Opinions Wanted On The Contests of the S.E

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mredburn

IAP Activities Manager
Staff member
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Another Summer Extravaganza is wrapping up and its time for some feedback.

Very simply, what did we do right what did we do wrong? Did you think something could have been better? What was missing?

If you dont want to post an opinion in the thread send it to me in a PM.
We do take your feedback seriously even if we cant adapt or accommodate everyones input.

Take the time to let us know. It will help us make the contests better for you.
 
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mark james

IAP Collection, Curator
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Medina, Ohio
I was not a participant - but an active observer!

I thought the contests were very well represented - enough participants to make the contests well-rounded.

The moderators were excellent!! It is such a pleasure to read the banter between the contests moderators; they deserve a lot of credit. The dialogue adds a lot that they may not be aware of. Keep up the "trash talk."!!!

The quality in the contests I also believe was excellent! Kudo's to the participants... many great projects.

I have no suggestions for improvement - All looked good from my viewpoint.

Best Regards, Mark
 

OKLAHOMAN

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Costa Rica
As one of the prize suppliers I did not participate in any of the contest but as Mark I followed them all. I agree 100% with Marks observations. My only suggestion would be we need to get Derek out of his shell, maybe hold a intervention. The poor guy just needs to speak up.
 

Skie_M

Member
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Lawton, Ok
In one of the contests, we were permitted only 1 vote ...

In another of the contests, we were permitted 1 to 8 votes (could vote for all) ...

In the rest, we were given the chance to vote for up to 3 favorites ...


I wanted to see a little more consistency in the polling...

Also, a lot of the pictures were hosted offsite rather than here, making it hard for some people who were using portable devices to see the images. We'ld love to see that get fixed for next time round!
 

bobleibo

Member
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Mar 15, 2007
Messages
2,130
Location
Utah
I have a curiosity question in addition to what Mike is asking...
I did a little adding and for all of the contests combined, over 9,200 people viewed the voting threads but only 833 actually voted - about 9%. I'm curious what can be done to get more people to vote. The people who enter these contests spend a lot of time and effort on their entries and I think they would appreciate as much feedback as possible. I know I would.
?????
Bob
 

SteveJ

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Grand Junction, Colorado
Bob, were there actually 9200 separate people who viewed the voting threads or were there that many views? I assume that others also viewed the voting polls numerous times before actually voting - and then I at least went back numerous times to view the offerings again. However, perhaps if there is a way of recording who has voted there could be a random drawing for a prize given to someone who voted.

Since my pen was in first place in the ballpoint pen contest after the first round of voting, I went back to see how many other contests that needed a runoff had ended up with the first round winner not ending up winning the final vote. I didn't find any that didn't win in the end. However, I did find that those in second and third place after the first round did change. I liked it that the five who made it into the second round were all awarded prizes this time around. Maybe the "final poll" isn't necessary - I just think I would have been really disheartened if I had finished the first round in second place and ended the final poll in out of the running. The second and third place winners in the ball point contest first round ended up in fourth and fifth in the final poll. One way to fix that would be not to reveal the first round votes until after the close of the final poll.

I don't know how or if this could work, but perhaps if every time someone voted in a poll it moved the poll to the front page as though they had posted something, that might keep the polls showing up to remind people of the voting.

The contests were well run and the whole experience was again enjoyable.

We should definitely keep the loser train - keeps the fun going for a little longer.

Well done - I'm already working on my ideas for the bash!
 

bobleibo

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Utah
Maybe Mike can answer that one.....if 1 person views a thread 3 times, does it count each time they view it or does it count the number of distinct people that view it?
I agree with the part about round #1 not being divulged until the end of round #2. Having the ability to see the voting as it took place for just my contests, I know that the positions changed many times throughout the voting process.
Mike made the polls "sticky" which means they stay at the top of the page on their own.
 

stonepecker

Member
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Oct 29, 2012
Messages
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central Minnesota
and there are some of us who viewed some contests at least 6 times a day. (That is me)

Loved the SE this time around. Personally, would also like to see a runoff of all the winning pens in first place, against eachother, for the "TOP DOG" of the SE.

