Mr. Sweepy's Forums

When I first started doing sweeps I was doing it all by hand.  It wasn't fun either!  I thought this would be a great place to lists, and review all the different programs we all use for fill forms. 

I use Robo Form. It does a great job. Except when I downloaded it.  I got some extra stuff I didn't need, but I was able to customize it.  I'm even able to enter my hubby in the sweeps he loves since you can have several different identities on your toolbar. 

But can't you get disqualified for using automated entry programs?  So many rule pages state 'no form of automated entry allowed"  I'd rather not take the risk myself.

I've always wondered the same thing, kmwbunny.  What exactly is "automated entry?"  Does it really include something like RoboForm, or .....does it mean where you subscribe to a service where they actually enter you in sweepstakes?  Mr. Sweepy, do you know? 

I wouldn't want to be disqualified, either, but how would a sweepstakes sponsor know whether you actually typed the information or let a form filler do it?

I've been using Netscape; I like it because it also contains a form filler, and you can have different profiles for filling out forms, sort of like RoboForm. 

I'd like it clarified too brig3u as I like using a form filler too.  Verison Online has a security package that has a good form filler but wondered if it was considered "automated".  I do use it sometimes but I do click on each "box" to show my curser hit that field.  I've noticed that certain entry pages highlight the fields when you click on them but they dont do that if you use the auto-fill so I think there is a way to tell if you used an autofiller.  I certainly would like to know for sure.  Share your knowledge with us please Mr Sweepy!

Auto-fill programs like RoboForm puts your personal information like name, address, telephone number, etc, into a file and memory on your computer. When you populate the entry fields it only transfers the text data into the aligned fields. So they are very useful and helpful.

 There are certain kinds of websites that use a different kind of programming called MacroMedia or Flash.  RoboForm will not work on these sites. The number of sites using MacroMedia or Flash are increasing because these site desire the graphic look and animation that they offer. The easy way to figure out if a site is either is that you can not cut and paste any of the text on that page. So if you can not cut and paste, RoboForm can not read the fields and can not paste in your information. So Mr. Sweepy gets mad  also because I can not cut and paste the rules and prizes either. It takes me a lot longer to add a sweep in these styles, (I call it RT for read and type).

Personally I have been using MicroSoft AutoComplete. This is a feature that you have in MS Explorer and you can turn on. It collections the same kind of information and you can click and enter it into the sweeps.  It takes a while to populate all the fields because it reads each font style differently. So you might need to go through 10 to 20 sweeps before you can use it effectively.  I am going to write a some more on this soon.

 Mr. Sweepy

 

Great info but can you get disqualified for using "RoboForm, etc? Are they considered "Automated"? A basic formfiller similar to MicroSoft AutoComplete's not considered automated though are they?

There are no problem that I know about with RoboForm or MS AutoComplete are legal and no problems. There are no tags in the placed in the entries themselves and only input text information.  They are not Automated because you still need to decide the input the entry information with each entry.

What the sweepstakes adminstrators are referring to - "Automated Programs" are also called Macros or Scripts that can generate very large number of entries with a click of the mouse. This is why in many sweepstakes such as in ePrizes sweeps, they use a special code entry that has to be manually inputted.  That is the one with odd shaped numbers and letters that can not be copied.  These Macro and Script programs can not read these codes.

Mr. Sweepy

 

I think there is a difference between automated form fill and automated entry.

 

I have that same question too.  RoboForm is much better than Microsoft's AutoFill, mostly because you can have another identity such as for a spouse; this is why I switched to RoboForm a month ago. However, I've been nervous about it being considered "automated." That is question no. 1.

Question no. 2. is:  What do the sweepstakes administrators, such as E PRIZE, consider multiple identities. If you are entering for a spouse, does the administrator consider that you are entering under a different identity? This is a cut and paste from E-Prize's standard Rules:

" Limit: Each participant may enter/play one (1) time per day during the Promotion Period. Multiple participants are not permitted to share the same email address. Any attempt by any participant to obtain more than the stated number of plays/entries by using multiple/different email addresses, identities, registrations and logins, or any other methods will void that participant's plays/entries and that participant may be disqualified."

It is my understanding that E-Prize uses software that recognizes how many entries are sent by your computer network and all sorts of stuff I would imagine. I don't want to void my entries unknowingly and I want to play by the rules.

Is entering for a spouse, family member, room-mate considered breaking the rules? (I e-mailed this question to E Prize and they replied by referring me back to the rules! The rules which I did not understand in the first place!) If Mr Sweepy or Mr Softy could get firm clarification on this I would be so appreciative.  I would love to enter without the worry that that I'm being DQ'd.

Thank you, thank you, thank you .....  and ten smiley faces if I could get them to appear!  (That would be Question #  3 if I didn't think I was pushing my luck already!)  Samantha

RoboForm is great for someone who enters a lot.  If you are entering lets say less than 10 to 15 sweeps a day MS AutoComplete works well.   

Yes, ePrize and some other admistrators to track the entries that come from one computer. This answer could get pretty detailed so let me explain some simple ideas what they do. One reason many of the big companies like using ePrizes is because they serve the sweepstakes from their own servers and run security as well. I don't think any other administrator is as detailed as ePrize from what I have seen. 

Specifically here is how ePrize tracks entries, by putting a tracking code in their URL address.  Here is an example:

 http://crest.eprize.net/reasontosmile/index.tbapp?page=intro&session_id=788pp2hgozs12m45&affiliate_id=&noflash=flash

From the point in the URL where it say - id=788pp2hgozs12m45 is the tracking for the entry.

When I add a sweep from ePrize, I will only take the first part of the URL address. When you click onto their sweep, the ID is automatically added. There are other sweepstakes who don't know this and will use the URL address with the old ID in it.  Thereby entering the same entry again and thereby voiding out the entry altogether.

I have not tried to enter multiple times from one computer into a ePrize on the same day to simulate your concern.  One thing I think you can do is to see if on the second entry if the tracking code comes up the same on the second entry. It may or may not do to the cookie they place on your computer.

There are a couple of administrators who have tracking codes that I have yet to figure out how to take out of their URL addresses. Some I have played with for hours and not been able to crack.  These sweeps I don't run or I will only give their main URL address which doesn't have a tracking code in the URL.  So if you wonder why I don't always put the entry page up but instead another page or home page, this is the likely reason.

There is a lot more that I could get into but this is a set of issues I keep a close eye on. 

So I hope this helps.

Mr. Sweepy

 

Mr. Sweepy,

That is excellent information about the tracking code in URLs and something I have never paid attention to.....so.......I went through the sweeps I had saved as bookmarks and sure enough, almost every one of the ePrize links had session id's/tracking codes in them so I had to go through and edit them all out....aaaaaack....I've probably been disqualifying myself on quite a few without even knowing it.  I'll certainly pay attention from now on when I bookmark sweepstakes pages.

Thanks, Mr. Sweepy...that was very helpful!

Thank you Mr Sweepy for the great information; you've been very helpful with my concerns.

Now I have a question! I thought I was being all smart when I backed up from the confirmation screen and found my entry info there. I would amend the entry to show my spouse's name, etc, thinking it was all okay as long as the rules allowed multiple entries from the household. But if the URL is tracking the fact that 2 entries were received from 1 URL number, both entries mey be eliminated? It's so wonderful to have an oracle to call on. Thank you, Mr Sweepy!

All of this information was helpful..........Thanks!

Thanks  Mr. Sweepy, started to use MicroSoft AutoComplete this week, I can now enter more sweeps in a shorter time.