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That's one idea, but personally I prefer a simpler system.  If we choose that method, we'd likely have to impose the "must vote on every image" rule.  Or find a way around the need to do so for the formula to work  (which I see as the biggest drawback to that technique as I see it - and in my opinion the thing that will ultimately prove it not good enough for the contest)  (I also believe using the gallery's star system is not conducive to a contest and a totally new system must be found).

But if we want to test many various voting techniques, that is as good a starting point as any.  

I'd like to start this idea of Monthly Challenges soon (August 1st, so it has a full month?), and maybe start a new child board in the contests board and  let this "one location for everybody to map/color" idea be our first challenge.

I envision a thread for posting entries (can the gallery be set to post entries to the challenges to that thread?) and a voting thread with a poll for the next challenge's theme.  The voting technique would be different each month so we can get real experience seeing each one in action with plenty of time for the community to establish which one is most suited to our smaller voting pool and unique range of personalities present on this forum  

This would have no prizes of any kind and would just be a challenge to keep us amused and to test various alternative organizational techniques for The Big Contest next year.

So, to keep this discussion going - what sort of location would folks suggest?  A not too deep minibrot?  An embedded julia type thing?  A seahorse, elephant, or dragon?  A classic spiral?

What sorts of limits should we impose?  The obvious one is "No Layering" but there may be some who don't want too extravagant mapping techniques like restricting color cycling animated gif images, or images of beautiful women in orbit traps  

Maybe I can make the board and have the first post be a poll with these options, and any others suggested here?

We have all month to decide, but the sooner we make an organized effort and make it Official that this will happen, the better!

Maybe stupid, but why not every month  (or 6... a year, it is a lot of work Socratease a challenge within certain restrictions, every time different  and maybe even with fun ideas  from the participants themselves (?)  And I would suggest to put this on a  seperate board, no matter if it's a julia or whatever. 

You know, in my view  pfffff   there are so many artists here and they know so much about stuff I can't even pronounce,  that in my simple opinion I think it will be fantastic to see how they take up the glove, accept the challenge no matter what and make the best of it.  All of them winners, all another view, another interpretation of the challenge they were confronted with!

Goodnight, I'm gonna walk the dog and hit the pillow.   
Greetings from the Netherlands.

If there are too many contests, then many people might get emotionally tired of taking part in each of them ... and they will soon start skipping them. This may reduce the number of participants in the annual contest. If there is one contest, then everyone will be focused on it.

Here is another idea:

• The spring contest focused on the artistic aspect of fractals in the full spectrum of art (like poems, sculptures, hand drawings, blended images, etc).
• The autumn contest focused on the technological aspect of fractals (like algorithms, performance, renderings, formulas, etc).