Yearly Contest Review!

Mark Watson Apr 21, 2010

  1. Mark Watson

    Mark Watson TrainBoard Member

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    Greetings everyone,

    Well its been just over one year since I've taken up hosting our weekend challenges and I think we've had a great run so far. :)

    Every once and a while though, I like to get feedback from everyone else. I've ventured out to observe other MRR and Railfan challenges and I think we definitely have the best format right here on TrainBoard, but that doesn't mean there is no more room to improve.

    So give me your best shot! What do you like or dislike? What would get you to participate more frequently? How would you operate things?

    Dont hold back! Through understanding the faults we can rise to greater heights! :D
     
  2. HOexplorer

    HOexplorer TrainBoard Supporter

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    Mark, This is a simple one. "Contests" have priority on the Home Page over other polls like worrying about the length of MTL coupler trip pins and knocking the different photo contests off the page sometimes even on the first day. This ruins the contests and when only 4 members vote on the trip pin poll that gets to run for 5 days it is really ruined. Find a way to have more than one poll show up or have a way to put the polls in a queue (sic) so they all get their fair shot. Cheers, Jim CCRR/Socalz44
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 21, 2010
  3. COverton

    COverton TrainBoard Supporter

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    I will admit that I don't really understand what was said above.....?

    However, I think you are doing very well, and it seems to me that the contests are quiet popular and well-received. The latest, requiring four photos, was much to ambitious for me, but in a few weeks I would have been in a much better position to have jumped in with both feet.

    So, I will close by saying that I appreciate all you have done, adding that you have done a fine bit of work on our several behalfs.
     
  4. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Jim,

    Can you give us an idea what view you are using when you only get one poll showing up? I often hit "New Posts" and I get all the topic that have new posts in them, including all with polls that have new posts.
     
  5. HOexplorer

    HOexplorer TrainBoard Supporter

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    Crandell, I left a word out. Read it again please. If it doesn't make sense to you now then I'm sorry. Maybe the next photo contest you enter will be knocked off the Home Page and into oblivion because another poll knocked it off. Will you be content with that? Better? Plus, if you read Mark's post he was not asking for any well deserved pat on the back. He was asking what we thought was wrong or could be corrected. You didn't answer his question, but took a cheap shot at my answer, thank you. Cheers, Jim CCRR/Socalz44
     
  6. HOexplorer

    HOexplorer TrainBoard Supporter

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    SteamDonkey74, I open my Trainboard to "Trainboard.com" not to any sub or scale specific page. The nice new logo is on the top and the red letter subtitles in a block underneath. Latest Forum posts and threads from all the scales and topics are listed and the polls and birthdays are in the left hand column. Polls while important for all submitters and participants are routinely knocked of this page by subsequent polls. Cheers, Jim CCRR/Socalz44
     
  7. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Ahh, that view. I see. Mark and I don't have the power to change that, but if you don't mind I will bring it up to staff and see if there's something we can do, like list all active polls or randomly select an active poll each time, so that new polls don't bury the contest poll.

    I agree that Mark has been doing a great job.
     
  8. Tbone

    Tbone Permanently dispatched

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    I wouldnt change anything.I like everything the way it is.Great job Mark.
     
  9. Stourbridge Lion

    Stourbridge Lion TrainBoard Supporter

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    Something I think might get more into the Video Contests is to simplify both the Model & Proto into Quarterly submissions. This way folks have time to put together a nice productions rather than just raw film that was quickly uploaded to a video hosting site to make it into the contests. Say videos taken between December & March need to be submitted by April 15, between March & June by July 15, June & September by October 15, and between September & December by January 15. Note that I placed some overlap so if a video was taken in say late March can’t get edited into a nice production by April 15th then it’s OK to submit it for the next contest. Let’s also allow the full 10 minute limit of YouTube to be used if that is what the person wishes to submit. No one says longer is better but if what they are wanting to submit takes more than 3 minutes to display, why not let them join in the fun with that longer submission. If the voter doesn’t want to sit through the whole movie before they vote that’s up to them but they might if they had a couple of week to watch them, so let’s allow 15 days to review and vote on them.

    · Model Video Contests –> Layout Tours / How-To
    For me getting a chance to truly see & hear the action of everyone’s layouts or learn how they did something would be a wonderful experience that might generate modeling ideas for the viewers. Since many layouts are work-in-progress just seeing what has changed every few months would be something I would sit and watch! Show me how in the heck you did that weathering, tress, wiring, mountain making, painting, etc. that I might learn from it. Show off what you are doing and/or your layout so it’s like me coming over to your house/club for a brief visit. I don’t care that the work isn’t done, you can show me the finished product in a later contest too. Even if you don’t have a video camera, you can use still photos/diagrams and turn them into a great slide show presentation that tells a story just as well.
    · Proto Video Contests -> Railfan / Vacation Movies
    Given we have folks here from all around the world it would be great to see & hear all that RR action but also would like it to have some sort of production feel to it rather than just raw film of a run-by. Even putting together a slide show with background sounds / narration can be just as great to watch as real action if you don’t have a video camera. Let me see what is at that museum you visited last month or from that tourist / passenger / freight train trip you took was like. You will find that you too will enjoy what you put together for years to come and others later will enjoy seeing it again and again. How about digging out those old photographs and film from many years ago and turn them into a great video.
    I would be fine if things were taken long ago being submitted into these contests if this was a “new” production that was just put together using old material in that same timeframe for the contest. Put together a collage of photos/video clips of what you did last year, as a kid, over the past decade, or whatever and turn that into a story to share. If it takes more than say the 10 minute YouTube limit, just break it into parts and share each part over the next few contests since each would be a “new” production and thus a new entry.

