woo hoo! 3 new treetog skins! having this competition is worth it, if for nothing more than that to me.

"I could see Greenreaper doing really well actually. You've got fastest skin, and then there's best use of plugins (or something like that) and best animated skin. I wonder who he's representing.


by Scribe Frogboy "

This is why I suggested entries be anonymous until after the judging.

shoggot - I believe we were only referring to the fact that he's excelled in these areas with his previous skins. Nothing as sinister as you're thinking. But then it seems you have a knack for seeing the sinister side of most anything. Oops...guess i should watch what i say since you're a judge. Oh, what am i saying? I'm sure you'll be totally impartial, just as the other judges will be.

I certainly see where shoggot is coming from and do see his point.

But it would be a little annoying to see a whole bunch of skins on display and not know who made them until after the contest.

A bit like having an Olympics with everyone in masks I guess

Then again... the 'mask' you are wearing is also based on the website you have chosen to support. (e.g. DA, DM etc..)

So I guess there is some logic in there somewhere.

I've yet to hear a valid argument supporting the theory that judges will be biased based on knowing who the author is. Anyways....it's irrelevant. it's Stardock's money to give away and their decision to make. Brad has clearly stated on the olympics board that this is not open to debate. Therefore, if you don't like the way the rules are set up, don't participate.

It's all just a little odd. Since we're providing 100% of the cash involved, why exactly would we try to rig it? What would be the motivation?

You and all your Stardock cronies will award me all the money, which i will then return to you frogboy, that's how. Stop playing naive.

"These aren't the droids you're looking for." Obi-wan using the Jedi mind trick.

I have officially recused myself from judging so that I can take a more effective role of commenting and writing articles. It's not so much making comments on the obvious "Greenreaper maeks good skins!" (oh shock, scandal). It's the articles that are more problematic. Writing articles talking about skinning and such that show screenshots and such on skins while those skin authors may be competing is too much of a potential perceived conflit of interest issue.

I can see Shoggot's point.
Of course nobody WANTS to rig the contest, but the subconscious is curious thing that one can't control because it's... well.. subconscious.
As a former teacher who put himself to the test, I can tell you that the grade can be somewhat different when the student writes his name at the end of a composition instead than at the end...
Of course, it's not voluntary, but it still happens.

Hum... in the above post:
"the grade can be somewhat different when the student writes his name at the end of a composition instead than at the top of the page."

i see shoggot has showed his true colors in posts on other sites. people like him are the reason people in the real world don't volunteer to do things. it's always some loud mouth loser in the back row chewing out the people who try to do something nice.

Actually, I *haven't* excelled in performance. I've done a lot to promote _awareness_ of performance issues, but "Docking Station" (really, my *only* published full skin - "Digital Age" was cool animation-wise, but not very usable) certainly isn't the fastest skin around. This is where you have a point in saying every skin must be judged on it's merits.

Of course, I *do* still intend to go for "Fastest skin" in the GUIOlympics (as well as a few others in another skin, if I can think of something that will fully utilise WB's animation features). We'll just have to see if I know as much about performance as Brad seems to think I do . . .

Heh. I always write in dark green and have terrible handwriting. All my teachers know who's paper they're marking even if it doesn't have my name on the top. *g*

I'm not entering the competition.
2 reasons...
1. My preferred site to represent/support is excluded [namely, here]
and
2. A snow-flakes chance in hell of succeeding springs to mind....

Perhaps if another judge is needed.....

That's too bad JAFO. Though it turns out that there are 2 judge slots open.

I'm going to skin.

I'm making a skin for Betanews.

treetog,

I've been rather busy, but still hanging around .

I'll pop up from time to time

me

oh, and me...

anyone see the list of demands some of the other sites have made? they want skin authors to be anonymous and stardock's judging powers reduced to nil. ha ha he he my cynical half tells me that they are try to juryrig it so that they can give out the prizes however they want and do it under the guise of fairness saying that it was anonymous. i'm not even into skin stuff much but i can tell an alexandrie skin or treetog skin from a mile away without seeing any names and i'm sure these gentlemen can too. ah me. i can see it now, the sites with those petitions win all the awards and no one can prove they conspired but all will suspect. i noticed none of them asked to be excused from judging.

That seems a bit cynical Jay. None of them would do that.