I recently got an iTunes gift card for $10. Problem is, you have to use windows or mac to even use iTunes, and I use linux, and rather than sell it, I figured I'd give it away with a small contest here instead. Plus, I'm bored with the single Xepher.net logo on the front page.
Current Logo:
(http://xepher.net/images/XNLogo.png)
The contest is to design the best-looking new logo. Entries should be the same size as the current image, 450px by 120px, and PNG format. Note that the image must look good IN PLACE on the xepher.net pages. Keep in mind the colors used on the page, and make sure it doesn't clash. The current image makes heavy use of transparency to blend in with the page background (notice how the blue and the shadows are transparent when viewed at http://xepher.net directly), and I suggest entries do the same. Entries should prominently feature the the site name "Xepher.net" The "Net" part can optionally be capitalized as well, or you can make use of all-caps. Optionally, the logo can include the motto "Free Hosting For Free Thinkers" capitalized/punctuated as you think looks best. Graphically, you can include whatever you wish, and use any style of artwork. You can include characters/objects/etc. in it if you wish, so long as they look appropriate. (Avoid in-jokes that would require knowledge of said characters and/or any comics they appear in.) The logo should be a stand-alone piece of artwork. I'll be looking for something that's friendly, yet professional feeling.
The contest will run through September 15th, unless there are fewer than 10 entries by then, in which case it will be extended another 2 weeks. (There won't be any additional extensions.) Anyone can enter, no need to be a member/regular on xepher.net, so please invite any friends/artists you know. The winner will be given a gift-card code (via email) good for $10 at the U.S. iTunes store. (Sorry to those of you in other countries, but the card already has the U.S. restriction on it. You could, however, win it and give it to a friend if you can't use it.) I'll also be using the winning logo (and possibly a couple of the runner-ups) on xepher.net. Alt-text attribution to the artist (if desired.)
I'll see if I can get in on this...
(http://dimensionalhammer.org/randompics/xephernet.png)
*is stunned*
That's... awesome. I love the pirate eye-patch. If the rest of the entries are anywhere near as cool, this could be a really fun contest. :-)
Is anyone else gonna play?
Yeah, I was hoping for more. :-)
I'll announce it on the main page this weekend, maybe that'll get more people.
If you want, I can announce on The Webcomic Beacon. Never know.
We have until the 15th ;) :P
Yeah, go for it if you want to. Kinda advertises xepher.net itself as well.
Quote from: Xepher on August 29, 2008, 04:59:37 PM
Yeah, go for it if you want to. Kinda advertises xepher.net itself as well.
Well, yea :P
I kinda wished we stayed here (the Beacon), but I notice that since we left, I had not noticed the server not working at in convenient times.... Coincidence ? ;)
Ow... burn...
Hey, the SERVER is working fine! The datacenter it's in though... :-/
Yeah, what can I say, it's super-el-cheapo and you get what you pay for. Now that I've got a job, I'm thinking about finding a better place eventually, but we'll see.
Quote from: sagebrush on August 31, 2008, 04:17:43 AM
Ow... burn...
Not really ;) I believe that some of the issue for the outage was The Podcast. Even though it was not a huge podcast, it still was the biggest drain on resources/bandwidth last I checked. Towards the end, I started to suspect constant 60+ minute MP3 downloads were sapping the data center's... whatever it is... for Xepher's server. It's seemed to not do that any more since the show hasn't been here all August.
No worries, I'm not really caring what/where the fault lies, I was just giving you a hard time above. I'm just glad it's working for you now, doesn't matter where.
Yay! A reason to design! <3 I'm on it!
Even if I just found out and it ends in two days!
Yes! Please contribute! I want a contest, not a default.
Though I will note that with less than 10 entries, it looks like we're going into overtime. Meaning two more weeks. But get stuff in anyway, to encourage others to try.
OK, so I still haven't started. But I'm going to!
It's thumbnail time!
