Discussion: How to improve contests

**AD7863** · 01-12-2009, 01:00 PM

But say if theres a new member holding a contest and no one knows them...? How can we know if he's not just stealing all the entries and then saying he doesnt like any ideas and cancelling the contest?

**serandfae** · 01-12-2009, 01:08 PM

You don't. That's why you watermark to help protect yourself. The general idea of the 20 post rule is also to root out at least a few potential scammers. Even if an escrow system were in place it wouldn't deter any and all fraud. From what I've seen we back one another here but when there's something you can do to protect yourself, such as watermarking, do it.

@Stephanie -- Thanks, not just for myself but for everyone that got burned by that fiasco.

tim

**serandfae** · 01-12-2009, 08:25 PM

OK, this seems to be the list from past and present suggestions yet to be adopted here:

1) Escrow/prepayment of contests, allowing for a CH to request a refund for good cause. A winner must be chosen, or just cause must be shown to request a refund.

2) Contests on WT either cannot be held on other forums, or if they are they must be disclosed (prepayment might alleviate this)

3) From xpressions:

Quote:

IP tracking of new contest holders and designers. Why? It's easy to close out an account and open a new one in an effort to defraud the community.

And we've already seen that happen recently.

4) Restructured forums graduated by prices more in line with the current market

5) Rate guidelines or a rate calculator accessible by both CHs and entrants

6) Strict enforcement of copyright violations, including use of clip art (no, it's not OK to modify someone else's work and call it yours)

7) Abuse of iTrader will result in infractions and/or banning

Have I left anything out? I know a watermarking system was suggested, but it's already being encouraged and that should probably be left to the participant's discretion, IMO.

Anything else?

tim

**PBScott** · 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neonimage

But were not SP and we don't get that many visitors we'd just scare them off if they had to pay to make contests i think theys should get their money back if it goes well but if it's a fake then they don't

I would gladly pay upfront 100% to an escrow service, I am running a contest right now and I would be quite happy to have the full trust of the people entering as well as everyone knowing I am 100% legitimate so they try harder and or I get more people out there trying to win the contest.

**Hylith** · 05-06-2009, 03:10 AM

I think that creating a prepaid or escrow system is great. Usually people are quite hesitant to do a ton of work due to the risk of not getting paid. Doing a piece of work is one thing but when modifications are asked designers become weary, because they are doing a lot of work based on a risk.

Watermarking does help, but it takes away from designs and I think it would be more beneficial to every person with pure intentions to place a system. It would surely weed out the non-ethical.

Works well on other sites I believe =)

**Madman340** · 05-07-2009, 08:59 PM

I usually only put my watermarks on 5% opacity. That makes it so you can see it, but only barely. It hardly takes away from the look, if at all.

**Madman340** · 05-17-2009, 11:19 AM

Alright, I know this is a double post, but we really need to get something into effect that will make it harder to scam us. Make them put a deposit for the entire amount into a safe account or something, and then when they choose the winner, it just gets transfered?

**serandfae** · 05-17-2009, 11:40 AM

I've collected all the suggestions in this thread and presented them to the staff as a whole, and made a case for prepayment/escrow, since it's been suggested by both participants and CHs alike. Stephanie's worked hard on making this a good forum, so I'll do no less. If you look at the many suggestions that have already been implemented, I think you'll see that we will do all we can, and will keep you posted.

tim

**Hylith** · 05-18-2009, 05:18 PM

I really like this forum, it seems to be a great place to get help and find up and coming designers.

I won my first contest on this forum, so I have a sort of sentimental attachment to it and would love to see it's improvement.

Hopefully the verdict supports the forum for the better, because I feel this design contest of the forum has a lot of potential and room to grow.

**elcrazyman** · 08-09-2009, 08:01 AM

As a newbie on this site and a CH I do agree escrow is probably the best way to go about it. I have set my Contest so that there is guaranteed to be a winner that meaning worst comes to worst I will pick a winner(I will pick the deisgn that I think is the best out of the lot, even if that means it's not everything I wanted).

The reason I have done this is that, I know the cost of logo's and the time and effort it takes. I as CH cannot let all the risks lie on the designers as it's just unfair.