    It’s the 21st century, motion photography is replacing still photography as nearly every new gadget that comes out now has a built in camera in it and most can take both motion & still photography so let’s use them to their fullest and share the results for generations to come.

    :camera: :mobile_phone: :camera2: :mobile_phone2:​
     
  10. Stourbridge Lion

    Stourbridge Lion TrainBoard Supporter

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    I understand what Jim is refering too and we are mostly limited to what "vBulletin®" is desgined for and allows us to customize since it is that software package that runs most of the site. I think it was you Jim that pointed out correctly in another topic/poll that many members boomark into just one forum and thus don't see what is happening in other forums here. Very few likely come into our site via the "Home Page" (i.e. http://www.trainboard.com/) so they don't even see that the latest started poll is displayed on that page for quick reference as well as other information. I myself use that page all the time as a TrainBoard Staff member as it shows even more information then members see that is highly valuable for me to do my job here.

    That one page might be the only page that we have more control over but I'm not sure if it can be configured the way Jim is suggesting; but, it's a GREAT suggestion that Mark can forward to Charlie as a possible idea for the future if that goes along with the overall vision of the site.

    :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up:​
     
  11. Tracy McKibben

    Tracy McKibben TrainBoard Member

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    Easy answer: I love 'em!

    The contests motivate me to keep working on stuff, and they've pushed me to learn how to do stuff with my camera that I wouldn't have tried to do otherwise. I try to submit something in the modeling contests whenever humanly possible. Proto stuff is a little more difficult.
     
  12. Mark Watson

    Mark Watson TrainBoard Member

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    Well I wont refuse a compliment if anyone wishes to provide it. :)
    I dont believe Crandell took a cheap shot at your answer, Jim. As has been said, it is difficult to see various features of TrainBoard based on the pages within which you frequent. This was a simple misunderstanding and should be forgotten.


    Now, in reference to your suggestion Jim. Yes, I would love to see the option to have polls cycle when active and removed from that cycle once voted in. Unfortunately as others have pointed out, that is a features which we have little control over. However, I'm certain that we are not the only user of this software which would like to see the polling feature improved. I will dig around and see if the new software upgrade will provide any such improvement. :)


    Darren, thanks for the critique of the video challenges and for providing a new format possibility. Being a student of film, its hard to judge how quickly the weekend movie maker is able to complie an entry. I use your suggestions to adapt the next video contest accordingly. :)
     
  13. COverton

    COverton TrainBoard Supporter

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    Jim, I sincerely regret that you feel the way you do about my statement. I don't know another way to say that I have no idea what you mean. It may be that my settings and therefor my view are different from yours, but I wouldn't know that unless it had been an item of discussion in the past where people had expressed some frustration over the problem you mention. So, I hope you can look past your initial reaction to my statement and simply take it at face value. It happens to be the truth...no judgement implied or given, and certainly no indifference.

    I will continue to read in order to perhaps learn more about your concern. I would gladly lend my support if I eventually feel you have a change worth implementing. At present, when I visit here I see the main index page and newly appended threads are highlighted in bold.
     
  14. HOexplorer

    HOexplorer TrainBoard Supporter

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    Crandell, No worries. I see where your coming from now. Pax. Cheers, Jim CCRR/Socalz44
     
  15. TwinDad

    TwinDad TrainBoard Member

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    I am really enjoying the contests. I think they are great, as is, but of course there's always room for improvement.

    I like the suggestions that have been made so far, particularly the ideas on a longer time frame for the video submissions. I'm not so sure about allowing the old content, except perhaps occasionally having a contest theme specifically for old stuff. I prefer having the requirement to come up with fresh content.

    I think the only different suggestion I have is just to keep coming up with different topics, to make us get creative and have different opportunities to participate.
     
  16. COverton

    COverton TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thank-you, Jim.

    For Mark and others, would it be useful for a thread to be placed permanently with suggestions from prospective contestants for themes? It might take some of the burden off Mark if he only had to quickly glance at that thread, snap his fingers over one proposal, and implement it in a quick post.
     
  17. bravogjt

    bravogjt TrainBoard Member

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    I really enjoy the contest and appreciate all of the time that Mark puts into managing them. My only recommendation would be to run them for a full week.

    That is an excellent idea Crandell!

    Ben
     
  18. Mark Watson

    Mark Watson TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for the continued suggestions. :)

    In the past I've used the Contest Rules and Topics Discussion to accept topic ideas. I think I will start a new sticky for this year, strictly for Topic Suggestions. :)
     

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