Revisiting rules of the monthly photo challenge.

[Cash_Stronomer]

I'm for open voting, otherwise, it's like two bands playing for each other without an audience.

As for the time zone thing, rather than pay attention to where everyone is or what time 'here' I need to vote by, just get everything taken care of at least a couple days before the deadline. Can't be late that way.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

For our moderators, is it possible to post across the forums that there is even a contest, and to come to this forum to enter and vote?

Within reason, certainly. The General Shaving Discussion forum usually has the most amount of traffic. A thread in GSD announcing the monthly theme and a link to the contest thread would be fine. Also, if you have a theme, such as "smoke," for example, then the Brown Leaf, the Mess Hall, or the Great Outdoors would be appropriate.

 

[Frozenshades]

I've only posted photos a couple of times, but I agree with the others who, ideally, see it as a call to answer the challenge with a new photo. I agree the term recent is ambiguous. If recent will remain undefined I think a fair compromise is to ask that those who post a photo not taken during that month's contest include the date it was taken, and let the voters decide.

 

[MarkM10431]

no one has stepped up, so i will. I still believe that a photo that was taken earlier can still fufill the spirit of the challenge, yet the question remains, what is "recent"? i propose a 2 month window. 60 days from the challenge post. Discussion?

 

[davent]

It may fulfill the spirit of the challenge but is still in no way related to what the challenge is which to go out and take a picture.
dave

 

[Cash_Stronomer]

Myself, I'll just stick with taking one for the theme. Honestly, it just seems to me the whole point in the challenge is to wait for a theme to be posted, then charge the batteries and start thinking.

 

[troy]

Thanks for the responses.

From what I'm seeing our biggest issue is in the wording. I think we either need to change Challenge to contest, or change to photo must be taken in response to the monthly challenge. I'm a for the latter on this one. I suppose we could leave in a clause that the OP for the month will accept recent photos for their challenge and could define recent for that month.

Just using the date stamp on the post work for me on the deadlines, if that works for others. I think that issue only came up once anyway.

I think voting should be open to all. I'm OK with it being left as just a reply in the thread or as a poll if we have a way of doing that.

One other can of worms I might as well open while were doing this is. What do you think about letting people have multiple entries? It was brought up the last time. I think might bring in more people by bumping the thread along. I know I usually have a few maybe shots early in the month, but want to try and get something better.

Let me know what you think and if there's anything I'm missing.

 

[davent]

With multiple entries i'll assume vote tally is per photo rather than per photographer...

Something else i've seen where a poll is used for voting is allowing for more then one vote per voter, just another thing to consider.

There's is a thread for challenge rejects, 'recent' photos that meet a theme can always be posted there if need be.
dave

 

[troy]

Yeah, I would think with multiple entries votes would go to photo than photographer. But that would mean you may loose votes to yourself. Maybe not the best idea, but could be interesting.

Rejects thread would be a great place for recent photos.

 

[troy]

I would be on board for multiple votes per voter.

 

[shm]

I'm for one photo per contestant and one vote - keep it simple to try and get more people to join.

 

[Shutterbug57]

My $0.02 worth:
- change the title to replace “challenge” with “assignment”
- photos must be taken in response to the OP’s assignment
- 1 entry per person - post your best work
- 1 vote per person

 

[shaveitoff]

I think the easiest thing is one entry, one vote, anyone can vote, the entry must be a photo taken after the challenge is announced.

The photo must be submitted by midnight in the timezone of the submitter in the final day to submit. Same with the vote - do it by midnight in your timezone on the last day to vote.

 

[TrimBeard]

My $0.02 worth:
- change the title to replace “challenge” with “assignment”
- photos must be taken in response to the OP’s assignment
- 1 entry per person - post your best work
- 1 vote per person

I fully concur with ALL the above. I also agree that deadline is for the poster's timezone. Before end of day, your time zone, wherever that is. Some get a quicker start, some a little time at the end, but ultimately, we all get basically the same amount of time to submit.

 

[StillShaving]

I think the larger question is should this monthly thread be more about 1) inspiring photographers to think and generate a new image? Or 2) more of a showcase of ideas and recent photos?

I think the latter would be more enjoyable for general members of B&B. To see anything taken within the past year which fit the monthly theme. That should encourage more participation and make the subforum more enjoyable.

