I enjoy participating in contests. Like everyone else who made this thread (Contest) a place to hangout, have their particular reasons why they/we join these contests: - it's a good way to enhance our skill - great way to meet new friends - a form to unwind after a long day at work/ school - earn some extra money - and other acceptable reasons which for me sums up to a day of fun & learning (yeah much close to a prep school slogan ) But sadly, the thread has also become a place where unscrupulous individuals may take advantage off our designs ideas and concepts. I'm talking here of contest holders over the designers. I've noticed several threads where the contest never ended, left out by the CH. Some threads disappear instantly. Where most of us were left clueless and eventually the extra time (a minute, an hour or weeks of work) was wasted. Why am I doing this you ask? Try to visit some of the sites/ company with "build me a logo for $###" that never ended/ prizes turned out. Some of them who surprisingly got what they want (a logo banner, traffic post) you'll notice a very close similarity with what's been submitted here at DP. The fact that the thread lacks a moderator and the fact that some may not be detered by negative iTrader ratings. Our services (designs, idea, concepts on posting/ designing & time) are as good as FREE, $0m na-da, libre and surrendering our intellectual rights to dishonest CH. What should we do? With respectable designers like Dusty Dog & Davey Boy together with the rest of the community. I suggest that we come up with some sort of a guideline like Dusty's guide http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=297643 for CH's. Or a thread like this where we could post "THOSE" dead threads, threads left out by CH's (over the deadline), suspicious threads and the likes. A thread that could protect our intellectual rights (atleast in this forum). My point here most of the contest participants play by DP's & the contest holder's rule, I hope that the contest sponsors should play fair in return. No matter how much the prize is, just play fair... otherwise you are spoiling the fun & disrespecting our rights.
I agree that something definitely needs to be done. One just happened 5 minutes ago whereby the CH has ended the contest as somebody PM-ed him offering it for cheaper. It's bad manners, unfair and just unbelievable. Fair enough, add a stipulation where you don't have to pay if you don't like any of the designs - that's fine - but don't end it because you found some 13 year old to do it for $3 or something. At least not if there are already entries.
my point exactly, we cant deny that entries submitted may it be STUNNING or HORRIBLE, have been dedicated with atleast a fraction of our time and effort & not to mention respect to the CH' credibility to hold such contest. @Davey - i was about to PM you for an opinion timing worked perfectly. let's hear it from DD & the others...
Why not have someone who takes the money at the start and gives it to the winner, but then what if they dissapear, where does the money go :S
Hi I think you are very right about this. im no designer, but one who has a contest (well the winner will be anounced today!) and I see this as a very good opertunity for a buyer to get alot of different styles and logo idees for a very low sum. So I really hope you guys can work out a good way to keep this going and that you actually make sure in some way that you get paid what is promised! Best regards Domaintom
@hecky - remember that paypal deducts a certain fee... a guideline or a HALL of Shame maybe... Here are some rough list I have in mind: - CH should declare where the logo will be used (URL) provide an email - CH should state the deadline/ Prize amt/ with or without consolation prize? (by DaveyBoy) - CH should give ample details about the project (I think i saw this in DD's thread) this to avoid "Copied Ideas", to get a quick response from the community and "almost" seamless creation-design-transaction process. more input needed for: - cancelled/ unattended contest (DMCA stuff) - scammer - unpaid prize & such
The Hall Of Shame is a great idea, actually - I usually use iTrader points as a way of assessing people but if some people have zero rating, you can't do that. I guess the HOS (lol) would be a good way of checking before you enter a contest or trade etc.
hall of shame would be great, but what this section desperately needs is a MOD, a mod who only looks after the contest area. Its disgusts me people PMing cheaper entries, its an insult to the great artists on here Come on admin
Yeah, you never see any mods down here. But I don't recognise them anyway because they don't call themselves mods. hmm
I'd never try to poach work from a contest holder - the people doing it are just as bad as the contest holders who accept their cheap work IMO.
To be honest, i can't find a perfect solution here. Please kindly allow me to explain further. Let say contest holder A want a logo. Case 1: Logo with watermark seem blur and not attractive. Case 2: Contest holder may just use the logo without picking any winner if the logo is without watermark. Case 3: Concept stealing vs artwork stealing. So, my concern now is should i put a watermark? Off course, they are a lot of respectable contest holders but i have also see a lot bad business model here. To be fair with contest holder and designer, my suggestions as below: 1) Create another new thread call "bad business practise" and post all the particular thread there ( if the contest holder dissappear ).Maybe we can consider the following format: - thread url - contest holder ( link to their DP's account ) - their site's url ( for google indexing ) 2) Contest holder have the right not to choose a winner if nothing catching their eye but they must mention it at their first post. Designer can choose want to submit an entry or not. 3) Refer to 1, designer may consider put a link to that thread into signature ( for google indexing again ) I am php programmer and have a good rating in scriptlance.com. Scriptlance is a reserve auction system which allow webmaster post the job offer, programmers/designers bid and contest holder pick the best candidate. Usually programmers/designners will not start with their work without ESCROW ( https://www.escrow.com/ ) or advance deposit. Therefore, for logo/header/banner design, DP is the best because webmaster can pick the best from the thread. Just my 2 cent.
If the contest holder was a respected member here I would be comfortable not using a watermark, except that other people browsing could steal it. So when the design incorporates the text in a way that it is unique and uncopyable, that is when you are safe, and also the buyer knows that this work is origional. Then again, you can't really ask of this in a contest.
And what abt the users that get banned all of a sudden? :s http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=297253 Code (markup):
@zinruss - a visual/embeded watermark is one way of protecting our (the designers) works and a contest holder should be aware of it. if the contest holder insists on a non-watermarked high-quality output, maybe we should get suspicious. good point on escrow services but remember, this will affect the prizepot's and would go against both designer and contest holder. + paypal's commision rates, i think we should wait for other designers/CH opinion @xXDanteXx - i think the question should be addressed to DP admin. normally banned accounts reflects a non-compliance to DP guidelines @tropica,hecky & daveyboy - since the thread lacks a moderator, we should push with atleast doable choices for now: the HOS thread i think should be pinned together with the hall of fame (to be fair). The HOS will help (but not in entirety) the community against cheaters/ posers/ thief etc. - requirements for contest holder to disclose the following: URL where the work (logo/ layout/ etc) will be used. admin email? site owner? a set deadline (to avoid disappearing threads) - a sort of notice that if the CH didn't choose a winner, he's aware that the community may file charges of copyright infringement and applicable law should he use any of the works and or in near proximity (idea/ concept) of works submitted in his contest thread. (this should be included in each contest thread) - a contest waiver (from the contest sponsor) upon submission of materials by the contest winner [rights transfered in full ownership to the contest holder] [other notes like: the contest winner may claim it was his work and gives the full rights to the contest winner] - the last post of the winner on a contest thread is an indication that the contest winner signed the CH's copyright waiver. Just my thoughts on this. this may seem tedious work, but i think it'll benefit the whole DP community as a whole. still open to opinions
Agreed, some of the contests here are jokes... A contest I previously entered was ended because after the designers submitted their entries, the CH just ended the contest just because someone PMed him that they would do it cheaper... Myself and a few member's thought it was rude... http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=299783&page=2
I think for contests the holder should enter a specific closing date as well, select the winner at the end and receive a notice of contest ending as well in pm to select the winner.
@shadow - yeah i saw that too, rude indeed and very unprofessional @confident - dont worry, we're also taking that into "the guidelines"