JULY CHALLENGE

[Tim N]

I do believe that it fell to me to select the next challenge for July ? (please correct me if I am wrong ??)

I would like to nominate "Patterns"
Patterns can be anything ranging from something as simple as a row of empty bottles on a fence to something more elaborate ?? !!

Hope this is suitable to everyone ?

[Carmyllie]

This is going to be quite an interesting month!! Thanks for setting the theme Tim. I know we'll see some varied and innovative images as we all put on our collective thinking caps. Good luck in your quest everyone

[Tim N]

This is going to be quite an interesting month!! Thanks for setting the theme Tim. I know we'll see some varied and innovative images as we all put on our collective thinking caps. Good luck in your quest everyone

Thats if Admin dude is still allowing me to set the theme !! Dont get too excited yet

[Analog6]

Lovely,  this goes hand in hand with the repetitions one I talked about some time back.

Lines of power poles, underneath of bridges with pylons, strings of shopping trolleys.  I think I'm going to enjoy this.

And don't forget to go to the gallery and vote, everyone.  Remember you have to comment before you can vote, so it is a 2 stage system.

And can I suggest that people think twice before posting all their images to the competition area gallery.  This dilutes your votes, in effect, because people only vote for the few they like best.  Bigger forums have a limit on entries, but I suggest posting your entries in the ordinary comments section galleries and then re-assessing towards the end of the month and posting, say, no more then 3 in the comp area.

This is just my thought on it.  Gives you an idea of which ones folk really like and if you get a real cracker of an image towards the end of the month it does not get lost in all your other entries.

[bigbob]

You may find this hard to believe (because i am the worst offender posting 6 to 10 at a time) but i agree with you posting to galleries first may be a good idea. Also simplifying the voting process to a single step would help.
Also like Tim's idea of patterns so bring it on, you See may not be the best photographer in the world but I'm enthusiastic

[Analog6]

I agree on the simplifying voting Bob, it's a bit opf a chore at the moment.  (ADmin Dude - anything you can do here?)

I was just noticing how cluttered up it was getting ont he comp gallery and thinking that the late posters often miss out on votes, Bob, so I think a pull back by us all until, say, a qweek before the end then post the best of our potential entries.

They can be 'previewed' in the relative area (landscpae / macro / people / whatever) and then the pgotographer can decide which ones they think have the best chance in the Gallery.  Just seems more sensible to me.  We may have less entries which makes it easier to compare.  Our standard is already good, the multiple posters, yourself included, are posting good quality shots, there are just so many of them eny one entrant's share of the vote is getting 'diluted'.

Cheers

[Carmyllie]

Mia Culpa Odille

I was so pleased with the images from last Sunday. Late in the month but wanted to share - not remotely because I wanted to get votes, but because I was proud of the evolution of my images.

Good idea to post a limit of images and simplify the process to vote.

There were some wonderful images this month. Well done to all.

[Ross and Cher]

I don't have a problem with multiple and/or late posters - given that we are not a cast of thousands, it is good to see enthusiasm and activity. I think we should be aiming for consistency in voting - something along the lines of each person gets x votes say 3 or 5, and votes 5 star/4 star/3 star for three or 5/4/3/2/1 for 5 images of their choice. Leave the voting until the comp has closed - say first 3 days of the following month. Just a thought!!!

[Tim N]

I think we should be aiming for consistency in voting - something along the lines of each person gets x votes say 3 or 5, and votes 5 star/4 star/3 star for three or 5/4/3/2/1 for 5 images of their choice. Leave the voting until the comp has closed - say first 3 days of the following month. Just a thought!!!

I dont mind mutiple posts, but saying that we should look at quality over quantity at the same time (as has been mentioned in above posts). So rather than going and posting a whole lot users could select 2 or 3 of their best shots on a theme ?

The voting idea could work but a bit difficult to keep tabs on ... I find that I choose my favourite image and tend to just do a single vote for that one.
I did reply to a post of Odille where perhaps we could put it to a poll vote ... but that is restricting people to one vote only and I am not too sure if we get enough people voting to run that way yet !

