Regarding the mix of contest lengths:
Perhaps we could make a distinction between "short" and "long" contests (no idea how to name those, 0x5), where "long" contests last a month, and "short" contests last a week.
We could have 2 long contests per year, and 4-6 short contests per year.
Long contests would have trophies and userbars, and short contests would have just trophies (or maybe a separate system, with medals instead of trophies).
Having short contests could keep interest up, especially during the summer. They are also less daunting that month-long contests, so we might get more entries and have fewer participants drop out.
PT also wanted me to add this, as he is on mobile - these were hand picked by me but I feel they provide a decent review of the discussion in SAX:
IRC wrote:
[PT_] I think there should be 3 contests, repeating all the time. One small one about calculators, one small one about other tech and a big one about alternating calculators and otherz
[PT_] Say, every month 1 contest, which means every 3 months a bigger one
[kg583] calc, tech, CALC, tech, calc, TECH, calc, tech, ...
[PT_] Yeah, like that
[PT_] But 2/3 are small ones
[PT_] Yeah, tech can be things like music, 3D printing etc too, to have difference
[PT_] So, every 2 months a contest. Calc and tech/others are alternating, and every third contest is a bigger one. Big contests should have user bars (and prices) and trophies are for the winners of smaller ones.
[iPhoenix] I'm thinking a big one with prizes in September, one in about April. Small ones sporadically in between, with a bunch in summer. Alternating calc and other, like PT_ said
[PT_] I choose October as the bigger one, since most of the time school starts in September
[PT_] And then March for the second one
[iPhoenix] A big one with prizes in October, one in about March. Small ones sporadically in between, with a bunch in summer. Alternating calc and other, like PT_ said
Edit by PT_: here's a Pastebin with our full conversation: https://pastebin.com/raw/UywvxGe8