sign up, that's my personal commitment to the terms/timescale for the build

maybe I'm a bit harsh on expecting others to perform the same tasks

BTW my thoughts are of a very general nature, and not specific to any GB initiated on this, or any other site

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The new No. 2
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Paula & Dan · Posted: Wed 09 May 2007 13:48 pm Post subject:

It's a tough one but let me just throw in our perspective.

Both Paula and I work full time - and I mean full time. We get home later in the evening than ideal and so have little time or energy in the evenings to work on our models. Sometimes a wee bit gets done, more often than not it's tea, telly to wind down (thank God for Sky systems), bed. If not, it's mow the lawn, telly, bed. This leaves weekends and bank holidays. Fine - a build in 2 months should still be achievable - EXCEPT...

the nature of our work can take us away from Toulouse, with a couple of days notice, for weeks at a time - a prime example occured last year where I was in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia for two and a half weeks with about 10 days notice. If we'd already signed up for a group build, it would have been hard cheese and I would not have been able to report in weekly, either. Paula's going back to Palma again tomorrow until Frday night, too. Sometimes we get sufficient warning but often not - our work means our lives just aren't as structured as some people's. We have to support sales campaigns as and where they emerge.

Paula's persepctive adds another dimension - she is very active as a Scout Leader in the English speaking Toulouse troop, so she has weekend camps that eat at her time, too. And we both participate in fundraisers and "other" events to help out with the local Scout troop.

So, please, I hope that we have your understanding if we have to drop in and out of Group Builds (haven't had to so far, touch wood). It's not that we don't want to or that we get bored - it's a matter of necessity. After all, if we give up our jobs, we have no chance of paying for more kits!

Dan
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Michael Johnson · Posted: Wed 09 May 2007 14:38 pm Post subject:

I second what Dan said. I'm so swamped that I can't even keep on top of the bills that are coming in! Spring is probably the worst time of year, with tax returns, yard cleanup, and of course all the boys' extracurriculars, not to mention our own.

The wonder is that any modelling gets done at all.

davecov · Posted: Wed 09 May 2007 15:16 pm Post subject:

I am locking this thread as it's real purpose was to solve a particular problem we had last October - seven months ago, not now. We no longer bother about sticking religiously to the end dates which are only there now for GB administrative purposes and as a general guide for members. We also leave Group Builds open so that newcomers to the forum can jump in to those Group Builds too. So, this thread is obsolete.

Dave
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