Planning the voting system for the contest - feedback please

Over the years we've used the same system for voting on the contests. This year I'm thinking we may need a better way to cast our votes, but before I put a lot of effort into improving the judging system, I'd like to get some feedback.

The way we've done it in previous years is that you get the full list of thumbnails, then click each thumbnail to view it, and if you like it, you check off the box for that image. When you're done with the list of thumbnails, you have a list of checkboxes and you submit the page, thus casting a "thumbs up" for the ones you liked.

In the end, those images with the most "thumbs up" are the winners.

I'm imagining a better system this year, and here's how I would describe it working:

Judging goes through multiple phases. First, you view each image full-size (no long list of thumbnails). You view the images in the order they were submitted. For each category, with each image therein, you are given two choices:

1) Save this image as a potential winner, and then show me the next image.

or

2) Skip past this image, and then show me the next image.

Then when you have viewed all the images in the category, it then shows you the ones that you saved as favorites. You then view all of those, and give a final thumbs up to either just your favorite one, or alternatively we can set it up so that you can give a thumbs up to as many of those as you like.

Then when it's over with, the image with the most votes in each category wins.

My goal here is to make voting easier and more intuitive. What do ya'll think about the idea?

I like the idea of just picking our one favourite....otherwise, if a person can't decide, they'll just give a thumbs up to them all and voting will be no further ahead...did that make sense?

I'm with 3gardeners. One final favorite from each category.

Well, I don't see a danger to that. The person who votes for every one of them has a lot of clicking to check off each and every box, and even then, they haven't changed the outcome of the vote, so it wasted their time.

It's only useful if you vote for no more than, say, half the images in each category.

Yes threegardeners, either limit it to one person, one vote or a finite number of votes. Pick a number from 1 - 10. lol

So what do ya'll think about the two-step process?

1) Save my favorites into an area.

2) View the favorites, and then cast one final vote.

How bout the favourite 3 maximum? Do we do a first, second, third? That way if they can't decide on one, they have another option....

I like it!

Like the 2 step option...

I like the 2-step option too. It's been so cumbersome in the past, I've never voted.

I like the "judging thru multiple phases", being able to view your saved favorites and then picking your favorite one.


Sorry Dave we posted at the same time. Yes, the 2 step.

This message was edited Oct 23, 2007 11:42 AM

The 2 step program seems like a real good choice.

So, refining it a bit:

1) Go through the images, one by one, selecting to save as favorites or skip to next.

2) View your favorites, and select one as your favorite, one as your second favorite, and one as your third favorite.

Then your favorite image is given 5 points.
2nd choice gets 3 points
3rd choice gets 1 point.

In the end, the image with the most points per category wins that category.

Sounds like a plan?

oooo...I love it!!!

Good plan.

Love it .... Sounds like a great plan!

Yes.

Okay!

Yesssiries! Sounds great!

I've finished the programming that was involved. It's a much nicer system and I think everyone is going to like it.

I'm looking forward to November 1st when we can start casting our votes!

dave

Oh, I look forward to seeing everyone's photo's and being able to vote. Maybe next year I will be a little better at photography and will be able to enter a couple myself!

Can't wait for the calendar's to go on sale this year! Christmas Shopping!

Same here, I'm looking forward to the voting date. And would love to purchase the Calendar, maybe I'll participate in the contest next year.

dave,
I love this new voting system.

I had fun entering and voting last year, the way it was, however; I really think this new way simplifies it tremendously.

Thanks !!!
Sasha

Love it!

How much will the calendars cost, so I can start budgeting for those I want to order as Christmas gifts! ooooooooooooohh, just think? I could be "Miss November!"

LOL Gymgirl! ..... well, if you submitted photo's to the contest, I guess you could very well be "Miss November" - your photo could anyway!

Plantladylin,
I did post one pic already, and have another to post tonight! "Miss November AND Miss December!"

Good for you! I really look forward to the contest, to be able to see all the photo's everyone has submitted! And, I can't wait for the Calendar! What a great gift for myself as well as Christmas presents for family and friends too! I am not a very good photographer so have passed on entering anything for this year's contest. But, I think I will practice and maybe enter next year! Good luck to Misses November & December!

I like the new system! My only worry whether it'll be a problem for the people on dialup if the only option is to view the full size pictures rather than thumbnails. I've got high speed now, but in previous years I was still on dialup, and I didn't enlarge every single thumbnail, I could usually see enough of the pic in the thumbnail to know whether it was one that I might want to vote for, so I only took the time to enlarge the ones that caught my attention. I'm sure I probably missed a nice picture somewhere doing it that way, but I would have never had the time to look at every picture. Since I'm not on dialup now though, I do like the idea of seeing the full size picture right away, maybe there could be 2 ways to view the pictures, one if you're on dialup and one if you have high speed?

i like it a lot, but...

not so much the "order they were submitted" part. i wish it could be more mixed up. (like me!)

just my 2¢

thanks!
amy
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(& ecrane i am with you about the dial-up voting!)

I want to add to the opinions here. I totally agree with ecrane! I too used to have dial-up and did not enlarge every picture for the same reason...time. I'm high speed now, but many are not.

A couple things. If I've gone through, one by one, and singled out potential favorites, will I be able to take a second tour through to re-evaluate my selections? I can foresee selecting way too many as semi-finals, and having to eliminate some, maybe 2 or 3 times, to make my final selections easier. (After all, we're talking about a great number of photos per category.) Or wishing I'd picked that one I saw before and clicked away.

Also, those thumbnails would be nice to have as an option along with the two-step process. How about giving each voter the choice of which method is best for him/her? But definitely I'd like to see the thumbnails too.

Thanks Dave, by the way do you happen to have a link handy for loading firefox on Linux? the only thing I have is for Win.

http://getfirefox.com/

I just saw this... I do like the two step process and the judging points!

However, I'm wondering about having to go through the images one by one. Is there a compelling reason to do it this way? Won't this be cumbersome, even for folks who are not on dial-up? I can tell a lot about a photo (composition, etc) from a thumbnail, and if there are hundreds of entries in a category I'd rather be able to skip over some if I'd like.

Is it possible to make a thumbnail option available?

Hi Dave, thanks for putting up with all of us:) I have a few questions.

When is or was the last day for photo submissions?

What day are we voting?

When will the calendars be ready to purchase?

Thanks Debbie

There's another thread on this forum that has details on the contest...submission goes through the end of this month and then voting starts 11/1. I'm not sure if Dave has said yet when the calendars will be available, but if he did it would be in the other thread too.

The calendars should be available December 1st, assuming all the winners can get my hi-resolution versions of their winning photo in a timely manner. :)

dave

Thanks ecrane.

Thanks Dave, I'm not sure what you mean about the photos, but OK:)

I think he probably meant "me" rather than "my"... Photos submitted for the contest have their resolution reduced as they're uploaded. Higher resolution is better for photos that will be printed in the calendar. Winners will probably be asked to Dmail high resolution copies of their photos for inclusion in the calendar.

Hi--Dave, I just want to say how much fun this is...
actually discovered the photo contests of past by accident/LOL

Very excited to participate and view this years contest- so much talent here.

I really like the idea of the two step process...can't wait to start.

yay!
i was thinking that ideally pics would be randomized, but not being a computer-type girl, i was afraid that would be too difficult to program, and besides, usually what you come up with is better than anything i'd have thought up!

thanks...

amy
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