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Post by Pink on Apr 5, 2018 18:43:10 GMT
Focusing on the screenshots currently is highlighting various areas that need tightening up. Last week a number of us were still working on tasks, quite late at the end of the regatta, and I thought that this was a higher number than would normally be racing so late in the week. If this is due to our limit of dumping 6 cells max then we need to dump unwanted tasks much sooner than we currently are. The areas impacting this are: - Leaving tasks on the board hour after hour
- Reserving tasks for longer than 2 hours
This is a tricky area, as we can't necessarily come back to the game on time, but if we see a task that has been reserved for over 3 or 4 hours then we need to make a decision on whether to unreserve it, so allowing someone else to take it, or even dump it. Pretty much up to now, we have allowed them to remain on the board, but this is mainly because we don't like taking or dumping someone else's task. I would suggest that popular tasks are left on the board and unpopular tasks dumped after 3 or 4 hours.
- Reserving tasks with no active task underway - this should not be happening at all
Tasks are only to be reserved by someone actively working on a task. Therefore, on finishing a task, the reserved task should be immediately claimed. However, it is possible that the current task could have timed out, thereby, dropping off the taskboard. I would assume that this would be rare.
- Reserving tasks and then choosing something else instead - this should not be happening
I have repeatedly stated that only wanted tasks are to be reserved. If an unpopular task is reserved and then a different task chosen instead, the original task should be dumped.
- Reserving tasks and then taking a quick and easy task, while keeping the initial task reserved - this should not be happening
Once a task has been completed, the reserved task should be claimed immediately. Reservations are allowed in order to help us work on 2 tasks at a time. It is not to be used as an excuse to get a 3rd task in, thereby denying someone else the opportunity to take a quick and easy task.
Currently, a reserved task on the board, prevents another member from choosing that task so they are left with the option to wait for something else, choose a task they might not really want, or leave and come back later. We have no way of knowing really how long the task was on the board before it was reserved, so in theory a task could have been on the board for a couple of hours already.
If tasks regenerate every 30 mins, a reserved task of 2 hours prevents 4 tasks from appearing in that slot. We could be getting a lot more tasks on the board, if we consider more carefully what and how we reserve as well as dump.
Swapping reservations compounds that by preventing the cell from generating anything for the whole time it's on the board - it would be better dumped and allowed to refresh. It also hinders another member from taking that task, and also prevents another member taking the new and better task. Leaving the now unwanted task on the board further exacerbates this.
The above also holds true when taking a 3rd 'quicky' task while keeping the initial reserved task on the board, especially if the quicky doesn't turn out to be so quick and easy after all.
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Post by Pink on Apr 5, 2018 19:16:56 GMT
Choosing what and when to dump
While we are working out this new system of trying not to dump more than 6 tasks at a time, we need to be a bit more picky about what we dump.
The method we are trying, stems from the thinking that more than half an empty board and/or leaving mainly high point tasks, especially 135s on the board, leads to a lot of low point tasks being populated. Conversely, leaving a lot of low point tasks on the board, should lead to higher point tasks.
So, if we think that a 130+ task has been on the board for over 2 hours or is very unpopular, it would be better to dump that one, and leave a much lower point task on the board to be dumped a bit later. Currently we seem to be leaving 130+ tasks on the board for too long. They are remaining unclaimed and unreserved.
Last but not least, thank you to everyone providing screenshots. They really do help to give me a much better picture of the taskboard. I can quite clearly cells that I don't think seem to be generating very much from my own data, are doing better than I expected from looking at other screenshots. So all of this is really helpful.
If we can tighten up our dumping, then hopefully, we'll see better tasks coming through from the higher number of tasks appearing. If, however, after a couple of weeks, we really don't like this method, we can go back to dumping everything.
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Post by Pink on Apr 5, 2018 20:22:54 GMT
 As this week has been particularly good for 135 tasks, we only need to concern ourselves with dumping no more than 6 cells at a time. Leaving at least one very low task on the board, or even one low and one mid-to-low, to try encourage more higher tasks appearing. This also means ensuring that high point tasks are not left on the board for hour after hour, including reserved tasks. It is up to all of us to manage the taskboard for the benefit of the team as a whole, and not for an individual's needs. |
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Post by ibebree on Apr 13, 2018 3:06:37 GMT
Sorry haven’t been around enough to reply.. I for one a in total agreement with the 2 hour reservation list, for the task that require prep or for train or plane if you want it because they will get dumped. I am also in complete agreement that if the 2 hour limit is up and the board needs shuffling and people need task then those reservations should and could be canceled without being an issue. I personally know what it’s like reserving a task and forgetting or getting caught up and not making it back for awhile and I know if I had come back and my task had been taken I would completely understand and even have expected it. I personally haven’t taken a task someone has called for as I just really would feel bad but on the flip side I would feel bad if I called for a task and didn’t follow the 2 hr rule and as an end result held others up from getting a good task. So basically what I’m saying is I agree to how it’s all laid out and think it’s the most Logical and Fair way of managing things.  |
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Post by Pink on Apr 13, 2018 21:59:52 GMT
Aww thanks Bree  |
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Post by _DD_ on May 17, 2018 9:16:28 GMT
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Post by cathy on May 17, 2018 14:56:55 GMT
About that public FB group: Deano is surely right that such a post is there somewhere, but for normal visitors and even for me actively searching for it it's not to find.
eyeroll
Yes, DD, you are right, everywhere on FB seem to be a gazillion posts ... and you always have to wade through everyone of them to get to the next. And scrolling down here means every post has to get uploaded first ...
sigh
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Post by _DD_ on May 17, 2018 18:39:34 GMT
That's a pity; I had hoped more experienced FB'ers would find it, but have no idea indeed, how FB works or looks.
Maybe my link was wrong. Something must be there somewhere, as someone just thanked D. at TS for a detailed w/t with images (??).
ETA: I just noticed, this W/T is about the interseasonal - it is mentioned above, but I overlooked it and took it for the other advice re. dumping and getting 135's. So, THAT W/T might very well be the info we got through Cathy's other sources, in the interseasonal thread in the private forum here. In any case, for that topic we have quite good info with that already.
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Post by cathy on May 18, 2018 0:56:42 GMT
No, no, your link is fine, DD, leads to the Township Exchange group exactly like my link does. I'm not sure, but think in essence this post would just give us the same info we already have for weeks. giggle |
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Post by _DD_ on May 18, 2018 15:39:14 GMT
No, no, your link is fine, DD, leads to the Township Exchange group exactly like my link does. I'm not sure, but think in essence this post would just give us the same info we already have for weeks.  ah OK, thanks! you mean the link you gave in your other post, with the "advice"? I seem to recall i could go there, while I couldn't see anything at that FB group I found. Anyway, it's probably the same, at least contents, yes. |
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