I have a few things I would like to express my concern about after re-reading this thread.
Let me start by saying that I hope this post does not directly offend anyone. I apologize in advance if you feel as if this post is being directed towards you.
Fist topic: Photo Submission- The first thing that I would like to change, are the actual photo submission rules. The only reason prizes are offered, is to give people an incentive to go out and take pictures. It serves a double purpose, as the person who wins also gets rewarded for their efforts. However, I have a problem when there is no effort involved in the process. I see no reason why anyone should be rewarded for posting a picture that they took three summers ago, or anything of that nature. It kind of defeats the entire purpose of the prize. I believe I give everyone more than enough time to go out, take some photos, edit them if need be, and post an image they think best captures that months topic. Do you guys want/ need more time? Since this was never an official rule of the contest, there is nobody at fault for this. I cannot expect you guys to follow something that was never formally voiced. This is something that I would simply like to change for future contests.
Next Topic: Voting - Please vote based on the actual image that is posted, and not on the person who posted the image. This is not meant to be a popularity contest. Voting should be based on the merit of the photo, not the merit of the member. I don't care if the Jessica Alba herself submitted a photo here; If another member posted an image that I thought was better, then he or she gets my vote. We all have friends, and most of us are "friends" on this forum. Voting on your friends picture takes validity away from the actual contest. It discourages other members from wanting to get involved. Both first time contestants, and "veterans" have no desire to compete in a contest where they feel that no matter what they post, they have no chance of winning. Saying all of this, understand that I do expect there to be some of this going on, no matter what. I cannot single handedly stop members from voting on their friends. There is no way for me to stop or control this. It boils down to the members of this forums voting for the best image. I cannot stress enough how important this is. I would hate to see people stop participating because of this. If you want to show your friends how much you appreciate them, treat them to lunch or something
Third Topic: Photoshop - I agree with most of the members here on this topic. There is nothing wrong with using photoshop to edit your photo. People should be voting on the final product. Simply put, Photoshop can be used to make a good image, a great one. I as well, would hate to see this become an unofficial rule of the contest. I allow images to edited anyway the user wants because it allows for great creativity. Donas64's picture of the bonnicle (or whatever it was, lol) comes to mind. He tried something different; some people liked it, others did not. I congratulate him for thinking outside the box and trying something different. Now this doesn't mean you have to use photoshop to be be different or creative, but it can definitely help. If you have no desire to use it, then so be it. But please don't knock our members who do chose to use it. The only thing that should be looked at is the final product. If you like it, vote for it!
Final Topic: tonkabui - Sorry to put you in the spotlight, but this is a touchy subject for me. I have to agree with most people here; 20 votes in one day is very strange. I am not saying that isn't possible, or that you cheated, but
nobody has gone from "zero to hero" that fast before. I am not accusing you of cheating, it is just a little phishy to me. I have no evidence of you doing otherwise. Whether you asked your friends on another forum to vote for you, or you PM'd a bunch of friends, or maybe it was an act of God; who knows. But I do know that 20 votes does not come out of nowhere. Although there isn't much I can do to investigate, I hope that an explanation does come to light. Are you 100% sure that you have no idea why 20 people decided to vote for you overnight? Did you have any influence in this at all? Once again, I am not accusing you of cheating. I am sure that all of the votes came from legitimate members. I would just like to find some kind of explanation to all of this.
Once again, I hope i did not insult anyone in this thread (even you tonkabui). If I did, I am truly sorry. Thanks again to everyone who participated, and keep up the good work!
