NDA Art Critique Message Boards

Okay, I hate being a whistle blower, but listen up!
This is not meaningless spam, and I do apologize for the upcoming long description.

The conquest boards had been cluttered with contests started without ANY effort behind them. If you're going to start a contest, please follow these simple rules.

1. Do not start a contest that is already in existance. If by chance one has started and doesn't seem to be active anymore post a "Is this contest still going?" picture. If the holder does not reply in 3 days you may start the contest.

2. THINK THROUGH your contest. You MUST have a good idea and background for your contest. If you have an idea, develope it. Do NOT just type "Chobits contest" or something without rules, requirements or even prizes.

3. Type all rules and requirements out in a LIST form PLEASE. It is much easier to read instead of a paragraph form. It also helps to give people the correct idea about a contest.

4. Strange Requirements are what make a contest unique and interesting. For example: The most recent contest held by Michellle was the Mermaid without an Ocean background. A great idea. It CHALLENGES people. So please think this through and try and have some requiremnts that are out there. If you'd rather have an open ended (lack of strange requirements like saying "Do it how ever you see it") contest, this is alright, but please be sure that it is an ORGINAL open ended contest.

5. Please be ACTIVE almost the entire if not the ENTIRE time your contest is going. Please visit EVERY day if possible to see any questions, update with information about entries so far, and gather information about how your contest is going. DO NOT start a contest then go on vacation till who knows when. That's why the board gets cluttered with "Is this contest still going" pictures.

6. Please be courteous. If there is a dispute please bring it to Miyu's/Azure's/ or My attention. We will deal with it as quickly as possible.

7. I will warn people from now on that I think their contest needs more "Developement" If I find that it is too "spamy." If you recieve this warning please feel free to ask how it could be improved. This warning is not an insult, but a suggestion to improve the contest so that is more fun, orginal, and will recieve more entries.

8. Prizes. Prizes. Prizes. I understand that most of you have a problem admitting your artistic talent, but please do your best to give prizes away. People like to entry if they have a chance to win their character drawn by you. A contest without prizes is much LESS likely to be entered. It is not a requirement, but please do your best to make prizes.

9. Finally, if you don't recieve entries it's because not enough people know or have time for your contest. If the contest board is really busy with all sorts of new contests then you might not get entries. Try waiting untill people have ended their contests, or if you really must start it now, give people a LONG amount of time to get it finished. If you do this though, be warned, most entries will be put off to the end. WE ARE ALL PROCRASTINATORS :D. Do not be offended if your contests isn't entered. I don't think anyone can enter ALL the contests, so please just place reminders every two days or so depending on the business of the board to remind people that your contest is stil going. If you REALLY must cancel, please do it politely, and do not whine about how no one entered your contest. DO NOT CANCEL YOUR CONTEST WITHIN THE FIRST FIVE DAYS. Give people at least FIVE days to enter. Do not assume that because no one entered the first day that no one is going to enter. Keep posting reminders throughout the five days.

THAT IS ALL, you may now resume your Contesting, but please keep all guidelines in mind.

These are NOT rules, but they are suggestions to keep the contest board clean. If these suggestions aren't followed no mod action will be taken, but polite comments to help improvement of your contest will be posted. In only the case of an arguement will any moding be involved.

1) Please check to make sure the contest idea you have is not already running. To avoid repeat-contests, you may not/should not create the exact same contest as one that has run within the last Month. Two months leeway would be great.

2) Put thought and effort into the rules and guidelines for your contest, to make it interesting and creative... it will get you more entries and interest if its a challenge, plus the more effort given to create the contest, the more effort will be given by the entrants.

3) If you have a contest (or two or three...) running already, do not start another until your previous one is finished.

4) If you have not passed out prizes for your previous contests you may not start another until you have done so. This will benefit not only the state of the boards by minimizing spam-contest, but it will also benefit the contest creators, because people will be more willing to enter if they know they will get recognition.

5) On this note, Make sure you put a similar amount of effort into your prizes as the entrants did on the winning entries. If someone entered a 3 hour picture into your contest and got first place... dont give them a 10 minute sketch with some color splashed on. Give what you get, and you'll get what you give.

6) Give a realistic Finish date. Three months from the day you start the contest is too far. Your contest, as well as entries, will get swallowed by the boards, and People will forget about it (especially if you forget to update). Two weeks to a month is Plenty of Time to get entries, and if someone needs more time, they'll ask for it.

Keep in mind, these are just suggestions, but they are for all of our benefits... They are good things to keep in mind when starting or creating a contest.
Again, any more suggestions would be great. And don't hesitate to ask any questions. You can Private Message me or any of the other mods via the forum, or email me (kanadra@gmail.com).