ashbirdoracle
2005-03-05 01:26 pm UTC (link)

I can't speak for anyone else, but for me the fun of the contests is gone after the way you handled my last entry. You decided it didn't match the theme or some such thing and you deleted it. Then you turned around and said I didn't make it anyhow since my friend sent it to me. I did make it by resizing it to fit the parameters. Isn't that what we do with images we find online?? I dunno, but I am just totally turned off by the attitude. I am sure you had your reasons for acting that way, but the end result is that I no longer care to participate. I don't want to be treated that way again. Besides that, the categories are often odd. What kind of image could one make for the 3-fold rule?? It is too vague.

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5150bytch
2005-03-05 02:45 pm UTC (link)

You have to try and understand why I disqualified your last entry. It wasn't some sort of personal vendetta against you, since I loved the fact that you were one of the few people that always submitted something to our contests.

The reason it was disqualified was because of the fact that it wasn't an icon you had made yourself, and because of the fact that it wasn't an icon specifically made for the contest, as is stated in the rules. I haven't come across any icon communities that allow you to submit someone elses work, nor allowed you to submit something you had made in the past, but maybe I haven't looked hard enough.

I actually liked the icon! I thought it was pretty and was even considering snagging it. I would have let it stay in the contest had I not been given proof by another member that the icon was not yours. Now if you can show me proof that you are the creator of the icon, I will issue a formal appology for the whole community to see, and will let everyone know that I was wrong for disqualifying the icon. I am not an egotistical person, and I know when to swallow my pride and admit I am wrong.

I like you, I really do. I think you are a sweet person and that you have a lot of beautiful things to share with the world, and with this community.

As for the topic's being odd, I have to agree that they are. But honestly I'm plum out of ideas, and my idea post didn't give me much imput as to what people would like to see. I was considering tossing the idea around of letting the winner of the contest choose the next theme. Do you think that would work better, or am I just beating a dead horse.

I don't want you to stop participating. I honestly and truly don't, and I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart if you feel I treated you in an unjust and unfriendly manner. That was never my intent, nor is it something I'd wish to do to any of the other members here.

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ashbirdoracle
2005-03-12 11:51 am UTC (link)

Thank you for the explanation. It is nice to know there were no hard feelings. I don't need a formal apology or anything like that.

I don't have icon-making software. I just find images from the web and from friends and then either resize them directly or edit them for content. I can't add text or make creative borders, but I was happy doing that much. I enjoyed doing it and I liked knowing that others were enjoying the images.

I don't even remember now what image it was that was removed, but I do remember how it felt to have it disqualified. It felt like a slap in the face. I have read the next entry by Koorigashi where she says the image wasn't mine and that she knows who it belongs to. I am responding to that here. As I have said, I got the image from a friend and I resized it to fit the parameters of our contest. I don't know where my friend got it. I don't know how come it was bigger when I got it from him, but I did resize it and I don't appreciate the implication that I did something dishonest.

Since it is possible that the same thing could happen again with an image I find or am given, I just don't want to be involved anymore with the process until perhaps I get some image-editing software where I can be sure to have altered more than the size. Don't want to be accused again of something I didn't do. Bleh.

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koorigashi
2005-03-05 05:16 pm UTC (link)

I don't know if I'm overstepping my boundaries here, but I thought it was my place to say a few things because I was the one that pointed out your submission to the mods.

First of all, the icon was not yours. It wasn't simply a matter of altering a base and adding text, or resizing the picture. Regardless of having been sent the icon, you did not make it and therefore could not enter it into the contest because you would be breaking two rules (ie not your own work, was not made for the contest). I understand and agree that sometimes the contest themes are a bit vague, but that is no reason to enter a contest fully knowing that the icon you are using to submit came from an unknown source and therefore was highly likely to be someone else's work.

You say that you made it "by resizing it to fit the parameters". I don't believe this. If it was an all-ready made icon, it would fit the parameters - 100x100 pixels, 40kB. I know for a fact that the owner is Blumchen of Livejournal, and she has won an award for her icon. She wouldn't be allowed to enter it into an icontest if it didn't fit the parameters, let alone win an award for it.

Now, I don't mean to come off as a bitch or anything; this is just how I see it unfolding. As

5150bytch has said, I like you, and I admire that you enter every contest. I think your icons have steadily been improving. I'd hate for a misunderstanding like this to ruin your eagerness to involve yourself in future contests.

