Challenge Rules

Greensquared · July 29, 2008

Ok you guys. Seven DQs on this past round. Here's where the biggest problems seem to be:

Image shot outside of the round time frame - the image MUST be fresh and have been shot within the two week time period.
Watermarks - NO watermarks. Small signatures and copyright at the bottom of the image is encouraged. Nothing big or detracting. If you want to add a watermark, please wait until AFTER the public vote has been completed if you made it through, and AT LEAST until the public poll is posted if not. Judges need time to judge the image for itself without a watermark detracting from it.
No borders...period.
Make sure you append or attach proper exif. In the future, images with hand-typed exif info or none at all may be questioned.
Please give your shot a unique title for identification purposes.

None of these particular rules are new...they've been around all through LPS at least. If you have a question regarding the rules, please post it in the general discussion thread and I will gladly clarify.

PLEASE READ THE RULES CAREFULLY.

I'm volunteering hours of personal time to make these Challenges happen. I'm a fair person and appreciate honesty and intregrity and expect the same from all of the entrants. Don't try to fudge it, ok? I hate being the bad guy, but I'm not going to let the honest players get stomped on.

DoctorIt · July 29, 2008

Good onya, Emily!

(no more slipping little things past the overworked Doc, there's a new greenSheriff in town!

)

pemmett · July 29, 2008

Emily,

You never need to apologize for re-stating the rules in order that people will not be DQ'd. Thank you for doing this.

I posted what happened to me as a reminder to others who purchase new cameras.

Thanks for your hard work and please keep it up.

Cheers/Peter

PhotoSchmo · July 30, 2008

I don't have a horse in this race, but I do have some suggestions. Unfortunately during the last round, some members had submissions sent to the gallows for rule infractions....pity, some of them were very nice.

I just read the rules according to the moderator of this forum (DoctorIt) and I'm not really surprised some missed the rules regarding photo submissions, they're buried under rules pertaining to judging, prizes, Mega Challenge rules..... Maybe a new thread strictly outlining those rules (Photo Submissions) is in order? The latter thread is stickied, but it isn't in bold and in my opinion, easily missed by a photographer all giggly at the prospect of winning a D300 someday...jaknow what I mean?

If you bullet each rule as you've done in this post, from watermarks to borders and submission date requirements etc, maybe you won't have the unfortunate results you had in 2.4. Right now, I believe the rule thread has links pointing to discussions that "discuss" rules....huh? The rules thread should be (Stickied/Bold Fonted) at the TOP of the forum IMNSHO, since without adherence to the rules, you have no game.

Not everyone spends hours in the forums, reading each thread. A clear explanation of the rules would prevent some excellent stuff from being shipped kicking and screaming into the cyber photogulag....or not.

Just a suggestion from the peanut gallery....

puzzledpaul · July 30, 2008

<< No borders...period. >>

Presumably the white 'frame / border' that's automatically added when the 'managed attachment' image upload route is used isn't included in this?

pp

DoctorIt · July 30, 2008

PhotoSchmo wrote:

If you bullet each rule as you've done in this post, from watermarks to borders and submission date requirements etc, maybe you won't have the unfortunate results you had in 2.4

In our previous contest, called LPS, I did in fact bullet every, single, stinking rule. That made it so long that people didn't scroll and see them all. As far as I'm concerned, we're never going to make it perfect for everyone, and everyone has their own opinion. We can't handhold and spoonfeed every single person. Jaknow?

The fact is, the rules are all there and are linked to the beginning of every single entry thread. Am I being defensive? You bet! We don't have to make the rules pleasing to each person - remember, this is a free contest in a free community, we have no obligation and we are all volunteers.

The rules thread should be (Stickied/Bold Fonted) at the TOP of the forum

It is stickied at the top.

The bold depends on the forum skin you are using. Admittedly, this is something we are working on (behind the scenes) since the current forum software is what dictates this look.

Schmo, thanks for the suggestions, we do take them all in and do our best to use as many as possible.

***
Hey Emily (and all my old LPS friends), see what happens when you raise the stakes?

DoctorIt · July 30, 2008

puzzledpaul wrote:

<< No borders...period. >>

Presumably the white 'frame / border' that's automatically added when the 'managed attachment' image upload route is used isn't included in this?

pp

certainly not... although I would wholeheartedly discourage you from attaching your contest entry - the quality is terribly small due to the limited size.

evoryware · July 31, 2008

PhotoSchmo wrote:

The latter thread is stickied, but it isn't in bold and in my opinion, easily missed by a photographer all giggly at the prospect of winning a D300 someday...jaknow what I mean?

If you bullet each rule as you've done in this post, from watermarks to borders and submission date requirements etc, maybe you won't have the unfortunate results you had in 2.4

Not everyone spends hours in the forums, reading each thread. A clear explanation of the rules would prevent some excellent stuff from being shipped kicking and screaming into the cyber photogulag....or not.

