SitePoint Petition

[clientcenters]

This is a friendly petition. Please keep your points clean and don't post URL's to examples, we don't want blame others.

Purpose
To protect contest entrants. We should be taken seriously. We are all professionals wheather we own a business or freelance.

Proposal
I propose SitePoint establish clearer rules to protect the contest entrants. Major things I see that affect the quality and trustworthiness of the contests:

• The contest holder should always make the deadline clear. ( a certain date or when they see a design they absolutely 'have to have'.)
• If the contest holder is skeptical about entries they should include a clause they have the right to close the contest without a winner. Otherwise there should be actions taken against contest holders who don't follow their word.
• The contest holder should provide feedback to give the designer a chance to resubmit his entry.
• The contest holder should not immediately expect the designer to 'tweak' their entry 100x. This should be left up to the contest entrant. If you see a flower you should know if you like the style, whether it is red, blue, black or two pixels to the left.
• What actions should we take if a) The contest holder never pays b) the designer never delivers after being paid.

Petition Rules
-Do not post urls to blame others.
-Keep your points professional, clear and focused.
-Make sure your views are within reason. Don't want it to get too crazy.

SitePoint's Response
If you have a response SitePoint, please post!

[someonewhois]

1. We've had threads before.
2. Learn what search is, please.
3. SP's determined they won't get in the way, for liability reasons.
4. Why on earth am I following "Petition Rules"?
5. Every other time it comes down to the basic principal: Don't like it? Don't participate. Don't whine. Simple as that.

[vgarcia]

Like someonewhois said, if you don't like the terms of the contest being held you can always refrain from participating. If something doesn't look or seem right, then it's probably not right.

[clientcenters]

1. We've had threads before.

This isn't a threat. It's a list of suggestions from someone who posts at SitePoint. I don't see anything threating about my post.

Every other time it comes down to the basic principal: Don't like it? Don't participate. Don't whine. Simple as that.

I don't see any whinning. And just because you don't agree with me doesn't mean I'm going to sit back and not voice them in fear someone is going to disagree with me. I'm a member of this community as well who feels that if I come up with suggestions to help improve it, then I want to have the freedom to voice it. I don't even care if I'm the only one in this thread defending this post; so be it. I don't see anything bad about what I posted. I see suggestions from a person who participates at the forums. If I don't have a voice in this forum, if my voice doesnt matter, than what's this community for?

[Chris82]

This isn't a threat. It's a list of suggestions from someone who posts at SitePoint. I don't see anything threating about my post.

There's a misunderstanding.
Thread (note the d) = A topic in a forum. What he meant was that there have already been several topics about this issue.

[clientcenters]

There's a misunderstanding.
Thread (note the d) = A topic in a forum. What he meant was that there have already been several topics about this issue.

Oh God I'm sorry someonewhois, I misread.

[mmj]

Which contests are you speaking of? If you are speaking of contests posted by members, for example in the Trading Post, these contests are not hosted or controlled by SitePoint staff and so we are not really able to, nor should we, have a say over the way they choose to run their contest. The five rules you propose would come under that category.

If, however, you see anything which is against our guidelines, such as personal insults or spam, then please report it to us using the "Report Bad Post" link.

I think your proposals are some good suggestions to potential posters in the Trading Post, but in my opinion would not be suitable as rules nor enforceable if they were rules.