Current Triond Contest Not Really Encouraging Quality

In the past, Triond writer’s contests have focused on submitting a certain number of articles to receive extra payments.  I thought this was an interesting idea to encourage writers to submit more and varying articles.  Over thirty days, five, ten or fifteen articles was not that great a challenge.  Truthfully, if you are a regular writer, most likely you were submitting that number anyway.  I also thought it was cool to receive the badges.  I also think it showed some writers that they could up their contributions when many writers may have through otherwise.

This month, in response to comments by users, Triond adopted the idea to encourage writer’s to produce not quantity but quality.  Any writer should know to produce quality and not be taken off course trying to produce quantity.  How much quanitity is five articles anyway?  However, I can quarrel with the idea of quality.  I don’t think the current contest does that.

The idea this month is the top 100 articles will receive an extra payment of $5.  Now, how do we decide the top 100 articles?  Are the editors having a weekend read in and then voting?  Nope.  Are the readers voting on the winner?  Nope.  Are the writers voting on a winner?  Nope.  A combination of the three above?  Nope.  Perhaps a panel is coming in to vote on them?  Nope.  How are we deciding?  Well, the top articles will be the ones that have the top 100 views.  That’s right.   Now, you ask, what is wrong with that?  Let me tell you.

Strangely enough, for the most part the people who have the most views are the same ones every month.  That’s right.  They write to popular topics, have a great following and turn out material.  This doesn’t guarentee that these articles are the best, I think you are looking at those who are able to market and use the internet the best.  It wouldn’t surprise me if they have large families as well.  These people are not going to go away, or out of the top listings.  So, Triond will be awarding their top writers in quantity.    Is this upping quality?  And whom is it upping? 

I believe Triond wants to increase its quality.  This something it is not know for, although most articles I see on Triond have lots of quality.  Not all, this is true.  But you can find bad articles on any site.  This is the first contest on Triond I have seen that most writers have to realize they have no chance of winning or even coming close.  Not a good idea for a contest.  I don’t have a problem rewarding Triond’s high tier writers.  But let’s not call it a quality contest.  Any of the methods I mentioned about will result in better quality reviews than a contest that will end up rewarding those who make the most money on the site anyway.  I wonder, is Triond getting away from supporting new writers?  This contest makes you wonder.