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CONTEST CLOSED

MOVED HERE: http://photics.com/site-news/2913-pl...easy-mode.html

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It's looking like a long road to Guild Wars 2. Even the most extreme fans of the franchise are getting bored. Do you need someting to do? Are you in need of a new Guild Wars challenge? If you've got the skills, if you've got the creativity, if you've got a decent Internet connection, maybe you can enter the...



One of the last actions that Gaile Gray made as the ArenaNet Community Relations Manager was to approve this contest. The Plush Gwen doll is an awesome prize... it's custom made... it cannot be bought in stores... and I think it's adorable. Something this precious cannot go to just anyone. It has to go to someone with a loving heart. I believe that blogging is an excellent way to reveal your character. If you can build the best blog, you can win the Gwen doll. It's a lot like a trophy, but softer.

The quality of the blog will be judged in 10 categories.
Each category is worth 10 points, for a total of 100 points.

Feeling - Are the articles in the blog so powerful that it creates a feeling of strong emotion, such as laughter, happiness, sadness or anger?

Formatting - Are articles presented as a boring wall of text or are they spiced up with proper use of bulletin board code? Paragraphs count too.

Frequency - How often is the blog updated? Weekly beats monthly. Daily beats weekly. Is the pace consistent and apparent? (The longevity of the blog is also factored into the frequency rating.)

Guild Wars - Does the blog have at least one category about ArenaNet and their games? If yes, each post of quality (up to a maximum of 10) within that category (or categories) is worth one point.

Interaction - Do visitors of the blog post comments? Is it apparent that other quality websites link to the blog?

Organization - How is the blog presented? Are articles properly placed in categories? Does the blog have a good theme?

Originality - Does the blog stand out as unique? Can the content in the blog be found anywhere else on the Internet? (Note: If you have a blog elsewhere on the Internet, you can post duplicate here without suffering originality penalties.)

Popularity - How often is the blog visted?

Readability - Is the blog well written? Are there grammatical errors? Does the blog make sense? Are the posts too short or too long?

Spelling - Is it apparent that the author checked for spelling errors?

Real life friends, family members and guild members of Photics cannot enter the contest. ArenaNet / NCsoft employees are also prohibited from entering the contest. Forum posting rules apply. Content that is offensive, illegal or prohibited is ineligible. Blog must be in English. Group blogging is not allowed. Only one user per entry and only one entry per person. Failure to follow forum rules may result in disqualification. The winner will be determined and announced after the official launch of Guild Wars 2 - North American version. When the game is open, the contest is ended. In the event that Guild Wars 2 is not launched by 12/21/2010 12:21 AM EST, the contest will end and a winner will be determined. In either scenario, the winner will be determined by Photics. The winner will be notified by private message and the winner will be announced on the forum. If the winner does not respond within one week, another winner will be determined.

If the quality and/or quantity of entries is insufficent, as determined by Photics, an alternative contest will be created. (I'm thinking that there should be at least three good blogs, with an estimated score of 50 or above, for this contest to be worthy.)

The prize has an approximate retail value of $100. The background shown in the picture is not included. Applicable taxes are the responsibly of the winner. The contest is void where prohibited. Photics.com is not responsible for unforeseen circumstances, such as electrical failure, acts of God, floods, fires, plagues, nuclear war, site outages, etc. Photics.com reserves the right to modify the rules and/or the prize to accommodate unforeseen issues. By entering the contest, you agree to these contest guidelines.

How to enter the contest: To enter the contest, you must create and maintain a blog on photics.com. Simply create a forum account and then use the options to create, edit and update your blog.

http://photics.com/blogs/

Also, BACK UP YOUR BLOG! Keep a copy of what you post to your blog.

You can ask questions about this contest in this thread. Remember, let's keep the contest friendly. The main point of this contest is to keep the community active while we're waiting for the sequel of Guild Wars.

__________________
Michael Garofalo
Webmaster - http://photics.com

Wow, it looks even better now that it's complete. Someone is going to have to work hard to win this.

