2007 Tarot Lover's Calendar Cover Contest

I am not sure how I feel about this. It is a strange feeling that the competions rules changed after I entered it. It is Major Toms Calendar and his competition, but still I do not like the idea of my art becomming part of a pay-game. My initial feeling was that the competition was, well, cheapened.

My doubts are mostly based on some questions;
Wouldn't the cover from the most popular artist be destined to end up in the finals this way? instead of maybe the best cover?
Aren't the people which have the most money to spend on casting votes going to have the most powerful vote? It just doesn't feel like a fair democracy to me.

Major Tom, it is your calendar, your project and your contest, I understand the need to generate money, but I just would have liked to know the real rules of the game before I entered. I'll just have to see how it developes from here, but I guess it will not be easy to be the least popular... It's fun to know who the winners are, but is it nessecary to reveal the "losers" too?

I have voted for my entry once ... and once it will be. I plan to scrounge through the house and see what change I can come up with to put into my account so that I can vote as many times as possible, for the one I prefer. Why not scrounge for extra to vote for myself? Essentially because I don't think that mine is the best. Why vote at all? Because I live on a pittance of a pension and I know that there are many things I can't do in life in consequence. So, if my small contribution will help defray the costs of producing the calendar so that a fellow ATer's Tarot artwork can be shown to the world of tarot lovers, I will do so.

For me this isn't about me, or whether Tom makes a profit, or how it is judged, but about supporting those who, like me, both love tarot and pour their heats into creating their tarot artwork. If Tom does make a profit, that's all good in my book, because he provides us with a wonderful opportunity that would otherwise not be available to us. And besides, we all have to eat!

Besides ... the project primarily supports AT's without which we would not have this exceptional forum, filled with a world of people with extraordinary knowledge that they share open-heartedly with us all.

My US$0.99 cents worth!

mythos

Uh...stupid post here...

but what would one expect from me?

after PayPal takes their cut...ain't squat left.

ain't really about money.

It's about putting your 'effort' where your 'taste in art' is.

Art ain't free. Nothin' is.

Seems that folks think Tom's 'makin' money' off this...

I know the effort Tom puts into this. I know what he makes from this. I know (from dealing with PayPal for a long time) what he really gets from this...

It encourages votes from folk that can support art. It helps those of us who can support art support art.

And I know that Tom at the same time ain't makin' squat. Prob'ly still losin' money on the deal...like he's done every year for the last...what...four years?

Art my friends. Support Art. Support love. Support love of Tarot. Vote - and vote often...

It seems that the point is that people didn't know from the beginning, that is all.

It seems the rules have changed halfway through the game, and perhaps some people just don't have the money to vote.

The calendar was given to me as a gift last year. It's very impressive. That's not the point here, though.

Changing the rules halfway through and a certain lack of transparency is disappointing and a little disrespectful of people who have contributed and who may want to contribute.

Actually, I have to say that it's the changing the rules halfway that worries me too. If we HAD put in an entry I think I'd feel a bit like Temperlyne - after all people who enter something like "Strictly Dancing" know that it's a public competition in advance. But this way, I don't know - like Temperlyne I feel it's potentially upsetting for the "least popular" (or least able to spend money voting) and maybe divisive too.

Tom, I do appreciate your work, and I'm sure you've done this with good intentions, but maybe another time could we do something like a raffle to support the calendar? I know we'd be happy to give prizes for that, and I'm sure many others would too. I hadn't realised that the calendar needs more support - I'm sure many would be pleased to give it - but I feel uncomfortable about these paid votes (well, it's irrelevant in a way as we don't yet have PayPal in Czech Republic).

Doesn't that mean someone could just keep voting for themselves, and buy their way in?

I do think that all the artists deserve it, but won't people wonder?

I see what you're trying to do, (and bless Mythos for voting for herself!), but its a little unbalanced if you can vote for yourself over and over again. Otherwise, it could be good clean fundraising fun.

Blessings,

Em

MMmmm, yes, there wouldn't be nearly this outcry if this was the arrangement from the beginning- I am rather fond of unpredictability in life, but not everyone is! It's almost like being quoted out of context- we're all contestants in a competition that has changed its rules after entering.

(A bit like life!)

Sudden attack of Paranoia

This isn't some extremely elaborate April Fool's gag, is it?

Sidhe-Ra said:

This isn't some extremely elaborate April Fool's gag, is it?

Click to expand...

Oh heavens! Ah - maybe it is?

I was just reading about the wonderful BBC "Spaghetti Harvest" spoof.

Have we all fallen for it?

Hahaha! Great April Fool's Major Tom! You really had me going there... :laughs: