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Suggestions for new rules

Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 6:35 pm
by daiv
Post your suggestions for new rules, editing existing rules, or deleting existing rules under this post.

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 10:33 am
by templegatejohn
If everyone voted for their own picture, particularly as you only have the one vote it would make a mockery of the contest. So please play the game and only vote for someone elses photograph.

John

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:01 pm
by daiv
John,
With all due respect, I disagree on this -let me explain:

It wouldn't make sense to enter in a contest and vote against your own picture, unless you truly think someone else has a better picture. If everyone votes for which picture they think is the best, then the contest is a success.

If each contestant votes for their own picture and nobody votes that is not in the contest, then it is a tie and we can all congratulate each other on being equals.

On the other hand, if just one person who is not a contestant votes, there will be an automatic winner by 1 vote.

The other possibility is to not allow contestants to vote, but I don't think that is good because there is no guarantee that everyone will vote for their own picture anyway.

Does that sound reasonable?

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:50 am
by daiv
John,
I hope you're not mad at me for my reply or just writing a really long reply to my message. :shock:

Daiv

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:51 am
by daiv
BTW Everyone -I will be happy to help you get your image posted. Send me a Private Message (PM) if you get stuck on any of the rules. I am happy to assist if you need help sizing your pictures, getting them to display in the post, etc.

Daiv

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 10:00 am
by templegatejohn
Hi Daiv,

No of course I am not mad at you for your reply, debate, discussion, call it what you will is what the Forum is all about. Maybe it is just the 'English' way of thinking. It would be almost unthinkable for someone in England to enter a competition and then vote for their own entry.

I am not saying that it is right or wrong, it is just the way they would approach it. "Old school tie and all that don't you know."

John

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 10:28 am
by Dominique
Well, I have to say that, like John, it would not even come to my mind to vote for my own picture. It is probably a cultural thing because I here, when there are pictures contests on forums, it is never permitted to vote for your own picture.

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:53 pm
by daiv
Interesting. Well I don't consider myself to be boorish. I would be willing to make that a rule, but it would have to be on the Honor system as the voting is truly anonymous.

How about it folks? On your own picture: "To Vote or not To Vote -that is the question!"

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:25 am
by ihc6480
Man, I hate questions like this.

I'm kinda old school myself but if I truly believe my submission is the best then I would vote for it. I don't believe we would ever have the situation where everyone would vote for their own picture though.

I believe this to be one of those Catch 22s. Darned if you do and darned if you don't :lol:

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:33 am
by ihc6480
Daiv and everyone,

I might have missed it while reading the rules but I believe that a picture entered in the contest should be of a plant you are actually growing.

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:45 am
by daiv
Bill,
We didn't add that one in the rules, but one thing to consider first is that some people don't have any or very few plants, but they may visit places like the Desert Botanical Garden or discover cacti in the wild and they might take a right nice picture of it.

I think it is definately out if it's not your own picture, but we might have to qualify individual contests as to being plants you actually own or not. For instance we might want to do a Cacti in the Wild contest and that would make it really tough to own the plant. :?

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:55 am
by ihc6480
Daiv,

Point well made. Guess I didn't think far enough ahead before I started typing :lol:

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 3:17 am
by Mike
daiv wrote: How about it folks? On your own picture: "To Vote or not To Vote -that is the question!"
Personally, and undoubtedly a minority position, I don't even think we should vote. I am delighted to see the flowers, but have found the lack any competition rather likeable in the cacti world. Yes, I feel the same way about showing plants - I am happy to see the plants that folks bring in, but don't really like the judging aspect of it. I suppose at a large cacti show, as opposed to a monthly meeting, it is the only way to limit the number of plants that would be shown, so maybe it makes sense there.

One advantage may be to encourage folks to post. For example, I have 3 mammillarias blooming, and it would be nice to post, but they don't compete with the pics already there. Should I post a picture I know won't get any votes.

On a semi-related topic, I have thought before that it might be nice to have a favorite/pretty/unusual cactus post. I have posted a ton of pictures since I just started and have acquired a number without labels. But some of my favorites are labelled and I haven't posted them. Others like Daiv, John and Andy, not to slight anyone have sometimes posted a picture of something quite interesting and I have enjoyed those. It is in some ways a less formal plant of the month, whcih I have also always enjoyed. Of course, my preferenc would be not to vote.



Mike

Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2006 9:08 pm
by daiv
Mike,
I fully understand your point and don't disagree with it. I say let's do both. We can certainly create a favorites type section without any competition.

On the other hand, it is undoubtedly a part of man's nature to enjoy competition. Indeed, the wide world of sports is testament to that (see ESPN). And you can’t ignore world wide phenomena like the Olympics, the Space Race, and Miss Universe. However, there are also lots of less formal competitions such as pie eating contests at the state fair, local bowling tournaments, and Boy Scout’s pinewood derbies. One could even consider the Guinness World Records to be a competition of sorts. There is something strangely attractive about seeing the world’s largest rubber-band ball that intrigues the very young to the very old.

For our purposes here, I think our photo contest can be classified somewhere between a matter of national pride and a simple celebration of the extreme. With that said I think our photo contest can be a way to tap into people’s inherent desire to compete, but in such a way that each participant has as much fun as the next whether they win or loose. Think of it along the lines of playing a game of checkers with your best friend. Someone is going to win, but that’s not why you’re playing. You enjoy each others company along the way. Even if you aren’t any good at checkers, you still can have fun playing.

I hope that sounds like a reasonable cause for doing more picture contests.

Daiv

General Comments on Picture Contest

Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 5:35 pm
by GeneS
Having read the preceeding posts, I have several comments. Firstly, cheers to Daiv for the idea.

Most C&S fanciers I have known over the years are constantly accompanied by cameras. Especially now that the vest pocket digital is so cheap and capable. We go to meetings with slide shows and Ooh-Ahh over others memories(photos) and then look to how we can archive our own moments. That special first bloom on a cactus you have grown from seed for 6 years, or the plant of your dreams at the local bot garden or show. My summary is that photos are now, and have always been, an important part of the hobby. We should share this part just like cultural tips and resources.

With that framework, it seems that we need to tighten definition of the contest to achieve the result that would be most favored by the host and members.

To me, "photo contest" means judging on traditional photography measures. Composition, exposure and subject's relativity to the theme. Should entrants vote, or judge? Not in my mind. Judges should always defer when there is potential for conflict.
That said, the problem is who votes and how do we get them to?

Maybe, my definition of "photo contest" is too formal for what the group desires. So, time for the group to speak and the host to guide. The selection of themes and appropriate rules can be enlightening in itself.

Any way the group should go, I have images to share.

GeneS -dgimages