[S] Get Rid of the Permission Requirement for Free Contests

[Kamiki]

In order to hold a basket contest (or familiar baby contest, I'm guessing) in the Contest and Gaming Glen, you have to get permission from the mule.

While this rule made sense when the shop was new, all it seems to do is slow things down now. The Soquili shop mule isn't checked as regularly as it used to and to be honest, the rules are pretty clear on what's allowed and what isn't.

As long as people are following the rules, why do we need permission? If someone WAS holding a contest that was against the rules, anybody on staff with Crew privileges could lock the thread - at least until it was reviewed officially

Just an idea to streamline things, for staff and customers alike.  

[Looneytaz82]

I have to agree. Even though I have never personally had to request permission for a basket contest, I have heard that the wait can sometimes be a lengthy process, and was a deciding factor in deciding to gift a basket from my only breeding.  

[Malomy]

I don't see why one couldn't just get permission from one of the staff members if they would still require permission. Like Nissou or Roni or Uta, I'm not sure why they couldn't give permission, without having to go through the mule.  

[Kamiki]

Malomy

I don't see why one couldn't just get permission from one of the staff members if they would still require permission. Like Nissou or Roni or Uta, I'm not sure why they couldn't give permission, without having to go through the mule.

Along that train of thought...maybe there should be a permission THREAD instead of having to PM? People could post their contest idea in the thread, and wait for that idea to be "stamped" for approval from someone authorized.

That way any staffer (or approved staffers) could give approval instead of having to have access to the man shop mule.  

[Malomy]

Kamiki

Malomy

I don't see why one couldn't just get permission from one of the staff members if they would still require permission. Like Nissou or Roni or Uta, I'm not sure why they couldn't give permission, without having to go through the mule.

Along that train of thought...maybe there should be a permission THREAD instead of having to PM? People could post their contest idea in the thread, and wait for that idea to be "stamped" for approval from someone authorized.

That way any staffer (or approved staffers) could give approval instead of having to have access to the man shop mule.

Aren't there like... two people active who have access to the Soquili mule anyway? Not to be rude or anything, but it seems a tad bit inefficient for some things.  

[Kamiki]

Well, I understand why they need to keep the access restricted for the main mule.

But yeah, it makes it kind of a pain when you're trying to get a hold of shop authority sometimes.  

[Looneytaz82]

Kamiki

Malomy

I don't see why one couldn't just get permission from one of the staff members if they would still require permission. Like Nissou or Roni or Uta, I'm not sure why they couldn't give permission, without having to go through the mule.

Along that train of thought...maybe there should be a permission THREAD instead of having to PM? People could post their contest idea in the thread, and wait for that idea to be "stamped" for approval from someone authorized.

That way any staffer (or approved staffers) could give approval instead of having to have access to the man shop mule.

When getting permission from the shop, is it just permission to post, or do they have to approve all of the details of the contest? If the latter is the case, a permissions thread could possibly give entrants a heads up on the details before the contest is open, and I see a lot of chaos with the 'unfair' card being pulled... Again, I don't know exactly how it works, which is why I tend to avoid the idea.  

[THE Jehan]

I had to PM the mule to get permission for my current giveaway.
I included the details of the contests just in case. I didn't want to have to cancel them later on after getting in trouble.
I got my OKAY two days after I had PMed them, which I think is pretty good considering the size of the shop.

As for thread or PM, I'm not sure how much more often a thread would be checked over the mule. Seems like someone would actively have to go and check it everyday, a task that could quite easily be forgotten or overlooked.
I think PMing the mule is still the best way to go. The mule is used for other things than contest permission, meaning it WILL be checked on a regular basis, no matter what.  

[ATh e a r t]

Usually as long as you poke Mind or Mal about something you've sent to the main mule they check o.o I honestly don't know how often those things are checked unless they are poked by someone.

 

[JetAlmeara]

LydaLynn

Last time I had an extra basket I wanted to run a contest for, it took more than two weeks to hear back from the mule for permission. All the other baskets had grown to foals before I even got to start looking for a third owner. This slowed down the whole breeding for growth.

I would love for there to be a stream-lined or expedited way to do contest permissions. Especially basket contests. Something that doesn't cause such a long wait. It makes people less likely to try to reach out to those they don't know with basket [etc] opportunities.

^ Something similar happened to me as well, I wanted to contest away a third basket and sent in for permission..however as time ticked down and ran out I ended up just giving it away instead to prevent them from being held up on growing.

Honestly I don't see the need for permission, if someone is doing something completely against the rules I think Soquili as a community is large enough to police itself. IF for some reason a staff member didn't notice the transgression I'm pretty positive that someone in the shop would report it fairly quickly.  

[Phail Ninja]

Permission doesn't even do much. Last time I set up a contest, I literally asked "is it okay to set up an RP competition to give away the baskets from my breedings?" That was basically all I wrote, I think, and it got the thumbs up pretty quickly.

It's always seemed a bit silly to me x3

 

[pinkdog]

I agree with all above, except I would include giving away regular Soquili as well. I think if you are giving away something you own, for free, it doesn't make much sense to put up barriers. It's the newbies that lose out in the end.  

[Jackariah Beckett]

Kamiki

Malomy

I don't see why one couldn't just get permission from one of the staff members if they would still require permission. Like Nissou or Roni or Uta, I'm not sure why they couldn't give permission, without having to go through the mule.

Along that train of thought...maybe there should be a permission THREAD instead of having to PM? People could post their contest idea in the thread, and wait for that idea to be "stamped" for approval from someone authorized.

That way any staffer (or approved staffers) could give approval instead of having to have access to the man shop mule.

I actually like the thread idea nwn. It could also help people considering giving away baskets with ideas that have already been approved<3.

Some times when I think about giving away baskets I get discouraged because I know I would hate reading and deciding on an rp winner. Especially when I myself have not been consistent with rp. And a raffle just seems so... uninvolved to me. I guess a reverse raffle could be fun.

But yeah, I think seeing the ideas in a thread could possibly make me decide to contest it away rather then gifting. I.E. "Oh, that looks fun! Next time I have an extra basket I would love to do that!"

Or could even inspire co-ownership contests. I know they are allowed because I have seen them before.

As for not being checked as often, if it is in one of the guilds, anyone checking could see it as a recently posted thread.

That could possibly lead to people saying 'oh, blah blah had more time to prepare because they saw it before I did"

.....Come to think of it, really that's the same as someone saying they had an unfair advantage for people not telling them a contest was open... I dunno.  

[Sabin Duvert]

Yeah, I completely agree with the sentiments. Sometiems the turn around is quick, but not everyone feels comfortable directly poking a staff member through AIM or PM, and it's a big community.

I really don't see a need for even a permissions thread - like Kamiki said, the rules are clear, and like Jet said - the community is big enough they know the rules and it wouldn't take long for someone to notice if someone broke a rule.

I think the rules should just say something like a minimum time for a contest to run (24 or 48 hours?) so that there would be time for the thread to be locked if someone broke a rule, but not requiring permission to be asked.

I also agree that if/when this is implemented, it should also come with officially removing the rule about not being able to give out full grown soquili or finding a co-owner. Maybe just have a rule that if the soquili already has a co-owner that they would need written permission from them before giving away your share (if that would be allowed at all, which I could see that not being kosher).

Obviously, Jehan alraedy got the go-ahead to hold his give-away contests, so I really think these rules are just hold-overs from the old atmosphere/smaller shop.