84 replies to this topic

[Possum Roadkill]

For the past three weeks I have tried a new method for entries where the entrants have been asked to send their entries to me via a private message. The entries have been labeled only as Entry 1, 2, 3 etc so that no one would know who made the image. The entrants have been asked to not post their entry in their gallery or anywhere else on this site until the competition is concluded. However, they have been free to post them on other websites and forums.

This week I have chosen to continue this method for the SAC and WOTW comps but discontinue it for the AOTW comp. I would like to hear from the people who enter these competitions (and those of you who are thinking about it ) as to how you like this method. So please post your thoughts on this entry method, good, bad, or indifferent.

[csm725]

Also, keep in mind we really do listen to your feedback. Which method is better: the AVOTW method or Possum's method? Which do you prefer and why?

Edited by csm725, 22 July 2010 - 02:08 AM.

[welshblue]

I'm easy either way, just the one thought really ... whichever way is decided on, wouldn't it be better to do it as a blanket across all competitions ?

[Possum Roadkill]

Also, keep in mind we really do listen to your feedback. Which method is better: the AVOTW method or Possum's method? Which do you prefer and why?

What exactly is the method you use?

[j.d.melek]

whatever method the host feels happy with is fine by me..however..the P.M. system is fun insofar as trying to pick up little tell-tale signs of which artist submitted which entry..(and getting it wrong so far )
it adds a little "intrigue to the comps.


regards j.d.

[barbieq25]

As j.d. said not knowing whose entry it is adds to the intrigue.

I prefer to PM my entry to the host & then have a poll. Polls are quick & easy & may encourage more voters.

CSM's idea of assigning points is also very good. I don't know how many people actually voted & I am wondering if having to PM the vote puts people off voting. With the mini tute on how to PM that CSM was so kind to put up, it should be really easy.

By having "blind" entries, the artworks stand alone rather than "loyalty" or other types of voting.

Welshblue is right too - at the moment there are so many different ways of entering & voting, that it has become confusing.

Suggestion: Hosts could highlight the fact that even people who have not entered are entitled to vote. Newcomers, in particular may not know this. Pointless in putting it in the rules because it's fairly evident that people either don't read them or don't understand them. My money is on the not reading the rules.

My preference is to PM the entry, as per Possum's method, PM the top 3 entries as per CSM's method & make this so for ALL of the comps or at least the weekly ones.

Thanks to all of our competition hosts for working so hard to make the comps great!

[blackpenny]

I like the PM method for entries too. It's fun trying to guess who did which piece (even if I did guess them all wrong).

I prefer not to PM my vote, because I don't like anyone knowing how I vote. But I'm funny that way.

[csm725]

I will happily incorporate the method bbq stated next week. I will be running AVOTW2 from my ipod touch. I have no access to computer until the beginning of august, so I can't change it now. Possum my method is the top 3 voting method.
About not seeing your vote, I think that's too bad and we can't satisfy everyone.
This week I got eight PM votes. All from established members. I will make it clear that everyone can vote.
I think if all major comps incorporate the method BBQ stated that eeoikd be great. But I am only one of the three who decide.

Edited by csm725, 22 July 2010 - 03:29 PM.

[Possum Roadkill]

My original intent of this discussion was about the way the entries are submitted to the comps. I have had only had a couple of people complain about the PM method of entries, but I wanted to make sure that it wasn't putting off other people that just didn't say anything. But since the discussion is also involving the voting methods, I'll put my two cents worth into the discussion.

No offense to CSM, but I will not be using the PM voting method on my comps. We have already had that conversation. I agree with Welshblue that all the comps should be the same, however, I'm not sure that will happen because of the varied nature of the host's personalities. I'm like blackpenny, how I vote is my business and it's none of my business how any of you vote. With the blind entry method, there is no reason for a super secret PM method of voting. If you allow people to vote for the top three of their choice, you accomplish the same thing as CSM's method, but the computer does the work, and everyone can see the vote total the entire time instead of only at the end. It is also less work for the comp host and reduces the chance that a mistake could be made in counting the votes. Why add work and complexity to a process that the software does for you?

