Just curious!!  

Perhaps there ought to be some 'requirements' made to enter contests? Personally, I don't care as long as they are members of this board, which they apparantly have to be to post, pictures or otherwise. But since you feel other wise, Cakemommy (and I respect how you feel), talk to Jackie and ask her to place requirements if others feels as you do.

I sure was impressed with some of those cakes though!

The contest has been limited to "members" of CakeCentral only. I understand what you're saying about someone who doesn't frequent CakeCentral entering the contest; however, that would be an issue for Jackie to decide on how to handle

For entry rules regarding members only entering contest, see:

http://www.cakecentral.com/contest-1-Food-Shaped-cake-decorating.html

I am a new member and this is my first interjection. I am sooo amazed with this website!! I Love it!! I have been into cakes for years and when I found this website, I felt like I had found a "home". I haven't posted any pics yet or entered any contest. I don't know where to start. I want to be a "regular". But, don't know how to or where to send pics of my cakes.

Don't you think its a little harsh to say they are "stealing" by entering ? Perhaps they are to intimidated to post pictures and this is there first time entering a contest.

i understand how u feel.. but id just talk to jackie or something if you feel that strong about it

cakemommy, We by no means would want you to leave this site because of this .. I understand what you're saying, I just wanted to let you know that Jackie has put in place policy that limits the contest to only members of CakeCentral .. please don't take what others say or anything that I may have said to you as a personal attack against you. It was never meant to be that .. so I apologize if you felt that I may have done this to you in any way.

Would it be that difficult to omit the names of the entries? That way the cake would be truly judged...not the member. just a thought

Wasn't this subject brought up last contest?

That's a good idea and suggestion that can be made to Jackie .. I'm not sure if it can be done, but we can suggest it

Jackie is working on some programming that limits who can and cannot put cakes in the contests, but if memory serves me correctly, she also has another job...and programming can take time if you want it done right.




Locking this post so that no one offends anyone in any way shape or form, every one has a right to an opinion. I think enough of them have been stated. Any other questions related to this topic, which is about the contest should go into the Cake Contest forum.

Hi Amy,

This has come up before in our other contests, you can read more here.

What I decided after getting a lot of good feedback from the community, was to install a rule on future contests where there would be some sort of initial time that must pass before you can participate in the contests.
For example, when a user firsts registers on CakeCentral.com, they will not be able to enter a cake, or vote on the cakes until they have been a member for at least 30 days. As M0use said earlier, this requires a great deal of programming on my part. That is why this rule has not been implemented yet. However when I do , you can be sure I will make an announcement about it, and clearly post it once it goes into effect.

Some members are extremely active on this site, and will send a PM to someone that needs help, or leaves posative comments on other's photos, without every posting any of thier own. Then I may post the next contest theme, and they have just the cake to enter. I do not want to discourage these members from entering, simply because they have not posted in the forums, or uploaded other photos yet.




I believe you may have mis-read the post (I am guilty of that as well sometimes ) by katiebug, I did not read any of that post, or any of the other posts in this thread as an offense, or personal attack on you. I believe she was trying to say, that some people may feel intimitaded by the other cakes in the contest, or in the photo gallery, and may not want to post thiers, because they feel intimidated.
I do not think she was saying "you" personally may or should feel intimidated.

I really enjoy the CakeCentral galleries, and contests. I love seeing what the members of CakeCentral with come up with next. The interesting thing about the contests for me is, I have access to all the voting data, and I can see how many cakes are getting which votes. And every contest surprises me.

And I do agree with KatieBug, that the word "stealing" may not have been the best choice of a word, but I completely understand what you are saying. As a matter of fact, a lot of people in the community share your exact sentiments. (See this thread).

Just to re-cap, I will be implementing a 30-day "no-contest participation" period, however I do not know if the programming will be complete by the time the next contest starts. When I do make this a rule, I will make an announcement.