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	koorigashi 2005-03-05 04:50 pm UTC (link)
	Eee! I think many people left because the community was becoming inactive, and so didn't see the contest post. >.< I'd have entered, but I'm dealing with personal stuff at home right now. If/when the contest does run, I'll still be happy to make banners. :) (Reply to this)

	princessvixen 2005-03-06 05:03 pm UTC (link)
	I don't post in the contests because I do not know how to make them, I honestly came here to learn and hoped that someone would teach me??? New to all of this stuff. But the icons posted by everyone have been awesome and I have given much deserved credit to those that I used them from. Vixie (Reply to this)

silverunicorn
2005-03-07 06:44 pm UTC (link)

I realize that I haven't been very active in this community, and most of you probably didn't realize that I was here. I admit to being a lurker.

It seems to me that there hasn't been much new work in the community at all lately. I think people have left... But, I'm still here. I haven't been able to enter the contests because school and life have proven harsh to me this year. But, if you were to post them again. I would be willing to enter and try.

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krystalamethyst
2005-03-08 08:57 am UTC (link)

I attempted to find some stock images to create an icon from, but found nothing pretty, inspirational, or relevant enough to fly with. The theme was kinda hard, the only thing I could think of to make an icon relate to the theme was to put text on it, stating the threefold rule. But that's kind of a lot of text, which would fit nicely if I could get it to scroll accross the bottom or something... But I don't have a program that can do that, I only have Photoshop.

I'm not making excuses, I'm just telling everybody what went through my head during the week of the contest.

I guess it just wasn't the right contest for me. I figured I'd enter "next time" and I was eager to participate by casting my vote, but... since no one entered...

yeah. I *will* enter the next contest, it would be very exciting I think, yes yes indeed. I've never entered a contest in this community before and its on my list of things to do before I die.

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kelandris
2005-03-08 05:23 pm UTC (link)

I willingly cop to not checking DJ in a long, long time. Anyone who wants to read my last entry knows part of why. Also, two months ago, my neurologist put me on one of the freakiest drugs imaginable, Topamax. (Reason I've been tossing the link far and wide to folks is that they haven't been believing me on how DEEPLY weird it is without visual proof.)

So I've been adjusting. I'm also going in for surgery on the 18th. I'm kinda busy. And I, for some reason, went into a great bout of ICON ANGST (yeah, yeah, I know, why the hell, and why the hell now, I have no idea, but there it was) and stopped making icons for a while. I was gripped by this thing of not having PSP, and making sucky icons, and not wanting to make MORE sucky icons, and...it was this whole big head thing I'll stop now.

At any rate, those are my reasons; after I'm up and around again, if you don't mind me entering my low-res aliased-to-Hel-and-back works, I'll be more than happy to enter future contests, okay? It's just that I got loopy with the side effects, went suddenly vegetarian, had my stomach attack me, scheduled a surgery...I've been kind of busy, you know? :)

I'm sorry the contest didn't go well. What was it?

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sister_moon
2005-03-08 09:23 pm UTC (link)

I did not enter the contest because 1. I didnt know there was a contest till sunday when I checked my journal. I havent been checking it as much lately because I havent wanted to update my journal. Been to blah about stuff so I stayed away from my journal. And 2. I dont know how to make icons and I'm not even sure if I have the right software to make icons. I am still really confused about that. So I am sorry. Maybe I will figure out how to make icons and then can make some for the contests. I do always try to vote if I catch it in time.

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sixteenth
2005-03-12 04:15 am UTC (link)

You should whore the community and get more members who are actually interested in participating. If I can get people who are willing to post on a poetry theme every week, you can get people who are willing to post on an icon theme.

I would help you, but I think that the way to go is to whore in a community and to send invitations out to people with interests that suggest that they are in to making icons and, more specifically, icons which pertain to this community. I wouldn't suggest whoring in people's journals. But invitations are most likely sure to do the trick.

I would make an icon, simply to help the activity rise, despite my sucking at making them, but it's past midnight, and I have no idea as to what the threefold rule is. Maybe that is what kept others from participating. Do they know what the rule is?

Ah, well, anyway. I wish you luck in getting the community active again, and I am more than positive that you can do it. I hope you care enough to put the effort in to it. (:

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lilprknchz87
2005-03-20 12:24 am UTC (link)

Since all my graphics making stuff has expired I apologize for not participating. I'm not good w/contests but it would be most refreshing if we had different kinds. If not everyone can do graphics here are some suggestions:
>Submit taken pictures of art [made by person of course]
>Photography of creative wiccan related topics
>Making of other graphics to share or do a contest about.
>If anyone here has a familiar or close animal friend submit pictures & stories.
It doesn't hafta be contests just activities or anything. IDK. I tried.

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