Once upon a time...we had a contest Czarette, then Czar. Those days are gone. In the void left behind, a few have wanted or may want to tread the contest path.
In order to make sure the forum users have fun contests and the board isn't negatively affected, NSU would like to post this unofficial contest comment:
Any contest needs to have it's rules drawn up in advanced and mailed to either Harris or a mod before posting it on the boards..
What we are looking for are things in the contest that might run up NSU's bandwidth or people's post count or could get NSU into any legel troubles. By allowing us to peek at the rules, we may help avoid a pitfall you hadn't thought of that may end up making a better contest for you and a better envirnment for NSU.
Feel free to post any comments to this comment, so that we can review our stance and make sure we do our part right
ALSO: Giveaway's don't need pre-approval Just contests.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: STCardGeek,

Should I send along the "rules" associated with the three new "mystery" boxes that I am assembling?? I would be happy to shot you guys a copy before I post for all to see.

Cheers

Tim

Legal?

Sure, go ahead. THe mystery box has been around for ages, so I can't imagine any problems
As to legal, I'm not sure my inagination is up to the task of thinking what all could get us into trouble, but, as an example, if someone wanted to hold a contest to feature as a reward fan-made sketchcards..that oculd cause troubles with our liscense holder folks (as an example). Or perhaps offering audlt material cards as a contest prize to minros...not that I expect anyone to do that, but I was offering examples.

STCardGeek, I was actually just pointing out your spelling error.

snort. Master, may I suggest you NOT as I'm pretty sure those posts alone would kill Harrris' bandwidth allotment each month. Besides, mine are more fumble-fingered typos then spelling errors. I know how to spell, but type...not so much. Most people chose to overlook it and love me anyway.

Heh. Try to read any email between STCardGeek and my husband and NOT pull your hair out correctly spelling mistakes

But, she's right you know - we still love her (and him too!)

Speaking of spelling errors - my son just brought home a Science Report in which he received the letter grade of "A". Well Done - EXCEPT, half of what he wrote, he mispelled. Now, I know they used to deduct for mispellings when I was in school - the vicious red-pen syndrome - but apparantly, not so strict anymore ...

I got A in all my lessons. My mom was really proud until she found out A meant Absent.

quote:

Originally posted by Over_Worked_Mom:
Heh. Try to read any email between STCardGeek and my husband and NOT pull your hair out correctly spelling mistakes

HEY! Those were private love no.....errrr...communications, what you doing reading them??!!
And it's NOT SPELLING ERRORS, I'm telling ya, it's fat fingers...

Uhhh... I am NOT reading my husband's emails, nope, not me. Nu-uh, no way you can prove it

quote:

Originally posted by STCardGeek:

What we are looking for are things ..... that might run up NSU's bandwidth or people's post count

Ahem: See "Chatter" "General Entertainment" and "wolfie"

quote:

Originally posted by STCardGeek:

And it's NOT SPELLING ERRORS, I'm telling ya, it's fat fingers...

Ahh...that will explain the typos I have in my letters!

Over_Worked_Mom, I guess that the educational ssytem isnt what it should be. Part of the grade of an assignment used to be based on spelling. Nowdays, it doesn't seem to matter anymore.

STCardGeek - "sarcasm"

quote:

Originally posted by Master:
Over_Worked_Mom, I guess that the educational ssytem isnt what it should be. Part of the grade of an assignment used to be based on spelling. Nowdays, it doesn't seem to matter anymore.

As a teacher I take a little offense to this (the education system not being what it used to be) and here is why. If a student shows a lot of thought and has lots of great ideas, why should they fail because of spelling mistakes and other mechanics? Yes, mechanics should definitely count for something, but not the be all to end all. Just because things aren't "like they used to be" doesn't make them bad. It's based on priorities.

I'll leave it at that and let the contests continue as I could go onb for a long time.

My son can be as brilliant in thought as possible, but if he cannot convey those ideas either orally or in writing, how can he succeed? His essay showed great creativity indeed as well as a mastery of the subject, but the misuse of punctuation, capitalization and numerous spelling errors made it a complete mess. By third grade, I think children should at least be shown their errors so that they can correct for them in the future.

But I am sorry if I offended you - surely each school district manages things differently - and I'm sure yours is exceptional.

quote:

Originally posted by Ryan Cracknell:
If a student shows a lot of thought and has lots of great ideas, why should they fail because of spelling mistakes and other mechanics? Yes, mechanics should definitely count for something, but not the be all to end all. Just because things aren't "like they used to be" doesn't make them bad. It's based on priorities.

As a parent, I take a bit of offense to that. I have taken my son's school to task for having their priorities all wrong. They set priorities this way:
1. Teacher contracts (sorry, but teachers in RI are the highest paid in the country, and my district, the highest paid in the state)
2. Stupid national tests (my son learned NOTHING for a month while preparing for this test last year)
3. Pleasing special interest groups (why is GLAAD doing presentations at an ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - I should be the one teaching my children tolerance, or not, my choice not the schools (he stayed home that day))
4. Additional funding (It is only October and there have been three of those "home" fundraisers already)
5. Actual education (which is not like when I was a kid either, why is Music class longer than Math class?)

My son can not spell very well, he has an issue with it, along with a few other things. So, as any good involved parent, I asked that my son be kept back a year as he was obviously in over his head. They obstenantly refused my quite reasonable request. "He did good enough" was their response. You see the error there? My sons educators cannot even use proper English! Unfortunately, I pay $5000 a year in school taxes, in addition to my property taxes, I would love to take that money away from them and put my son in private school, but I can not afford to do both. I am forced to pay for a school which is not educating my son and I am forced to send him there because private school and home schooling are not an option.

Are we going to have a Spelling Bee Contest soon?

I have to say that I agree with Dan and Joanna on this. Now if we're talking kindergarten or first grade here, I can see them letting spelling and grammatical errors slip by. But by second grade a student would be around what seven years old. By seven years old he or she should be shown their errors and taught how to avoid making them the next time. If that means taking a half a point off for each spelling, grammar, or punctuation error, so be it.

When I worked at the prison, I would read reports from several of the other officers, many of whom were a decade or more older then me, and to be completely honest it looked and read like a five year old wrote it. Now if you're in your thirties or forties and can't string a cognitive sentence together without spelling mistakes there is something dreadfully wrong.

OK, who do I blame for hyjacking my thread :P

quote:

Originally posted by STCardGeek:
OK, who do I blame for hyjacking my thread :P

I dunno, Lynne, but I was thinking the same thing. Go get 'em, Lynne!