Contest 04/2018: FRIENDSHIP

I feel a little sick but don't want to let you wait any longer. So here is the new topic. You can already start creating your picture and I will update the contest page later.

This month the lovely topic is FRIENDSHIP! You can try to build two characters by combining, moving and spinning the parts in a creative way. Or you can just show a friend of a famous person / fictional character. Since this is a free topic you are also allowed to show what a good friend looks like to you personally.

HOW TO JOIN:

• Submit your picture on the CONTESTS page until April 20.
• The pictures will all show up on April 21 for a vote. You can like as many pictures as you want.
• On April 1 the winners will be announced.

RULES:

• Please use the "big" size (770x770px) when you save your picture. The normal size is okay as well, but don't upload them too small.
• You are allowed to remove the "sp-studio.de" watermark (there is a button on the save screen).
• The picture must be created at sp-studio.de and submitted until April 20, 11:59 PM (GMT+1). I might allow pictures which are a little bit late, but don't count on it.
• No editing with additional software! No effects, color change, zooming or rotating. Just SP-Studio pictures.
• If you don't want to tell me your email address this is okay, but I might not be able to contact you if you win.
• If you have problems with the contact form on the website you can send the picture by email or forum / Facebook message.
• Add a short English description so we know what's shown in your picture. Text like "VOTE!!!" will be removed.
• If you upload more than one picture for a contest the newest one counts and the others are deleted.
• When the voting starts you can lik the pictures until April 30.

FIRST PRIZE:

I will draw a SP-Studio item based on YOUR idea. Of course it should be useful in some way, but if I decline your wish you can make another one. The new item will be included in the next update with a fitting topic. A mixed update is planned for may.

Great! TOday is the last for submissions, so I hope some more will join until midnight.

Ready to vote?

http://www.sp-studio.de/contests/

Unfortunately, yes. I already had to delete some and at least the last three of them are a big concern. I am not sure how to make the topic clearer... When you submit the file it's even written next to the submit button.

THE FINAL RESULTS:

1) 10 points: Bunsen and Beaker of the Muppets (by Art Vandelay)
2) 8 points: Friendship: i couldn't stand to be apart of my friend... I ate him so will be forever together! (by Erika Dunkelheit)
2) 8 points: True friendship never really dies (by Jareen2)
2) 8 points: Animals are true friends (by Miron)
5) 7 points: Steve and Brian Friendship - from Family Guy (by AXON199)

Congratulations! Art Vandelay wins a free wish with this creative picture. The next update which is planned to go online this month will include the contest wishes of the past months.

Your wish is granted

Bad news...

There will be no contest this month. The reason is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which becomes enforceable on 25 May 2018 for all websites hostet in European countries.

Because of my daily job as a web developer I have to work a lot right now to make all my customers' websites fit for the GDPR. It's a pain in the ass... </ much more than I expected it to be. Data protection is important, but the regulations become a very difficult topic for small businesses. And there are many points which are still unclear - for example if the use of Google fonts is against the law now.

But the amount of work I have to deal with because of the GDPR is not the reason why there is no contest. The reason is it applies to sp-studio.de as well. When I run the contests I collect user data because people send me their e-mail addresses and names. At the very least I need a SSL protection for my server. I cannot do this right now, because it needs some preperation, and I don't want to start a contest which I have to cancel on May 25. So unfortunately there won't be a contest this month, but I hope to bring them back for June.

By the way... the forum might be a problem as well. I might have to take it offline on May 25th if I cannot make it GDPR save in time. But I hope this won't be neccessary and if it happens it will be back.

It looks worse the more I read about it...