Re: limit

["James Purchase" <jpurch@interlog.com>]

Jason wrote:

"The discussion was a long time ago now and I couldn't remember, but are we
pretty set on limiting this even to just 250 entries? It just sounds like
such a little number right now."

We've covered so much material since last June, no wonder you can't
remember - I have a tough time myself keeping everything in mind as well
<g>. Actually, the number of 250 is wrong (it should have been 300) and I
have posted to the APD the correct number (it should come out in this
afternoon's edition of the APD).

The limit is there purely as a way of ensuring that we don't get swamped
with thousands of entries and only a handful of people to deal with them.
I've never done anything like this before but I got the impression from
discussing it with people who have been involved with contests that they
think it hardly likely that we will get thousands of entries. But nobody has
ever tried anything as extensive as this event before so nobody knows for
certain. We ARE after all going to be going to the USENET newsgroups and
inviting anyone who cares to submit an entry to do so as well as having
notices placed in the major print magazines, and the AGA alone has over 800
potential entrants. I have no idea how many people subscribe to the APD.

I think the major fear is that each entry takes a certain amount of time to
review and prepare for display on the web site. Photos may need to be
scanned, details may need to be entered by hand, entries are going to have
to be judged. While it might not take much time to do one entry, thousands
of entries could swamp our limited base of volunteers. This would/could
cause a long delay between the closing date and the date we would be able to
announce the winners. It is very important that we not only are seen to do
this - we should be seen to do it well. The prestige of both the AGA and
ourselves as organizers of this event depends upon doing a good job and
doing it in a timely manner.

Ideally, I'd like to scrap the limit, but we have to be realistic. Eric does
have a life aside from this event and I think it would be unreasonable of us
to demand that he do any more than he is capable of doing. Once this has
been done ONCE, we shall have a much better idea of how appropriate the
arbitrary number of 300 entries is. Additionally, in my posting this
aftenoon, I explain some of the reasoning for the existence of the limit and
leave the door ajar for raising it if necessary, provided that there are
sufficient volunteers willing to help out. I don't see any problem if we hit
the limit in three months and have the capacity (volunteers) to handle
more - we can always increase the number of accepted entries.

But even at 300 entries - this will be quite a show. Heck, I'll be tickled
pink if we get 100. I'll be more interested in the quality of the entries we
receive rather than the sheer number.

Hope this answers your question.

James O'Purchase
Toronto
(getting ready to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.... green beer anyone?)

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