Signature of the Month Contest Generic Discussion Thread

[KiNA]

While its good suggestion, one must not press the voters to comply.. They just end up scared to vote.

A good compromised would just remove the name from the vote list.. so for example .. voters just post like this

1. Entry #34
2. Entry #26
3. Entry #09

Most of us here will still recognized each other's work but there should be an air of anonymous a bit for other voters.

[nammerboi]

Originally Posted by KiNA

A good compromised would just remove the name from the vote list.. so for example .. voters just post like this

1. Entry #34
2. Entry #26
3. Entry #09

Most will still recognized each other's work but there should be an air of anonymous a bit.

Agreed. This would be the best suggestion.. although some artists put their names on their work xP

[KiNA]

Yes.. some would put their names on, some would openly post their creation for C&C, and some will still use it in their signature slots.. but you can hide all trace of ur and pm your entry straight to solace as well.

[Ice Climbers]

Well, I always put my username on my works to prevent possible theft (which did happen to me with the very first detext I did ><)

Its unlikely that I will change this habit of mine soon (or never) because of such experiences.

[Solace]

Originally Posted by KiNA

I dont know how others are vote, but for me.. I tend to use the process of eliminations.. the first I take into account of the theme in question, skill or technique didnt matter (last theme for example, I eliminated nearly half on this process alone). Each of this start with +1 points, then the 2nd phase takes into account on the technique and end result and lastly the last stage is +1 to any fancy stuff (biased point + animation + anything ..its +1 to each.. enought o break any ties).

That's pretty much how I decide on my votes. Theme first, then I figure in how creative the person tried to be with the theme, then I figure in the difficulty level. It actually helps me to know who made what signature, because sometimes a good signature maker will feel they need to be less competitive and turn in something "average" (it's above average, but not their true effort), but a lesser skilled maker might try very hard and turn in something much better than they normally do.

So when I look at an entry, one of my thoughts is to look at the name of the person and think "did this contestant really put some time into this?". Admittedly, it's personal opinion, but I try to be fair and give credit where it's due. It's the last thing on my list though, because following the theme and being creative with it are a little more important than just making a good signature.

Originally Posted by nammerboi

Perhaps they (voters) should give reasons WHY they voted for their selection. Not things like "Oh i love that anime/character so i'll vote for that" or "Oh that's a new style u have there *insert name of popular person*". Well you get where im going with this right?

See the text after the quote below.

Originally Posted by KiNA

While its good suggestion, one must not press the voters to comply.. They just end up scared to vote.

A good compromised would just remove the name from the vote list.. so for example .. voters just post like this

1. Entry #34
2. Entry #26
3. Entry #09

Most of us here will still recognized each other's work but there should be an air of anonymous a bit for other voters.

This is a fair compromise between those who want anonymous voting and those who don't. However, it does require keeping track of who's entry is who's....which also means that a list would need to be made off site to keep track of that. It's a little more work if that route is chosen since it means more things to watch over.

And like KiNa notes, it's not true anonymity. Some works are easy to tell who did them, and it doesn't really discourage people from having biased votes, at best it will just be a little less obvious that there is bias since instead of names, there would be numbers.

It also won't prevent people from voting strictly on other things like "I loved that show/character" or "I only vote for crops/renders/c4d/animation/etc". Which is why I feel anonymous voting is ultimately pointless if you can't narrow down criteria for voters to base their judgments on or at least make them give reasons as to why they voted the way they did.

Also, more numbers makes me go cross eyed. I hate math.

Originally Posted by Ice Climbers

Well, I always put my username on my works to prevent possible theft (which did happen to me with the very first detext I did ><)

Its unlikely that I will change this habit of mine soon (or never) because of such experiences.

I suspect there's a fair number of people on the forums who would sympathize and agree with you.

[Solace]

OK, this might get long, so if it does I apologize in advance.

As some might be aware, my posting on this forum has dropped quite a bit in the last month. This isn't intentional, but unfortunately real life circumstances are not as good as I would like.

I won't go into detail, but essentially the mortgage crisis has hit my mother very hard and she is losing her home. Because of this, I have been fighting very hard to help her keep home but it's a losing (and very stressful) battle. As I have learned, when companies claim they are willing to help it's only halfway - at the end if things don't agree with their bottom line they are willing to take any loss.

