Haven't seen any rattage for months now. Is the program cancelled? It's too bad if it is.
The reviews are helpful.

rnatalie wrote:Haven't seen any rattage for months now. Is the program cancelled? It's too bad if it is.
The reviews are helpful.

Good question. However, with a new wine every day - even on week ends - I suspect it's difficult to coordinate the timing of rattage and, of course, with fewer units to sell in the shorter period, there's less margin to send a few freebies out to lab rats.

Send WineDavid39 a pm and ask him!

rpm wrote:Good question. However, with a new wine every day - even on week ends - I suspect it's difficult to coordinate the timing of rattage and, of course, with fewer units to sell in the shorter period, there's less margin to send a few freebies out to lab rats.

Send WineDavid39 a pm and ask him!

I don't think the one day listings are a big deal (provided there was a way to submit the rat reports early). I did stay up Thursday night the time I had the weekend wine to rat so I could put it in at 1AM.

I ratted in early October, and a follow up in the first week of November. So there has been some activity in recent weeks, but less than before.

If the lack of rattage is stemming from the fact that I haven't updated the RatPack thread in months, I apologize. I have not had time to scour through all the daily offers to find the rats, and I know the longer I put it off, the more I'm going to have to do.

If there really haven't been as many rats lately, though... not my fault I would wager though that the w.w crew has been busy with the Christmas season offers, what with the woot-off and gift week and all.

polarbear22 wrote:I ratted in early October, and a follow up in the first week of November. So there has been some activity in recent weeks, but less than before.

Well, actually, now that I've caught up on the RatPack thread... the last ratting was 11/6. So there has actually been quite some time since the last ratting. Wonder what's up.

cheron98 wrote:Well, actually, now that I've caught up on the RatPack thread... the last ratting was 11/6. So there has actually been quite some time since the last ratting. Wonder what's up.

Might be more rat failure since they'd only work for weekend wines. Could be that the program just wasn't showing dividends anymore.

canonizer wrote:Might be more rat failure since they'd only work for weekend wines. Could be that the program just wasn't showing dividends anymore.

I fear this may be the answer. Although since people do keep asking for labrats, and I know there've been offers that a thorough opinion would have pushed me over the edge - like yesterday. I think reviving the idea of a "trusted" lab rat on ratted offers would help immensely, especially if combined with enough advance notice and a written acceptance of the duties.

I agree, I would be much less likely to buy wine that I do not know unless there were some wooters that tried it and gave reviews. For me the participation of the wine maker is critical but is not the only selling point for me.

klezman wrote:I fear this may be the answer. Although since people do keep asking for labrats, and I know there've been offers that a thorough opinion would have pushed me over the edge - like yesterday. I think reviving the idea of a "trusted" lab rat on ratted offers would help immensely, especially if combined with enough advance notice and a written acceptance of the duties.

We threw this idea around previously. Remember? And there was outrage. RPM and I have been overtly critical of some of the labrats reports we have received in the past. And there was outrage again. The rat system is one of two things. A) a fantastic, non-biased review of a wine from someone who can talk about it intelligently, which does not mean using ostentatious, highbrow nomenclature (see what I did there? ). Or B) a system for people to get free wine by minimally reporting whether it tasted good or not.

IMO, the system has been, or rather was, about 30% of the first with the rest being the second. If it is the first, it is an outstanding tool that buyers can use. If it is the second, it's an utter waste of time and money on WD's part.

Winedavid39 wrote:i love the labrat program. it's been around now for what 4 years and i still think it's one of the more innovative ideas in the wine industry. and i'll continue to fight for it. what was once thought a short interruption has become a larger gap than anticipated. My apologies for that.

i'll wager we'll resume early Q1.

David

its cost me quite a bit of money. Love it though

Looking forward to lab ratting. I would be ok if it was not for every offer, but if would love it for new wineries, and maybe if someone gives a really half assed report then they will not be part of labrat program? I think there are enough of us who really like the labrat program and would love to see it continue.

Labrats, ho'!

I, of course, am available to labrat any offer you are willing to send me.

By the way, I didn't mean to imply that the program was faulty at all. Just dirtbag slackers who take advantage of the program.

Winedavid39 wrote:i love the labrat program. it's been around now for what 4 years and i still think it's one of the more innovative ideas in the wine industry. and i'll continue to fight for it. what was once thought a short interruption has become a larger gap than anticipated. My apologies for that.

i'll wager we'll resume early Q1.

David

I am, as ever, ready, willing, and able to do my duty to wootery....