I had not thought of the intrigue angle on this Barbieq. I guess since I see all the entries, it did not dawn on me that it would add that element to the comps. I'm glad you brought that up. I do think it does tend to steer the voting toward the best artwork, so I think that part has been successful. It is rather time consuming and I'm always fearful that I might forget to get someone's art entered. So far, that has not happened. It has cut into the time I have to spend on my own artwork, so I have to decide which comps I have the time to enter based on when my comps begin and end. So far, using Google calendar and a separate photobucket account has made the process much easier.

[csm725]

I have no problem with entries submitted by PM, but I don't want people to see the results while the vote is being held. Anyways I am away from my computer until the beginning of August so I won't do something new for AVOTW2. I guess I could just run the poll in another website Votes tend to be influenced by the amount of vote that entry already has. I can make polls on polldaddy.com.

[barbieq25]

Possum, j.d. mentioned the intrigue first

Blackpenny has made a valid point too - not everyone feels comfortable about showing others how they vote.

Possum too makes a good point with the time & possible errors in counting PMed votes.

CSM's point about votes attracting votes is very valid. That is more what I had in mind about the PMed votes.

Is Poll Daddy what Simon Brown used in his polls where you can vote but the results stay hidden? I like that.

I hope we get some agreeance on this because I feel it is most important (as Welshy mentioned) that we have uniformity. At the moment I have lost track of what I am meant to be doing with each one...

[Possum Roadkill]

@ JD, Sorry about that, I was on my lunch hour and read through things pretty fast.

I log on every morning and stay logged on all day most days at work. That way I can peek in on the comps and discussions from time to time throughout the day. I keep a close eye on the voting and I'm of the opinion that the best piece of art does indeed draw the most votes when I have used the blind entry method. I think it's too early to make a broad judgement, but I don't think the number of votes a piece has affects the voting nearly as much as the quality of the artwork.

As for the blind method of entries, there are ways that I believe people could get around it, but I think it's a good method. I would however, be open to any suggestions to improve it.

[csm725]

I'm not sure if this is what you do but I wouldn't allow submissions to posted anywhere until the end of voting. And BBQ yes, polldaddy is what Simon uses.

[barbieq25]

I'm not sure if this is what you do but I wouldn't allow submissions to posted anywhere until the end of voting. And BBQ yes, polldaddy is what Simon uses.

Yep - that is very important & I have stuck to that. So now as soon as I get PB back there will be a heap of new images in my gallery.

[Possum Roadkill]

I'm not sure if this is what you do but I wouldn't allow submissions to posted anywhere until the end of voting. And BBQ yes, polldaddy is what Simon uses.

So you're saying that we should not allow someone to post an image on DA, or the Fan's Forum, or on their own website?

[barbieq25]

Possum, That is the general impression I got from CSM. Some of us watch each other on DA & the same applies on Fans too.

[welshblue]

I know I said I was easy ... but when you start restricting/ dictating what/ when and where people are able to post, it's going from a competition purely for fun; to me personally not bothering to enter.

I don't care who the person is, if their work catches my eye for that theme, then they'll get my vote.
Regardless whether I have or have not seen it somewhere else before.
Sometimes the more you see a piece, it grows on you and you see the relevance of it.

On the voting issue ... in Democratic Britain my vote is private, and I like it that way on here.

Just my 2p worth

[blackpenny]

I agree with welshblue - too many 'rules' takes the fun out of it, and for me that's the most important part. I really don't care about winning, it's more about being involved. The competitions challenge me to think in a different way than I would normally, and try things I haven't done before.

About voting, it's a lot easier to click on an entry than type out a PM. I know it doesn't take long, but for the chronically lazy, it can seem like a huge effort.

[csm725]

You know what, this argument is no fun. I am going to do PM entries and a polldaddy poll. That IMO is the best solution. I don't mind if people post their images elsewhere but then that defeats the purpose of PMing the entries. Regardless, this is what I will do.

[chrisco97]

I may start the PM'ing of entries on the next TOTW, and post a poll when it is done.