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moonbeam13 — CR Newsletter: September/October 2012
Published: 2012-10-23 20:22:41 +0000 UTC; Views: 16446; Favourites: 40; Downloads: 0
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Director of Community Relations :
Table of Contents
1. Miscellaneous vs Other
2. Attacking the Artist
3. Volunteer Openings in Community Relations
4. Community Projects
5. Official Contests
6 Project Educate 2011/2012
7. Art History Project
8. News from the Chats and Forums
9. News from the Galleries
1. Miscellaneous vs Other
Over the past few months, we've been diligently working on cleaning up the category tree of old and unused categories. While most of this will go unnoticed by the community, what you will notice is the change from "Miscellaneous" galleries to "Other". The reason for this change is simple. The concept of Miscellaneous leads one to believe that it's a junk drawer category for everything under the sun when the intention was to be an "Other" category for deviations that don't fit well in other sub-categories of the tree. We're also working on updating the categories with better and more concise descriptions.
2. Attacking the Artist
I seem to go over this particular point in various ways many times over and it's very likely the people needing to be reading this response, aren't the ones reading this newsletter regularly. However, let it not be said that I don't respond. Daily deviation selections are done by a group of people I have selected. Some are volunteers and some are paid staff and they were selected by me because I trust their opinions and value their eye and I regard them as community leaders. However, they are human and sometimes mistakes are made. We routinely use image comparison tools to avoid copyright issues but even that isn't fool proof and when a stolen image is discovered it's dealt with almost immediately. The truth of the matter is, you will not love every Daily Deviation selected. However, instantly flaming the artist or the selector has got to be one of the most confusing and frustrating practices I'm witness to on deviantART.
A similar situation seems to occur with contest & challenge semi-finalist and winners announcements. A grave misconception is that all contests are judged by the same people. Allow me to clear up that myth. Each contest is assigned a panel of judges whose expertise fit with the nature of the contest or challenge.
While, I appreciate your passion in communicating your disagreement with anything to do with the site, flaming an artist on their deviation is both rude and misplaced anger. In both situations, the artist has no control over their image being selected and it's demoralizing to have your piece ripped to shreds because a third-party decided to put you in the spotlight. Receiving a Daily Deviation or winning a contest can be both a blessing and a curse for the artist and that's unfortunate.
Should you feel the need to share your discontent in regards to DD selections or Contest/Challenge winners, please feel free to communicate it with me. On occasion, the community has alerted me to non-qualifying selections and we've rectified the situation and I've also had great conversations with people. I am not inviting you to swear profusely in my general direction, however, if you're choosing to spew venom at the artist or at me, please email it to me moonbeam13@deviantart.com and leave the artist alone.
I love the community at deviantART and I've been a part of it for many years. I've felt the outpouring of support and encouragement over those years and I don't believe that the "bullies" speak for the majority. Unfortunately, they do mar the general awesomeness that is our community and it's time to really sit and think about how we communicate and interact with each other in our virtual world. It's very easy to forget there are people at the end of the screen and it's super easy to unleash the beast within, without immediately feeling or seeing the ramifications of hurt feelings or anger you've incited in someone else, as a result.
Last Friday we celebrated Spirit Day and we dressed up in purple and roared against bullying but now we have to put that into practice and it starts with every single one of us. Bullying starts and ends with us. So, let's try and treat people kinder, let's take a minute before responding with vile words and attacks because our feelings are hurt and try to break this cycle. If you are a victim of bullying at deviantART or see someone who seems to be bullying someone else, feel free to note or email me about it. I'm happy to help you use the tools available to stop the cycle and enjoy deviantART the way it should be enjoyed.
Pass it along.3. Volunteer Openings in Community Relations
If you're interested in learning more about being a volunteer on deviantART please read
To see current openings on the Community Relations volunteer team please check this journal . If there isn't a spot open please consider helping out from within the community. Read How to be a guiding light and shining example by EveryNextDream and So you Want to be a CV by Thiefoworld
4. Community Projects
Want to show your devious pride and get involved in ongoing Community Projects? Check out some of these! 5. Official Contests
All "official" contests will begin at midnight PST on the start date and end at 11:59 PST on the end date. This applies to all Community Relations run contests and all deviantART sponsored contests.
The "
" icon marks US Only contests
Upgrade Your Space Contest - Deadline October 25, 2012 Anthro Challenge - Wrong Potion - Deadline October 31, 2012 Merrell Diorama Contest - Deadline October 31, 2012 devID Spooky Make-up Contest - Deadline October 31, 2012 Capture Your Pumpkin Contest - Deadline November 5, 2012 Creatures of the Night Stock and Resources Contest - Deadline November 6, 2012 Seasonal Portraiture - Deadline November 30, 2012
Halloween Contests 
Anthro Challenge - Wrong Potion Capture YOUR Pumpkin Creatures of the Night Stock & Resources Contest Halloween Contests: Find One Here! devID Spooky Make-up Contest Halloweenie Contest Dante's Inferno Photomanip Tutorial Challenge dAMonsters 6. Project Educate 2011/2012
Current: Photomanipulation Workshop Month (ends October 29th)
Next Week Horror and Macabre Photography
The Project Educate Schedule.