What this means for me is that I haven't been around much to handle the SOTM. In a way it was inevitable, I couldn't keep running the contest by myself forever, and eventually I would have to make a public appeal for help. Thankfully last month KiNA helped with putting the entry list together and Marina helped with vote counting. However next month is the beginning of a very shaky period where I can't guarantee that I will be around to manage things very often.

To that end, for the month of July at least, I will need regular Fan Creation posters who would be willing to assist with gathering the Entry List and counting votes. If you are interested post here or private message me and we'll work out the details.

I am very very proud of the SOTM and it has grown from a small idea to a regular contest that continues to bring out some of the best (and sometimes the worst ) in everyone who participates. This is something that I fully expected to fail after a few months and it's not only still going, it's thriving. This wouldn't be possible without the regular support of the Animesuki members and staff who continue to help make this a fun event that anyone can participate in.

Thank you, everyone, for helping to make these forums not just a great place to visit, but a home away from home.

[Marina]

I'll do whatever I can to help ^_^ If that means counting votes again, I'm all up for it!
*hugs Solace tight* You've been doing a great job, but everyone needs a bit of a break now and then and you certainly deserve it.

[Ice Climbers]

Same here, I'll try to help in whatever way I can. Real life problems do get to you and there are times for breaks. Solace you really deserve one.

[KiNA]

No problem, family comes first Solace.. I'll take the mantle in the mean time and see the contest running smoothly except for one thing.. I need someone to count the votes

Edit:
We could also set up a contest committee if there's several volunteers too

[Avantoe]

I guess i could help out counting votes, it shouldn't be that hard

[Kana Futayo]

Since I'm online almost everyday. I wouldn't mind helping with the vote counting.

[KasumiGirl]

If assistance is needed, feel free to ask me. Solace does certainly deserve a break indeed! Thanks for your earlier establishment with the SOTM, and we will all try to keep the SOTM going as best we can.
Oh, and Sol - best of luck with the mortgage crisis. *nods*

[Ayame_]

Yeah wow, hate to see things like that happen, best of luck as well.

Id also be up for anything I could help with, my sig making skills are rusting over, but Im pretty good with organizing things, so id be up for anything. Best of luck again.

[Shana]

I know how the mortgage feels Solace =) me and a friend of mine were playing Monopoly and she made me mortgage

Sorry, I always like to make jokes XD. But really, good luck with that best wishes for you! real life comes first we'll be able to carry on this contest. Also you really need a break, you've been pulling your hair (at this point I don't quite think you have hair left XD) for this contest too much!

I am willing to help with listing entries, since numbers (counting votes) isn't my thing.

[cicido]

@ Solace, pretty much what everybody had said already, just focus your life now and we'll make sure that once you're back, everything will be better!
(And I add myself to the list of free laborers)

Also, I made a SOTM wall since nobody else did it yet.

Spoiler for Big image:

[Marina]

I guess it wasn't officially the "sig of the month" yet, but what about the sig Kasumi won with in January? That competition sort of started it all.

[cicido]

I would of added it but photobucket deleted it.

[Solace]

I appreciate the kind words everyone. It means a lot to me.

Ok, for the July SOTM I'll leave the Entry gathering to KiNA and the Vote counting to Marina. Anyone with questions about those aspects will have to direct questions to them and anyone they appoint as helpers for this month.

Spoiler for Entry Thread Code:

[center][IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/rentha/ff87ca1f.jpg[/IMG]
[color="DarkOrange"][size="3"][size="4"]!!!Welcome to the SOTM!!![/size][/size][/color]

[hr]100[/hr]

[size="5"][color="RoyalBlue"]~Congratulations to Klashikari for winning the April Contest!~[/color][/size]

[b][size="4"]The theme chosen for May is - [u][color="Purple"]Despair/Sorrow[/color][/u].
What is that? See [url="http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=1564253&postcount=157"]here[/url] for details.[/size][/b]

[hr]100[/hr]

[u][b][color="DeepSkyBlue"]About the SOTM[/color]:[/b][/u][/center][indent]The Signature Of The Month contest is open to all members of the Animesuki Forums. The goal of the contest is to provide a fun and competitive way of showing off and improving the signatures and personal skills of contestants. The winner of each months contest is given the privilege of choosing the theme for the next month.

