Dropping out?

[Ed]

For a variety of reasons, when someone participates in a Vote-Off event, we don’t allow them to back out once photos are submitted.

Some of these are:

• The whole point of the challenge is to leave yourself and your exposure to the whim of voters. There’s no risk if you can just back out at any time.
• Wasting time. Building the pages/tables etc for each round of the event means work for me. If someone drops out partway through, I have to spend time I don’t really have, removing their entries from the pages.
• Unfair on voters. As votes are bought (after all the primary purpose is to raise funds to keep the community running), I would have to return the votes for someone who drops out and that could take a huge amount of work AND disappoint voters.

However, several people have suggested they would take part but not if there’s no way at all to back out. It’s just too much of a commitment and this is probably putting off potential participants. Now I don’t think it’s viable to let any participant drop out and remove their photos whenever they want but, also, I don’t want to make it less appealing to future participants. The only compromise I can think of is to allow dropping out but only after a penalty fee is paid.

So, should participants be allowed to drop out? Does my suggestion make sense?

Joseph likes this

[Anonymous]

I was originally going to participate in the first one but the pictures I sent were too low-resolution and I’d deleted the original versions so had to withdraw. When I submitted them, though, I knew they could be used and might all be seen, so I’d end up naked on the internet!! That was part of the challenge, and I wouldn’t have tried to join in if I hadn’t thought about the consequences. Before then, and more recently, I’ve put pictures of me naked on this site and, even when I’ve deleted some posts I was bored with, I knew they could still exist in archives, people’s personal collections etc. I’ve always hidden my face (apart from one very blurry one where I looked like a ghost by mistake) so if the pictures were published (probably as the “before” image in a diet or gym advert) it wouldn’t matter really.

I think the terms and conditions could say that when you submit your photos, you have 24 hours to change your mind and then that’s it. You’re committed and liable to be gradually stripped naked for everyone to see everything. Fining people sounds a bit close to blackmail, which is generally frowned on. Maybe you could set them a forfeit instead – something revealing but slightly less challenging than the vote-off event.

Long ago, back in the day, we used “hanging the washing out” as a forfeit. I stumbled across this on the internet recently. It’s not me in the photo but it brings back memories!

Gary, Joseph, Arthur and 1 more person like this

[Ed]

It’s not a fine. It would be a removal fee. Whilst I figure the permanence of the public display is an integral part of the experience, if it’s also putting people off taking part (and we struggle to get enough participants) then a compromise seems like a better way forward. What was great fun at the time doesn’t have to be career/relationship ending years down the line.

 

I shouldn’t have used the word “penalty”. Maybe “cancellation fee” would be more appropriate?

Joseph and like this

[Ed]

Does that seem appropriate? It’s a compromise, obviously but I don’t want to put off either side.

[Gary]

I hadn’t realised the pictures were submitted in advance, so didn’t volunteer as I couldn’t guarantee to get the pictures taken when needed.

I must read the T&C better.

Ed likes this

[Ed]

It was the only way to guarantee that participants can’t back out during the event.

Gary likes this

[Gary]

So all I need to do is get the 10 pics taken (as described) and emailed to you Ed?!

Easy.

Is it too late for the next event and if not then when’s the cut off date?

[Ed]

I guess the cut-off date is when I get at least 4 sets of photos and can start the event. Currently I only have 2 sets of photos, and those were sent back in October (last time I tried to get this going) and I can’t seem to get a reply from either of them.

[NHGolfer]

As soon as i get my suit from the cleaners i will be submitting 🙂

Ed likes this

[Ed]

Excellent!

[Ed]

I’m hoping to start the Vote-Off on (or very soon after) the weekend of the 21st of this month.

[Gary]

Best get some pictures to you

Ed likes this

[Ed]

Great!

[Author]

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