Need Contest Host Volunteer (s)

The “contest winner hosts the next contest” system hasn’t worked the last two months. And I don’t think that everyone who enters a photograph realizes that this system is even in place. “Congratulations you won!!!! Now go host the next contest….” Huh? What?

Anyone up for Hosting a contest? I’ve thrown in my hat in as a volunteer, but I sure the hell don’t want to be the only one. As a “host” you would not be able to post a contest entry. Other than that…… not sure there are like any other official rules in place. Purely “free form”.

Someone? Anyone? Who’s up for a little hostin’ action? Please sign up on this thread….

... might be a more sustainable pace. ("Leave 'em wanting more.") Just my impression. :shrug:

Oh... did you read the fine print on my post? By responding you just volunteered to host. I'll send you your official hat and forum decoder ring.

:evilgrin:

monthly is overkill

I'd be happier just sharing my shots most of the time

I'm confused!

Actually, it was only last month that we seemed to have any difficulty. Raging did it the month before, and I did it the month before that. And before that, it was all Longgrain for the first two contests.

I think the way around this is to put in big bold letters on the submission thread that by submitting a photo you are agreeing to host next month's contest or find a proxy. this might also cut down on the submission rate, which is getting high and somewhat unwieldy.

And I like the once a month thing. We are by far the most active group at DU that I've seen, and I think it's because of our high profile contest every month. We've added at least one new regular every contest, and the regulars to this group actually hang out here.

There's nothing wrong with a once-a-month contest. We always get plenty of entries. If anybody feels that once-a-month is too much, well they simply don't have to enter anything that month.

I've hosted the contest before and it really isn't that difficult.

..that they did not want to host the contest. Truth be known... I gave them both the option to bail out. So no one here should get the impression that either of them was intentionally trying to get out of this. I'd rather see their photographs in the next contest than force them .... or 3rd, 4th, 5th place ......whoever really wants to host the contest... do so.

DS1 got forced into "volunteering" because the system does not work. This eliminated him from the competition. Is this fair? Again, I'd rather see his photographs.

Using a neutral volunteer system eliminates the Trickle Down Effect. It doesn't work for our Economy.....

Photography is an Art Form. It's a personal form of creative expression. I really have to wonder if the "Prize" that is awarded the winner (hosting the next contest) has kept a few - some - many from entering the contest. IMO that's a pretty crappy "prize". You and Ragin' both see hosting as simple and easy. I don't think most other people see it that way. If you disagree... start an 'in-house' Poll and ask everyone. Also, I don't see twenty people jumping on this thread shouting "Me! Me! I'll Volunteer!!!"

IMO each contest should be open to everyone, including past winners.

The contest could run smoothly on a month-to-month basis if we eliminate all the vague aspects of it and come up with something that is simple and consistent. Like using neutral hosting volunteers and determining the themes 2-4 months in advance.

This forum has inspired me in ways I can't tell you. I'm sure it has done the same for others. It could do this for many others if we just eliminate the "cloud" that hangs over the contest and just make this a really fun place to hang out and share photographs.

No one forced DS1 into volunteering. SOteric won the Green Theme contest and asked DS1 to host. SOteric or DS1 could have come to this group and asked for a volunteer to host, and someone would have stepped up. I personally see this as a very healthy, egalitarian group who work together to attain consensus on all kinds of things. I hope it never becomes a place where someone would feel intimidated to ask the group any question, including "Can someone host for me tis month?"

The idea behind the winner hosting the following contest was that there might be someone who was so extradinarily gifted that their photo would win every month if they entered. If that person never had a contest off, it might discourage people from entering. This is probably unlikely given the many, many talented people who've come to this group so far. But that's my understanding of why the "prize" was developed.

Of course, it didn't come out of whole clothe, either. It's SOP on gameshows. On NPR's gameshow Whad'ya Know, they list disclaimers every week, one of which is, "Listeners who have won recently should sit on their hands and let someone else have a chance for a change."

But then, as you say, we offer no prizes as does a nationally syndicated game show. So it may seem as though the "prize" is hosting. I guess I always thought of it as a badge of honor rather than a prize. I can see how others might not interpret it that way.

