It seems to be the way forward with everything these days, sadly. I think the MoS will probably suffer a huge drop in readership because many people purchase mostly or some, only, for the x-words. The increase in prize on Sir Lancelot might be acceptable but the revenue recieved will be so much greater and therefore profit over public once again, at lesst in the perspective of bringing entertainment.
Oh for the old days before text phones and telephone entry contests, when all entrants did was either buy a newspaper or indeed a product or putting ones postal details on a postcard, sticking a stamp on it and you had a good chance of winning. I used to win "stuff" regularly by that system, whether
comp entries or xwords and other puzzles.
A postcard would've been about 5 or 10 pence and a stamp perhaps, between 12 and 25 pence.
There is of course, the "green" argument and the disposal properly of so many paper entries but there's minimal return on that whereas a text message or actual telephone call far outweighs those costs, and the entrant is the one coughing up. While many would argue that £1.00 isn't that much, if you consider the competition pursar may recieve 20, 30, 40, 50.000 entries or many more, doesn't that cover so much more than the £1500.00 (as with MoS Prize) prize on offer?
No matter which way it's packaged, how you look at it, whether you believe people like me are just whinging, it is callous and obscene profiteering. It doesn't cost that much to set up the competition, but as with a crossword,
it's part of the publishing process, just as it always has been, so why?
Before the mobile phone and the days when only a few people had a home phone, which was many, postcard entries were readily acceptable and the contests one entered wer, more often than not, sponsored by the prizes on offer or monies from profits n sales, of which again, was always good or else why carry on in the business. And contests, crosswords et al are incentives to the purchaser. To continue making a profit, keeping the purchaser, consumer, readership onside always has to be the priority.
By adding onesself to the growing list of those who now use contest JUST for
profiteering, is a sad testament to a once great newspaper.
Reality shows are the same. I NEVER watch them so certainly do not participate but this agin, is one of those concepts to draw money from the public.
We are screwed enough in this country on just getting by, day to day living so the chance, however slim, of winning some money for doing something one enjoys, such as crosswords (as we all do here), would be a great bonus. As I said, £1.00 may not be much to some people but one has to look at the bigger picture and some people's pleasures are getting through a Sunday
crossword and may not own a mobile phone and/or can ill afford to pay £1.00 for something without return.
Still, it might cut down the amount of people who enter although it won't be the dispatch of the completed grid anymore, just as now happens with Sir Lancelot.
I've said my piece...