And I have to agree that Derek needs help in comming out of his shell.......but then what do you expect from someone from South Dakota? (JK) Maybe next year we can have a summer picnic in Faith. I am sure that Derek would love to host. Just don't make it during the Sturgis Rally.

Great job everyone.
 

SteveJ

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Jul 11, 2012
Messages
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Grand Junction, Colorado
I like the top dog idea - maybe even a top dog contest for past winners of each contest - submitting a new entry each year. It might keep some of the better turners submitting. Past winners don't seem to enter often after winning, nice to give others a chance, but also we lose the opportunity to see their new work.
 

TonyL

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Mar 9, 2014
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Georgia
For event organized and managed by a group of volunteers, I thought it was exceptionally well-done - especially remotely. I think the same group can teach professional event organizers a thing or two! I am not offering any advice of value because I have none to give. I thought it was a excellent event.
 

Skeleton2014

Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2013
Messages
497
Location
Lynnwood, WA. USA
Great contests, great prizes!
Only comments I have are:
1. One of my entries was lost and it wasn't able to be resolved until after voting was underway. This has been addressed privately.
2. One of the contests, the pen stand I believe, was difficult to view. Someone earlier mentioned this off site viewing was not mobile device friendly?
Again, I thought it was well run with a lot of great entries in each contest! Gives some of us not so experienced turners something to strive for.
Jeff
 

D.Oliver

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Faith SD
My only suggestion would be we need to get Derek out of his shell, maybe hold a intervention. The poor guy just needs to speak up.

Derek?
Who's Derek?
Where is Derek?

Will the real Derek, PLEASE stand up!

And I have to agree that Derek needs help in comming out of his shell.......but then what do you expect from someone from South Dakota? (JK) Maybe next year we can have a summer picnic in Faith. I am sure that Derek would love to host. Just don't make it during the Sturgis Rally.

Great job everyone.

I telling you guys I tried, but do you know how hard it is to get word in edgewise when dealing with Ed and Bob!?
 
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One of the contests, the pen stand I believe, was difficult to view. Someone earlier mentioned this off site viewing was not mobile device friendly?

I agree with this. Each thread had it's own way of displaying the entries. I would like to see a template for the contest organizers so that all threads and pictures can be viewed the same, user friendly, way.
 

Cwalker935

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May 18, 2014
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Richmond, Va
Having everyone pick their top 3 choices could alter the outcomes in votes where there are a small number of pens. Consider the final round of the ball point contest where 9 votes separated 1st and 5th, the fifth place pen could have had more number 1 votes than the first, second or third placed pens if those pens happened to be everyone's 2nd and 3rd choices. I am not recommending a change nor am I suggesting that how the ballpoint contest was unfair in any way. I think there is a strong argument that choosing your top 3 is the fairest approach. I am just noting that choosing your top 3 in contests with limited entries could possibly alter the outcome and am offering this up as food for thought.

I think the contests were very well run and all involved should be congratulated.
 

mredburn

IAP Activities Manager
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Fort Myers FL
It has only been recently that we had multiple choices in voting. We used to allow only one choice for your vote. We had a panel of judges that narrowed down the entries to 5 and you voted for your top one choice.
There is not a way in the software to vote for the order in which you would pick your top 3. I would suspect that if we could, we would have to assign points for 1st ,2nd.and 3rd and that would determine the winners.

Looking at the ball point contest specifically as an example it may be that a run off poll isnt necessary. Even with a large amount of entries we had a pretty clear indication of top choices.
Voting was slightly lower for the second poll.
Hiding the results in a large voting field to take the top 10 for a runnoff poll would help keep from having someone upset if they had the top votes in the first round and lost in the second. However hiding the results could project the possibility of less than an above board situation.
 

jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
Messages
19,082
Location
NJ, USA.
As always I think these contest are important to the site. Having the 2 different times of the year for the contests just about gives everyone who is a member here the chance to participate. It gives everyone a chance to go up against your peers in the field. But more importantly it gives you a sense of where you are as far as ability and talent as you grow with the hobby. It also should give you a sense of pride weather you win or not. It should give you ideas for the future. Take what you see and improve or add your own touch. These contests are designed to test you and to push you to that next level.