The contest begins on the first of each month and consists of roughly two weeks of entry creation/submission, one week of voting, and one week off. The entry and voting periods may be extended or shortened slightly as needed.[/indent][hr]100[/hr]

[center][u][b][color="DeepSkyBlue"]About the SOTM Theme[/color]:[/b][/u][/center][indent]Each month prospective contestants are given a theme to base their entries on. This theme is decided by the winner of the previous contest. The theme can be anything, as long as it does not break forum rules regarding inappropriate material. At the end of the month, voters choose which entries they liked best out of all submitted entries and a new winner is decided. Themes cannot be used twice in a row.[/indent][hr]100[/hr]

[center][u][b][color="DeepSkyBlue"]The Rules of the SOTM[/color]:[/b][/u][/center][indent]
[b]1.[/b] Contestants are allowed to create, work on, and submit their entry from the start of the contest until two weeks from the start date. This period of time is specified by the organizer every month. Once the entry period expires, all submitted entries are gathered up and sent to the Voting Thread.

[b]2.[/b] Contestants must submit original works. This means you cannot simply cut a picture out, slap your name on it, and call it your own. Claiming someone else's work as your own is also not allowed. Anyone caught doing this will have their entries removed from the contest.

To further expand on this rule:[indent][b]2A.[/b] Unless proven otherwise, all entries made by contestants are derivatives of works made by someone else. Thus, no claim of "ownership" shall be made in reference to the image(s) used in the signature entry.

[b]2B.[/b] Misrepresenting someone else's signature work for your own is prohibited and will result in an immediate expulsion of the entry and disqualify the contestant from the current month's contest.

[b]2C.[/b] In the spirit of originality, "crop" sigs are frowned upon, but not discouraged; however, the contest organizer can call upon all contestants to show the source of their entry(ies) at any time.

[b]2D.[/b] Also in the spirit of originality, new signatures are encouraged. However, if you feel one of your older signatures is perfect for the theme and wish to enter it, you may. Just remember that the signature still has to follow the rules stated above.[/indent][b]3.[/b] Contestants are allowed to create as many entries as they wish, but are only allowed to enter one. To submit an entry officially, the contestant must mark the post in the Offical Entry Thread containing that entry with the words "Final Entry", or they can submit the signature to the contest organizer using the private message function.

[b]4.[/b] Contestants who wish to keep their entries private until after the submission period can private message the contest organizer with their entry. The entry will not be displayed until submissions are closed, unless the contestant displays that entry publicly.

[b]5.[/b] Entries must comply with Animesuki rules regarding signature size. This means each entry can be no larger than 500 x 160, and must be less than 50,000 bytes. They must also comply with forum decency rules. If you think your entry will be offensive or reported to the moderators, don't post it, even as a joke.[/indent][hr]100[/hr]

[center][u][b][color="DeepSkyBlue"]About the SOTM Entry Process[/color]:[/b][/u][/center]

Every month, a new entry thread is created. Each month's entry thread is a central spot meant to give contestants a chance to create and improve their entries as well as their skills, in addition to providing them a place to post their official submissions.[indent]The thread is solely about helping contestants with entries, and as such these things will not be tolerated:[indent][indent][b]1. [/b]Nonconstructive and negative criticism (if you truly dislike something about an entry, be polite and helpful)

[b]2.[/b] Comments, questions, or complaints about General SOTM affairs

[b]3.[/b] Flaming, trolling, and other uncivil behavior that breaks Forum Rules[/indent][/indent][/indent]Anyone disrupting the thread will be asked to take it privately, to the [url="http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=63601"]SOTM Generic Discussion Thread[/url], or if the offense is severe enough - reported to the moderators.

[hr]100[/hr]

[center][u][b][color="DeepSkyBlue"]This Month's Entry Period:[/color]:[/b][/u][/center]

This months entry period officially starts Thursday, May 1st, 2008 and lasts until Friday, May 16th, 2008. Entries will be gathered and put up for voting on Sunday, May 18th, 2008. Voting will end on the following Sunday.

The due date ends at 11:59 (midnight basically) UTC/GMT. The polling will be up one day later after 11:59 (again, midnight). I will try to be as lenient as I can with last minute submissions but only slightly.

