Some Changes in How Blogs are Scored in Experimenting Challenges

I think it make perfect sense and while it make scores more variable, it is still pretty deterministic. I think, you can now refer blogs in the score table under their names. For example "Introductory blog" instead of "Extra Blog 1", "Kit Overview Blog" instead of "Extra blog 2", and so on. It will make it more clear for challengers to see what they should write.

I also like addition of tutorial blog. I wrote tutorials in case of previous competitions (like   Blog #2: Introduction to MAX40080  and Blog #4: Tutorial: Using ZMOD4510 with Renesas EK-RA2L1 and FSP ) but after score methodology changed, there were just no space for this kind of blogs. It is nice to see opportunity to write them again.

Tutorials are by the way my most read blogs here on Element14 community, so I think there is huge demand on them and it would be nice to see at least one tutorial written by each challenger.

That is a most interesting scoring system.

I think a potential issue is that a blog may not be a singular type. What if a blog shows an unboxing and an experimental design? Will it score both? Or the higher of the two?

In theory, all blogs could be of a tutorial for best score, without much regard to quality? (i.e. difference in blog type score outweighs the 10 point rank score, potentially even the 15 point video+images modifier noting we have little control of what staff choose to promote on socials).

This, in my view, forms a strict disincentive to write any introductions or overviews (20-25pt) category because anything classed as a tutorial or experiment will earn double without any difference in possibility of earning additional bonus points.

It is also interesting to see there is no "cap" to points - so a single blog could be scored 55 (type) + 30 (bonus) + 10 (rank) = 95 points. This puts a lot more (potential, but variable) voting power back in the hands of element14 which is perhaps not a bad thing.

There is also the potential for category overlap - when is a technology overview different from a tutorial on how to use a given component, and when is a tutorial about how to use a component different from an application build?

I feel this is perhaps pushing towards five tutorial-experiment hybrid blogs as the best way forward.

- Gough

I asked my self some of those questions as well. I had a thought about how to resolve it, but I wanted to see what other people felt. So, let's say that one blog covers an introduction, and overview and an unboxing of a kit. How should it be scored. One way would be to be additive. So it would be worth 20 + 25 = 45 points. 

I hope my comments weren't construed as criticism. I think e14 contests are run well and are a lot of fun. My comments were to try and help members score better in the time available. The new rules provide clarity and I like them, but they will be harder to administer and I worry that they may deter some members. It will be interesting to see them in action.

Sometimes what I do is really dictated by my boss and the supplier. The supplier (sponsor) usually likes to see its products talked about. So, yes, the above system would push people to write about experiments. Previously, I had placed limits. I like the point system; I am getting less complaints since I started using the points. But I'm now feeling quality and how to accurately score for a blog's true and inherent worth. If a blog covers a number of the things I mention above, it wouldn't be fair to grade it like a simple blog that does not. So, I guess that implies I am taking off the limit. 

This opens up the obvious - what if I write a blog that is a tutorial (walks people through the ”how”), experimental design+data+conclusion (shows people the ”what”) but is also done through an application (perhaps explaining the "why")? Wouldn't that become a theoretical 100-point blog score (on top of which, bonuses and ranks would be handed out)?

As with every contest, knowing the rules is the first step to potentially playing the game, or winning. If this is the golden path, then I will do my best :).

- Gough

Mention it. Make it explicit. It will be clear to the participants.

I'd pass on that roadtest opportunity though. I'm an engineer. The device will drive my review.

Interesting scenarios. That is, if someone packed an experiment's results, a tutorial, an application, and an overview in the blog, would they get a ton of points, additive? Obviously, no. Thinking out loud here: I'd probably look at what was the essential purpose of the blog: to teach, to report or to provide back ground information? teach = tutorial; report=experiment; provide general information = overview. So, it seems I need to work on the scoring guidelines for combination blog situations. 

That packed blog can be considered as final blog, I think.