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OLWLG For Organizers

This page is for those who run/organize math trades and want to have the OLWLG support their math trade.
If you are simply trying to take part in a math trade using the OLWLG then see that page.

For discussion of the OLWLG see the guild On-Line Want-List Generator (OLWLG), for Math Trades. Use that guild please to ask questions (and to check if it's already been asked and answered there)... please do NOT geekmail me as it gives no one else a chance to answer it other than me (and also requires me to answer the same questions more than once).

WARNING: it is NOT recommended one run a math trade with out ever having participated in one (or more) first. Similarly even you should also have used the OLWLG from the user side one (or more) times first. If this applies to you I likely won't approve it for the OLWLG, especially if you didn't contact me first.

ALSO NOTE... you should already know how to run TradeMaximizer v1.4 or later and done some testing before you even attempt to run a math trade.

Before starting a trade, you may want to check to ensure you're not overlapping with other trades. To do so, check the active trades in the OLWLG, the Math Trade Announcements Thread, and the calendar in the Math Trade Organizers guild.

Important!!! It is important that you follow the steps listed here... doing the steps out of order, depending on what you do out of order, will mess things up and likely require my intervention and time :(

IMPORTANT!!!! You are expected to follow all these steps, including uploading the official wants used and the results, even if no trades are found! Failure to do so may prevent you from using the OLWLG for a future math trade.

Create Geeklist

First and foremost you will need to create the GeekList for the math trade. Write up your rules (copy/paste/etc if necessary) and ensure they are included on your Trade GeekList page. If you are also including a Discussion Thread/Request Lists nows a good time to post these as well.

Embed Deadlines In Geeklist Header

In the geeklist's header (where the description/rules/etc is) also insert two deadlines in the form of:

Deadline-Offers: Saturday, March 27th, 2010, 2:45 PM EDT
Deadline-Wants: Monday, March 29th, 2010, 6:00 AM EDT

But of course with your MT's specific deadlines. For timezones that alternate between standard and daylight savings time please make sure to use the appropriate. The date formats acceptable can be found at ... just please make sure to include the date, time, and some timezone indication (either name or GMT offset).

Note: OLWLG will only pick up the first %Options% block in the geeklist header
Note: you can change these deadlines and the OLWLG will pick it up the next time you re-sync.
Note: you must use 4 digit years... as we learned from Y2K, 2 digit years can be ambiguous.

Notify JeffyJeff

To have the list added to the OLWLG you will need to use the script at:

Note: make sure to actually READ the agreement you agree to before checking the "I agree" box.

Setting TradeMaximizer Options

Once the math trade has been added to the OLWLG you, as the math trade's organizer, will now on the OLWLG main page for your math trade have a link named "edit info". It is on this page where you can setup the TradeMaximizer options (such as METRIC, ITERATIONS, etc).
NOTE: as of Jan 2019 by default METRIC is set to "Users-Trading" and SEED is set to 123456... but no ITERATIONS.

Keeping the OLWLG syncronized to the GeekList

The OLWLG does not automatically load new entries that are posted to the GeekList. You will need to do this manually. While on the OLWLG's home page listed under your math trade will be the option for you to [resync w/geeklist]. Use this periodically (see 1st note) to keep it synced, and up to date.

NOTE: periodically but please not excessively. More than once an hour is probably too much and keep in mind it takes resources on OLWLG's server.

Note: if you do not see the resync link (or the "edit info" link for that matter) then the likely reason is you are not logged into the OLWLG as the same person who is the listed owner of the geeklist. Keep in mind that you need to have browser "cookies" enabled for the OLWLG website for the OLWLG to know who you are when you log in.

Note: once you load an official summary the resync link will disappear... if you are following these steps then you will be fine as you shouldn't be doing further resyncs at this point if you made it to the step to load an official summary.

Note: your final resync should *not* be performed until you lock down the geeklist (see below)

Editing info in the OLWLG

If you need/want to update the OLWLG to add a discussion thread/change the name of the math trade as showing in the OLWLG you can do this by selecting the last option listed under your math trade of [edit info]. This is where you will also do most of the behind the scenes work once the math trade is over. While the math trade is active you should only worry about the first two options Math Trade Name and Discussion Thread. You can use these if you need to update this information while the math trade is taking place.

Locking the GeekList

Lock the GeekList so that no other items can be added or that people cannot edit their items. To do this from the Math Trade GeekList page select Edit Header, and ensure that the box for Public Additions is NOT selected. It is up to you if you would like to allow people to continue commenting on the items, allowing comments will only allow posters to edit/add comments and will not allow them to edit/delete the original entry.

Turning on WantList submissions

Once the GeekList is locked down you can open up WantList Submissions.

1. Do a final resync in the OLWLG of the geeklist in the same manner as you have been doing to resync the list throughout the trade.

