Guide [Issue 51] Hosting a Contest: Behind the Scenes

[Night-Sisters 2,139]

 

 

 

Contests. By no means mere frivolous appendages to the Newspaper, they function as one of the most exciting and well-loved aspects of each and every published Issue. They are a chance to put your best work on display, experience some healthy competition and, of course, earn those coveted crystal prizes. Seeing as they are such a popular component of the paper, perhaps it would be of interest to see it from the Reporter's POV and get a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to hosting a contest. 

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Phase 1: The Idea

 

Coming up with a good contest idea is by no means an easy feat. Generally speaking, we Reporters aim for concepts that will appeal to as many people as possible, while staying within the realm of feasibility. (Soo, you probably won't be seeing 'Contest: Opera Singing' anytime soon.) That said, the type of contest is also very much determined by the interests/hobbies of the Reporter running it. We all have different likes, and our contests very much reflect that.

Ideas can literally pop up at any time, and tend to hit you from out of the blue. I've brainstormed some of my best contests while doing repetitive chores that don't overtax the brain-cells, such as folding wash, doing dishes, or hauling wood. The majority of contests tend to be in the writing or photography genres because they are easiest to pull off with limited forum capabilities, but every so often someone will come up something amazingly unique such as:

 

What's the Password [This Time]

The Logic Challenge

Design a Contest (Sorry, couldn't help myself. :blush:)

Tanki Mythology

 

There are many, many more, of course, but these are a few of my favorites. :D

 

 

 

Phase 2: The Contest Page

 

Once a you've come up with an interesting idea, you need to start a topic in Newspaper Material.

 

 

 

 

After that's accomplished, you have to go through the process of creating your contest page... and trust me, it's a lot harder than it looks. Despite the relatively small amount of writing required, planning, designing, and formatting can suck up well more than an hour of your time. Thankfully, all contest pages tend to have rather specific elements in common, so once you've created one, you have a basic format for all the rest.

These key components are as follows: 

 

-Main Header  

-Introductory Blather

-The Rules 

-The Prizes

-'Tips' or 'Helpful Hints' 

-The Deadline

 

 

 

These 'elements' don't necessarily have to be in that order, but the vast majority of contests contain most, if not all of them. 

 

 

Phase 3: The Rules

 

The rules...possibly the most important part of the contest. While some vary from contest to contest, others can be found every single time. In fact, you guys are probably quite sick of seeing them, so today I'm going to take a look at a few of the most common rules and explain why they are what they are. 

 

No Plagiarism- This one seems like a bit of a no-brainer, but we still include it everywhere applicable because people do plagiarize. It is especially problematic in writing contests, where people can and do rip stuff off the internet to better their chances of winning those crystals. Posting a rule won't stop it, of course, but I'd like to think that it provides a bit of a deterrent...it is extremely hurtful to see people try and take advantage of the reporters and the paper and is always demoralizing when it happens.

 

No Reservation of Posts- The idea behind 'reserving' a post is that your contest entry will be closer to the top, thus having a better shot of being seen and eventually winning. 

Sounds legit, right?

Heh, actually, the idea is incredibly flawed, as reporters consider each and every eligible entry receive, no matter if it's on page 1 or 8. The judging criteria are skill and originality - not how many likes you receive or how close to the top you posted. And frankly, having a whole bunch of 'reserved' posts clutters up the first page and makes our job more difficult, especially when the contest ends and there are still reservations that weren't turned into an entry. 

 

 

 

Placing entries in spoilers- It's not always a rule, but when we ask you to do this, it's for good reason. Sifting through huge posts is not easy, and consistent use of spoilers makes dealing with entries a whole lot easier.

 

Overall, it's important to remember that we don't create rules 'just for funsies'. We try to ensure that things are always clear, reasonable, and professional.

 

 

Phase 4: And it's out!

 

This is the most exciting time of hosting a contest, because of you, dear readers. Or more accurately, it is the thrill of seeing your fantastic entries. The quality of work that people can do if they put their minds to it never ceases to amaze.

Once a contest has gone public, it is crucial for us Reporters to keep an eye on the chat lanes, both to monitor entries and answer any questions people might have. And yes, occasionally even to disqualify entrants.

 

 

Disqualification is, however, an extreme, last-resort option, and only done when an entrant shows a clear and absolute disregard for the rules that have been put in place. Thankfully, most of the time we are able to just sit back watch happily as a host of legit entries fill the chat. 

 

Then, when the proper number of days have elapsed, we get to close the contest by first posting a professional-looking 'this contest is closed' in the topic;

 

 

 

 

and then heading directly to the main contest page and to use our handy-dandy toolbox to lock the topic.

 

 

 

 

We always have to be quick on the draw though, and lock the topic as soon as possible after posting; tankers have this pernicious and hilarious habit of slipping a comment in before the contest is actually locked.