Guess my main point was that he had to sit out the contest last month. I didn't think that was fair for DS1. He was “forced” in the sense that the actual winner opted out.

I guess I always thought of it as a badge of honor rather than a prize.

I tried to come up with all the reasons people would want to win and the one you stated was on my list. So, using neutral host volunteers would take away some of your motivation for competing? That’s not good. Why don’t you start a poll thread asking everyone here who should host the contest. Let’s do this the democratic way. I won’t start it because I’m sick of seeing my username pinned toward the top of the first page.

Who Should Host the Monthly Contest? Poll.

A. The winner or the next in line who wants it

B. A neutral person

These are the 1st-6th place rankings from last month if the existing winner-does-the-hosting thing wins.....

ConsAreLiars - John Day Nat'l Monument - Painted Dunes - 1ST Place
Blue_In_AK - Beaver pond, Hatcher Pass, Alaska - 2ND Place
AchtungToddler - Road Trip - 3RD Place
Algomas - Holy Jebus - 4TH Place
CornField - Sharing - 5TH Place
Webster Green - Point Reyes - 6TH Place

at first, we were only accepting ten entries. I didn't enjoy sitting out of two contests because I had won the previous contests, but serving as a host was better than not getting involved at all as I did during the second contest.

For me, hosting was a way of incorporating my ideas into the contest, which is why I expanded the contest to 20 entries.

But apparently after that contest, hosting a contest became more of a burden than a privilege. And I guess that is when that "cloud" started hanging over the contest, although this is all stuff I'm just learning about.

And the whole reason that we are even discussing this issue is because Intheflow volunteered to host the third contest to allow Longgrain to enter. If she had never done that, he would probably be still hosting the contest every month and the cloud hanging over the group would probably be hanging right over his head.

From what you're saying, F. Gordon, it seems like this issue started because DS1 felt he was being "forced" to host the contest. At first, I thought he would have enjoyed hosting the contest because he was quite vocal during the graveyard contest as to how he did not approve of the theme, although it had been voted on in a democratic manner.

But it turns out, he did not enjoy hosting the contest, which is probably why we were kept in the dark about the contest until the very last minute.

And he got to enter the contest anyway, so I don't know where this whole thing about him having to sit out is coming from.

Maybe the best thing to do is to go into the lounge each month and ask for a volunteer to host the contest. This person, of course, would not be allowed to enter the contest, but hopefully, we can find someone in the lounge that would not find it to be such a burden.

:eyes:

I recall that you thought having neutral hosting volunteers was a good idea at one point. I guess everyone is entitled to change their mind. Hell, I do at least 1000 times a day.
:silly:

DS1 had a photograph in last months contest? Which one? I didn't see it.

Your post has too much of a "GD-feel" to it for my tastes so I won't say much else. I can go have a "discussion" with Q on whatever is pissing him off today if I want this kind of engagement. I was just trying to help out this month and get things going. I had no other motive. And regarding the "cloud"..... ummm... never mind....

Peace.
:hippie:

And about my post having a "GD feel" to it, I came across that way because I'm responding to your posts where you're saying DS1 was "forced" to host the contest, and that we need to "eliminate the cloud that hangs over the contest".

So please spare me the passive-aggressive sermon. I think you contribute a lot to this group and I love having you around here, but I would like to be able to have open discussions with you without having to bite my tongue.

You see, until I read your post, I had no idea there was a cloud hanging over this contest. Now by reading your last post regarding this "cloud", it almost seems like you're trying to tell me something. So please do.

Now about DS1 (and why do I feel that you're his representative? Can't he talk for himself?):

Last month, several weeks after he agreed or was forced to host the contest, when we in the photo group heard nothing from him, I sent him a PM asking him is he is going to still host the contest, or if not, to let us know and we can find someone else to host it. As you know, he ended up hosting it.

About his entry, I really don't know which one it was because the last I heard from him, he was going to enter a photo in the contest, but he never posted it in the photo group thread. And as you know, once the contest is posted in the lounge, the photos are not accompanied by usernames.

