coffee
03-25-2009, 08:01 PM
Here are a few suggestions for the POTM I’ve been thinking about to help improve the POTM contest and to help give ever image entered equal exposure.
1. I like the format that was implemented some months ago where there is a viewing period, followed by a voting period. This gives everyone a chance to see all images before voting on anything. This was a good move. But I’ve noticed ever since I've been with PP that the images that are entered early, still have a disadvantage in exposure. It’s clear that most voters don’t vote on all the images, and most probably don’t even go through them all. So what happens; The images lower on the page, or depending on how you have PP set up, on pages not yet brought up, get many fewer view, and with it, fewer votes just because of their position on the page. To test prove this, go to any months POTM, on the upper right where it says “Per Page” choose 90 so you can see as many entry thumbnails on one page as you can. Scroll down the page keeping an eye on the views each image has. You will notice that on average the lower images get many less views, many less comments, and many less votes I can assume. This might not be consistant with every photo, but is certainly a pattern. I would like to suggest that as different votes bring up the POTM page, or pages, that the images get automatically shuffled so that everyone starts at the top looking at a different line up of the same photos. I know isn’t the most pressing issue in the world, but I think it would go a long way to generate a consistent amount of views for everyone entries. After all isn’t that why we enter; for the exposure and the chance to see how we stack up against other member. And more importantly see how we improve over time.
2. While I’m taking about thumbnails, I’m sure there are a lot of voters that look through the thumbnails, see what catches their eye, bring up that image, and either votes on it or not, but most won’t bring up others by what they see in the thumbnail. I think this very wrong to judge these images by what they see in the thumbnail. You just can’t get a feel for an image by these very small samples. My thought is that when a person enters the voting area, and in order to vote, you have to scroll through the entries with much larger pictures to look at, much like what you see when clicking on an image. And when entering the voting area, you are presented with larger images to vote on in the shuffled fashion mentioned above, and then when you vote you are automatically taken directly to the next photo in line. And if you don’t have the time to go through all of them at that time, then have an option to come back and pick up where you left off with only the images you haven’t voted for being presented. Also there would be an option not to vote on an image if you don’t want to for some reason. And since I think many voters only go through a number of images, at least these voters are being presented with different images instead of the same ones at the front.
3. Lastly, and most important I think, is to limit voter participation to members only. I think this was talked about at one time. Whether it be forum members, course members, or both, it’s just too easy to recruit image voters when you don’t even have to be signed in to put your vote on an image. Not to mention someone showing up unregisterd and creating havoc in the contest. Do these things happen often? No I’m sure they don’t. But it wouldn’t hurt to be proactive and make a few necessary changes in hopes of heading of any future problems, and making things more secure in the process.
The reason I suggesting these things are twofold. One is that this forum is different from others in that Peter and the rest of his staff really listen to their member. All suggestion are listen to, and many are implemented. Not all forums and course are run on such a personal level. This is a great thing they do here. And two, I’ve been PMed by more than one member recently asking for my opinion on the contests, what I thought of it, and if there changes that could make it better. I told them I would post a few suggestions I’ve thought about, put it out there and see what everyone else thought about it.
1. I like the format that was implemented some months ago where there is a viewing period, followed by a voting period. This gives everyone a chance to see all images before voting on anything. This was a good move. But I’ve noticed ever since I've been with PP that the images that are entered early, still have a disadvantage in exposure. It’s clear that most voters don’t vote on all the images, and most probably don’t even go through them all. So what happens; The images lower on the page, or depending on how you have PP set up, on pages not yet brought up, get many fewer view, and with it, fewer votes just because of their position on the page. To test prove this, go to any months POTM, on the upper right where it says “Per Page” choose 90 so you can see as many entry thumbnails on one page as you can. Scroll down the page keeping an eye on the views each image has. You will notice that on average the lower images get many less views, many less comments, and many less votes I can assume. This might not be consistant with every photo, but is certainly a pattern. I would like to suggest that as different votes bring up the POTM page, or pages, that the images get automatically shuffled so that everyone starts at the top looking at a different line up of the same photos. I know isn’t the most pressing issue in the world, but I think it would go a long way to generate a consistent amount of views for everyone entries. After all isn’t that why we enter; for the exposure and the chance to see how we stack up against other member. And more importantly see how we improve over time.
2. While I’m taking about thumbnails, I’m sure there are a lot of voters that look through the thumbnails, see what catches their eye, bring up that image, and either votes on it or not, but most won’t bring up others by what they see in the thumbnail. I think this very wrong to judge these images by what they see in the thumbnail. You just can’t get a feel for an image by these very small samples. My thought is that when a person enters the voting area, and in order to vote, you have to scroll through the entries with much larger pictures to look at, much like what you see when clicking on an image. And when entering the voting area, you are presented with larger images to vote on in the shuffled fashion mentioned above, and then when you vote you are automatically taken directly to the next photo in line. And if you don’t have the time to go through all of them at that time, then have an option to come back and pick up where you left off with only the images you haven’t voted for being presented. Also there would be an option not to vote on an image if you don’t want to for some reason. And since I think many voters only go through a number of images, at least these voters are being presented with different images instead of the same ones at the front.
3. Lastly, and most important I think, is to limit voter participation to members only. I think this was talked about at one time. Whether it be forum members, course members, or both, it’s just too easy to recruit image voters when you don’t even have to be signed in to put your vote on an image. Not to mention someone showing up unregisterd and creating havoc in the contest. Do these things happen often? No I’m sure they don’t. But it wouldn’t hurt to be proactive and make a few necessary changes in hopes of heading of any future problems, and making things more secure in the process.
The reason I suggesting these things are twofold. One is that this forum is different from others in that Peter and the rest of his staff really listen to their member. All suggestion are listen to, and many are implemented. Not all forums and course are run on such a personal level. This is a great thing they do here. And two, I’ve been PMed by more than one member recently asking for my opinion on the contests, what I thought of it, and if there changes that could make it better. I told them I would post a few suggestions I’ve thought about, put it out there and see what everyone else thought about it.