 

 

 

 

 

Phase 5: Choosing the Winners

 

Choosing three winners has always been my least favorite part of hosting a contest. Being forced to nominate 'the best' is a gut-wrenching, nerve-wracking experience.

Once I've finished bemoaning my abject stupidity for hosting a contest in the first place, I get down to it and start the blasted results topic. 

 

 

 

After that, I go through the entries of the contest and collect ten to fifteen of the very best. Of those, I regretfully pare down to the top seven...then the top five. Once I'm at this point, I put a call out to any of the other Reporters that care to look, and ask for second (and third) ((and fourth)) opinions on who should get that coveted first place. It is not a fun decision, to say the least. (I've been told that it gets easier with time and experience...not sure I believe that though.)

 

Once the official winners are decided, all that remains is to type in the names of the lucky contestants and assign crystals. The contest process is over...almost. 

 

 

Phase 6: Monitoring the Complaints 

 

Hosting contests for the newspaper has clearly taught me two things.

 

1. You can't make everyone happy.

2. The unhappy people are going to complain.

 

Not everyone has a vindictive streak, thank goodness. However, the ones that do can really make you question yourself, and your decisions. "Was I right? Did that guy deserve second instead of third? Did I miss something important?" 

Bah. We do our best to choose the deserving entries. Complaining about it won't help one whit.  

 

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And there you have it folks, the inside look at contest hosting. Is it what you expected? Can we all agree to never complain in a Results topic again? Be sure to leave your thoughts and comments below. 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2017 by Hexed

[VaudeVille 1,428]

Nice new logo ^

I used to think all the reporters discussed together on what contests should they come up with.

More brains = more ideas

[greyat 2,972]

 

(Soo, you probably won't be seeing 'Contest: Opera Singing' anytime soon.)

 

ok u asked for it

Edited March 19, 2016 by greyat
xaxaxaax

[TriNitroToIuene 4,765]

Heh, my contest is unique :wub:

[Zenyth 6,494]

you forgot how you secretly award the crystals :ph34r:

[KillerGnat 3,135]

You forgot to mention how annoying gnats will sometimes come and plead for you to accept their entries after the contests have been closed  :ph34r:.

[Night-Sisters 2,139]

you forgot how you secretly award the crystals :ph34r:

Reporters are not directly responsible for that, once we've chosen our winners and posted the results it's all on the admin. :)

[VaudeVille 1,428]

Heh, my contest is unique :wub:

yea, it definitely is.

[VaudeVille 1,428]

Reporters are not directly responsible for that, once we've chosen our winners and posted the results it's all on the admin. :)

BTW how are the crystals rewarded? Does the tech support help?

[applications 993]

Insinuating the Reporters are corrupt is not acceptable. Any further continuation will have consequences.

Edited March 19, 2016 by Lhamster

[Lethal_Injection 586]

Can we all agree to never complain in a Results topic again?

 

Lol I remember that time you gave me second in the "Design a Contest" contest. So much whining from everyone else!

[DragonOfStorms 2,706]

Very enlightening, I enjoyed reading this! How often do people totally ignore the rules?

[A_U_S_T_E_R_I_T_Y 382]

Reporters are not directly responsible for that, once we've chosen our winners and posted the results it's all on the admin. :)

I guess "Gold plz, "Admin"" will surely work here.

 

 

I do not say "Nice article" every time bcoz I know all you reporters are bad at writing. amazing at writing :P.

 

 

Edited March 22, 2016 by A_U_S_T_E_R_I_T_Y

[marc.jp_44 20,837]

Ok, you've told us how you design a Contest, now tell us how you design an Article or how you write your Article? I write my Articles simply on my iPad using Notes but I feel like you don't, how do you write yours? Another thing is, how do you make the Article look nice? Like using the right colours, etc. I can never nail the design aspect of my Articles.

[jharri19 2]

That was an interesting article, thanks for enlightening me. As always, someone has to ask questions! :D So please fork over some answers...

 

1) Will I be able to create a contest anytime soon?

2) What are the qualifications I have to meet if I can't design a contest?

3) Once a player designs a contest, how do they set the prize amount, and how is it dealt out to winners.

4) Because of consolations and stuff, what is the maximum amount of loot that can be dealt from a contest?

[snipe3000 678]

I like this article, I have never seen the forum from a moderator's viewpoint.

[marc.jp_44 20,837]

That was an interesting article, thanks for enlightening me. As always, someone has to ask questions! :D So please fork over some answers...

 

1) Will I be able to create a contest anytime soon?

2) What are the qualifications I have to meet if I can't design a contest?

3) Once a player designs a contest, how do they set the prize amount, and how is it dealt out to winners.

4) Because of consolations and stuff, what is the maximum amount of loot that can be dealt from a contest?

This post just made my day. Dying of laughter atm.