Weekly Competition # 60

It would only be regarded easier if the idea, suggested by George in his latest post would be implemented,to prevent others of sneaking in and have a peek at the results.
If this isn't possible, you force the judge to wait until the last moment before entering final conclusions. Most of us do have a job on Monday, you know.

I am glad you think that way.

Martin.

And while we are talking about changes and guidelines rewritten??
Would it be possible to mention, that submitting C & C by others than the judge before closing is not advisable or wanted? In the old days we were in consensus that the judge could be totally impartial and choose to not follow the general thread about the competition round. There is plenty of time after the competition has been judged, to leave C & C at each different entrie.

Just another suggestion, obviously,

Martin.

Martin, I agree with you absolutely.

It just needs explaining, especially for the benefit of new forum members.

Following Martin's point about people working on a Monday - why not change the closing time to midnight on Saturday, giving the judge a chance to compose their thoughts and post the results on Sunday morning?
I think the guidelines must make it clear that the winner is expected to post comments on the entries, not just pick a winner.
For all that I would still be happier with the competition within the forum to stop people joining and only entering the competition and posting in the gallery.
This has nothing to do with experience or otherwise - it's just nicer to have an idea of the person behind the photo.

I have been a member of other forums where the forum died a death because so few people chose to contribute to the forum whilst hundreds of people made use of the gallery. I'd hate to see that happen here - but I see already less and less people actively contributing to the forum and plenty of unknown names in the gallery.

This would have a downside also. A lot of entries are submitted on Sunday evening.
I reckon the weekend is the only time of doing some shooting and processing, for a lot of members here. Speaking for myself I don't find the closing date a problem. But as a Dutchman, I am already handicapped by the time difference. So on the still manageable occasions I had to judge (thank god, i am not Lilly:lol I always used Lilly's system on copy and paste the final conclusion, directly after closing or very early next morning. This of course means you judge on the fly, when entries occur during the week. And never I had to rewrite or rethink a entrie after I wrote down my C & C on a particular entrie. When looking at the new competition it is preferred by general consensus that each entrie gets its own C & C below the photo, it only works for me if the suggestion by George is implemented. Otherwise I think you as a forum ask to much from judges living outside the UK.

Martin.

George's suggestion of the judge being able to write a hidden critique as the week goes by, which then appears once the competition is finished, seems an excellent idea.

This competition has run successfully for a year now with everyone who entered understanding what is required of them and now, for some reason, the move into the gallery area seems to have triggered a seismic change.

I would just like the competition to be the way it was.

I will not enter the competitions in future if I think that I will not get any feedback from the judge.

I do agree. But just in case the dev team aren't able to code up and test that change in the next few weeks, I do recommend the off-line solution.

We don't need rocket science here - just keep notes in a Word doc. You can flick through the pics and add comments to the document as you go.

Then paste them into the judgement at the end.

I agree.

This is how Belinda B. judged the "Wildlife" competition.

By virtue of the fact that she assessed the latest entries on a nightly basis, each image could be given a fair amount of time, rather than everything having to be cobbled together in a hurry at the end.

Sitting on the sidelines of that particular judging exercise, was a very useful experience, since having to critique a photograph forces you to think what it is about an image that you like / dislike etc. etc.

Well, it does seem to me that the general concenscus from the past 6 pages of opinions that the preferred way to run our competition is for us to have it back the way it was, a very special part of the forum. I really do feel strongly that is the only way this competion will survive.

Pros being:
No automation
A fool proof process of judging as and when the pics come in on a Word doc, cut and paste on last day, choose the three.
Deadline can be adjusted if need be when system fails.
The valuable forum contributing members are more likely to enter again.
Winner participant HOPEFULLY more aware of having to add C&C.
All pics displayed in the previous simple friendly way.


plus, we can all get back to learning how to improve our photography
and not spend hours having to claw back which was perfect the way it was, which it was.
Here's hoping ....
Lilly

Hoping with you.......,but fearing otherwise

Martin.

...............and me

Well have a little faith and I do hope that the issue will be resolved soon. I must say that the one really positive thing IMO is the ability to upload directly and not bother too much about file sizes. But I do agree with what you are all saying and I hope that solutions are now on the way.

Now as regards the last judging that wasn't the judge is going to do it but advises that he isn't very good at English keyboard skills, but he will have a go as soon as possible.

In future if a judge disappears and doesn't comment we can take his winner, but I will intervene and do a critique myself, or alternatively ask someone else to do it, as seems appropriate. We need the critique to make the process worthwhile as a learning tool. One way or another there will be a critique. There will also be a thread in the Competitions section to discuss the images as before, and not for the eyes of the judge!

I will also PM any new judges to make them aware of what is expected in more detail.

You make some good points here,John. I sure hope they will be taken seriously.
Hope is not lost.......,yet

Martin.

Simple solution (having not read all of this post), whoever wins the next competition, be stubborn and post the next one here!

Then see what happens!

After all, if the winner sets the rules for the next competition............

I stopped entering a while ago after I decided the judging was so random it was pointless. However, I popped back to see how things have been going and maybe entering again but I can't figure it out now. The competition seems to be spread all over the place.