Feedback and Suggestions

[Challenges_Committee]

Please use this thread for feedback (good or bad) on the various competitions we run. Suggestions to make them better or for new challenges are also welcome

@group-challenges

[Challenges_Committee]

A bit of a read but this is the conversation that sparked the creation of this thread:

@Crackerjack

If anything can be added, I’d like to see a shared calendar of the current challenges. E.g. Thursday Feb 8th - RTF Rivers, FAFE and High as a Kite

@macspite

It’s a possibility but Chall Com would have to beg the High Heid Yins for their blessing. By its nature RTF can’t give future subjects as your votes are only counted two hours before the fortnightly round goes live.

I have been playing with Google Calendar as a means of displaying the dates for competition starts, vote dates, competition end and so forth and also changing the background each month - hoping to use the monthly winners of the Calendar Competition.

It’s doable as an external exercise but looking to set up and integrate a calendar in Discourse is beyond my competency or authorisation.

I’ll pop a note to GADC Com and see what happens.

@Crackerjack

Not bothered about future subjects but we go out for a drive & lunch at least once a week around Lancashire & Cumbria, drone in boot. I sometimes wonder if wherever we are had something worthy of a challenge.

Even the challenge category, you have to work out what’s currently open from the posts.

@macspite

I have had a reply from the Tefal-heads who are currently fully occupied with the new membership programme. I am to remind them in a few weeks time, once membership is up and running smoothly.

All I can suggest is have quick look the night before and check Drone Scene for possibilities. I have just done that for myself, looking for rivers - we have Rythes and Rifes, Streams, cuts and channels but the nearest river to me is mainly in culverts or covered by buildings.

@firstadekit

Could the ‘live’ stuff not just be stickied/pinned to the top?

@macspite

Above my, and the rest of Chall Com’s pay grade. I will suggest it but as I have said previously, the Tefal Heads are running at full capacity at the moment so it will take a wee while

[clinkadink]

@macspite

integrate a calendar in Discourse

Seems like Discourse already has a Calendar Plugin available

Discourse Calendar (and Event)

[JoeC]

@Challenges_Committee

(good or bad)

Well, since you’re open to bad suggestions…

If you could arrange to automatically email my boss whenever a new challenge is announced to explain that I’m going to need the next fair-weather day off work that would be ideal.

[Challenges_Committee]

Behave Joe!

You live in Scotland. There are only two types of weather, dreich and midges.

[Challenges_Committee]

@clinkadink

Seems like Discourse already has a Calendar Plugin available

Discourse Calendar (and Event) - plugin - Discourse Meta

There is a slight problem, Chris. I can’t play around with Discourse and its plugins in order to test and suggest features for GADC. I have the hardware but I’m not going to pay $300 dollars (600 after first year) to play with calendars!

[Challenges_Committee]

Fun and Friendly Edit Comp

I am wondering if you guys would mind reducing the time the poll is open and adding that time to the entry stage? Nobody really votes after about 3 days and although well supported, it’s not as if we have 500 entries to sift through to find our winners. Makes sense to me to have more editing time to play with.
Over to you @group-challenges

[MartG1960]

Sounds good to me

[Sandbagger]

Yeah sounds fine

[Barry7]

Fine by me

[Challenges_Committee]

@group-challenges
While I do not mind running the fun and friendly edit comp, it appears to be dropping somewhat in popularity. It was requested to be brought back some time ago, so I stepped in and offered my services as a way to give back to the community. I shall continue to do so until told otherwise, but I’d like to get your thoughts on how we could get more entries in, any improvements we can make that would make you enter more often? This is totally for you guys, so any info or suggestions on how you guys want it to progress or evolve would be warmly welcomed. Even if you all decide it should end and something else pop up in its place, I’m all ears.

[Challenges_Committee]

@group-challenges
It’s becoming incredibly hard to tell if your edits have “added” elements. And I’m sorry, but unless it’s blatantly obvious, I just don’t have the time to scrutinise every entry. Is it time to drop the no added bits? Maybe apart from things like replacing the whole sky, or should that be allowed? It’s a fun challenge and not meant to be too serious, and afterall, it is meant to be about the editing. I also think it’s time to start re-introducing the “how did you do it” part for whoever takes 1st place?

[macspite]

Certainly the “how did you do it” section should be reinstated (along with a “WHY did you do it?” in certain cases )

As for added elements - not for me thanks. But then I initially assumed the idea was to present a photo that needed work such as wrong exposure or colour balance, tilted horizons or badly composed. I thought the competition would be judged on technical expertise.

I don’t think adding elements to a picture is right but agree that it isn’t easy to police. I think you just have to trust on the integrity of the competitors.

[mynameisjoe]

@macspite

As for added elements - not for me thanks

I’m with you on that, but how can anyone tell unless there’s a white and red striped Wally right in the middle, or a Loch Ness monster in a puddle

@macspite

I thought the competition would be judged on technical expertise.

I’m kind of the opposite. For me it’s not really about technical expertise, but what you see in the photo and how to show what you see, to others. But I suppose it’s all a bit of both.

@macspite

I think you just have to trust on the integrity of the competitors.

PMSL Got any more like that? Not laughed like that for a wee while

[MartG1960]

@mynameisjoe

Loch Ness monster

I did think of that for one of the latest subjects

[macspite]

@mynameisjoe

@macspite

As for added elements - not for me thanks

I’m with you on that, but how can anyone tell unless there’s a white and red striped Wally right in the middle, or a Loch Ness monster in a puddle

I have an idea that if it is a hard and fast rule and that someone ignores it one of the other competitors will point out the error …