[Saga] Announcing the Star Wars Saga Forum's Banner Contest! (Deadline moved to 7/25)

I will also put up the current banner so if the majority believes that none of the banners are good enough, we keep it. Fair enough?

meh, I suggested that in my 8.10am post

But yes, I think thats a great idea. I'll maybe make one so you can all laugh at me

 

There is no need to laugh malkieD2, the banners take a lot of time and work to create.
So there is no need to ever laugh at a banner artist.

-Seldon

 

Sorry malkieD2, I didn't see your post there. I do consider you are a really intelligent person, namely 'cause we think alike!

 

"No, your point was that jace viewed it as a means to VIP status only. A pretty big assumption, and, therefore, insult, since you have no idea of his motivations for making the banner."

Well I guess jacemathem proved me wrong by asking any mod who saw his post to remove his VIP status and titles. So until that happens, I guess my "insulting assumption" stands

Edit: And just to rebutt the accusation of making "insults", I never said entering banner comps with the expressed purpose of winning VIP status was good or bad, positive or negative. I just said that it could happen and gave an instance of one user asking specifically if there were any prizes involved and leaving the thread alone after that. If anyone found it "insulting", it's could because such words rang truer than they might have wanted to admit previously. But then again it could not.

In terms of this contest I say leave all competitions, banner and otherwise, in Community forums and leave other banners to site staff or dedicated user artists. Banner comps breed generic banners.

 

> In terms of this contest I say leave all competitions, banner and otherwise, in Community forums and leave other banners to site staff or dedicated user artists. Banner comps breed generic banners.

Having run 2 non-community forums (and had a banner of mine uploaded in a comp), I must disagree with that. I'd much prefer the JC forum goers, even the ones who don't post in the particular forum, to have at the banners, rather than some faceless TFn staffer. There's no community spinoffs or forum traffic increase if banners are just left up to a staffer to create.

As far as the generic banners go, yes that is an issue, but there's nothing stopping every banner being rejected if they're not up to scratch. I've seen some amazing ones, including the generic "dark side" one up at the moment, Sil's LFP Projects design and the hand drawn cartoon one from last halloween, to name but a few.

And I find it rather rich that a VIP is trying to force another VIP to ditch their title and colours to prove a point that never needed prooving in the first instance.

 

"There's no community spinoffs or forum traffic increase if banners are just left up to a staffer to create."

Just as there's no upside to having a perfect stranger who doesn't even post in the forum in need of a new banner design one. As I've said several times in this thread, in cases like this with a small forum, I suggest contacting site staff to design the banner and referring them to a dedicated thread in the forum where regulars can link to images they feel would be great for the banner. That way the people who have to look at the damn thing get a say in what they have to see several times a day.


"And I find it rather rich that a VIP is trying to force another VIP to ditch their title and colours to prove a point that never needed prooving in the first instance."

If you read the previous page, I didn't even suggest he drop his VIP status immediately "to prove a point". I just asked a question, if he won another banner comp would he be willing to skip the VIP status as a reward? Another user suggested he drop his current status, not me, and jace accepted.

 

> Just as there's no upside to having a perfect stranger who doesn't even post in the forum in need of a new banner design one.

Yes there is. During the banner contest the forum will attract new visitors who are either researching the forum for their designs, or have simply had their curiousity piqued by the advertising of the contest in Comms threads, modsquad updates etc.

> That way the people who have to look at the damn thing get a say in what they have to see several times a day.

You already posted a solution "If a new banner is abslutley necessary, maybe the site staff should be contacted and a thread started for regulars to link to any images they feel must be in it. The staff designers can then be directed to that thread. That way the regular users have a say in what gets into the banner and there's no lunacy about banner ".

For the LFP banner comp a year or so back, that's exactly what we did, but for the contest entrants, not for the Staff Designers.


> Another user suggested he drop his current status, not me

DarthAttorney;
"So a far safer assumption would be that if you won such a banner comp or got any of your icons uploaded in the near future, you'd be happy to skip the VIP status and titles.....just to prove your comments are are true.

Your tense does not mask your intent.

 

There is no need to laugh malkieD2, the banners take a lot of time and work to create.
So there is no need to ever laugh at a banner artist.

I'd wait until you see my piss-poor banner before deciding if you are going to laugh or not

 

" During the banner contest the forum will attract new visitors who are either researching the forum for their designs, or have simply had their curiousity piqued by the advertising of the contest in Comms threads, modsquad updates...."

And I'm sure both of those users are very pleased by their new experiences

"For the LFP banner comp a year or so back, that's exactly what we did..."

Then we're agreed, this a great avenue for smaller forums to investigate if the mod feels it's right. There is not one all-purpose guide to getting a new banner for your forum, moderators have options and don't always need to follow each other or the larger forums all the time.

"Your tense does not mask your intent."

I'd love to quote now what Katya_Jade said earlier in the thread:

"....pretty big assumption, and, therefore, insult, since you have no idea of his motivations...."

I didn't say the guy should lose his VIP status, another user did and the guy backed it up himself. Seems like an open and shut case to me, whether you try to stick words in my mouth or otherwise jp. I'm not here to debate my intentions or motivations or defend or decry other users with you jp. I'm here to express my opinion on when and where banner comps should and shouldn't be run.

 

"Having run 2 non-community forums (and had a banner of mine uploaded in a comp), I must disagree with that. I'd much prefer the JC forum goers, even the ones who don't post in the particular forum, to have at the banners, rather than some faceless TFn staffer. There's no community spinoffs or forum traffic increase if banners are just left up to a staffer to create.

As far as the generic banners go, yes that is an issue, but there's nothing stopping every banner being rejected if they're not up to scratch. I've seen some amazing ones, including the generic "dark side" one up at the moment, Sil's LFP Projects design and the hand drawn cartoon one from last halloween, to name but a few.

And I find it rather rich that a VIP is trying to force another VIP to ditch their title and colours to prove a point that never needed prooving in the first instance."


-JP-30

If you read the posts in this thread you would understand that DA implied that if he (Jacemathem) did not care he would drop it. I was the one who asked him to drop the VIP status.

You also mention that one of the reasons to allow a JC member to create the banner is that it will increase the traffic of that forum. Is that the reason to get a new banner? I mean if the traffic is only there to see the new banner are they going to contribute the the in-depth discussion of that forum? If the new traffic only cares to see the banner how much will they contribute in the first place?

Sometimes generic banners do come out well, but Star Wars Saga Forum is not a community board. The board's objectives are to have serious in-depth, cross-trilogy discussion of the saga. It is then not the purpose of such a forum to have competitions and such.

I must agree with DA, not only are his arguments valid, but he is also the creator of the forum in dispute.

-Seldon

 

I do not want this thread to become a debate on the merits of a banner competition. I want this thread to become a place where we can discuss the banner competition in Saga. I know some of you disagree and I do understand your points. I truly feel that I addressed most of your concerns. If you have more concerns about the Saga Banner Contest I encourage you to send me a PM and we'll discuss it. Those of you who know me know that I am really openminded and I like it when people express their points to me personally.

If any of you have issues with the concept of banner contest, don't bring them to this thread. This is about the Saga Banner Contest, not about the finer points of banner contests, VIPships and the sort.

Thanks and my apologies for sounding harsh.

 

Just to announce that the deadline for submissions has been moved to Sunday July 25. I decided to do this since I am leaving for a trip the day after the contest was going to end.

Thanks to all of you who have sent your banners already, they are all looking good! And if you haven't sent it, what are you waiting for!!!!

Cheers!