DARNIT! No Gwen plush for me... *cries an ocean* The one thing on the internet I don't like! Nooooooo! Well, I hope the winner of this contest enjoys their prize to the fullest, I also hope that they buy her a little toy flute, and put a monk skill pen next to her display.


Good luck!

__________________
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman,"Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.-George Carlin

The background is not included.
It's expensive to ship heavy things like bricks and dirt.

Are you sure that you want to give up so easily? There are many things that can be done here... like a web comic or an adventure log. The Guild Wars comic creators out there could simply cut & paste their content to this website and have a good headstart in the contest.

Here's an example of something that doesn't require as much creative skill... THE GUILD WARS FINANCIAL REPORTER. Just log in, write down the prices of the crafting items -- such as silk, steel and wood -- and then compare the changes to previous values. Something as simple as that could be very helpful to players. Maybe I could buy a bunch of wood when the prices are cheap and then log back in and sell the wood when prices are high. This could include dyes and Celestial Sigils, as they are very popular but change significantly in price.

Do people want more blog ideas?

Also, it doesn't have to be about Guild Wars. One could create a side category about Guild Wars, pick up the 10 points with 10 quality posts, and then go back to the main theme of the blog. But remember, keep it friendly.

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Michael Garofalo
Webmaster - http://photics.com

Oh? I thought a weblog was just someone writing down their opinions on topics and articles. I really don't like those much, apparently I was wrong. This is actually exciting now. Disregard my last post, as I had no idea that a blog could be anything.

Can it be done on Photics website? Does it have to be done on Photics website?

__________________
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman,"Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.-George Carlin

Yes, to enter the contest you must create a blog in this forum.
http://photics.com/blogs/

__________________
Michael Garofalo
Webmaster - http://photics.com

It looks like we have our first challenger...

http://photics.com/blogs/moo/

So, Moo... you're trying the Guild Wars stock market idea? That might hurt you in the originality score, as it was my idea - HA! But if you do it right, it could be very popular. that's up to you to figure it out how to do it.

Although, for those of you who are not entering the contest, maybe you could help others with their blog. Ultimately, this contest is to make Photics.com a more popular and more friendly place. Moo has asked for feedback. I could give him advice, but I think it's better for the contest and the site if the help comes from the community.

Here are some other blog ideas...

The Road to Guild Wars 2 - What are you doing to pass the time? What news have you discovered about the sequel.

Title Grinder - Record your experiences about completing the various title challenges in Guild Wars.

The first 100 days & then some - Everyone is making a lot of fuss about McCain / Palin & Obama / Biden but what about when the winner is chosen? Are they going to do a good job? A blog like this could start in January.

This contest could be a lot of fun.
The contest announcement should appear on GuildWars.com (Community News section) soon!

__________________
Michael Garofalo
Webmaster - http://photics.com

Oh this is just the beginning. Don't worry, I've got somethin' up my sleeve, whether it be an ace or a 3.

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I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman,"Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.-George Carlin

I have to update the contest rules again. It has come to my attention that ArenaNet / NCsoft employees should be ineligable from enterting this contest. I add this rule begrudgingly, as I think that some people over at ArenaNet could create some awesome blogs. Yet, I think it would be pretty awkward if someone like Jeff Strain won the Gwen Doll.

__________________
Michael Garofalo
Webmaster - http://photics.com

There are some additional rules to the contest...

• Blogs must be in English
• Group blogs are not allowed

I installed version 2.0 beta of the vBulletin blogging software. It seems to have screwed up the categories. However, if the problems are resolved, the new version has lots of new features. One of the new features is group blogs. That could be a boon for guilds, but not for those enterting the Plush Gwen contest. Since there is only one prize... and she shouldn't be divided... Group blogs are not allowed to enter the contest.

Ofcourse, tags, group blogs, blog categories and stats are not working right now. Although, this is a long contest. I imagine that these minor technical issues will be resolved well before the fate of the prize is determined.

__________________
Michael Garofalo
Webmaster - http://photics.com