Extended contests

When a contest is extended for 14 days or turned to blind etc, the amount in the contest stays the same, when a contest is extended can some of that money in the prize?

It's $19 for extended contest and $39 for a blind contest, the minimum prize is the same as having a standard contest without these, but extensions and blind contests appear or go blind after a few hours, sometimes a day or 2.

annoying when suddenly a contest is turned blind after some submissions have been made, this is annoying when a designer asks for it to go blind.

I agree designers should not be asking for contest to go blind midway through the contest

As far as prize increase we encourage this at the time of extending but can't make them increase it.

Thanks sharie, so the contest prize money is separate from the extras (blind, extended..) the contest holders have?

These amounts are completely separate, The contestholder does have the option to increase the contest prize amount at anytime,many do increase

I also think it is annoying when a contest suddenly get's blind. And this gives advantage to the ones that saw the entries (and the rating and the feedbacks if it has) before geting blind. You see some entries, you see if the CH likes them and what he thinks and then ask him to make it blind so no one of the new designers can't see what was before. I think it is unfair. I suggest there to be some kind of punishment to the ones who ask the CH for blind contest

Edited by savina, 12 January 2013 - 05:59 PM.

I agree with Savina - it should be against the rules to ask/beg CH to make an open contest blind mid-way through. It makes it sound as if designers can't be trusted to not steal designs/concepts, so if you make it blind, that won't happen. I think CH can tell if a designer is copying another designer and those designs should be reported if that is the issue. I think infractions should occur for asking/begging CH to make contest blind.

Dislike. Punish me.
I do ask CH to make contest blind often, when I see lots of copycats within a contest. Impossible to report all of them. I still believe, that mods should be more involved in the process. I repeat, we don't have too much contest running (about 30-40), and mods are able to check them more frequently by removing entries with obvious violations. I see only advantages of converting visible contests to the blind contests, especially on early stages. I don't know whether mods get money for that, if not, hire someone. Really )

BTW, it's not a rule violation, read: https://www.designco...ng-in-a-contest

By asking and explaining the option of blind contests we make the comment relevant to the contest itself and it's good for CH. It's good for DC also.

BTW, usually, top rated designer within a contest ask CH to make the contest blind, because everybody start copying THEIR ideas.

May be it should be in the rules

Eximius,
As I read in the forums the CH's are fully informed of this option before starting the contest. Sometimes designers mislead them saying there will be better designs if the contest is blind. There are advantiges of the non blind contests too, do you explain them to the CH?
Maybe the top rated designers should be more confident in their skills and believe the copier wouldn't make better design. There are options for reporting designs and punishments so the designers should be carefull not to copy other designs.

whatever... I am confident im my skills, but lots of people here just ripping the designs and ideas. So I waste my time on reporting, arguing, defending and chatting, instead of concentrating on my work...

" CH's are fully informed of this option before starting the contest" – CHs doesn't understand nuances until they start getting entries... Sometimes CH needs to be reminded how to conduct the contest efficiently, by participating in the process, provide feedbacks, etc, etc... Before opening contest they don't have a full picture, especially those who run contest for the first time...

Edited by eximius, 12 January 2013 - 09:12 PM.

And if they make the contest blind some of them don't realize they have to give better brief (especialy the chart) and don't rate and don't give enough feedback so you don't know what he wants and just shoot in the dark and give milions of ideas and corrections hoping to hit.

I think there is then an unfair advantage when an open contest goes blind. Some designers got to see all other entries entered up to that point and read the feedback and comments, and others did not see anything if they didn't enter until it was blind. Also, how do you ensure that a designer that had just been watching the contest doesn't enter the contest now that it is blind with a concept or design similar to top-rated designs? Since it is now blind, you won't be able to see if someone copied your design to report them. :-/

"Also, how do you ensure that a designer that had just been watching the contest doesn't enter the contest now that it is blind with a concept or design similar to top-rated designs? Since it is now blind, you won't be able to see if someone copied your design to report them. :-/"

–– That is why we have moderators and they should moderate blind contest properly

As I know they also don't see the blind entries

I think our Mods do a great job! Although, they are not allowed to moderate a blind contest if they have entered it.

All fair points in this thread, I can see sides this fairly,

Design Contest have extra money coming in when a contest goes blind, currently this is not allocated fully or partially to the prize fund.

designers that have submitted entries before a contest goes blind are unfortunate as it currently stands.

I read somewhere about sharing the spoils/prize, I think if a contest goes blind after a few entries have been submitted, the final gold/winner should have to forfeit something towards the designer that entered that particular concept if it was not a generic concept. Maybe this would be on purpose or a genuine case, this really cannot be proven.

It seems to be a grey line on the 'asking for blind' question rule, sharie's opinion in this thread is that blind shouldn't be requested for.
Back to DC earning more money from a blind contest, cannot this be distributed partially somehow for the designers that have submitted designs before the contest went blind? even if it's $1 each or something?
I am starting to understand more the reasons why many designers wait until late in a non blind contest until submitting an entry, maybe we should all follow this? The CH wouldn't get many designs at first until he/she upped the prize or went to blind. Food for thought, do we all wait for more money? DC are probably eager in their system for a contest to go blind, more cash for them, keeps the website running and us all active in new contests, this money pays for staff, advertising, promotions and community contests. A decision to wait until you submit a design is a gamble, probably as much as submitting early, currently it's a choice each designer has to make.

@ Eximus, the page of rules could be thought of either way, it mentions using the forums for anything contest related and only certain criteria can be discussed in the contest thread, my opinion the rule needs to be more clear, can we or can we not ask for contest to go blind. It's a good and bad thing asking for blind, I agree.. a majority of designers here are honest and usually have a concept immediately after reading the brief, this shows in the designs submitted, but you get the few crafty and dishonest ones that make this a discussion of integrity and loyalty to each other.

Ok I think it's good as is after much thought, I don't see alot of contests going blind after day 2 or so... hey! if I have submitted a design and then the contest goes blind, if I find that the winner has used something from my design there will be thunder and lightening.

Thanks for the opinions in this thread guys, it's good for us to head towards a happy solution.

The mods do a great job indeed PaintedPony, I have much respect for them (even if do not show the love at times) lol