Suggestion: Split Giveaway Board/Rule Change

[Goostarion]

Probably in the minority here. Though I don't support this.

If something is for free, it shouldn't require any work for it to be earned. That is for free, it is given away. Not worked for. You just enter and you are raffled off to win. That means everyone has an equal chance in winning, like holding a raffle or something where everyone is allowed one ticket to enter for equal fairness and no work being put into the actual giveaway. Doing prettied up forums is work, and therefore should belong in the art competition because coding (especially in this day and age on cs with the forum separation, the Signature community, coding within oekaki adoptions and the like I could go on) is seen as an art form and a huge factor of a competition. It's like doing a giveaway for art, if you want art you should do it in the art competition. Same stuff different smell.

I see what staff mean by this rule being in place. I have been pulled up for it as well because of a giveaway I held a few years ago, but I understand it as well. I always add that 'Coding is optional, but won't increase your chances to win' on any giveaway I do to ensure that I don't look for something. Fill out a forum, sure; that's fine. It's even for everyone then. Prettying it up takes hours, sometimes days depending on how a user wants to work code out. It turns the giveaway into a competition because users actively compete against each other to create quote "prettiest" forum to coo the giveaway user into liking their forum. There is a control factor there for users to embrace which is of an art form, that's competition.

No support for the split board since there is really no point, it belongs in art competition. You are competing for a pet with an art forum exclusive to CS on it's BBC system. There really isn't any way around that. It's similar to asking for art on Oekaki, it's a CS tool used to create an art form.

Maybe clarify it in the rules somewhere would be good, but other than that I don't really see any reason why it should be classed as a giveaway still when the giveaway user wants something in return, a prettied forum to be woo'd. That is a competition, a competition pitting users against each other to create a pretty forum to woo the host. Change 'forum' to 'art' in that last sentence and that's pretty much what it is.

Edit: Also users pay to get code for their forums. If you pay to enter a giveaway to at least have a decent chance, you aren't really giving away something right? That's a competition, with the host as a judge.

[Lacuna]

Just wanted to pop in to say that the rules have have been further clarified to explain what we do and do not allow in the Free Adoptions board. You can view them here in full. Zetirian's reasoning is pretty spot on, and I would also add (as a personal thought) that if you're looking for users to show effort to win the giveaway that will take them hours, why not ask for art, writing, coding for yourself, etc. in the art competitions board? Then the user is doing the same amount of work but you get something in return for your high value pet. Also, it protects the user who is entering, because art competitions cannot be cancelled without the prize being awarded.



Don't encourage or require adopters to fill out long/detailed forms. It is not considered a free adoption when participants spend a lot of time to be able to receive something. Adoption forms which call for art, detailed writing, stories, coding, or substantial effort do not belong in the "Free Adoptions" board even if these creations do not directly benefit you or are optional. If you want other members to draw art or write stories for you, or you want to otherwise judge adoption entries based on the artistic effort used to create them, you should start your topic in the Art Competitions board. This is because free adoptions may be cancelled at any time; we do not want entrants to lose out on the effort they put into a contest.

[arabella !!]

Okay, I can follow what you mean. I didn't think that if users were to ask for prettied up forms, their plan B would automatically be to post it in the Art Competitions board. There might have been a bit of confusion, but it's all good since the rule has been modified now.

[Burrito Bunny]

I think the update to the rules is a wonderful fix! It's now very clear that the Art Competition board is the appropriate alternative. Thank you!

[gallifrey falls.]

I think that helps a lot, thanks Lacuna!