THIS IS A PIECE I DID ON THE OBSERVATION OF THE INTERNET. THIS CLEARLY SHOWS MY MAD SKILLS AS A GRAPHIC ARTIST SO I CAN TOTALLY BE A DICK ABOUT IT WHILE I'M DRINKING 5 DOLLAR DRINKS WHILE HOVERING OVER MY MAC BOOK PRO AT MY LOCAL DOUCHEBAG HANGOUT AKA TOOL DEPOSITORY (aka local too cool for you coffee shop)
(http://gwynrumbolt.com/images/untitled.JPG)
ha.ha I'm just kidding, I only drink 7 dollar drinks with a minimum of 3 shots and STEAMED MILK ONLY
Heheh... well looks like we have a serious contender there! :-)
On a more serious note though, the contest ends this monday, the 29th, so anyone planning to enter should do so by then.
Man I remember back when Xepher.net had a hell of a lot more traffic. Think the recession shit has something to do with the drop of activity in here?
Time flies. o_o Wowies.
Okay, gonna start RIGHT NOW. For serious.
Nah... I think it's just that I haven't really been gaining NEW users in quite a while. The normal pattern is that almost all the forum traffic is users who signed up within the past couple of months, plus the tiny few of us that are long-time forum users here. If I went and did a big push for new users, and got 30 people signed up, 20 of them would be all over this forum for the next 3 months. I've no need to do that though. :-)
Xepher, come up with some clever tag lines or SOME idea for Xepher ads, I'll run a low cost PW campaign (should hit a lot of small sites, but has been very effective for me in the past). It might be best to make a specific page for this ad with some examples of sites hosted here. The big ones plus a good variety of others. (or all of them?)
I think it could work to drive up some traffic. Could get a few applications as well as new readers to various hosted site... even for a low-cost ad campaign on PW.
Weekend threw me for a loop. Also, sudden freelance.
I faild. Sorry, Xepher, lol. I would have come up with something good, though... (I'll still do something for fun, just not on time.)
Fes: I probably made that sound like I was lamenting the lack of new users. Don't get me wrong, I like doing this, but I intentionally avoid advertising xepher.net. I'm not trying to push for new users. If people find this place, great, if they don't, that's fine too... and actually means less work for me. :-) My point above was that if I DID push for it, then, just as you said, I could probably drive up traffic quite easily. Maybe at some point in the future, probably if/when I ever launch a new system like the Artica idea, then I'll really go all out for publicity.
Senshuu: If you're too busy, don't worry about it. While I was hoping for more entries here (obviously) it doesn't hurt my feeling or anything that there weren't. I wasn't surprised either... I mean, I wasn't even motivated enough to make a new logo myself. :-)
Oooo... A while after I posted that, I did my really quick idea sketches.
(http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c146/senshuu/dump/xepherlogosketches.jpg)
The top one is the one I'm gonna detail. I'm even gonna do it layered in Illustrator... infinitely scallable logos, yaaay. I'd do cool things with all of them though.
Hehe... I'm more disappointed with myself that I didn't get around to it these past two weeks...
Deadline fail.
I tried but I couldn't think of anything decent. Well, I thought of some banner-header type images but nothing like a logo. :(
Well, that's that folks. The winner (by technical participation) is Sagebrush! DING DING DING DING!
Gwyn: Nice try. :-)
Senshuu... liked where the ideas were going, but I have to play by the rules and it's already been a month.
Sage... I'll get you that iTunes card soon.
Yay! I wonder what else I can get by default... <.<;
Hehe! I only hoped by chance that you'd extend it again... worth a shot lol.
'Gratz Sagebrush!
Hah, maybe I'll have a contest on my site with this as the prize, and you'll have another crack at winning it.
Does this iTunes thing expire? Also, is it a physical card, or is it a coupon code?
I demand a recount!
Fine, I'll do a public recount.
One.
:-P
Bwaha, you know, actually... I wasn't interested in the prize at all. I just wanted to enter this. XD I'm weird.
Well, you're still welcome to contribute... I'm not closing the thread or anything. Heck, if I like it, I'll probably put it in a logo rotation with Sage's and whatever else I come up with.
Logo rotation! Also a good idea!