2. NOTE: Jan 1, 2019... the default for new MT's is to "use item ids" for lot names and this step 2 is skipped unless you turned off the now default option. Go to the [edit info] page, you will need to scroll down past the table to the Load Official Summary header. If you would just like to use the names unedited select and click on the link "click here to generate and load the summary". However, if you plan to edit the names then use the other link of "click here" located underneath and then upload your edited list.

3. Once you have your summary loaded you would scroll back up to the table and under Online submissions ensure the check box next to "check to turn on online submissions" is selected. If you would like to make the full Want List view-able by all under the Official Format link in their OLWLG you would also select the check box next to "check to make online submissions public (view-able) by all" (this is not recommended).

Geek mailing Users who have not submitted

There is a link at the bottom of the MT "users" page.

Turning off WantList submissions

NOTE: Aug 8, 2013 - Some steps have changed, no longer need to download WANTS

1. When the WantList submission window closes you would again navigate to the [edit info] link and uncheck the box next to "check to turn on online submissions".

2. Under the [edit info] table there are TradeMaximizer Options. Before you run the TradeMaximizer you will want to edit these options to determine the TradeMaximizer settings.

3. Once your TradeMaximizer settings have been updated you would scroll down to the Upload Official Want Lists header and click the link "To load them click here"

4. Run the TradeMaximizer and save a copy of the Results to your hard drive (you should redirect the output when you run it vs. cut/paste from the screen). On the TradeMaximizer command line give the URL of your WANTS (sample command line will be given when you auto-load the WANTS)

5. If you didn't auto-load or ended up editing the WANTS then Upload the WantLists you did use (in case of any edits you may have made be they any manual submissions you needed to add or if you needed to remove someones submission) on the [edit info] page under the Upload Official Want Lists header using the "Upload Official Want Lists" link.

This step is also what makes the "who wanted mine" and "most wanted" scripts available as those scripts need this data.

6. Upload a copy of the official results that you had saved to your hard drive (this should be the complete TradeMaximizer output) on the [edit info] page under the Upload Official (TradeMaximizer) Results header either via cut & paste in the appropriate box or by selecting the "upload tool" link listed underneath the box.

On the OLWLG home the "who wanted mine", "most wanted" and "results summary" links will all now show up automatically for all participants.

Last Step

Once the math trade is completely over please ensure that you navigate to the [edit info] page and on the table ensure you uncheck the check box next to Active Math Trade. This will move the math trade from the Active Math Trade(s) to the Previous Math Trades so that it does not clutter up the list of active math trades on the OLWLG home page.


Can I add another organizer to my math trade?

Only the geeklist owner can perform the organizer duties (resyncs, uploads, turn on/off submissions, etc). There is currently no way to add co-organizers.

I've turned on submissions but forgot to do final re-sync of the geeklist. How can I fix this?

It's explained in this post:

Basically, you need to type some URLs in your address bar to access parts of the OLWLG that are closed off after a summary has been loaded. Your MT is identified by its geeklist number, you can resync the OLWLG by replacing the XXXXXX in this address by your geeklist number and typing it into your browser :

You then need to generate and load a new summary. If you're sure nobody has changed their items (there are only new items) on the geeklist between your last resync and when you closed the GL, visit this address, again replacing XXXXXX with your geeklist number:

Note: Wantlist submissions must be turned off for this step, so switch it off, save, then do this.

and the new summary will be created and will replace the old one.

If you want to check if items have changed, you need to download the current summary (which is available from your math trade admin page on the OLWLG), then generate the new one by visiting this adress (again, replace XXXXXX with the GL number):

Then you can compare the two summaries, if there are no differences (just the new items added) you can just use the address that creates the new summary and load it. If there are differences like item names changed (which shouldn't happen unless someone changed their altname tags or replaced an item with another), the advice is to merge the two summaries by hand and upload the result as the new summary with this link (replacing XXXXXX):

If an item has been deleted though there's no easy fix apparently (official wording from JeffyJeff is "out of luck").

Note: Remember to turn wantlist submission back on.

What if I have to re-run TradeMaximizer/results?

If for some reason in the extreme case that you have to edit the WANTS and re-run TradeMaximizer make sure you upload the new edited WANTS and new RESULTS. If either had already been loaded you can use these links with XXXXXX replaced with your geeklist number....

for the WANTS and for the RESULTS...

Using Item Ids (vs. Item ordinal "numbers")

As of Jan 1st, 2019 the default for new math trades using the OLWLG is to use BGG's unique (across all geeklists) item identifiers (ids). The benefits of this are:

  1. The "generate summary" skip is omitted. It's no longer needed to map item ids (which the OLWLG always used internally) to a "lot name". Lot names are now simply the unique item ids.
  2. If need be it's safer if you have to resync the OLWLG with the geeklist even after items may have been deleted from the geeklist.
  3. Makes it easier to use the new "leftovers" math trade functionality.

More info: [New functionality: have OLWLG use item id's for lot names (vs. ordinal position in geeklist) (old subject: Looking for volunteer MT organizer to test on their next MT using item id's for "lot" names)]

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