Hello... !!! Welcome to the "questions/suggestions" thread. Well, you guys know what to do. Post your queries about the contest in this thread. ricelius and I will answer them at the soonest possible time .

Mrs. Pepper

Okay... forgive me if this is written somewhere else already, but here are my questions.

How long is this contest going to last, and how are the poems going to be judged?

Thanks!

-Sakura

forgive me if this has been asked already, but when are the winners going to be announced?

HB

Thanks, Ricelius, that's a good way to do it.

-Sakura

No problem, Sakura

We'll announce the winners once the poll has been open for a month or so. There's no specific date yet as we're not sure how long the jury will need to come up with the nominations.

Ricelius

The nominations.. those will be chosen by the Jury? And then those will be voted on by PKers? Right?

Just making sure I have it all down. lol

-Sakura

Yup, that's right. Sort of like the Academy Awards etc.

Ricelius

oh kool.. a great way to do it, Mrs. Pepper and ricelius!
but im sure mine won't get chosen

HB

hey! um I don't know if this has already been asked and I'm sorry if it has, but what are the prizes? I've just heard people saying they were really good, so I thought I'd ask. Oh, and can a person win more than one round? Not that I'm planning on this happening, but I'm just wondering. lol

in the "Execrable" Catagory, is it supposed to be like writing about a ship, but it's supposed to be execrable? (i know im not making sense)
because i just finished one like that...

HB

oh, thanx, ricelius!
i was a bit confused with it, but now i completely understand!!!
i don't think my poems fitting in the execrable category, i mean, it's not evil, vicious or violent, but just plain weird, weird enough to cause ridicule

HB

They don't have to be evil or anything, they just have to be bad. That is to say, the style needs to bad, your writing needs to suck, but in a funny way.
For examples, go to http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk/articles/profile.htm.

Ricelius

so there won't be any prizes at all?

Nope. What did you have in mind? PK isn't a profit-generating corporation, quite the contrary actually. Someone would have to pay for the prizes, if they were to be tangible, and I for one would rather contribute my money to the running of PK (hosting etc.) than prizes in a contest, were I to contribute at all. The contests at PK really are for amusement and entertainment only, done for the members by the members. But of course, if anyone is willing to donate prizes, they're very welcome

I quite agree with ricelius's earlier post. One should not seek tangible returns from these contests. It should be honor enough to have one's poem make it to the final round.

Besides, these contests are another means by which Portkeymates could bond with one another. People get to polish their creative talents here.

Perhaps you have non-tangible prizes in mind? I'm not coordinating this contest, but as a Portkeymate, I'd be interested.

That "Awards" field in every member's Profile? It's Nappa's idea. Not related to the contests. I'm not sure it's fully operational, so let's wait for him to make the announcement himself.

okay, i sounded like a real jerk earlier, and i apologize...what i meant by prizes were what ppl said, signatures and avatars displaying that they won. those would be really cool, and i could volunteer to make a few of them, i've gotten quite good, just email me if you want me to! thanks,
Erin

My newest idea was spung from those "contributor" pictures on the side of people's posts that show they donated money to PK...

Maybe you could even make something like that for the winners, like a step up from just a declaration in their signatures. It would be kind of impressive, since winning a contest is sort of a big deal.

XTina

So THAT is what those Awards are for... I'll PM Nappa and see what he says. Really good ideas, everyone.

Ricelius

Hi guys. Yes, the award system is something I'm trying to design and code into the forum. ^.^ Kind of messy as you see at the moment. What will happen is that in your profile, Awards would show up. Also - if you click on obsessedharryfan's Award link, you see what is there at the moment. I will basically need to edit and make it presentable. People can see what kinds of prizes they have won. Portkey can't give away tangible gifts, but a little recognition if you post in the forums , should be decent enough of a compensation. ^.^

NAPPA

Hm, I'm not keen on awards for merely posting a lot. You're actually making it hard for other people to catch up on the topics. And many of you are giving us Mods lots of work. But I'm keen on awards for helping us do that work. And for making PK even more fun.

babyhalo - glad that we've cleared things up. Who knows, people might take you up on your offer.

The prizes sound like a neat idea. And I agree they should not be given out so willingly but for some special occasions such as winning one of the two contests we have now.

However what happened to the award field? It kind of disappeared...

Question...

Wasn't the contest supposed to have ended by now?

Sorry if I'm being annoying...

XTina

True, but we're still assembling the jury so we thought we might as well keep it open until they're ready to judge. That should be any day now, so don't worry...

Nah, you're not too annoying

Ricelius

Haha thanks for reassuring me.

I'm glad it'll still be open.. who knows, maybe I'll have time to submit something else.

XTina

Um...I was kind of wondering when you were going to post the nominations, the anticipation is killing me.

Tootles

Hpfreak06

I have a rather silly question to ask: for how long are the polls going to last, and when are the winners going to be announced? (All right, so it was two in one - sorry, Lally and ricelius!)