Winedavid39 wrote:i love the labrat program. it's been around now for what 4 years and i still think it's one of the more innovative ideas in the wine industry. and i'll continue to fight for it. what was once thought a short interruption has become a larger gap than anticipated. My apologies for that.

i'll wager we'll resume early Q1.

David

Thanks for the answer! Like Kyle and RPM, I am of course ready and willing to help out any time.

Personally, I think a compromise on the make-up of each 'set of rats' would be my favorite answer.
Assuming more than 1 rat each time an offering is to be ratted.
I would like to see one rat from a pool of 'trusted' or 'experienced' rats and the balance from the 'general population' of rats.

I've learned an awful lot from some of the regular and highly experienced contributors here (thank-you!), but, I like the idea of broad range of perspectives and the sort of 'democratic' flavor of having all, eligible to participate.
Let's have a tasty blend

What are the latest rules for being a lab rat? When there was a weekend deal, you had to purchase a wine on M,Tu or W. What's the deal now?

SmilingBoognish wrote:What are the latest rules for being a lab rat? When there was a weekend deal, you had to purchase a wine on M,Tu or W. What's the deal now?

I dont know if they released the rules for the new daily deal, but when they had it 5x a week you had to buy something during the week and then you will be eligible for the weekend lab rats.

SmilingBoognish wrote:What are the latest rules for being a lab rat? When there was a weekend deal, you had to purchase a wine on M,Tu or W. What's the deal now?

Yeah I'd like to know this one as well so I can update the Rules of Rattery on the RatPack thread. It SEEMS like the rats get two or three offers in their packs, so my guess is you need to buy sometime Fri - Wed, and you are eligible for the following week's offers, and you may get just one wine, or you may get a spattering of wines.

I've been missing the rats as well, but looking forward to their return in Q1. And like the others, I am always willing and able to rat.
I can honestly say my purchasing has decreased over the last 2 months due in part to the lack of labrats.

jhkey wrote:I can honestly say my purchasing has decreased over the last 2 months due in part to the lack of labrats.

Labrat reports have a huge impact on my decision to buy. Granted, I'm still overwhelmed by the deal-a-day wine.woot, but a labrat loving something makes it doubly hard to resist!

Moondragon wrote:Labrat reports have a huge impact on my decision to buy. Granted, I'm still overwhelmed by the deal-a-day wine.woot, but a labrat loving something makes it doubly hard to resist!

And you are...?

kylemittskus wrote:And you are...?

Moondragon be a longtime wooter of charm and beauty who likes a glass or two of nice wine. Lives (in the words of the old ad) ...somewhere West of Laramie...

SOMEWHERE West of Laramie there's a bronco-busting, steer roping girl who knows what I’m talking about. She can tell what a sassy pony, that’s a cross between greased lighting and the place where it hits, can do with eleven hundred pounds of steel and action when he's going high, wide and handsome. The truth is - the Playboy was built for her. Built for the lass whose face is brown with the sun when the day is done of revel and romp and race. She loves the cross of the wild and the tame. There's a savor of links about that car - of laughter and lilt and light - a hint of old loves - and saddle and quirt. It’s a brawny thing - yet a graceful thing for the sweep o' the Avenue. Step into the Playboy when the hour grows dull with things gone dead and stale. Then start for the land of real living with the spirit of the lass who rides, lean and rangy, into the red horizon of a Wyoming twilight.

rpm wrote:

SOMEWHERE West of Laramie, you say? And charm and beauty? Does she enjoy music every now and again, perchance? She does?!

Nope! Never heard of her.

rpm wrote:...somewhere West of Laramie...

I forgot about that one, rpm. Gave me another hearty laugh this time! ^.^

Winedavid39 wrote:i love the labrat program. it's been around now for what 4 years and i still think it's one of the more innovative ideas in the wine industry. and i'll continue to fight for it. what was once thought a short interruption has become a larger gap than anticipated. My apologies for that.

i'll wager we'll resume early Q1.

David

Boo to corporate takeovers!

Yes to rattage as an incentive to engage in meaningful board discussion...

tiger7610 wrote:I agree, I would be much less likely to buy wine that I do not know unless there were some wooters that tried it and gave reviews. For me the participation of the wine maker is critical but is not the only selling point for me.

That's pretty much how I feel as well. I'm about as likely to get pushed over the edge by the lab rat reports as I am by the winemaker participation. They are both very effective sales tools.

Bump

rpm wrote:Moondragon be a longtime wooter of charm and beauty who likes a glass or two of nice wine. Lives (in the words of the old ad) ...somewhere West of Laramie...

indeed, when she has surfaced on here from time to time her poetic name, and seemingly gentle disposition, evokes visions of loveliness!