BOTM contest, why common sites are chosen always?

[TECK]

Hello,

I post this because I belive vBulletin.org is still a hacker's site.
How do you actually decide what boards to select?
Every time you run a contest, I don't see any board that stands out, while using vBulletin software only.

They all look the same to me, with very little variations.
Board of the Month, also known as BOTM, is a contest that awards members of operating a customized vBulletin award-winning site.

Changing the colors and the background images is called "customization" for you guys?
I thought costumization ment changing the actual code and structure of the site.
Create a totally new look where you can barelly recognize is a vb software based site.
We are hackers, not colorists.

So far, the only site truly customized into my eyes is Ayyas:
http://www.ayyas.com/

I voted for them, into your latest contest:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=140752

I invite all hackers to look at the above sites and to vote ONLY for the one site that truly stands in originality and coding skills.
Curious to see who will win... In my eyes, I already know the winner.

EDIT:
Care to comment, guys and girls? This page was viewed more then 15times and nobody replies?
This is a discussion forum, we are allowed to discuss. There is nothing wrong if we interact and develop the subject...

Thanks for posting your thoughts.

Also, it would be a good idea to disable the automerged system, what do you think?

[Lizard King]

:) I believe Botm contest here is mainly ending up with product forums because people receive good support at their board and came here to vote. vBSEO , vBlogetin all won BOTM i believe mainly because of their support level :)

[TECK]

I see, Lizard. But what has to do the support with the board costumization and the contest we are talking about?
Don't you think is unfair for those people to win?
Let me post this again:
Board of the Month, also known as BOTM, is a contest that awards members of operating a customized vBulletin award-winning site.
I don't see anywhere anything mentioned about winning because you give good support on your hacks.

BTW, vBlogetin is not at all standard, it is a very heavy modified site, point of vbulletin code.
In fact, AJ is selling his hacked code as blog software. :)
So he is not only editing colors, he is a true hacker, IMO.

What do you guys think?

[Lizard King]

I believe if a site is really customized then they will be of the candidates to won. For example i believe my site has a chance to win the competition even it has a language failure for most people :)

I also donot want to mention that vBSEO or vBlogetin didn't deserve Botm. Both forums are well customized on their own aspects. vBSEO style is heavily SEO customized board and vBlogetin is also customized to work with their perfect blog system. But the problem is i believe for people who voted that sites. My idea as i mentioned above is because of support :)

[Paul M]

How do you actually decide what boards to select?
We don't - the site owners nominate themselves, members second them - all we do is take the top 5 seconded sites each month.

[G0F0RBR0KE]

Hello,

I post this because I belive vBulletin.org is still a hacker's site.
How do you actually decide what boards to select?
Every time you run a contest, I don't see any board that stands out, while using vBulletin software only.

They all look the same to me, with very little variations.
Board of the Month, also known as BOTM, is a contest that awards members of operating a customized vBulletin award-winning site.

Changing the colors and the background images is called "customization" for you guys?
I thought costumization ment changing the actual code and structure of the site.
Create a totally new look where you can barelly recognize is a vb software based site.
We are hackers, not colorists.

So far, the only site truly customized into my eyes is Ayyas:
http://www.ayyas.com/

I voted for them, into your latest contest:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=140752

I invite all hackers to look at the above sites and to vote ONLY for the one site that truly stands in originality and coding skills.
Curious to see who will win... In my eyes, I already know the winner.

EDIT:
Care to comment, guys and girls? This page was viewed more then 15times and nobody replies?
This is a discussion forum, we are allowed to discuss. There is nothing wrong if we interact and develop the subject...

Thanks for posting your thoughts.

Also, it would be a good idea to disable the automerged system, what do you think?

The owner of a site nominate themself and we vote if we love their outstanding work or how it's being run.

I know what you're trying to say....but what has that site you mention has done? Simply his layout is BASE on the skin...I bet if he has a default skin, it will look like the same o same o as all vBulletin customers!

[Princeton]

"quality" is a personal point-of-view - what you define as quality others may define as poor

the BOTM is a community contest .. we do not choose the winner nor the candidates

[TECK]

I thought that vBulletin.org picks randomly from a submitted list 5 contest players.
Thanks for the information, I understand now how the system works.

[SaN-DeeP]

We don't - the site owners nominate themselves, members second them - all we do is take the top 5 seconded sites each month.
Had a doubt about same as well, thanks for clarifications.

[Marco van Herwaarden]

I thought that vBulletin.org picks randomly from a submitted list 5 contest players.
Thanks for the information, I understand now how the system works.
We choose the sites that received most valid seconds. If this would lead to more then 5 sites (if sites get the same number of seconds) then we will do a random selection out of those that received the same number of seconds.

PS We prefer not to use the term "hackers" as that is associated with something else then coding modifications.

[itrends]

Where do you submit sites for the BOTM?

[Marco van Herwaarden]

<a href="https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=140755" target="_blank">https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=140755</a>

[COBRAws]

Its not the first time I say this, but board owners SHOULD NOT be allowed to nominate their boards.

And there should be a rule for nominations, at least boards with 5.000 posts. I always see the same boards with different skins, no fancy hacks nor a huge ammount of posts.

BOTM contests doesnt mean anything to me ATM. In the other hand, the modification of the month DOES.

[Brandon Sheley]

I agree that sites that have more members as vBulletin owners would naturally have a better chance of being nominated since more users who can vote would know of the support sites ;)

I think Lizard King's site is great and I would be proud to give my "botm" badge to him, I hope to know day be as good as him as well as many great coders here..

:)

cheers
-Bs