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Weekly Competition # 60

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Hyram
Posted 31/08/2008 - 09:12 Link
I have been away for a few weeks and have just logged on remotely prior to arriving home shortly. During the past few weeks, commenting on competition entries seems to have disappeared, which for me is the main point of the competition and the closing date seems to have changed.

What is happening :
Hyram

Bodies: K20D (2), K10D, Super A, ME Super, Auto 110 SLR, X70, Optio P70
Pentax Glass: DA* 300, DA* 60-250, DA* 50-135, DA* 16-50, DA 70 Ltd, FA 31 Ltd, DA 35 Ltd, DA 18-55 (2), DA 12-24, DA 10-17, M 200, A 35-70, M 40, M 28, Converter-A 2X-S, 1.4X-S, AF 1.7, Pentax-110 50, Pentax-110 24
Other Glass: Sigma 105 macro, Sigma-A APO 75-300
Flash: Metz 58 AF-1 P, Pentax AF160FC ringflash, Pentax AF280T
johnriley
Posted 31/08/2008 - 09:56 Link
The closing date is the same. Midnight on Sunday. A couple of software glitches in the new automatic system distorted that for a couple of weeks but is now fixed.

As for commenting, it only needs someone (anyone) to start a discussion thread and away we go.
Best regards, John
pschlute
Posted 31/08/2008 - 10:58 Link
I have just just looked at the competitions section and it shows "Alone" as having finished and a winner selected, but with no comment. Seems like another glitch ?
George Lazarette
Posted 31/08/2008 - 11:31 Link
I have just collated some statistics, and they are pretty simple, so I hope everybody will understand them and I shall not be accused of cooking the figures.

The last six competitions under the old site produced 153 entries. The first six under the new site produced 110 entries. That's a fall of almost exactly 28.1% (though some hillbilly judge in Hoochycoochee or somewhere might think it's something else. I am not responsible for the education of judges in America).

Or, one could say that in the old days competitions produced 39% more entries than they do now.

This is worrying, especially as it is now much easier to upload competition pictures. I suspect the main reason for this is that it takes a conscious decision to go looking for the current competition, whereas previously it was just another thread in the main forum.

How about a thread being opened in the main forum as soon as a new competition starts, with a direct link to the competition gallery. Like this: link

If it is then followed by some discussion I think it might possibly produce the desired stimulus.

G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
Galoot
Posted 31/08/2008 - 11:41 Link
Looks like I missed the opportunity to enter too ?
George Lazarette
Posted 31/08/2008 - 12:08 Link
Galoot wrote:
Looks like I missed the opportunity to enter too ?

Yup. Hope springs eternal in the human breast, and JR spoke too soon.

More than six weeks have passed since the new site was introduced, and there are still a number of unresolved issues which seem to be taking an inordinate amount of time to fix. Unfortunately, there are apparently more important things to deal with than password changes, sort order on searches, competitions, or latest post indicators.

But thank God we've now got a nipple filter. Think what horrors that has spared us. I was often embarrassed to admit I frequented Pentax User in the old days. Clarky's extreme close-ups of various creatures in compromising positions used to perturb me greatly (along with his lurid tales of sharing a bed with a woolly jumper - no wonder we deported his depraved ancestors).

I have assumed that the problems I mentioned have all been reported. Perhaps we could be told what glitches have been reported, and are being worked on, so that we can report any others that we come across. Most things are now working properly, and it would be nice if the final annoyances could be fixed.

G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
Deecy
Posted 31/08/2008 - 12:09 Link
The new competition system has coincided with summer holidays, school holidays and the wedding season [for me at least] which could be another reason for the fewer entries. I do think George's idea of opening a thread in the main forum will encourage more entrants who are just browsing the site.
www.blessingphotography.co.uk

2x K20D, 2x K10D, istDS, 2x AF 540FGZ & Pentax lenses + back-up kit
timbo
Posted 31/08/2008 - 12:40 Link
I for one haven't entered recently because of holidays and weekends away.

You need 3 clear weeks to enter a competition: Week 1 - enter, Week 2 - check if won on Monday and set new competition if you have, Week 3 - judge competition. If you are away any of those weeks you can't really enter.

I suggest you look at the number of entries after the holidays have had time to work their way through the system.
George Lazarette
Posted 31/08/2008 - 13:02 Link
timbo wrote:
I for one haven't entered recently because of holidays and weekends away.

