We are going to be trying to improve the Dragon Model of the Month contest and would like your feedback. This poll asks those who aren''t submitting entries what their reasons may be so we can understand more what might help boost entries.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

hehe! i'd like to win more (or atleast once) tbh, im fairly happy with it, although i cant compete with ANY of the previous winners
Maybe a completed build log sould automatically be entered or something, that would boost numbers, and only one picture would be needed

If I feel that a model is worthy of competing I'll submit it, I think a lot of modelers are intimidated and too shy to participate. There's really no cure for that other than taking the plunge.
The poll is a good idea however, I think most people are voting for the 'the vote totals weren't public' thing because it's something that really needs to be changed, more than something that's keeping people from entering.

I would submit if I could actually finish something!

That is definitely another thing I forgot to mention in my previous post.

Same thing Rudi... I would post if only I had build something to the end...
Right now I have not much time to do anything properly and absolutely NO time to do anything well enough to post it in a contest....

A.

I would submit if I was actually good at modelling.

All joking aside, I don't quite know how to do it. But I will do some reading and submit.

i fell in all honesty, that removing a visiable vote count altogether. Wethere you are logged in, or havent cast your vote yet, as this promotes A little Sheeping. where, " oh such and such has so many votes allready, ill add one even though so and so's other one is better" so i think, Votes should be hidden at all times, with no vote counter visiable anywhere.

I don't think that's what Jim was getting at by putting that option in - and honestly I don't know of many adults that feel that way. If anything it's demoralising seeing your entry get zero votes.

thats true, it does make y0u not want to enter again

I'd enter if there was a diorama category. I'm not big on stand-alone models, everything I build is considered part of a bigger picture, ie the end diorama.

And also if I ever actually remembered about it.

The number one reason people do not enter their models in the contest is not on the poll--they do not think they are good enough to win. Usually, they are right.

If a person does enter the contest and gets few or no votes, it's rather demoralizing. For some, it's even embarrassing.

Those are two huge disincentives to enter.

-Doug

Keep in mind that my time here is pretty limited due to work requirements.....But, overall, I was under the impression the whole contest was closing down...There were many months were it seemed the contest wasn't finalizing in a timely matter. It seemed to be behind the other contests.....and basically just seemed to be sputtering out.

Having said that...If the intent is to keep it going and put some emphasis on it, I will submit more to the contest in the future.

I think hiding the vote count would be a great idea as well.

I feel it needs to be better promoted, I know there is the block on the front page but it is not what you can call eye catching. I also feel the vote tally not being hidden can deter entries as 0 votes is not going to make you want to try again.

Just speaking for myself here but zero votes would make me try again. But I'm somewhat machoistic, I would tend to treat something like that as a personal challenge to get at least one the next time and two the time after that and so on.

I also think it would be better if you could put up more than one photo of each entry, maybe a link from the voting page to more photos and just one photo on the voting page. To be honest I only vote when I remember but I must admit when I do if there are three or four I like the ability to see more would aid in making the final decision rather than eenie-meenie-minee-mo

I agree with Darren in that the competition needs more promotion. I think a big banner on the main page every month is whats needed. If people visit the site, and the first thing they see is that there is a monthly armor competition it will draw their attention to it, and perhaps will also encourage more people to join and enter their models. Id add the banner to where the feature banners go, a well designed and bold banner would look really good there!

Id also say that all winning entries should be immediately made into photo features for the site.

I suppose its difficult to get people involved if they dont think their models are good enough, but really theres nothing any of us can do about that. Models will only get better with more and more effort and practice. My first models werent worthy of any awards. Maybe we should try and encourage the winners each month to submit a 'how to' feature on their winning model. Giving details of how they achieved the finish etc.

Hello Rob,

some of your ideas are great, because they match exactly those being discussed and suggested e.g by me about the same subject months ago.


People forget fast.


Some ideas and solutions have already been provided there...


They too have forgotten that due to the February discussion for example a beginner's contest has been introduced.

Unfortunately the first contest on June was not only very low frequented, its first winner has been sloppily presented and rewarded.


