Mollerz
Swag Overlord
If you go a week without spotting the comp and registration opening time or forget, that could be considered a lot more 'your fault' than going to bed before 1am, get up, go to work, get home, turn on PC and find out that you missed out on a place at a comp.
Either way it is your fault. We are one of very few, if not the only country that normally has registration opening times announced in advance.
One situation is, "I'm busy at the time of competition registration time, I have no access to a PC/internet at that time, I can't sign up immediately upon it opening." The other is "I haven't checked UKCA/WCA in a week, nor am I signed up to the UKCA mailing list, nor do I use Facebook, oh I missed registration."
There are plenty of different opportunities to be able to see when a competition is announced and made official, if you miss any of them that is not our problem.
I hope that everyone who wants to go and can get to a UK comp will have a place for them.
You and the rest of the organisers are doing a great job in making that a reality and I am grateful for it.
Regardless of direction we take with opening registration, everyone has the same opportunity.
I see where you are coming from completely.
When I 1st stopped this morning I checked the thread and instantly signed up. I was shocked that so many places were already taken and worried for people who don't check the forum as often as I do. I was unaware of the FB group (not sure how) and am not signed up to the email alerts.
I will sign up for them and join now to avoid that 'Oh crap, am I gona miss out on a place?' feeling. It's not very nice.
Like I said, whatever we do, someone will miss out for whatever reason. I remember once I was busy during registration opening times, I thought it would not fill up, so I just left it. I was out in Hull all day, then immediately went to someone's house to commence generic drinking and then go out to a nightclub for the evening. I got a text from Chris (Thankfully) at like midnight and he said "Registration is almost full better sign up". So I signed up at like 1am in a club from my phone. I was online when it got announced, so this current way I would have had no problem. It works both ways.
Here's the Facebook page and I recommend anyone who uses Facebook somewhat regularly to like this page as announcements are made immediately. Also go to the UKCA Website and sign up for the e-mail notifications. You will receive an e-mail IMMEDIATELY upon a competition being announced! Another thing you could do is make WCA/UKCA your homepage for your browser if that is an option, can't miss it then either.