You need 3 clear weeks to enter a competition: Week 1 - enter, Week 2 - check if won on Monday and set new competition if you have, Week 3 - judge competition. If you are away any of those weeks you can't really enter.

I suggest you look at the number of entries after the holidays have had time to work their way through the system.

You may well be right, although not everybody is so confident of winning that it will stop them entering. Not me, anyway.

Also, the ability to upload directly from your computer, rather than having to upload to another site, then link, should encourage more entries.

But we shall see.

G
Keywords: Charming, polite, and generally agreeable.
johnriley
Posted 31/08/2008 - 13:02 Link
The date issue and rnd time were supposed to have been sorted, so I've reported the current glitch.

The issue of the competition being "somewhere else" is I think a real one that needs thinking about. Even though it isn't far away, it is somewhere away and that might have an effect on entry numbers.

Having a thread here every time will be helpful I think.
Best regards, John
royd63uk
Posted 31/08/2008 - 14:37 Link
So...do we wait now for the winner of the previous comp to start a new comp?
Never entered (still relatively new here) so am at a loss.Where is the link to upload images to the comp?

edited for spelling
regards
Roy

Pentax K3 gripped,and some lenses
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pentaxroy/

my pbase gallery
Edited by royd63uk: 31/08/2008 - 14:38
Gwyn
Posted 31/08/2008 - 14:37 Link
I agree that a thread here will be helpful. To be honest I forgot all about this week's comp until this thread was started .
And now it's too late.
Do we expect some judging comments still to come? Has longdog actually chosen this week's winner or has some computer somewhere just randomly selected it? It's not at all clear to me.
I think another problem is that there are contributors to the comp now who do not contribute to the forum, and therefore do not know how things used done with regard to it, such as the judging comments. The explanation of the competition is rather vague in the competition gallery.
johnriley
Posted 31/08/2008 - 14:42 Link
I gave sent a PM to our judge awaiting his comments.

The theory is that an e-mail goes to the winner inviting them to start the next competition.

I have put in a report re the timing so hopefully that will be resolved on Monday.
Best regards, John
Hyram
Posted 31/08/2008 - 15:27 Link
I think that the competition does need to be linked more closely with the forum.

Also I think that the only acceptable reasons for a judge not commenting on each entry are :-

English not being their native tongue.
or
A family crisis occuring during the competition, requiring the judge's attention elsewhere (as happened to Gwyn a while back).

Most people enter in the hope of learning something and they can only learn if they receive some feedback.
Hyram

Bodies: K20D (2), K10D, Super A, ME Super, Auto 110 SLR, X70, Optio P70
Pentax Glass: DA* 300, DA* 60-250, DA* 50-135, DA* 16-50, DA 70 Ltd, FA 31 Ltd, DA 35 Ltd, DA 18-55 (2), DA 12-24, DA 10-17, M 200, A 35-70, M 40, M 28, Converter-A 2X-S, 1.4X-S, AF 1.7, Pentax-110 50, Pentax-110 24
Other Glass: Sigma 105 macro, Sigma-A APO 75-300
Flash: Metz 58 AF-1 P, Pentax AF160FC ringflash, Pentax AF280T
Lilly
Posted 31/08/2008 - 16:02 Link
I am really disappointed as to how these competitions are a shadow of their former self, I for one will not be submitting again unless things change for the better.

Ever since this forum has changed I cannot help but feel it all has become rather impersonal and distant and I find myself less inlclined to view and contribute than before. I for one is not only holds this view, a friend of mine who at present does not contribute but views regularly is of the same mind.

I shall go back to the time when the colour scheme was changed and my comments then were "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
I feel the same if not more so now.

I see no advantage in this new style forum at all, other than a very minor one of directly uploading ones image for the comps, BIG DEAL!.
I would much rather go back to the time when I had the very minor inconvenience of transferring from PHOTOBUCKET and have the forum alive, friendly, less complicated (for comps, which is a superb and important learning tool and more rewarding.)
I have lost count the number of times I have not seen any feedback on our entries from the judge, it really makes a mockery of the ones who spend time and brainpower individually commenting on entries.

I really do feel this forum has been changed for the sake of it and not for the benefit of its members.
We had a very personable and straight forward forum before things were changed and I feel we have lost that, it is a great loss.
Lilly
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Pentax: K20D; FA50mm 1.4; FA135mm 2.8; FA 17-28mm; FA 80-320mm; AF360FGZ
Sigma: 30mm F1.4EXDC; 10-20mmEXDC ..... LENSBABY 'Composer' ,

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