And I wasn't even online that weekend so I don't know if he ended up posting a photo or not.

In the real world I have to deal with people that make you look like a harmless little kitten.

I have enough confrontation in my real life... I don't need it here. Besides, ConsAreLiars is running this months contest. Discussion over. Game ended. Thread unplugged. Done. Finished.

I like you, F.G. so I hope we can just forget about this and move on.

:toast:

Consider it over.
:toast:

SOteric asked me to host the contest in leui of her, I agreed to do so, three weeks later when it became time to run the thing I was swamped with personal stuff, and didn't give it the attention it deserved. I was under the impression that the winner not only hosts the next contest, but picks the theme, and I wanted to open the contest to more people than those who might happen to have "green stuff in front of a building" or some other limiting feel. This was also done to let people show their best work, instead of sitting on it waiting for their theme to get picked.

I didn't put a picture of my own in this contest, if you dig up the contest polls you'll find where I even noted that I was glad I wasn't entering anything.

So, to sum it up, I wasn't forced to run this contest, I volunteered at the request of the real winner. Seeing as I've managed to fuck it all up, have a good time with future contests. :hi:

You didn't fuck anything up! In fact, you've probably done us a service. We obviously needed some clarification here. :hug:

We love you and your photos and hope you will still hang out and play with us in this forum! :hi:

I don't really have access to much Picture Hosting and I'm not sure of the duties involved. If somebody doesn't mind explaining, it would be helpful if I could see what was involved and if I had computer skills enough to actually be able to do it. Some of us, just because we can put a picture online, don't assume we know very much about "hosting" a contest. I might be willing to do it one time if it wasn't too over-my-head but right now I'm unsure.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

The contest host/coordinator calls for contest submissions. Everyone who enters a photo from their own photo hosting site. That's why it sounds confusing, but hosting the contest and photo hosting are two different things.

So... people enter the photos. Then the contest host right clicks on each photo to bring up the properties and copies the address for each photo in to the contest thread. The submissions are kept anonymous for the contest so votes aren't swayed by popularity.

We've been having preliminary contests the last two months because so many people have entered, but before that we took only the first 10 submissions and posted the late entries in a separate thread to acknowledge them. I was leery of the prelim idea at first, but it's grown on me. So when someone agrees to host, they are in effect agreeing to post multiple contests over the course of 3 or 4 days at the end of the month.

This last contest had voting go on for each phase for 48 hours. Personally, I thought that was too long. 24 hours was the norm before, and I thought that felt about right. Just enough time to get it up on the Greatest page!

There are a number of people here that could help you out with any questions you might have.

with a house, 2 kids and a couple of dogs...
so, count me in.

I will host a contest in October of this year.

Okay?

Your Official Hat and Decoder Ring are in the mail....

(as you offered since I came in second), but I wasn't sure how to do it either. After having read ITF's explanation, it doesn't really sound too hard, so next time my turn comes up, I'll give it a shot. I think you're doing just fine for this month. Plus, I want a chance to enter again before I give up a month.

The half-hour editing window isn't very long, given my typing speed and error rate.

You mean to edit posts?

The way I did it was to make file in Notepad with the contest entries. Then I could cut and paste it into a contest thread and preview the hell out of it before I actually posted it. Through the preview I was able to make sure all the photo addresses worked before I posted, and keeping the file in Notepad allowed me to work on it as the photos came in. It also provides a backup file in case something horrid (like a poer failure) happens and you lose your post when you've worked so hard on it.

I was thinking of the John Day thread when I hit post instead of preview and lacked the time to get the full set of 5 into the original post. Not a good way to start any contest. I used the poll function on DU once and messed that up by repeating one item twice. Using notepad and previewing as you suggest would get me through the first part anyway.

I could also post a draft version in this group for proofreading before the lounge version is put up, and that might improve my odds of getting it right.

volunteers, but if ever you guys are in need of someone to sponsor and host the contest, I'll be more than happy to do it again.

:hi:

And thanks for volunteering.