Maybe they should give contest entrants phone call when they see a rule is broken?

If a photographer is all giggly about winning a 40D or D300 then they should do everything in their power to find and follow the simple rules or be disqualified for not putting in the effort to earn over a $1000 worth of camera equipment!

Do the required homework attached to every entry thread and then properly shoot and properly submit the photos!
Or gracefully bow out when you are properly disqualified - while someone that does follow the rules giggles at you on their way to a Mega-challenge.

Turn that frown upside-down G-squared!

P.S.- Why isn't the smiley (:D ) a smugmug icon?

PhotoSchmo · July 31, 2008

Whoops....

The fact is, the rules are all there and are linked to the beginning of every single entry thread. Am I being defensive? You bet! We don't have to make the rules pleasing to each person - remember, this is a free contest in a free community, we have no obligation and we are all volunteers.

I never insinuated you had to please every person. Smugmug is a business, you need customers to keep it a living entity. In order to offer such wonderful prizes....you know what, nevermind.

I just saw a problem evidenced by some submissions being pulled due to confusion (not my own, I'm not a photographer). In business you identify hiccups and try and find a solution. The OP's post clearly identified the rules, better than the original post IMO. It was never my intention to insult anyone's methods, or place anyone on the defensive.

Hand holding, phoning those that submit...the sarcasm isn't lost here.

I could write more but...I'll keep my mouth shut from now on and continue the lurk....I'm a really good volunteer lurker.

Carry on good photogs....

DoctorIt · July 31, 2008

PhotoSchmo wrote:

Smugmug is a business, you need customers to keep it a living entity. In order to offer such wonderful prizes....you know what, nevermind.

No need to nevermind - but I do have to clear up one thing that is often confused here in the forums. While Dgrin is in fact "powered by" Smugmug, they are not one and the same. There is no business side to Dgrin, it is 100% volunteer, 100% free and because of the obvious origins, has a couple forums devoted to Smugmug support/chat.

That aside, again, I read you loud and clear and we thank you for your comments.

System · August 1, 2008

Wow

PhotoSchmo wrote:

I don't have a horse in this race, but I do have some suggestions. Unfortunately during the last round, some members had submissions sent to the gallows for rule infractions....pity, some of them were very nice.

I just read the rules according to the moderator of this forum (DoctorIt) and I'm not really surprised some missed the rules regarding photo submissions, they're buried under rules pertaining to judging, prizes, Mega Challenge rules..... Maybe a new thread strictly outlining those rules (Photo Submissions) is in order? The latter thread is stickied, but it isn't in bold and in my opinion, easily missed by a photographer all giggly at the prospect of winning a D300 someday...jaknow what I mean?

If you bullet each rule as you've done in this post, from watermarks to borders and submission date requirements etc, maybe you won't have the unfortunate results you had in 2.4. Right now, I believe the rule thread has links pointing to discussions that "discuss" rules....huh? The rules thread should be (Stickied/Bold Fonted) at the TOP of the forum IMNSHO, since without adherence to the rules, you have no game.

Not everyone spends hours in the forums, reading each thread. A clear explanation of the rules would prevent some excellent stuff from being shipped kicking and screaming into the cyber photogulag....or not.

Just a suggestion from the peanut gallery....

Now I see why they did away with LPS!

If a person can find the thread to enter then they have FOUND the thread for the rules.

If they can't read the rules and get DQ'd than to bad, whether there picture was brilliant or junk; a DQ is a DQ.
IMHO you should stop insulting the volunteers that make this site happen and maybe volunteer yourself to help where you think you know it all.

IF people miss the rules because there to giddy about 2k worth of camera equipment, then they mentally weren't ready for the challenge anyway! JAKNOW!

Your statements were offending to me and I am sure to many others that read them. I agree with Doc, we can't handhold every entrant for every challenge. Shoot no one has that kind of time.
Em and Doc are doing just fine, let them be, If you have time to volunteer to make it better for you, then ask them if they want help.

I could go on but I won't and If I offended you, I didn't mean to; I was just pointing out the obvious.

I am off my soap box now.

DoctorIt · August 1, 2008

barrotj wrote:

I am off my soap box now.

Now now, thanks for the support

but, it's really important to listen to comments from people who aren't in here on a daily basis. things that may seem obvious to us may in fact not be. things like format and organization are important to have non-biased looks at from time to time.

System · August 1, 2008

DoctorIt wrote:

Now now, thanks for the support

but, it's really important to listen to comments from people who aren't in here on a daily basis. things that may seem obvious to us may in fact not be. things like format and organization are important to have non-biased looks at from time to time.

Doc,

Understood, just tired of hearing the same ole thing AGAIN. I know you guys are.

I apologize if I was out of line, just spoke my mind as I was tired of sitting back reading the same stuff that we got rid of months ago.

Again, I apologize

Challenge Rules

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