7. Art History Project
Art History - Digital Art Features Digital Art - Why It's so important Digital Art Critique Night Events Digital Art vs Traditional Art 8. News from the Chats and Forums
Forum Events Calendar Chat Events Calendar September's Forum Feature : Difference October's Forum Feature : Contrast - Submit your piece now! Muro Challenge #4 - Winner! Chat Tutorial #5 - Joining Chatrooms Chat Tutorial #6 - All the small commands Chat Tutorial #7 - Tabbing - What is that and how? Forum Tutorial #1 - Posting a thread Forum Tutorial #2 - Promoting your Chatroom! Monthly Photography Critique Forum 9. News from the Galleries
Anthro Artisan Crafts Body Art & Modification Comics & Cartoons Community Projects Customization Digital Dolls Emoticons Designs & Interfaces Game Development Art deviantART Related Digital Art 3-Dimensional Fractal Photomanipulation Pixel Art Vector Vexel- September DDs Fan Art Literature Photography Abstract & Surreal Conceptual Animals, Plants & Nature Artistic Nude Darkroom Fashion Photography Fetish Photography Horror & Macabre Photojournalism Pin-Up & Glamour People & Portraits Still Life Photography Street Photography Resources & Stock Images Street Art & Graffiti Text Art & Typography Traditional Art The Community Relations department exists to encourage, facilitate and develop the relationship with our deviantART community. Our goal is to nurture our community by encouraging, stimulating artists to create, collaborate, and participate in a friendly, safe, and supportive artistic environment. Watch communityrelations for up to date news and to learn how you can get involved in projects and events!
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Comments: 40
I'm frankly sad that the term "bullying" and all of it's derivatives have devolved so much that people fling it nearly as much as they fling the term "troll".
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This is you at your most eloquent; this is among the reasons I'm so very proud to work with you.
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I really like that you're changing "miscellaneous" to "other". It think it's been needed for awhile, so I'm glad to see it happen.
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Might want to make it clear to the woobies that constructive criticism is NOT bullying. I see that frequently, anything other than effusive praise is regarded as bullying and sends the recipient into a squalling tantrum.
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lol thanks.
I forget where I heard it, but I love it as an inoffensive term for the annoying folks. xD
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This is one very fact filled and informative post
I suspect that a chunk of envy and jealousy are involved with the responses to DD's etc. when they show so much anger which is such a shame. Spirit day was good but I think we need spirit year
With `UnicornReality no longer as AC CV and ^FrockTarts stopping soon I'm curious to see who will get the difficult job of filling their shoes but I have a feeling I'll have to wait a bit longer still
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"2. Attacking the Artist"
(*insert opinion* I think sometimes we expect inhuman speed from you and your team. ... actually, that might be a fact) You reacted very quickly to issues in the last few contests, but alas, artists did get attacked like they had a choice in being selected as a semi-finalist or finalist (the most sad was the semi-finalist who did the improvement meme with Pokemon - it was a great art and deserved to be there, it was just the rules that put a wrench in it). The selected few recipients of DDs and as contest semi-finalists and finalists don't have any say in who is selected yet they get the brunt of community frustration when something goes wrong. >.< People need to remember that the selected are not the selectees, but how do you get a community of people to understand such a novel idea? *brain hurts*
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I'm not sure you can get it across to everyone
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With as many times as it has been posted in official dA groups, I think you are sadly right...
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There are always new people who don't know and longer term members that don't want to know (or appear not to want to know)
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Thanks for sharing~ I'll especially be passing around 2 because I'm seeing it all around me, and it's getting rather annoying.
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Cool. I have too many balls in the air to take on another big volunteer project, so I'll keep on encouraging the newbies. Having been here almost eight years, I've gotten to watch a few kids grow up and turn into mature artists, and some mature artists get better.
Hang in there.
Steve
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Woah! so much information. All of it important.
How did I miss that Merrell contest?! It looks like A LOT of fun and the prizes are killer too
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Very inspiring.
It really gives hope and love for the dA community. 
Respect everyone!
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WOW NOT AGAIN....What is wrong with people these days. It's not like the artist was expecting a DD...But attacking them ad the cvs...
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It's sad that some people feel the need to attack the artist when that person didn't request or choose to have their deviation featured. If a person has an issue with a DD selection, or a contest decision, then they should follow proper channels. And, above all else, remain civil. What purpose is there to insulting a person's hard work over a decision they had no control over?
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What about dAMonsters ? It's kind of a game and contest all smooshed into one!
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You're right unfortunately I wasn't told it was being posted in time for this so I'll update now.
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I do apologize on behalf of individuals targeting those deeming "less of any given talent", especially when the artists themselves are people that help make the community what it is today and was not able to be back when the community consisted of 10 people.. however, I do hope those that are sick and tired of being the victim grow the potential to stand up for themselves when they have leaders of #communityrelations like you, the Help $taff, and the CVs at their side. 
tl;dr Stand up for yourselves, dammit!! We got your back
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Great talk about the bullying. I know I have been bullied before, and, though I'd love to deny it but can't, I have bullied before. I feel horrible about it, but now that it's done and over, I'll do what I can to make things right again. I don't like the feeling, so I'll do better next time.
You, Danie, are an inspiration.
Thank you!
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It would be great to see that everybody really lives by what you said in point 2. I am certainly keeping my hopes up for people to tread a bit more lightly and learn to respect others and their art.
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