The main issue I have noticed over the past month is not to research the reasons of the problems and how to master them.

It is to realize and in particular to go ahead with plans and ideas.

C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-L-Y.


Indeed some suggestions have been realised - and lo and behold: number of entries for the February's contest increased to a record.

But the good intentions did not last long.

~ Two months later the contest fell back in its old routine...


The key is to bridge the gap between theory and practice.


I have seen it so often: People discussed and argued about a problem, finally found a solution, stood up full of satisfaction about an illusion to have reached already something, announcing to realize the ideas...


...and really - they did...




...and three days later again the same old story...


That's human, happens everywhere but it does not help.

I'm also in favor of hiding the vote count until the contest is over.

Same here. If I could actually finish something (well finished or not) I would not hesitate to enter. I just can't get stuff through the finsh line

One day maybe ....

Rob

I agree with Dean on this. More pictures would help for sure!

Rob

I do not know how much of a problem it is now getting a selection of pictures sent in, however it use to be a regular issue getting the minimum of 12 pictures sent in. Some months it was a 50/50 spread of who supplied the number of pictures required and who didn't in order that an On Display feature could be arranged. The competition seems to have run to a tight time schedule since Rick took over, with the exception of when the gallery has failed.

I'm one of those....

Don't know if this would help but how about a seperate compition something like this:
"A most improved modeller"
People submit a model a month for a period of time and once there is a bit of history built up you start awarding a prize to the person who has shown the most improvement in their skills. Anyone can join in at any time, but has to have, say 6 submissions, before being eligable for a prize. Prices could be things like advanced tools like the pros use such a s a Hold&Fold etc

I coach an underage football team and we have a most improved player award rather than a player of the year award. Not saying people around here are like kids or anything.....

Cheers,
Sean

Better advertising would definately go a long way in my opinion. I simply forget about the contest! I seem to remember a time when the contest and voting period were highly publicized by call-sign Teacher. ( I could be wrong about who actually ran the contest) I also strongly agree that the vote totals should remain hidden for the duration of the contest. Maybe show the totals after the contest is over? Kinda hard to call that one.....I can definately see how recieving zero votes and knowing about it could decrease your enthusiasm to try again. Just my two pennies.

I would submit if - My models didn't look like they were built by an ostrich getting advice from a penguin. I truly suck at this, I hit my peak skill level in 1960 when I was 8 and just haven't been able to get over that hump.

The whole zero votes issue turns me right of.
This hobby of ours can be very self critical and i for one do not believe that my models would be good enough.

neil.........................

Hi Neil

the problem we have is that if we hide the votes we are accused of rigging the contest (even more so if some one wins more than once), if we show the votes then we potentially put members of entering if they receive a low vote count.

I am not 100% sure how we sovle this but hopefully we will be going in the right direction

cheers

Keith

If we can't trust the staff enough to organise a contest fairly then I don't see this place going anywhere. We'll just have to trust along the way.

Gordon Bennett, how do some people's minds work?? I suppose they can see their own one vote being added to the tally, but they can't see anyone else's going on, so the staff could be bumping up the votes any time they please . . . all Mr or Ms Suspicious-Mind would know is that the one he (or she) voted for got at least one vote. The votes went away for while, then came back. Heaven knows why.

The solution to the zero vote question is, don't reveal ALL the votes at the end, just the votes of the top three who won prizes, or even just the top one. If you lose it doesn't matter how few votes you got, does it? Why rub it in?

I do think that some of the voters should get over their love of rust.

publish the number of votes as this keeps the process transparent.

Maybe a few more categorys, maybe not run every month and not
necessarily with prizes.
1/72 one month, dios the next, half tracks the next to run
alongside the main contest something for everyone.

I think you need a direct link to the voting page. If you are already logged in, you have to log in again which is annoying. Also, you should show what prizes can be one; give more prominence to the banner, maybe revamp the whole design of the voting procedure.

With regards to people who are too sensitive - you have to try to keep on improving. When I see a good model, better than mine it drives to be better to learn more. It is a competition after all.