I normally use my smartphone to take photos, so I don't consider myself to be a photographer, so I am not of much use here.

 

[davent]

I think the larger question is should this monthly thread be more about 1) inspiring photographers to think and generate a new image? Or 2) more of a showcase of ideas and recent photos?

I think the latter would be more enjoyable for general members of B&B. To see anything taken within the past year which fit the monthly theme. That should encourage more participation and make the subforum more enjoyable.

I normally use my smartphone to take photos, so I don't consider myself to be a photographer, so I am not of much use here.

There are a number of threads in the Darkroom forum and photo threads in other forums that already do just that.
dave

 

[alpster]

Folks,
I don't see any particular need for heated discussion or especial change on this challenge. It's only a way to let off steam. Maybe some people recently have seen a drop-off in quality, or in numbers of people joining the challenge, but there will always be an ebb and flow. it's not as if it's dying. Some of us can't enter, or don't because there are other priorities in our lives. Those who want to enter will do so, those who don't will ignore, or lurk, which is no crime. I love this talk about 'inspiration' and 'showcase', but why can't 'challenge', or even 'competition' be in there too? Is this about protecting each other's fragile egos?

Personally I've always tried to enter into the spirit of the idea of using a 'recent' photo. But who's to say that the best picture for a certain challenge isn't the one languishing shyly at the back of a folder of photos taken seven years ago at your brother-in-law's disastrous wedding reception? I'd take that in a heartbeat, if it fulfilled the brief and made me smile.

However, now and again I welcome a shake-up in thinking, or approach. So, if anyone has a better idea of how this thing could be managed, speak up, give us some new ideas. Maybe the reason for the current insecurity is the lack of a leader, or a forum guide, who is willing to devote time to shepherding us towards a better future.

Peter

Well said. Quibbling over the "rules" seems to take all the fun out of the game. JMHO

Ronnie

 

[Shutterbug57]

... But who's to say that the best picture for a certain challenge isn't the one languishing shyly at the back of a folder of photos taken seven years ago at your brother-in-law's disastrous wedding reception? I'd take that in a heartbeat, if it fulfilled the brief and made me smile.

Peter

In Dec 16, and self quoted in Feb 18, you were - see below.

... I think we'd all agree, though, that the challenge shouldn't be an excuse to 'raid the archives'. That would seem to defeat the object of a monthly challenge thread.

 

[troy]

Folks,
I don't see any particular need for heated discussion or especial change on this challenge. It's only a way to let off steam. Maybe some people recently have seen a drop-off in quality, or in numbers of people joining the challenge, but there will always be an ebb and flow. it's not as if it's dying. Some of us can't enter, or don't because there are other priorities in our lives. Those who want to enter will do so, those who don't will ignore, or lurk, which is no crime. I love this talk about 'inspiration' and 'showcase', but why can't 'challenge', or even 'competition' be in there too? Is this about protecting each other's fragile egos?

Personally I've always tried to enter into the spirit of the idea of using a 'recent' photo. But who's to say that the best picture for a certain challenge isn't the one languishing shyly at the back of a folder of photos taken seven years ago at your brother-in-law's disastrous wedding reception? I'd take that in a heartbeat, if it fulfilled the brief and made me smile.

However, now and again I welcome a shake-up in thinking, or approach. So, if anyone has a better idea of how this thing could be managed, speak up, give us some new ideas. Maybe the reason for the current insecurity is the lack of a leader, or a forum guide, who is willing to devote time to shepherding us towards a better future.

Peter

Agreed. Which is why I started this thread, so we would stop derailing the actual challenge thread. If the rules are too vague and can be interpreted two completely different ways this will keep happening every couple of months.

 

[cleanshaved]

Long time no see.

I've always viewed the rules as a guide as to how to play along, not a hard and fast set of constraints.
I think the spirt of the challenge is getting out and taking photos for the challenge and submitting a single best photo. With that said if you say took a photo a few weeks earlier with the theme in mind, I don't see any issue in allowing it to be posted. Maybe a max age of two month but preferably taken for the challenge would work, if you still wanted to allow past photos but define the age limit.

The time zone never bothered me and I'm in NZ, so are almost a day ahead of most members in time. I always just let it ride a extra day from my time which seemed close enough.

Just my 2 cents. You guys own this great long standing challenge, so it's totally up to you guys how this is played.