If I went out and tried to get a customized logo theres no chance I will get one at the quality of somethese designers provide at these prices. I really do think that the CH holder should burden some sort of risk as the designers at this point take all the risk.

**Mystical Pippin** · 09-24-2009, 04:09 AM

Good Point. I only wish I was fast enough to participate in these things. But anytime I've ever come across one that I thought I could do - by the time I'm finished - there are 10-12 others on here already and a winner was picked....

**Energy Works** · 12-14-2009, 01:08 PM

As a company wanting to post a contest, 20 posts is a bit ridiculous! Viewers of this site will miss out on a lot of contests because of this rule.

**chrishirst** · 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Energy Works

As a company wanting to post a contest, 20 posts is a bit ridiculous! Viewers of this site will miss out on a lot of contests because of this rule.

That is what the rules state, it works very well for us and reduces the freeloaders who have no intention in completing the contest.

But at the end of the day ......

.... it's your choice.

**woosh** · 12-15-2009, 01:39 PM

Funny this conversation has been going on for well over a year or so now ... isn't it time to do something about it?

It's not going to scare people away it's going to improve everything as a whole, you will keep and encourage more designers to participate and you will bring in the genuine people needing graphic design.

You have lost alot of designers here because nothing has been done to safeguard both designer and client ...

**vangogh** · 12-15-2009, 06:09 PM

Quote:

isn't it time to do something about it?

Am I right in that you mean using an escrow service? Only Tim or Lee can make that decision. The rest of us don't own the forum.

I can't speak for either of them, however know that taking that step also means adding a lot more responsibility for them. It means handling more disputes between people and it means taking on an added responsibility to make sure the contests are on the up and up. My guess is it would also mean charging members here for either starting a contest, entering one, or both.

Now there's nothing wrong with that, but it's a business decision they'd have to make.

Quote:

You have lost alot of designers here because nothing has been done to safeguard both designer and client

How much is it reasonable to charge to offer those safeguards?

**DarkLordSith** · 01-24-2010, 11:45 AM

Lots of recent contest hosts have disappeared without payment after they got ideas an images from the posters.

Is there anyway that this sorta thing can be minimized in the future?

**vangogh** · 01-26-2010, 07:08 PM

I'm not sure there's any way to protect the ideas, but everyone should be adding a watermark to all the images they're submitting to contests. That should alleviate the problem of the image itself being taken.

As far as the forum doing anything specific, see my comments throughout this thread. It would require a good deal of work on the part of the forum and that would mean changing the system to one requiring payment, whether that's a fee for posting a contest or a taking a cut of the prize, I don't know.

Also only Tim and Lee can really make this decision and in the past it's seemed like more work than it's worth for the forum.

For now watermark all images until after the contest and be wary about which contests you enter.

**Mystical Pippin** · 02-03-2010, 08:48 PM

I'll leave it up to the PTB on this site - I'm sure they have the wisdom to figure out what's best for both designer and artist.
Besides, are the contests really the main draw here? I thought this site was created for the purpose of sharing information, networking and connecting to others of like minds? It's the reason I come here. (but mostly I'm here just to play those really cool word games)

Tim is the man! I haven't talked to him in about a year! But then.....I don't get out much.... back in the day when he wasn't so busy he would give me the time of day! he's always been very helpful and nice to me. (you too Steve

)

**vangogh** · 02-05-2010, 06:36 PM

Thanks Joni. The contests were here when I joined, but I imagine people started having their own informal contests or someone suggested it to Tim and the next thing you know we had a section for contests.

**Mystical Pippin** · 02-08-2010, 07:06 AM

Yeah? I don't know when I first saw them, except it wasn't the first few times I was here. I registered the same year as you. I found this site by accident. I had googled a question and I remember I got the help I needed here. I kept coming back and eventually found the contests. I used to lurk a lot back then....

But you know life keeps me busy these days so I haven't been here much in the last year or so. Started coming round again last Fall. I work 2 part time jobs and I'm in school for the past year as well. Just 2 classes a week but the homework is overwhelming....so I whine a lot about that...lol