And voila! I am here. :)
Like I said in my PM, I like the fact that mediums aren't being restricted- but I'm also concerned about how it's going to be judged. I was briefly thinking we set up a system of four(+) categories in which we are able to loosely "rate" each entry; form, positioning, color, how well the theme was captured, (and possibly like a "special" category for entries that just... stand out!).
Yes, I really like this, and I think this should definitely become a part of the competition. Will give people more chance to be winners ^^
Now on to nit picky things!
How are participants going to submit their work? Are they going to post their work in the thread or will they PM their entries to you, in order to be reposted in the voting phase anonymously (something that's actually quite useful in contests like this; prevents favoritism).
I was going to have the entries posted to me, and the voting done anonymously, yes. It seems like the fairest option available, no?
How exactly should judging be done? Should there be a poll in the thread in order to let members post their favorite entry, which we can take into consideration when we officially judge them amongst ourselves? Or should everyone be able to use the above rating method to choose a winner.
I think outside voting should only be a part of the overall judging. I think, in terms of the voting, there should be a score awarded for votes given by the users, and the piece with most votes would get the highest score in that category. But I was thinking of having other scores given by us, the judges, that would ultimately decide the outcome. Of course, the viewers votes will count, and matter, but wont be the only deciding factor.
Should there be a first, second, third set up? Or just a winner and participants?
Yes, I think, in-keeping with the Olympics, there should be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place set-up.
Giving people full reign on the kind of piece they make is, I think, the strongest point here. And I think that kind of freedom is what makes this so appealing. The only thing I can think to suggest is perhaps a size restriction? Like no bigger than 800 x 800 or something. But that again comes back to creating one unifying element so each piece is easier to judge.
A size restriction sounds sensible, and is something I didn't think of, so thanks for that :) I'll add that to the rules too.
Sorry for being so voting-centric. I've always found while running competitions like this that everything up until the voting/judging is easy; but actually setting up a system to select a winner can be a chore. :x
Then I'm all the more glad for your input! :) I'm not very experienced in this, so any advice you have, help and so on is always appreciated. Especially coming from you, as mod of A&D :P