Another "hot" topic about the contests is, giving prizes for the all the top cakes, such as 2nd third, 4th place, etc. I wish I could! To be perfectly honest, I wish I could give prizes to everyone that entered, but the CakeCentral budget at this time only allows for 1 prize to be given out each contest. One thing I did start doing is announcing the runners-up in the newsletter and in the forums. The contests are always so close, I am literally biting my nails! The past few winners have only been seperated by just a few points.

On another note, I just wanted to thank the CakeCentral moderators for responding to these questions as quickly as you did. I am re-opening this thread for a little while, so cakemommy, and others can feel free to respond to what I have said.

I have said enough about how I feel the last time this came up, but always the bottom line for me is that Jackie has done her best to implement the fairest method in her opinion. After all, it is her site and her rules and if I did not get that message across well before, I would like to now. I appreciate the fact that she tries to obtain input from the members of the site and I appreciate just how much work it must be to change things or implement the changes. Not being a computer whiz like our Jackie, I wouldn't have the smallest notion of what she goes through with these situations, but I can see the results and I appreciate the efforts.
Just a wee note, though, there are folks like me who don't really like posting pictures unless they are practially bullied into it. That is just how we are, we are not withholding things so as not to share. Personally I prefer to offer recipes or tips or instructions, when I can. Now I am wondering if folks think I don't offer pictures because I don't want to share or participate fully or if they think I have other reasons. I am just not comfortable with putting up pictures, I don't know if that is a modesty thing or what, but that is just the way I am. I am wondering if now I need to apologize for it and do something I am not really comfortable with just so as to feel like I am a member in full standing? And if I felt like entering a cake into a contest would folks be upset with me because it was the first cake that they had seen me post on the site even though I have posted one or two others, just not in a photos area?
I think that perhaps folks have different ideas about what membership is about. For some folks, it is reading the posts and offering instructions or recipes or possible solutions to problems. For others it is looking at pictures and offering encouragement and praise. Others just read the posts and articles and such and thank folks for sharing. Some folks only post questions when they have problems, hoping for responses. Sometimes we learn a lot from these questions, because they really make us think. Some folks only have access to a computer at work and so make very limited posts and don't have the time or access to post a lot. Personally I feel that all members are equal, whatever they do. I value everyone's opinion, I understand we all see things differently from time to time. Sometimes we all blow off steam or are not as careful as we might be in our choice of wordings. We all make mistakes and sometimes we need to apologize and be forgiven.
I suppose what I have a difficult time with, is that every couple of weeks or so, it seems that a thread has to take a bit of a mean turn. Either folks taking offense because someone has not chosen their words carefully or folks stating an opinion feeling like they are being attacked because someone else doesn't agree with it. Then folks start threatening to quit or leave the site. Well it all gets to me, makes me feel uncomfortable, makes me stay away. I suspect I am not alone in feeling this way.
We are on this site to share a passion, information, encouragement and such, not to use it to offend others and to get our way or leave. I think we are mainly all adults and so we should be able to handle differences of opinion and state our views in a nice way. I find that some days I just don't have the patience to deal with the stuff that goes on, in some form or another, on all of these cake sites, no matter how hard the owners or moderators try to keep track of things. So when I get fed up enough, I stay away and when I get over it, I return. On some sites, I just stay away permanently, if it goes on often enough. That is my choice, not anyone's fault.
I just really and truly wish that folks would try to make positive posts with positive comments when they are referring to other folks on the site. It really upsets me when the posts might be read and cause offense to someone who has just joined or who may be more sensitive than others. What folks may not realize is that some folks don't have a lot of contacts in the outside world and their communications here may be deemed a form of a community friendship. So anything negative may be truly taken to heart, even though it is an anonymous cake site.
Just my opinion,
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

i just wanted to say, about the contest.....I ENTERED FOR THE FIRST TIME! i was so excited too! now, because my husband uploaded or down loaded whichever, my picture for me, i didnt get to post anything under the comment section. i tried to go back and put something in and couldnt figure it out. so mine just has a picture and my name.
it was a lot of fun to make, and i was able to try to make something that i had been wanting to try for some time now. and i really want that book.
anyway, i cant wait for the next contest to be announced so that my wheels can start turning again.
so glad we all have the same passion here!
melody