Re: [AGA-sc] [121] contest entry autopsy 2006

["Karen Randall" <krandall@rdrcpa.biz>]

That's great, Erik.  And you're right, every year we end up with some 
different "annoyance factor", whether it's with the contest, the convention 
or both!<g>

I'm looking forward to getting the judging under way.  Do we have all the 
judges yet?

Karen

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Erik Olson" <erik@thekrib.com>
To: <aga-contest@thekrib.com>
Cc: <aga-sc@thekrib.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2006 3:36 AM
Subject: [AGA-sc] [121] contest entry autopsy 2006


> So it's after midnight here, and it's 121 entries possible.
> The final number will probably go down as there are 2-3 questionable
> entries, but not too shabby considering the total lack of PR.  I guess
> cash IS a major motivator. :(
>
> Almost nobody using postal mail this year.  Two personal checks, one bank
> draft, and $20 in cash.  I think I scanned in only one entry, and one
> other person sent a CD-ROM.  So that's great.  I prefer not having the
> giant stack of papers of previous contests.
>
> Several entries still without photo releases.  One thing I did different
> this year is I sent no reminders until after the contest closed, i.e.,
> just now.  I had no time to track this stuff.  So it will be interesting
> to see how well the stragglers are motivated by the spectre of humiliation
> by the "censor judge" picture [or more appropriately, her 2006
> equivalent].  It worked pretty nicely last year on a few guys who ignored
> the e-mails; about half signed the release once the site went live.  I am
> wondering if it will help reduce the problem to begin with now.
>
> Likewise, there still continue to be folks who don't follow the directions
> on the photo release, sending a Word document with everything printed
> (complete with the original instructions "Do not send a WORD Document"
> included in the document!), or just a signature, or even just the photos
> themselves.  Still others are completionists and send a separate release
> for each photo.  And there's some folks that sent e-mails AND faxes.  I've
> gotten used to sending quick firm replies to the ones lacking, and
> eventually everyone's getting it.  I think NEXT year (if I continue to do
> the technical work on this contest; or if not, for whoever takes this job
> on) it might make sense to modify the program to let them upload the photo
> release directly to the entry as another picture that doesn't show up in
> the contest.  Maybe.  It's working about as well as to be expected.
>
> There are the usual one-off oddities in the entries themselves.  Most
> interesting is that someone has done a topiary swan with bogwood and moss,
> and in one of their photos has actually photoshopped in a real swan to
> show you what they're thinking, just in case you don't get it.  Another
> entry has a picture of the aquarist's wife/daughter/sister changing the
> tank (I removed the name).  A couple of folks have their name burned in &
> we'll have to get them to remove them or photoshop them out.  One person
> didn't upload their photos to the site, but instead to a free
> "photobucket-type" site, and inlined the images in the comments... No big
> deal.  A challenge to the tech geek.  As I say, just one-offs.
>
> But every year there seems to be a recurring "grr" that seems to happen
> systematically across many entries.  Last year it was all these folks
> mailing 10 photos, or a photo collage of 25 tiny images posing as one.
> This year it definitely is UNNECESSARY FRAMES!  I can understand the raw
> photos from the camera being uploaded uncropped, but lots of people are
> uploading photos with large black bars around the photos, or a large black
> bar and a small white bar.  I will be hand-cropping each of these, as they
> just make the final image harder to see.
>
>
> -- 
> Erik Olson
> erik at thekrib dot com
> _______________________________________________
> AGA-sc mailing list
> AGA-sc@thekrib.com
> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/aga-sc
> 


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