[Ross and Cher]

I dont mind mutiple posts, but saying that we should look at quality over quantity at the same time (as has been mentioned in above posts). So rather than going and posting a whole lot users could select 2 or 3 of their best shots on a theme ?

The voting idea could work but a bit difficult to keep tabs on ... I find that I choose my favourite image and tend to just do a single vote for that one.
I did reply to a post of Odille where perhaps we could put it to a poll vote ... but that is restricting people to one vote only and I am not too sure if we get enough people voting to run that way yet !

If we had a larger group, I would agree with limiting enties, and regardless of whether anyone enters one or ten, the aim should always be quality and in the meantime, believe as with the general forum, that should be determined by the poster!

The current system where you vote on one favourite, some of us vote top three and others vote for all they like and try and rate them is the problem - too many inconsistencies. Don't much mind if you limit votes to one or 20, as long as we are all voting in the same fashion. The existing system could easily be used to tally the votes 1-5, the picture that accumulates the most (whether it be 10 1 stars or 2 5 star votes is irrelevant) is the winner!

[Tim N]

If we had a larger group, I would agree with limiting enties, and regardless of whether anyone enters one or ten, the aim should always be quality and in the meantime, believe as with the general forum, that should be determined by the poster!

I remember we did have a discussion similar to this one a couple of months ago about limiting entries to photos taken during the month only and deciding that participation levels were probably too low to consider that.

I would say its fairly obvious that at the moment a limit of 1 entry per person would be too few, but a limit of say 3 per person would still allow sufficient entries and, as Odille said in a previous post "We may have less entries which makes it easier to compare.  Our standard is already good, the multiple posters, yourself [Bob] included, are posting good quality shots, there are just so many of them eny one entrant's share of the vote is getting 'diluted'."
I would tend to agree with this.

PLUS ... I can see people tuning out already ... I agree with Bob, Odille + Ross that the voting needs to be streamlined and consistent for everyone.

Sorry for going on Just trying to keep the forum growing and evolving !!

[Analog6]

I was in no way trying to limit entries, Ross & Cher, simply saying that when there are multiple similar entries it makes it hard to pick, and some people will like one a bit more than a similar one.  I try, if I have 4 or 5 images of an object, to pick the best one to post.

I was merely suggesting that people could 'workshop' their images in the appropriate gallery and then decide whether or not to post them in the month's comp gallery.

[admin]

Oooerrr! Spirited discussion. Very good. Pick a fight if you want some activity!
Tim has been patient and gets his due, patterns it is.

I am still very thin on the ground at the moment. My daughters' hockey comp and reps are in full swing, often Friday Night, all Saturday morning and Sunday. This week we are off to Tamworth in the North of NSW Friday through Sunday for under 13 girls state championships, Last week a local derby at Wyong for the Hunter distict reps and two weeks ago off to Canberra for four days.
Well they say it keeps you young, but while ever they are up for it, I'll take them where they need to be! And work in amongst it all too.

I am not sure if an outcome was reached on numbers of entries. I must say I do not care, so long as people are participating and enjoing the challenge and the company! let me know when you have sorted it out

[Analog6]

Mark, is it possible to turn off the 'must comment before rating' feature?  That would make voting so much faster.

[admin]

As you may have already seen under news, your will has been done - comments no longer required:

NEW THEME CHALLEGE VOTING GUIDELINES:
Based on some spirited discussion and user feedback we have made a couple of changes to simplify the voting process
(voting is done from the relevant he challenge gallery).
1. Comments are no longer required to vote
(still optional - but it is recommended to comment in the related board thread).
2. Maximum of 5 votes per member in descending points order of preference ie 5,4,3,2,1 points
3. Image submissions: No more than 3 per theme challenge per user.
4. The winner of a given theme challenge may choose the following challenge theme
(Admin reserve reasonable discretionary rights)

That should simplify matters.
Most importantly, please participate for your chance at global fame, adulation, notoriety and a little gold star against your profile