PP Contest Rules

Please review the Contest Hosting Guidelines carefully. There are a few things you must do before you may host:

1. There will only be 3 contests per week.
Members can see what date slots are available.

2. Each contest will run for one week and one day.
Contest host must post the winner after the contest has closed.

3. All contests must be approved.
Please send a contest request to one of our staff members.
The contest requests must include the following:

a. Type of contest
b. The date slot you would like to reserve for your contest
c. The prizes you will be offering - they must be specific prizes and must be sent before your contest is posted, so don't write "your choice" or "boutique credit"

4. Prizes: ALL prizes must be sent to me or another staff member BEFORE a contest is open.
If the prizes are not given, your contest will be deleted.

Contest hosting is a responsibility that comes with the same level of honesty and respect that we expect, so please do not abuse it.

Winners, Do NOT leave feedback through the feedback system.

5. Hosts will post their own contest thread.
The type of contest and the end date must be announced in the thread title. All necessary information must be included in the original post - Type of Contest, Rules, Prizes, Dates.

6. Contests cannot be a question.
Question contests such as "When did I get my 3rd Build-A-Bear?" are not allowed. They open the possibility of no one guessing correctly and no one winning. There must be a winner for every contest.

7. A member may only host one contest at a time.
You may sign up for additional contests but they cannot overlap. We reserve the right to change the time span between contests in order to give all members a fair chance at hosting.

8. New threads in the contest section can only be started by approved members.
The host cannot create their contest thread until the night before their contest begins. All other members may only post in existing threads.

9. Contests Hosts are responsible for maintaining their own threads.
This includes any/all rules or guidelines for their own contests. Host is also responsible to keep track of the posts/entries in their thread and to make sure their rules have been followed. For example: If you create a rule that only Living rooms are allowed then you must make sure that no-one has used a different room. Also hosts must stick to their original rules, you may not change rules half way through the contest, since it’s not fair to members who already entered. So think carefully about what is or is not allowed before you create your thread.

10. Contest/Winners Thread Etiquette.
Any posts on contest threads OR winners' threads that are deemed rude or inappropriate will be immediately deleted. If we see a particular member repeatedly posting these kind of comments, we will send you a PM. It is simply not fair to the contest hosts who have a hard enough time already, choosing a winner or 3 or 4 out of SO many awesome choices. It basically comes down to a personal choice for the host and should not be questioned by others. It is after all their contest, their prizes...
DO NOT POST "Is this Contest approved?" Go check for yourself. See Rule 1 above.

12. If you lose your PM ability before your contest date, you will be removed from the list.
This means that if you do not have PM ability on the day your contest is scheduled to start, you will not be allowed to host. You must have PM ability in order to host a contest.


Important to Remember
1.Contests must be OPEN to ALL MEMBERS of PP.
2. All contest entries must be made in the contest thread itself and NOT through VMs or PMs.
3. All contests must be conducted inside the contest thread. Contests can not be monitored unless the entries are posted on BI.
"The first person to find me" contests are NOT permitted.
4. NO Voting contest or Polls. These are considered Popularity contests and are not allowed.
5. Magazine contests or any contest where you request entries to later be submitted elsewhere will NOT be permitted.
Contests are for fun and the work submitted is not to be used anywhere else.
The only exception is if you request and avatar or signature that you will use. You will NOT be permitted to run a contest for ideas to later share with Maxine.
6. Contest threads are NOT to be used to up post counts.
Do not bump contest threads to get attention.
Do NOT post to acknowledge each entry. This will be considered to be bumping your thread.
7. Contest threads are not chat threads. Posts contest entries only. Conversation will be deleted.
8. Do not copy others member's entries.
9. Do not post any pictures that contain obscene materials (or links to obscene materials). Do not post pictures of yourself or any other person.
10. YouTube links are not permitted.
11. Do not ask for or share any personal information including information about accounts/passwords or email addresses.
12. Contests are open to Photography Paradise members only. Please do not enter for friends or relatives who are not PP members.
13. You may not pick your sibling or any relative to win.