Who should host the monthly contest?

[intheflow]

Poll question: Who should host the monthly contest?

OK, we all know the problems. Some people see the winner as hosting as a booby "prize", while others see it as an honor or a way to ensure one or two people didn't get stuck hosting every month because they were the only ones to volunteer for the job.

So the time has come to ask: what do YOU think?

[F.Gordon]

1. Who?

Some bastard actually thinks hosting is a booby "prize"? I say ban the mo-fo.
:evilgrin:

Thanks for starting this poll. I'm going to wait to vote.

[F.Gordon]

2. I'll say it....

:spank:

When I suggested that you do a poll I was hoping for more of a "A or B" poll. Contest Winner or Volunteer. Or at least something with fewer options.

I did not call it a "booby prize". What I said was... I thought hosting was a crappy "prize" to give the winner of a contest. Just to be clear... I didn't even consider it to be a "prize" at all.

Finally... and I'll shut up. Your poll is a push poll. How so? Three little words..."We should trust" I don't care that you used these words, but if you do.. then start each Polling option with the same three words. It implies that there isn't currently any "trust" in those options. How would we know this unless it's tried.
:shrug:

I'll vote now. Going with other: "Just wing it. Leave it alone". ConsAreLiars is doing a great job.... researching.. trying to figure it all out. Planning it.... all that hostin' stuff.

So... go ahead and fire away!!! I'm ready.

:hide:

On Edit Edit Edit: I obviously would rather have a volunteer system. I'd rather see everyone compete and submit their photos. In lieu of that use your own suggestion and include it in the Contest Rules. When a Submission Thread is started clearly state in bold that the contest winner will host the next months contest and if they can't/won't they must immediately contact the next person in line and find someone who will.

[intheflow]

3. Sorry it's too late for me change the poll wording.

I do have a bias against volunteerism, I'll admit it. I work in churches, and I see again and again that a very small percentage of people seem to be willing to volunteer, and once they do, they are usually "volunteer for life"--or until they leave the church burnt out and pissed off. The same is true in the non-profits in which I've worked. And the smaller the organization/community, the more burnout of the few because of abdication of responsibility of the many.

But I will happily admit my bias, and still go with the whatever the group decides. I definitely believe in group process, for good and bad--anything authoritarian sucks, as we know all too well from the present administration.

Thanks, F.Gordon! :hi:

[F.Gordon]

4. It's the same problem in Politics

volunteerism

Few willing. The others get burnt out. Over worked. Pissed off. I'm sure you read my rant thread I started a day or two after the election. I know how it works. But... let the group decide since we have now both stated our own bias and have that all cleared up. ;-)

[TahitiNut]

5. Zogby.

:shrug:

[RagingInMiami]

6. I say we come up with certain rules and criteria for the contest

We need to determine how the theme for each contest will be decided. We need to determine how many entries we will accept each month.
And we need to determine whether an entrant is allowed to switch their entries once they have entered something.

In the past, these rules have been very flexible because the contest was very informal. But like all successful ventures, the contest has become too popular to simply wing it each month.

That is a good sign, especially considering the photo group is less than six months old.

I personally don't like to see the winner sit out each month.

I'm thinking that maybe each month, we can post a thread in the lounge asking for volunteers to host the contest. There are so many lounge lizards that spend so much time on DU, I wouldn't think it would be so hard to find such a person.

People volunteer to be moderators each month, so why would it be so hard to find a person to host the contest each month. And it will be a different person each month anyway, someone who is not a member of the photo group.

If we do this, we would have simple, but specific guidelines as to how the contest needs to be posted. Their job would basically be collecting the photos and posting them in the lounge, and then ensuring they close the polls at a designated time.

[amazona]

7. i would consider volunteering

Need to get my summer schedule figured out but I could likely do it one month.

Don't think it would be right to enter the contest I was hosting. Why create even an impression that something is not quite fair?

If I hosted, I might be mean and bossy and streamline the process by picking my own topic though, heh heh.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[F.Gordon]

9. I like that idea

streamline the process by picking my own topic

The Host picks the theme. Whether the host is a contest winner, a volunteer, a lounge lizard, the Pope... whatever.

I'm sure we might get a couple of strange themes like "Airline Toilets", but for the most part they would probably be good.

[RagingInMiami]

11. The only problem I have with the host picking the theme

is if the host is also the previous month's contest winner, than he or she can easily pick a theme where he or she knows he has a standout photo.

[F.Gordon]

12. True enough....

If the host picks the theme they should not be able to play. My thought was that it would give the host a chance to be part of the creative process... if they weren't entering a photograph.

[Blue_In_AK]

8. I haven't voted yet

but it occurs to me that if the job of hosting AND suggesting topics for us to choose from were left to monthly volunteers from the Lounge it would allow all of us to enter each month, and would also keep us on our toes -- because I can only imagine what kind of insane and unique topics that gang might come up with. Just a thought...

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

10. I have voted, but I think too much is being placed on

the mechanics of the thing.

Who cares?

Let's just do it.

[ConsAreLiars]

13. I think "the winners" should be able to participate and either host

the next contest or announce that they are unable or unwilling to do so.What happens next depends on everyone else. I suspect things will work out.

If anyone gets abusive of their "power" and posts a self-serving topic like "pictures of my garden," those of us who are offended can simply ignore that contest and start another. It's not like the laws of physics allow only one "real" contest at a time.

That said, I also think the concern over contest-hosters participating and biasing the outcome in their favor is misplaced. I understand that under capitalism many are trained to "compete" for any advantage and thus will do so "by any means necessary," but don't see that kind of attitude here, and don't think we need to worry about it.

We can develop "customs," like having a poll to select a topic, that mitigate against such abuses, but I wouldn't mind if someone violated all of them and tried something different. It might be a bust, it might turn out to be a case of shameless self-interest, but it also might be brilliant and enlightening.

All in all, I think the assumption that we are all decent and not inclined to cheat is a reasonable one, and if facts prove otherwise we can worry about rules and regulations at that point.


(And I also think the "one winner only" rule is misplaced.)