Designer Contest Comparisons

I was never a competitive kind of person, and contests are competition. Part of me doesn't care what the outcome will be, while another part of me does care. So does anyone care if I postulate a bit on the two contests I entered? Well, I going to anyway. :D I'm also saying it here before any eliminations have been made at SAS or the voting has closed at either forum. After all, I don't want to be accused of sour grapes.

Here's the lowdown: My kit for the first week at SAS has been downloaded a total of 274 times (at the time of this writing). By my calculations, 1 person out of every 34 who downloaded it, voted for it. I appreciate those who did give me a vote. I realize that voting is very subjective. The contestants are putting up addons (just as I did), making LOs and posting them in the gallery, everything short of buying votes. In the end, it is still subjective. If you like a particular designer, you vote for that designer. That may not be the best work there, but you like that person, so you vote for that person. It's more like you are voting for a person's entire porfolio rather than just one kit. (Remember, these are all purely my opinions and opinions aren't worth much.)

The whole process shows that I am not a networker, a businesswoman. I don't do lunch. I guess I'm old-fashioned enough to believe that my work should stand or fall on its merits, not on whether someone likes all my work or knows me. But in this subjective world of digiscrap contests, the work doesn't really stand or fall on its own merits. IOW, not on whether the kit is well made, but on its appeal to the eye and who made it. So in this subjective world, I will continue to make what I find attractive, appealing, worthwhile. I cannot bend to making what everyone else is making just to make a buck. I do try to make my kits appealing, I have much to learn, and am learning new things each day. I still believe in honesty in all facets of my life and character. Jesus said, Be like Me. He gives the power, so my trush is in Him, even in the world of digiscrap contests.

I very well not make the 75% at SAS who go to the next round. I will never know whether or not it was because my work was not of high enough quality, or because it just didn't appeal to the eye of the beholder for whatever reason. Or if it is because people grab and run. They got the freebies, but didn't take the time to vote.

At DAC, there are no elimination rounds. Everyone has a fair and equal chance if they complete all rounds. While they may be weak in one area, they may show strength in another area. Allowing all contestants to complete the entire contest gives each one an equal chance. That isn't possible at SAS. Those who are in the botton 25% the first week will be eliminated and never have the opportunity to show if they would do better in the next rounds.

Each forum, of course, sets its own rules, as is their right and privilege. But what if those rules are bent? Just what is fair? Is it fair to those who read everything concerning the contest and followed the rules to accept the entries of those who didn't? Is it fair to those who never saw and read everything to eliminate them because they didn't follow the rules? What if someone who didn't follow all the rules becomes a winner? Who can say whether or not they had an advantage because in "fairness" their entries were accepted? But someone could say it was an advantage in their favor that the rest didn't have. Whose responsibility is it to be sure that they have read and understand all conditions regarding the contest? Both forums have had to make the decisions about those who didn't follow all the rules exactly.

The difference in rules is notable. SAS eliminates the bottom layer (25%) of contestants and anyone could enter as long as they didn't sell at SAS. At DAC, there is no elimination, and anyone who didn't sell anyplace was eligible to enter. Needless to say, there are professional designers (those already selling) in the SAS contest, and none in the DAC contest. It's easy to see who would seem to have the best advantage to win at SAS. But what may seem like an advantage may be none at all. In the end there will be a few winners, and some non-winners. Non-winners, because all who enter will have learned something about contests, about digiscrapping, about ourselves.

SAS left up the first challenge from last year's contest. Before this year's contest started, I took the color palette and made a mini kit with it for practice. I am offering it to you today, just for fun and to get if off my HD. lol. Please notice that I have also put up 2 polls. I have done this to help me learn a little more about how my kits are seen by others. So even if you are in such a rush grabbing freebies that you can't leave a comment, won't you at least take the time to do the poll? Thanks



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