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Young Writers Society


Brand New Contests Section!



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Sat May 21, 2011 10:04 am
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Nate says...



Astute observers will notice a new link in the top navigation menu. Namely, a link titled 'Contests.'

I've been working on the contests section for almost three weeks now. It's a huge undertaking designed to make contest management for creators and participants as easy as possible.

So what does it do?

For Participants
Go to the contests forum, and it's difficult to tell which contests are open and which ones aren't. That's no longer the case. You can now see the contest deadline right on the contests index page, and those whose deadlines have expired won't appear at all on the contests index page.

Submitting entries is also much easier. If the submission process is open, meaning you post the work in the forums first, then you just go and submit the topic id. Everything else is taken care of for you. If the submission process is closed, then there's a handy form that allows you to easily submit the work to the contest judges without dealing with private messages or e-mails.

Moreover, once the contest is over and the judges have made their choices, all participants are notified. Of course, the winners get customized private messages, but I figure it's nice to know regardless of whether you win or not that the winners have been picked.

There's also the new watchlist, which allows you to easily keep track of any contests you're interested in.


For Contest Creators
The real meat, though, of the new contests section is in how it helps creators.

Instead of having a free-form contest creation process, everyone now must fill out a form. You're still allowed a lot of freedom of course; the form just ensures that you don't forget some important stuff (such as the deadline). The form also allows you to pick up to five judges to help you out with your contest.

However, all contests now must go through an approval process. This process merely consists of a global moderator taking a look at your contest and deciding whether or not it should go through. That's not as bad as it may sound; all the moderator is really looking for is good grammar and that you wrote up a decent enough description. If your contest is rejected, then you're given as many opportunities as you need to get it right. So really, the approval process is just a way of making your contest as good as it can be.

After the contest is approved, it goes to the contests index page where people can find it. Once people start submitting, you can view their entries from the View Entries page (accessible via your contest page), but there's not much left to do until the deadline comes up.

Once the deadline arrives, you and all your judges get a PM letting you know that it's time to judge. At this time, when you go to the View Entries you'll notice that you can vote on first, second, and third place. Once you and your judges have made your picks, the contest system makes recommendations as to who takes what. If you don't like the recommendations, you can overrule it with your picks. Your also able to write a customized PM to each winner right from the View Entries page.

If any of the above sounds complicated, don't worry: it's not. On each step of the way, there are prompts and notifications to help you out. The entire idea is to streamline contest management and to make it much easier. Entries are gathered all in one place, judges can make their picks without having to send you a PM, and you don't need to go through the bother of writing a PM to each winner. It really is incredibly simplified.


But, not finished yet
The section isn't entirely done yet. I still need to plug contests into the notifications area, and there's a few sorting tools to the index page that I want to add (such as allowing you to send only contests you've entered). However, it is pretty much done now.

If you run into any bugs, please use the 'report a site bug' thread. As this is an incredibly complex addition to YWS, please expect bugs.

With that said, have fun!
  





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Sat May 21, 2011 10:28 am
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Lava says...



I'm astute! :D :D

YUS! I love this!
Once the deadline arrives, you and all your judges get a PM letting you know that it's time to judge.
I love this too!
~
Pretending in words was too tentative, too vulnerable, too embarrassing to let anyone know.
- Ian McEwan in Atonement

sachi: influencing others since GOD KNOWS WHEN.

  





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Sat May 21, 2011 10:31 am
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Yuriiko says...



This is so awesome! YAY!
"Life is a poem keep it in the present tense." -Sherrel Wigal
  





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Sat May 21, 2011 2:51 pm
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LadySpark says...



WONDERFUL! By the way, I created a contest and I love how it works!
hush, my sweet
these tornadoes are for you


-Richard Siken


Formerly SparkToFlame
  





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Sat May 21, 2011 3:26 pm
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Kagi says...



This will be brilliant. I can't wait.
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Sat May 21, 2011 4:19 pm
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Jagged says...



Image
Lumi: they stand no chance against the JAG SAFETY BLANKET
  





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Sat May 21, 2011 5:37 pm
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RacheDrache says...



This is fantastic!

I'm wondering, though, if is there a way that entries could be kept anonymous for judging. I don't think anyone intentionally lets bias toward or against one member...well, bias the results, but (especially because I have a serious contest going on right now) I'd like to know as a judge that who wrote it had nothing to do with what I picked.
I don't fangirl. I fandragon.

Have you thanked a teacher lately? You should. Their bladder control alone is legend.
  





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Sat May 21, 2011 5:45 pm
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GryphonFledgling says...



Astute observers will notice a new link in the top navigation menu.

*is not an astute observer*

Oh so very cool. Maybe I'll go... contest.
I am reminded of the babe by you.
  





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Sun May 22, 2011 10:43 pm
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ultraviolet says...



Can you *like* contests now?
"Blah blah blah. You feel trapped in your life. Here is what I am hearing: happiness isn't worth any inconvenience."

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Sun May 22, 2011 10:47 pm
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RacheDrache says...



Also, concerning contests made in the old forum that aren't closed yet... should the judges of that contest (for instance, me) make a new thing in the new contest section?
I don't fangirl. I fandragon.

Have you thanked a teacher lately? You should. Their bladder control alone is legend.
  





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Mon May 23, 2011 12:41 am
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Nate says...



Everyone ->> Now that the contests section has been running for a couple days, is there anything you'd like to see changed or added?

RachaelElg wrote:Also, concerning contests made in the old forum that aren't closed yet... should the judges of that contest (for instance, me) make a new thing in the new contest section?


You can if you want, and that way you could also take advantage of all the features the Contests section offers. However, it's not necessary and the contests forum will remain open until all current contests posted there are over.
  





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Mon May 23, 2011 9:56 am
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Matt Bellamy says...



I love it. :D
Matt.

Got Tumblr? Me too! http://www.writersam.co.uk

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Sat May 28, 2011 12:46 am
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Jas says...



Hiya!

I have a couple of suggestions, if that's okay.

1. I currently have a contest running where people post a letter in the comments and I give them a song that they use as inspiration to write a story. I was wondering if there was an easier way to PM the people who commented, because I have to write down their names, search it and go to their profile, just to give them the song they need. Even if it's just their name as a link to their profile, like we have on the forums, it would be much easier.

2. Some sort of way to PM all the contestants at once to give new information or deadline updates.

That's it for right now. I had another idea but I can't remember it right now. :D

Thanks Nate!

~jas
I am nothing
but a mouthful of 'sorry's, half-hearted
apologies that roll of my tongue, smoothquick, like 'r's
or maybe like pocket candy
that's just a bit too sweet.

~*~
  





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Sat May 28, 2011 1:52 am
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Nate says...



Jasmine, the comments section of all contests will be getting an upgrade either tonight or tomorrow. That upgrade will give the comments a bit more flair, and have links for going to the person's profile or to send them a PM.

However, the second suggestion is impractical.
  





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Sat May 28, 2011 2:06 am
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Jas says...



Oh, cool. :)
I am nothing
but a mouthful of 'sorry's, half-hearted
apologies that roll of my tongue, smoothquick, like 'r's
or maybe like pocket candy
that's just a bit too sweet.

~*~
  








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