I will leave how the contest are run to those involved and will say they are for the most part well done. The time involved and those dedicated to running them should always be commended and thanked.

What I would like to see for the upcoming bash and all other events is the continuation of the "Pen Stand" competition and as was voted on last year the inclusion of the "Pen Display Box" competition. I was very pleased back then when these won approval from the members because what this does is expand one's mind. It is a much better way of showing off those round sticks. It lets people express themselves more-so than with just a pen. It ties our imagination and ideas together. To me I think the more we can get people to use their imagination the more innovations in blank making and overall pen making will become. The sky' s the limit and I think we are stuck in the mud somewhat. You do not need all kinds of sophisticated tools to do some very impressive work. Just need that one tool between your ears.

Congrats to all and job well done.
 

Skie_M

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Lawton, Ok
Just need that one tool between your ears.

Mine is broken ... I think mine is broken .... why do I gotta get the broke one?



lol ...


Ok, seriously, I think that the pen display and a pen box competition deserve their place too!

Also, in the pen casting competition, I think that polyclay works should also be permitted ... after all, if you create the blank yourself, it ought to be allowed!


I think that posting a thread in special color text (like for announcements and such - just for administrators only!) like red or green should also help grab attention from people who pop in to post a pen and then jump out again .... so many people came in and posted pics of their creations, not even noticing that there was a contest going on that they could have entered!

It might be a good idea to add a "roadblock" during competitions for the picture forums that pops up and asks someone if they are SURE that they don't want to enter this item in the current competition. (with a linky to the competition's forum)


So yeah, that's my 2 cents today ... :)
 
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Smitty37

Passed Away Mar 29, 2018
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As a prize donor I suggest a quick way to inform the donors of where to send the prizes. I do not have time to follow all of the many contests to see who won the items I am donating. I still don't know who the winners are.
 

mredburn

IAP Activities Manager
Staff member
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Fort Myers FL
The notification of the prizes tends surge and pause. You may as in this case still have one of your donations waiting to be awarded. You have one being given away on the losers train. It may be that the contest chair where your prize is given out has yet to get to it. We sometimes have real jobs or a life outside IAP. (Not me) Or we may wait until we notify you of all of them at once trying to keep track of them. Some of our vendors only want 1 list from one source rather than a bunch of extra notices from all over the place. I will check on the status of your other prize notifications.
 

D.Oliver

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Faith SD
As a prize donor I suggest a quick way to inform the donors of where to send the prizes. I do not have time to follow all of the many contests to see who won the items I am donating. I still don't know who the winners are.

The notification of the prizes tends surge and pause. You may as in this case still have one of your donations waiting to be awarded. You have one being given away on the losers train. It may be that the contest chair where your prize is given out has yet to get to it. We sometimes have real jobs or a life outside IAP. (Not me) Or we may wait until we notify you of all of them at once trying to keep track of them. Some of our vendors only want 1 list from one source rather than a bunch of extra notices from all over the place. I will check on the status of your other prize notifications.


That's my bad. That's on me. I'll get them to you today Smitty.
 

BJohn

Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
Messages
820
Location
Cabot, Arkansas
First I must say I did not participate in this contest and actually have not yet entered into a contest. Not for lack of interest but lack of time. However I do plan to in the future.

Ok but IMHO I don't understand the need for a run off vote? (Maybe somebody can explain it to me). To me top amount of votes take's first place and so on down the line. If there is a tie for any of the top 3 then have a vote just for that position.

The thought of having an entry with the largest amount of votes in the first round loosing the a second round just seems well crazy?

And I do agree with an earlier post. Consistency in viewing of each contest is important.
 
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