As the Open challenge heads more rgularly for 400+ entries, and the current one for possibly 500, do we need to think about some means of preventing complete overload of entries?
Any kind of decent judgement of the images is going to take anyone an enormous amount of time, and those working on dial-up are going to be pretty hard-pushed even to register their votes at all.
I have no idea how it might be done, or whether perhaps the lower limit of votes to register should be lowered to perhaps a specific number rather than a percentage (how about 40?), but I think the time is rapidly approaching when the sheer quantitly of shots in a challenge is going to get out of hand.
I am working on a piece of software more like a meat grinder. It will analyse 500 entries at amazing speed and will spit out all inferior entries. The beta is working fine. I have tried it on my port and it has spit out the entire set. ROFL
the best way is to cut down the entry time. Maybe like 3 days is good. (for open challenges) open challenges can have one 3 day entry time per week. Members get their normal week to enter. This will also encourage more members and when that gets outa hand well take it from there.
Hey. Do mine next. Think of all the server space that will free up!
I got a new system for mass scoring with my dial up. Three windows at a time. I can speed vote with the best of them now although I will only vote on 50 to 70 percent. I did about 150 votes in an hour the other day.
It's a little late here, and I've been experimenting with a damned marvellous 1999 syrah, but on re-reading my post I'd like to firmly make the suggestion that the percentage votes thing be removed and replaced with a requirement to register 40 votes before they're counted. If you're on dial-up, you'll need to vote on 100 photos to get through on the current macro challenge.
I'd be all for a filter that rejected any photos not taken by someone using a Nikon whose user name begins with e, however.
Another idea I am working on is another piece of software that will have a questionaire about your likes and dislike and impulsive behaviour and the any tendency to be punitive in your judgment.
Once this data is processed the software will do the voting for you. Notice that it gives trollers the opportunity to be equally represented.
All entries are accepted, after the first two days, the lower 50% of images are eliminated and ranked as is. After the next two days, the next 50% (25% total) are eleminated and ranked as is.
Then the final 3 days are used to vote on the top 25% of the images
Limit the number of entries, then close the challenge.
I dont think that would be fair, some of the best photos are last minute...or hour entries.
I guess some people get their creative jucies flowing when the clock is clicking.
There is always a last minute. The number of submissions is published.
True.
But lots of folks take their photos on the weekends. I would hate for someone to come home late on a sunday after a weekend of photo taking and not being able to enter simly because its filled up.
wouldn't it be more simple to write an algorhythm that changes the percent of photos you need to vote on depending on the volume of them? OR! Set an algorhythm that automatically shows the photos with the least votes first so that there tend to be a fairly even amount of votes spread to every photo.
Personlly I don't see the problem with having so many photos, I think it's GREAT that so many people are trying to share their work and hopefully improve because of this site.
...But lots of folks take their photos on the weekends. I would hate for someone to come home late on a sunday after a weekend of photo taking and not being able to enter simly because its filled up.
Install a Sunday Driver Challenge for Sir Cam Currie et al.? Deadline 5 am DPC time.
If the site does indeed make these photos completely random, it doesn't matter if one does not vote on all photos, though that would be nice. I'm not sure what kind of randomizer there is here, but I have noticed--perhaps falsely--that late entries tend to be toward the back.
I think any proposed changes should meet a couple of criteria
1/ Enhance the site for members over non-members
2/ Improve the quality of entries
Limiting open challenges to non-members or reducing the entry time don't
appear to help the site improve. They penalise members or reduce the time taken over any given entry.
I still say, put them through the meat grinder described above. This will not only reduce the amount of entries but will make the site more environmentally friendly with less litter. lol
