I think both of these ideas are workable.

I would like to caution while we discuss this through about minding the line between building tools to help running a challenge, and delegating the challenge running to an automation. [1/2]

@KemoNine @Curator @Ayior @jwdonley @GlimworkStudio @Jennahos

Communities work because there are facilitators, who adapt in an organic way to the people. As an example Mastodon.art wasn't the first attempt to create an art focused instance. (it was 4th or 5th I believe) yet it worked because curator's willing to.. not only curate who was accepted in but also highlighting work. [2/3]

@Jennahos @GlimworkStudio @jwdonley @Ayior @Curator @KemoNine

So I think might be a good idea to start (or in this case continue!) with the ideas and build the tools as we need them? not to say stop brainstorming!!! I just don't want us to lose sight of things. :) and I will shut up now with this long winded monologue :D
[3/3]

@KemoNine @Curator @Ayior @jwdonley @GlimworkStudio @Jennahos

@eylul @Curator @Ayior @jwdonley @GlimworkStudio @Jennahos I enjoyed the monologue. Building good tools involves feedback and consideration of how/why an instance works and how to keep it thriving over time.

Overwhelming the instance with challenges would likely undo a lot of the hard work @Curator has put into the community. Any tool needs to take this into account.

[1/3]

@Jennahos @GlimworkStudio @jwdonley @Ayior @Curator @eylul I like the idea of a ghost blog, but at the same time I wonder if it might be easier to have a way to DM a bot directly for posting challenges. Doing something like this could allow @Curator to control the 'approved' accounts for challenge posts as well as lower friction for adding new 'admins' of challenges.

[2/3]

@eylul @Curator @Ayior @jwdonley @GlimworkStudio @Jennahos I'm also debating with myself on whether it should be a global challenge bot for all media or broken up. I think given it's still an idea/getting off the ground a single bot is smarter.

[3/3]

@KemoNine @Jennahos @GlimworkStudio @jwdonley @Curator @eylul
Maybe we are all a bit over-inspired right now XD I agree with Eylul - perhaps we should just expand on the idea as it comes to prevent it from loosing the original idea - which is for me creating for creations sake. No pressure in what you're creating or skill, only pressure in doing so daily. If we go with bots and stuff it could loose its focus personal incentive - don't you think?

@KemoNine @Jennahos @GlimworkStudio @jwdonley @Curator @eylul

If we make it an Art challenge it should be "Everything that comes from and generates artistic inspiration" - So cooking, poetry, music, drawing, [...] included - because isn't the great thing about doing art with others this chain reaction of inspiration (which we are also totally having in this conversation) - which other areas of art would also support.

However (cont)

@KemoNine @Jennahos @GlimworkStudio @jwdonley @Curator @eylul

(cont)
Making it an Art and not Sketch challenge might prompt a rising niveau - complete works instead of simple sketches.

I don't know - my brain wants to expand this thing and see how far we can get, my gut feeling tells me that I should just stick to the hashtag because at the core I just want to push myself to daily works.

@eylul @Curator @jwdonley @GlimworkStudio @Jennahos @KemoNine
By the way you guys are still so amazing - this is probably the most thought-through, constructive and calm discussion I have seen not only on the internet, but probably all my life O.O

3 thoughts

1) If you really want to you can clarify it is also open to "sketches" in other media but I think you could easily leave it just be. This doesn't mean not starting a different challenge or starting to think about what else we can do. :) This is working, and it is only a month :)

(cont)

@Ayior @KemoNine @Jennahos @GlimworkStudio @jwdonley @Curator

2) I agree with you @Ayior about the art being finished work. (and that is a lot to ask in a daily challenge. we could have a monthly/weekly challenge for that?)

(cont)

@Curator @jwdonley @GlimworkStudio @Jennahos @KemoNine

3) related to 2, we need to be careful to not overwhelm people. I say this as somebody who has signed herself to posting daily, 52 days in. :D

Especially for daily challenges: it should have a clear finish line where people can step out without feeling like they gave up. Weekly and monthly challenges can be more long winded

@KemoNine @Jennahos @GlimworkStudio @jwdonley @Curator @Ayior

@eylul @Jennahos @GlimworkStudio @jwdonley @Curator @Ayior @eylul hit the nail on the head, especially in point 3. Overwhelming people is the opposite of what I'd want to see.

[1/5]

@Ayior @Curator @jwdonley @GlimworkStudio @Jennahos @eylul I also think @Ayior is also on point with completed works vs sketches. The community has a wide range of skills and speaking to different levels is likely going to be very important. Daily/Weekly/Monthly 'types' of challenges would likely facilitate and temper any concerns people may have.

[2/5]

@eylul @Jennahos @GlimworkStudio @jwdonley @Curator @Ayior Would it be smart to have our benevolent dictator @Curator create a @Challenges account for helping surface challenges as they arise within the community? Maybe use it as a platform for running challenges like the current daily sketch challenge?

[3/5]

@Ayior @Curator @jwdonley @GlimworkStudio @Jennahos @eylul This would allow the community to chime in, make suggestions but ultimately let @Curator keep things from spiraling out of control. It would also give us a one stop shop if we are interested in joining any on-going challenges.

I think keeping the Signal/Noise ratio high is an important point (alluded to) and by ceeding control of challenges to @Curator will help keep the balance.

[4/5]

@eylul @Jennahos @GlimworkStudio @jwdonley @Curator @Ayior And a final thought (for now ;)): I think any automation of challenges via bots and the like would be a recipe for problems. The concerns raised by others are valid and should give pause for automation. If anything challenges.mastodon.art makes more sense if there is ever enough interest in a challenges first instance.

[5/5]

@KemoNine @Curator @jwdonley @GlimworkStudio @Jennahos @eylul I'll think about all of this. I'm leaving the discussion for now - after all, I still have to do my actual sketch for today - and it will be something a little bit different today, youll see :)