Your input on challenges

AlanRatcliffe · 2013-11-01T14:01:11+00:00

After years of hard work for no reward, Rene has bowed out of running the monthly challenges. Kudos to him for all he's done on this front. Now, entries have been falling off of late anyway, so I'm wondering if it's worth keeping going in its current format. Yes, it's valuable exercise and a learning experience for those who take part, but it is time consuming for someone to run and often many of us just don't have the time to take part. So, as I see it, there are two ways to approach continuing with it: 1. Appoint someone else to run it and keep it as is. Preferably someone who will also take part (I don't see a problem with that - it's member vote-based not judges) and someone who will nag people to take part and help winners choose open-ended topics that will draw more entries. 2. I run it myself, but make it a once-a-year special event with sponsored prizes, a long lead time and generally a lot more bruhaha. Opinions? Comments?

AlanRatcliffe

Thanks everyone for the input so far. I am paying attention (but haven't wanted to influence the direction by chiming in beyond the OP) and really like what I'm reading so far. I'm just going to newsletter this to bring in some outlying opinion and then I'll take some decisions.

Renesongs

Id just like to add that it has been more a pleasure than a burden running the competition. I felt that interest had been flagging over the last few months and it was high time that the challenge got a fresh face. I think that either option has it's merits and the potential to reinvigorate the challenge. I have in the passed refrained from entering the challenge myself knowing that mine would be either the only entry or one of a pitiful few. In future I won't be able us this excuse for not participating ?

petercornell

Well done Rene

I am not a guitarist, but enjoy all things guitar, especially recording them, and the electronics behind it all.

If there is an annual challenge, I will build a custom stompbox for the winner.

Something along the lines of a Germanium Rangemaster, something interesting.

Waaaaail away lads!

Peter

FruitarGeek

petercornell wrote If there is an annual challenge, I will build a custom stompbox for the winner.

I will hold you to this! haha.

But Rene you have done a good job, and I am looking forward to FINALLY hearing your entries

evolucian

Ah well... it was fun while it lasted. Admittedly I got bored with a one month deadline and forgot about it in the end. Not to mention my mental state has never been good - degrading even further these last few months.

If its not too much inconvenience to the standard entries I'll post one challenge now and again to whomever is interested as I have to get back into songwriting and experimentation myself.

Hammeron

evolucian wrote Ah well... it was fun while it lasted. Admittedly I got bored with a one month deadline and forgot about it in the end. Not to mention my mental state has never been good - degrading even further these last few months.

If its not too much inconvenience to the standard entries I'll post one challenge now and again to whomever is interested as I have to get back into songwriting and experimentation myself.

I've entered several in the past and always enjoyed and benefited from them.
Hopefully as time permits I will continue to do so.
All I ask is that if Wizards such as yourself start to find it less challenging to participate, at least find the time to continue to comment and criticise under the banner of your esteemed skills, insight and experience.
Because that would definitely make it all worth it.

evolucian

Hammeron wrote
evolucian wrote Ah well... it was fun while it lasted. Admittedly I got bored with a one month deadline and forgot about it in the end. Not to mention my mental state has never been good - degrading even further these last few months.

If its not too much inconvenience to the standard entries I'll post one challenge now and again to whomever is interested as I have to get back into songwriting and experimentation myself.
I've entered several in the past and always enjoyed and benefited from them.
Hopefully as time permits I will continue to do so.
All I ask is that if Wizards such as yourself start to find it less challenging to participate, at least find the time to continue to comment and criticise under the banner of your esteemed skills, insight and experience.
Because that would definitely make it all worth it.

Its not less challenging - it's simply a month long challenge and in my old age i forget about it. But I still comment and stuff when time/memory permits.

Highway-Chile

What you have here is a group of very, very nice people. In fact I have never seen such a group of like minded and well behaved folks on almost any forum. There is no really bad bickering etc and generally, on the challenges....the flow of goodwill and the spirit of camaraderie is 2nd to none. People "lose" very graciously and even disagreements are handled most honorably. But participation is dropping off. One major factor is our personal lives and challenges in these troubled and very hard times. But removing that huge factor from the equation........... how to revitalize it?

Once a year or even 6 months is probably not going to work any better than it is now. Folks will still forget to do it, not have time...they'll still leave things to the last minute, change their minds on their entry and pull it...etc etc and it will be the same thing....a handful of folks will make the deadline. I believe you have to look elsewhere to revitalize the Challenge.

If that is something you are interested in doing, I have some ideas and maybe others could chime in also. Let me know.

Thanks to Rene for all he has done.

NorioDS

Yes, please! Share those ideas with us. That's what this thread is for.

FruitarGeek

Can we get an idea as to what is happening with the challenges. I got me some free time, and would LERV to enter something ?

AlanRatcliffe

At this point, I'd say Pete will be taking over running them next year when he has time.

If you would like to run one yourself before then, you are welcome. ?

deefstes

How about we run one last challenge of which the deadline is when Pete takes over (was it February?) That gives everyone enough time to put something together.

Anyone got a nice theme? I kinda liked the last one even though I never had time to do something. So I'd be happy if we just roll that one over.

Chocklit_Thunda

deefstes wrote I kinda liked the last one even though I never had time to do something. So I'd be happy if we just roll that one over.

I think the last one was the one that stumped so many and received no input for 2 months? Maybe something different is needed? ? that being said, I don't even own a microphone so I won't have any input for challenges except for opinions, rantings and ravings.

FruitarGeek

I got a theme. Alan, may I run the Dec comp?

AlanRatcliffe

Adrian Rogowski wrote I got a theme. Alan, may I run the Dec comp?

Go for it. ?

G-Man

Yeah I wont be setting another topic again for a while.

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