[Ldraw-content] Forwarding thoughts about the MOTM/SOTM contest

[LDraw]

hi,

I'll forward the following email. if you feel this belongs more to the 
steerco please let me know.

w.




 >----Messaggio originale----
Da: zach.best at gmail.com
Data: 16-ott-2006 7.05 PM
A: <WILLY.TSCHAGER at tin.it>
Ogg: Re: LDraw.org MOTM/SOTM Relaunch


Hi,

Thank you for restarting the MOTM/SOTM.  I am excited to take part in 
the challenges.

I would like to propose a change to MOTM/SOTM.

As it stands, the challenges are very unfocused. A person can basically 
use any model they have built in ages past.  Scenes are a little 
different, but many times old works can be used.  There is also a 
discrepancy in who "wins."  Are we supposed to judge each separately? 
Well we want our favorite entry to win, but how do you decide between 
clever (bonsai tree) vs. technical (starship) vs. cool (???)?  It seems 
so mish-mash.

The change I would like to propose is to have a monthly theme for each 
MOTM/SOTM.  The themes can be really simple and ambiguous (see the 
Internet Ray Tracing Contest irtc.org for ideas).

I think this would help the MOTM/SOTM for the following reasons:
(1) Focus.  Part of the MOTM/SOTM is to give other LDRAW users ideas. 
We want to share knowledge.  When you have a 50,000 piece starship 
sitting next to a 500 piece vignette, the reader loses focus.  They 
can't compare how the builder of the starship created his radar dishes 
to how the vignette builder posed the minifig.  If the challenges were 
themed, a reader could do exactly that.  There would be a bigger reason 
to compare what has been entered and thereby expand the reader's 
knowledge of Lego and LDRAW.
(2) Interest. While I can't speak for everyone, a 
'submit-whatever-you-want' contest is not interesting.  This directly 
correlates with focus.  An unfocused challenge will not draw the 
interest that the MOTM/SOTM has the potential to draw. If the monthly 
challenge has a theme, I believe the interest in those challenges will 
increase.  First is the creativity factor.  A theme will force people to 
draw upon the theme in a creative manner.  You don't want your entry to 
look like everyone elses.  The use of the brain in this manner leads to 
a more fun experience.  Second is the technical factor. You were playing 
with Legos the other day and came up with a creative way to use certain 
parts.  If people are closely examining your entry because it is similar 
enough to their own that they might find ways to improve upon it, this 
technical expertise will become more apparent.  Less experienced 
modelers will be able to get better ideas in a easier swallowed form 
than the current MOTM/SOTM, and more experienced modelers will enjoy the 
competition and new ideas that are brought.
(3) Community Strength. Finally, I will come up on my last factor. 
LDRAW is a very powerful tool and can be a fun past time. The first 
place people go to look is most likely ldraw.org, and there people will 
want examples.  What better way to give examples than themed challenges. 
  Sure, people can kind of do that anyway with the current MOTM/SOTM, 
but in that case they are wading through lots of randomness.  Look at 
how IRTC.org works, they only show you the top entries when you click on 
the bi-monthly contest, but if you want you can see all of them. Finally 
it gives people something to look forward to.  It is not very exciting 
to look forward to "just submitting another model."  It is exciting to 
look forward to seeing the new theme and then coming up with a new 
model/scene for that theme.  Which is my final point, the draw of a 
themed contest is greater than an unthemed contest.  More people will be 
interested, leads to a better contest, leads to more enthusiasm in 
LDRAW, circle on ad infinitum.

Thank you for your time and consideration. You may forward this to 
whomever you feel should read it.

Sincerely,

Zach Best