[u][b]It is up to you as a contestant to know what your time zone is in relation to UTC/GMT. I cannot do this for you.[/b][/u]

Here is a site that can help you figure that out: [url="http://www.worldtimeserver.com/convert_time_in_UTC.aspx"]http://www.worldtimeserver.com/convert_time_in_UTC.aspx[/url]

[hr]100[/hr]
[center][size="5"][color="SeaGreen"]
Good luck to all contestants, and most importantly, have fun!!![/color][/size][/center]

Spoiler for Voting Thread Code:

[QUOTE=Solace;1599983][CENTER][img]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/rentha/ff87ca1f.jpg[/img]
[SIZE="4"][COLOR="Orange"]!!!Welcome to the SOTM!!![/COLOR][/SIZE]
[/CENTER]

[hr]100[/hr]
[SIZE="5"][COLOR="YellowGreen"][B][CENTER]
This is the Voting Phase for the May SOTM Contest.
Please read the following rules very carefully before casting your vote for your favorite entries.[/CENTER][/B][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[hr]100[/hr]


[U]The Voting Process - How do I vote?[/U]:
[INDENT] [COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]1.[/COLOR] Look at all the entries in the second post, and pick one, two, or three that you like.

[COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]2.[/COLOR] Take the number and name of the entries you like.

[COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]3.[/COLOR] Make a single post with the number and name of the entries you are voting for.[/INDENT]


[U]Format for Voting - How do I correctly cast my vote?[/U]:

When you make your vote, please use the number of the entry and the name of contestant. Example:



I will tally the votes during the contest and once again at the end of the contest. The winner will be announced when the final day for voting passes.

[hr]100[/hr]

[U]Voting Rules - Things every potential voter should know[/U]:
[INDENT][COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]1.[/COLOR] You can vote for up to three of your favorite entries. You do not *need* to vote for more than one, but you can vote up to three if you wish.

[COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]2.[/COLOR] All votes are equal. I will remove votes from anyone attempting to influence others vote choice.

[COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]3.[/COLOR] Do not confuse the voting process by changing your votes or by trying to vote more than once. It's a simple format, and if you don't follow it, I won't count your vote.

[COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]4.[/COLOR] You can vote for yourself, but we'd rather you didn't. If you are going to vote for yourself, you must vote for at least one other person.

[COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]5.[/COLOR] In the event of a tie, there will be a second voting process. If that voting also results in a tie, the contestants in that poll will all be declared winners and will decide together what the theme for the next contest is. If they cannot decide by the time the contest begins for the next month, the organizer will decide based on community input.

[COLOR="MediumTurquoise"]6.[/COLOR] To cut down on any potential cheating, any accounts registered a week before, and up through, the voting period are not eligible to vote. The exception to this rule is any account with an entry in the contest. [/INDENT][U][B][SIZE="4"][CENTER]
*I reserve the right to reject votes if I deem any account suspicious.*[/CENTER][/SIZE][/B][/U]

[hr]100[/hr]

Voting begins on Sunday, May 18th, 2008, at 12:00pm, and ends the following Sunday, May 25th, 2008, at 12:00pm.

The timezone I am using is UTC/GMT.

Use this site to figure out what time that is in your timezone: [url]http://www.worldtimeserver.com/convert_time_in_UTC.aspx[/url]

[hr]100[/hr]

[CENTER][SIZE="4"]That's it! You can comment in this thread, but I will not tolerate any vote swaying or contest rigging. Any suspicious activity will be reported to the mods, so please, keep this clean and fair.

Questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions about the general voting phase or how the contest is run can be directed to me using the private message function or to the [URL="http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=63601"]SOTM Generic Discussion Thread[/URL]. Drama is not tolerated, so be civil. *If it's a concern about a contestant or entry, please PM me before discussing it publicly.* Thank you.[/SIZE]


[B][SIZE="6"][COLOR="Red"]ANYONE NOT FOLLOWING THE VOTING PROCESS WILL NOT HAVE THEIR VOTES COUNTED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]

[U][B][CENTER][SIZE="5"][COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"]Good luck contestants, and most importantly, have fun![/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER][/B][/U][/QUOTE]

These are the codes for the Entry and Voting Threads. Just update the month, winner, theme, and dates and you'll be set.

I'll do my best to visit and help when I can, and things should be back to "normal" soon. In the meantime, I know I'm leaving things in good hands and it's comforting to know that the contest will continue uninterrupted.

[Ice Climbers]

So, should I msg the new theme to KiNA instead =o?

Anyways, wish you luck Solace!! Thanks for all the hardwork!!

[Solace]

Do you have your idea worked out? If so go announce it in the voting thread and I'll create the July entry thread to get the things going. KiNA can handle things after that.