We'll post the nominations as soon as possible. We're still working on getting everything set up. Sorry for the delay.

The polls will be open for a month, and the winners will be announced immediately after they're closed.

Ricelius

Thanks for clarifying. And it's all right about the delay - we can understand why, what with so many submissions and such.

i understand, i was just wondering how its coming along....... its gotta be hard to have to judge all of those

When are you going to pick the winners?

Yeah when are you

I'm sure they have a lot to do, thus explaining the delay. But I'm a bit curious myself, how is it coming along?

We all should remember that this is the first contest of its kind in Portkey, and possibly in the HP fandom. I often see 2 of the judges posting in their Judging Area on early mornings. I have it on good authority that their panel has picked the final entries for each category. Polls should be up soon.

I'm not a contest coordinator, though. Just another meddling omnipresent Mod.


*cough* You're so far from that, Pen. You're so far from that. - Nitya/S.D.


Far from meddling, or from being omnipresent?

Neither. Hehe . .

Btw, Mrs. Pepper & ricelius, - don't hesitate to contact us Mods (esp. Quis, me, & Nitya) for help with setting up the polls. We can:
=>Set up a thread for each category
=>move all poem posts from the Submissions thread to the Category thread
=>insert polls in each thread.

We can probably show you the Poll threads first, so you can look over them before they get displayed to the public.

All right, so you're a mod. Granted, that part's true. As for being far from a contest coordinator - nope! I was saying you were far from being an omnipresent and meddling one. Take it any way you want, though

Pen's got a good point. Any Global Mod/Admin, for that matter can do just that - attaching polls, moving posts to the Category threads, and setting up threads for each category.

Although I probably can't do them, seeing as I'm competing in the poetry contest. So that leaves Pen and Quis.

- Nitya *cackles* See my note in your post, Pen.


So I'm neither far from meddling nor omnipresent. But I am a Mod. Does this mean you're saying that I'm far from being a contest coordinator? That is absolutely correct.

OK, I'm new to Portkey so please forgive if this is in the wrong spot. Please tell me where to put it for the Salazar/Helga ship.

Thanks
Lady Lestrange

Of Love and Loyalty
By ladylestrange

Inspiration within dreamed a school for tomorrow.

Ambition without brought the noble plan to sorrow.

The other founders quarrel; I’m not the enemy

So, they ask, if you would give it up, for love of me

I tell them, They cannot truly know you like I do

Yet Salazar, I wonder, did I ever know you?

I’ve stirred this potion daily and I think I know the key

But Love, I won’t pay the cost of what should never be.

I fear that I will strangle, like in a demon’s grip

More than that, My Love, I fear, you’ll change with each foul sip.

I’ve poured it in the garden ‘neath the tiny Angel’s Snare

Do you see the Devil vines and thorns now growing there?

Angered you have cast me off--though I’ll love you till I die.

Devotion never counts the cost, though jeering others wonder why.

Though wand is raised against me, I see loving in your eyes

I would rather die than hurt you. though others say that I’m unwise.

Not for power, nor fame, nor fortune, will I do what brings you pain

Even if you take your love and never speak to me again.

My love, I’ll give to you my heart. I’ll give to you my soul.

But do not ask my precious to help you toward this goal.

Now, everyday I worry, and tightness fills my chest.

Should I reveal our secrets? Should I betray the rest?

I ask the gilded serpents that grace your chamber door.

But your creatures do not know, what loyalty is for

They cannot see beyond ambition’s cunning eye.

They cannot love my love, nor do they even try.

I cannot even bleed for you. You throw it in the pit.

Nor can I renounce you and brave a path that’s split.

I dreamed again of heartache--my visions filled with pain.

I dreamed you lived forever: Lonely, tortured and insane.

So blind, Slytherin, I’ve taken emerald from the stone.

A house divided lives whose loyalty is shown.

When a child of Slytherin, looks here to friendship find.

Until that day, my Love, Slytherin, will labor blind.

Time moves on till Slytherins paint and dance and sing

When love is in the heart, on your finger is the ring

Tis not a curse I give thee, though you may think it so

I give you all my love. Consider me not your foe.

When at last you read this, my body lies cold and dead

Say Helga’s love is timeless. Not Helga’s love is dread.

Ah, sorry to tell you this, but the poetry contest ended (exactly) a week ago. And the winners have already been announced. And there isn't a Salazar/Helga category - only the following four: Harry/Hermione, Ron/Luna, Lily/James and Draco/Ginny. This could be fitted in the General HP category, if there's any need to be.

However, there's going to be another contest next year. You can enter that when the time comes. Nice poem, by the way.

BAH! I'm an idiot. I was the one with the wrong forum ... meh. Congrats to the winners of the poetry awards

Excalibur, try posting this in the Administration forum instead; this thread is for the Poetry Contest only. But those are some good suggestions, I second most of them!

Ricelius

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LOL! Look at the time stamp... Oh well...
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