Why can't we vote on ALL photos entered in the challenge?

mbz

I wonder why we cannot vote for all pictures. Why somebody else select finalists. Wouldn't it be more democratic, if everybody will vote for all pictures. Is it a technical issue or something else?:dunno

ajgauthier

I'll take a stab at your question...
hi mbz,

I thought I'd take a stab at your question since noone is posting. There are those here much more veteran than me who can better answer, but I'm sure we don't want another thread like the one I mention below.

I know you are knew here, so I'll point you to a thread called 'not happy with the challenge finalists'

http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=38985

All sorts of issues and arguments and agreements got worked out there. Is was all quite messy and nasty at times. Read through the whole thread and you'll get a gist. But, a lot of arguments for one way or another got hashed out, and ultimately DGrin/smugmug make the Challenge rules and those pro's (and many here) have been in other online digital photo communities, with challenges, and they have worked out the best method for all involved: the moderators, the posters, the technology, and the time everyone has for this 'hobby'.

It's just the way it is, these Challenges. And since I've been on here (about a year and a half lurking/posting), the rules have been modified slightly as new perspectives come along.

So yeah, take a gander at the Challeneg rules and then that thread to get a better idea of the history behind how the Challenges work.

I'm not for one way or another, I like how things work on here and am very glad it's here and the moderators (who volunteer I think) are here and all the other users/photographers are here!

Adrienne

ChrisJ

Tons of threads have already hashed this out... one fairly recently.
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=38985

Just :deadhorse into the ground well below 6 ft...

pathfinder

mbz wrote:

I wonder why we cannot vote for all pictures. Why somebody else select finalists. Wouldn't it be more democratic, if everybody will vote for all pictures. Is it a technical issue or something else?

THe short answer, after lots and lots of discussion around here, is that's the way we do it here in Dodge City, pardner.:D

The reasons are technical and practical, and this is the decision of the Head Moderator and his minions.....

Bodwick

pathfinder wrote:

THe short answer, after lots and lots of discussion around here, is that's the way we do it here in Dodge City, pardner.:D

The reasons are technical and practical, and this is the decision of the Head Moderator and his minions.....

Dodge City? I thought this was Bartertown!



"Listen all! This is the truth of it. Fighting leads to killing. And killing gets to warring. And that was damn near the death of us all. Look at us now! Busted up and everyone talking about hard rain! But we've learned, by the dust of them all...Bartertown learned. Now, when men get to fighting, it happens here! And it finishes here! Two men enter; one man leaves."

Bendr

Hi, not to sound like i'm complaining,

But is there a technological limit preventing us from having them all in a poll, i.e. does the forum software only allow 10 items in a poll? cause it seems to me that in the long run it is much simpler, to be able to throw them all in a poll vs. filtering them down to ten and then putting them in a poll.

Another thought I've had is in the rules you have the winner send you a pm with their choices in the format of:

name, pic name
the reasons why you chose this photograph

What if we published the reasons for the choosing of the photos(After vote is over of course) to help provide us with some insight into the judges mind, with respect to what the finalists had that the non-finalists didn't.

btw, I'm still confused on this, does current hosting mod select the finalists, or does the winner from last challenge, or do they collaborate?

Anyway,
Thank you for your time,
Ben

ultravox

Bendr wrote:

btw, I'm still confused on this, does current hosting mod select the finalists, or does the winner from last challenge, or do they collaborate?

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=22200
And regarding voting on all participants... guess that is not an valid option.
Hope that helps.

Alaska shutterbug

To be completely democratic, we would need to vote on all the candidates, then once narrowed down to ten, we would hold the primary elections, then we would take the top 3 and have the final vote.

That would just be way too cumbersome.

Having helped the moderator choose the top ten this last time, I can say that we agreed on most of the finalists, and then narrowed the others down to get 10.

And so far the top runners in the voting are on photos we agreed on.

In the end, I believe we would get the same winner. So this way is much shorter and sweeter (well, sweeter for most I guess).:D

Like the pp said, this is just how things are done here in Dodge.

Bendr

Alaska shutterbug wrote:

To be completely democratic, we would need to vote on all the candidates, then once narrowed down to ten, we would hold the primary elections, then we would take the top 3 and have the final vote.

