St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Starting with WPC 1226 - Red, White & Blue and ending with WPC 1627 - Independence it's been four years since I started the WPCs.

So I ask, should the Weekly Photo Challenges continue?
And, do you have the desire to run them?

Always curious! S-

Rongnongno Loc: FL

A single question: Why are you retiring from this 'job'?

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

When this started it was on a whim to add something to the forum. I never thought it would last this long, and never meant to 'hog' it all to my own. I've also noticed a decrease in participation and voting along with other challenges arising in Photo Contests, Challenges, Periodicals. It's my thought then that I may be beating a dead pig and it's time to move on or let someone else have it.

And to be fair, I run the WPC's, For Your Consideration with a more advanced set of Challenges there, and host another project that will soon take more time than I have. Either way, it's a labor of love, so I'm not sure what's next, but I thought it fair to offer it up and see who wants it and what their vision will be.

My hope then is not so much to retire, but rather to hand it off to someone who may take it beyond what I hoped for it! S-

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

Of course folks want it to continue my man but do they want to devote the time and effort needed to run it? Most unlikely I would have thought.
You owe nobody Steve you did a great job and if you have not got the time then you can walk away with your head held high. Best of luck in finding someone to take it on and thank you for your efforts in running a fun competition.

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

Remember the 80/20 rule. Perhaps the hogs have improved it to 90/10.
If no one picks up the baton ... the category stops. This is not something to feel bad about. You've done well. Thank you.

Whuff Loc: Marshalltown, Iowa

You've done a tremendously admirable job of running a thankless task which had to be very time consuming. I'd think it would take someone who has plenty of time on their hands to take it over. (you can correct me if that's not the case) Maybe some of the members who have strong opinions on how the challenges should be changed will step up and volunteer. Lord knows their are plenty of those.

I would hate to see them end but I can understand you wanting to step back and let someone else take them on. As a newbie photographer when I first joined UHH, my first entry in one of the challenges placed well ( I think it was something like 7th out of 104 or something like that) which gave me some encouragement that maybe I was doing something right. Of course I haven't done crap since but still..........

Walt

PhotoPhred Loc: Cheyney, Pa

I would like to see it continue also. I think it would also be interesting if the date limits were removed for some of them.

Ol' Frank Loc: Orlando,

I always enjoy viewing them even though I don't often participate. Thanks for your very large effort and in my opinion, you can retire with pleasure. Thanks for all you do and have done.

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Thank you everyone! Your encouragement honors me!

I run them hoping to help people grow in their craft, but enjoy seeing the creativity they bring to the challenges. Don't tell anyone, but one of the biggest frustrations at first, and the most joy now, is watching how people push the boundaries with the theme. It's become so normal to see them now, so I don't have any good examples, but you know them when you see them.

I understand the time and dedication, but will find the time and continue the Challenges for a bit longer if no one wants them. No worries!

As a side though, I broke down the main responsibilities for someone who asked so I thought I'd share them here if anyone else is interested.

Thank you all again and see you out there! S-

--
It's not too hard if you want to do it, but you are dedicated a few days out of the week and that can be a problem if you're not sure.

In order -
- throughout the week I check on the entries to make sure they have a Title, Exif Data, and the image has something to do with the theme
- late Wednesday I close the Challenge and setup a Voting post
- at the same time I create a new Challenge and a new post. This can take a little time as you need to think of an interesting Theme and do some research to find Support Links to help everyone along. It means looking at the links to see if they are helpful and posting them with the Challenge.
- late Friday night is when you spend the most time of the process. I close Voting and setup a new Results post. You display the results in order, count the votes, add the winners to the Results page, add their vote and points, add the Create Date, and see if they've won before. From there you post the results, send an interview to the winners, and look for another entry that will make a good challenge for Critique. Once you find it you create another post for the Critique and inform them that they are entered.
- during the week you wait for the Interviews and post them as they roll in. Most people can't figure out how to add their answers to the questions so you end up doing a lot of cutting and pasting to make them look nice.
- and of course you start over and do it all again, week after week after week

All in all I have it down to a science and can give you my Help Files to make it easier, but really I'm looking for two things
- do you Want it, meaning will you dedicate yourself to it and do a good job with them
- and, is there anything you want to bring to the Challenges to make them better?

cheeseyb

Thank you for your hard work as an entrant I never realised how much effort went in to running the competition. I have enjoyed taking part and will miss it as the subjects always made you think of different ways to take your photos.

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

I appreciate it and it's not over yet! S-

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

First we owe you a lot of thanks for running this contest as long as you have. You done a very good job. We need someone with your willingness to put up with us. Im 86 and got one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. Hope you find someone as willing as you to remind us of the rules when we step out of line.. Hal.

Arlene777 Loc: Central NJ

Steve, I would love to see the contest continue, but understand if you decided it was time to direct your energy elseware. I have enjoyed the contest even when I didn't enter. I always look forward to the new challege, hoping it's one I can enter. And, I'm always amazed at the talent the contest exhibits. I truly appreciate all your time and effort. I'm happy you are keeping it a little longer. Arlene

Tpharm Loc: Central PA

When I first found UHH (How? I don't remember), the weekly photo contest caught my interest as easy to enter when I got the inspiration and fun to see the other ideas. I would hate to see it go. Would having the contest for 2 week period reduce the moderators work but more importantly give us old timers and people who are not retired time and increase the participation. Thanks for all you've done Tony

erickter Loc: Dallas,TX

Steve,

IMO, what's cutting down participation is the tight shooting date window...namely just 7 days. When I joined several years ago, there was no date window as to when our shots were actually taken, and the participation was high . Shooting in the 7 day time frame was encouraged, but not mandatory. In other words, entries need to be submitted in that 7 day window, but they did not have to be physically photographed within that same time frame.

Then you changed it to mandatory, and the participation dropped dramatically. That,s understandable for certain topics, like holidays and current events. But other times, it's a pain in the rear. The date window should vary. For example, I Just finished shooting a bunch of nature panoramas and architectural cityscapes in San Francisco just days before you started the City contest. I was locked out by the 7 day constraint. I was in no mood to do it again just to satisfy a well intentioned, but sometimes arbitrary entry rule that mandates that pics be taken only within a strict past 7 days.

There should be several date windows. I.E.: Pics from past Several weeks;. Pics taken within past 6 months; pics taken within past year, or current year;. Then every so often, maybe evey three months, or whatever, pics taken at any time in one's life.

The first contest date time frames were too loose, and people , even I, would not always go out and shoot. We would look for past killer content that might win. But, the current 7 day constraint is often way too tight.
A mix of both is needed.

( I have no interest or time to administer the contest. I enjoy participating.)

One final point is the contests do not always need to be limited to just 7 days. That's not always enough time. We all have different schedules. There could be 7 day contests, but also 14 day (or slightly more) throughout the year. 7 days could be standard, but longer entry submission time frames might also encourage robust participation at certain times during the year.

Hope that provides some useful feedback while you figure out how to continue, stop, or transition the WPC.

Thanks for all the work you do.

Ed