Would an on-line Cactus Show be viable?

[Jeff S]

I think this is a great idea,if enough members are interested in organising and taking part,then why not?.

Some people will always try to cheat the system,just don't let them spoil your enjoyment.

[Phil_SK]

Fair point, Brian.

[Angie]

I think a online show would be good fun and the suggestion that all forum members judge them, that could be great.
Most judges have a different opinion about the same plant and many judges (the forum members) might give a better win

[Apicra]

The undeniable fact is that plant shows do raise standards of cultivation and provide enjoyment to many people. If the opportunity to show can be provided to a wider audience, that will be good for our hobby and the BCSS.

There was a lot of moaning about cactus shows in this old Forum thread, but I think that exhausted the subject:

http://www.bcss.org.uk/forum/read.php?1 ... #msg-43100

Ok, so a proposed on-line show will suffer from the same problems that real plant shows suffer e.g. money buying some prizes, but that is obvious and off-topic really. So, please keep this thread focused upon the proposed on-line show, rather than about shows in general.

Best wishes,
Derek Tribble

[Apicra]

Let me clarify some of the points about judging at BCSS cactus shows. When an exhibitor puts a treasured cactus on the showbench, the objective is not for judging by peers, but by experts. I know that is an unfashionable word, but it is the crux here. An ideal judge will have experience of both growing the plant (or similar ones) and ranking them using an agreed pointing system. Usually there is general agreement about desirable factors for excellence, but you need a pointing system to weight these factors into a balanced judgement. Showing & judging can be controversial & complex and that is why the BCSS operates a Shows Committee just to preside in this area.

So you will get different results if you ask a qualified BCSS judge, compared to asking general Forum members to vote, who are less likely to have the knowledge beforehand about how fast different species grow and how difficult they are to cultivate. That is, quantity of opinion does not compensate for quality of opinion! But of course, if it was practical to get a lot of qualified judges together, with a lot of specialist experience, then you would get "better" decisions than a single judge could provide.

So, I would expect the BCSS to insist that the services of a qualified BCSS judge is used for the principal judging of the proposed on-line cactus show, if the "BCSS brand" is to be used.

That said, it is good to get people involved with the judging process and have their say. There is no reason why there should not be an additional "People's Choice" award in every class and I have advocated that idea in the past. Again, this Phorum system does already provide a mechanism for voting with just about acceptable security. Forum members could send their votes via a "Private Message" to the on-line Show Secretary (who would have to check that they only vote once per class), assuming nobody has registered more than once for our Forum.

The Show Secretary will have the final say, but would you be happy with both these judging proposals?

Best wishes,
Derek Tribble,
BCSS Approved Judge

[Lindsey]

Yes Derek, I agree with you about the "experts" (in this context, the BCSS-approved judges) and the "People's Choice". Both are valid methods of judging plants, but they should be kept separate.

[IanW]

Sounds like a great idea.

Regarding the worry about people showing dead plants or old plants, the solution is quite simple - make sure it's photographed alongside a recent newspaper and when the photo is submitted verify that paper's date against the submission date.

Plants people haven't owned long are always a problem for shows of course real or virtual.

I don't see too much reason not to go ahead with it - there doesn't have to be prizes even, it's just a bit of fun.

It's not as if it'll decrease the amount of people attending real shows either, it's a shame some people in the BCSS have such luddite points of view towards things like this as if the internet is a threat to the society when it's actually a massive boon if it's embraced in ways such as this rather than treated like something evil. It's also not as if everyone can attend the real life meetings either, so it helps open up participation to members who otherwise can't participate.

Peter, regarding your comments - surely that's the same issue you face with any show online or off and just a problem with showing in general than it is an online show?

I'd say give it a go, it's not like there's anything to lose!

[Peter]

Seems that the general consensus is that most Forum folk reckon it's a good idea!

All it needs now is somebody to organise and maintain the project. I can't do it as I've stated a few qualms but perhaps somebody with more available time could raise their arm....

[lenbell]

I'm in favour of those judging proposals. It should be more than a popularity contest.

[Rogan]

I agree with Chris that keeping EXIF information intact would be an imperative. As an 'international' member I would certainly appreciate more interaction with members of the Society and this would be a great way to do so - on second thoughts, I don't think I've got the temerity to exibit my crutty plants beside the perfect specimens I see proudly displayed regularly on this forum and in the Journal!