That would just be way too cumbersome.

lol, I could imagine that, and totally agree...

I'm just wondering as to whether it is a technical limitation that prevents us from doing them all together in one poll, and if there is, what the limitation is.
I don't wish to dispute how it is currently done...

Much Thanks,
Ben

ChrisJ

Bendr wrote:

I'm just wondering as to whether it is a technical limitation

No, I don't believe there is a technical limitation.

EDIT: Yes, I believe this is a technical limitation. ;-)

DoctorIt

ChrisJ wrote:

No, I don't believe there is a technical limitation.

yes there is. our forum software has a limit on the number of poll choices.




here we go again

(thanks to all who have already pointed out the many previous threads on this)

DJ-S1

Actually there was a limitation when this was started - you could only have 10 options in any poll. That may have changed by now, but originally it was a forum software limitation. [edit] Doh! Cross-posted you, Erik...[/edit]

This topic comes up every so often - truth is the challenges are a decent compromise and work pretty well as is.

It takes a lot of work from the VOLUNTEER mods to run this place and it's a pretty thankless job that they perform very well. Except for those Apple loons.

pathfinder

Youu talkin' ta me??? Youu talkin' ta me??? Youuu talkin' ta me???


( done in my best De Niro voice:D:D)

ChrisJ

DoctorIt wrote:

yes there is. our forum software has a limit on the number of poll choices.

FYI, I think the newer versions of vBulletin allow unlimited options.
---
The previous message in no way advocates the want/desire/need for polls of all submitted pictures for the challenges. : I think it works great as-is.

DJ-S1

Actually I was hoping Harry would 'shop an Apple tattoo on one of his bird shots!

pathfinder

DJ-S1 wrote:

Actually I was hoping Harry would 'shop an Apple tattoo on one of his bird shots!

Harry uses Windows. Talk to DavidTO - He's the real Apple afficianado.

Andy and I are just recent converts

DavidTO

My take? It doesn't matter one bit how the finalists are chosen. We happen to have one moderator and the previous challenge winner select the finalists. That works. So would a number of other methods.

But who really cares? It's a challenge, for crying out loud. There are no lives on the line, nothing really all that important about it. Go out, shoot and learn. Enter the challenge if you want to, abstain if you don't.

There are too many other much more important things in this world to worry about. This ain't one of them.

gus

DJ-S1 wrote:

Except for those Apple loons.

I like the cut of your jib

DoctorIt

gus wrote:

I like the cut of your jib

you need a parrot on your shoulder to talk like that.

gus

DoctorIt wrote:

you need a parrot on your shoulder to talk like that.

Someone lent me their chip...will that do ?

DoctorIt

gus wrote:

Someone lent me their chip...will that do ?

we'll compromise, chip is ok, but you need an eyepatch.

pathfinder

I always picture Gus with an eyepatch Matches his persona

Steve Cavigliano

pathfinder wrote:

I always picture Gus with an eyepatch Matches his persona

Not to metion how well an eyepatch would go with his wooden leg and the stuffed parrot he keeps perched on his shoulder (or is that a snowy egret?) Arggggh Matey :uhoh

Steve

Harryb

Bendr wrote:

What if we published the reasons for the choosing of the photos(After vote is over of course) to help provide us with some insight into the judges mind, with respect to what the finalists had that the non-finalists didn't.

btw, I'm still confused on this, does current hosting mod select the finalists, or does the winner from last challenge, or do they collaborate?

Anyway,
Thank you for your time,
Ben

The hosting mod and the "winner" of the last challenge collaborate on picking the finalists.

The only "insight" I can give you on why I choose a cerain picture was that I liked it better than the other pictures. Many folks including professional health workers have tried to get an insight into my mind with absolutely no success.

Bendr

Sweet, That's what I figured, forum software limitation...

all of my questions have been answered!

Now i'm happy...

Let's accept it and get back to the challenge!



Thanks,
Ben

wxwax

ChrisJ wrote:

No, I don't believe there is a technical limitation.

EDIT: Yes, I believe this is a technical limitation. ;-)