Shirt.Woot

Still no more rejections, huh?

superspryte wrote:It hasn't been this bad until the past couple weeks.<SNIP>

Yeah, Zenne take heart, these forums are generally not this bad. Really it's a pretty good group of people. I try not to get involved in the drama (personality type: conflict avoider). I like your designs this week and I hope you stick around.

superspryte wrote:It's 11:30 in wootland. They may be doing it later. They may have left it alone because of what's going on here (highly unlikey...it's never stopped them before). I think there's something going on in wootland.

They probably have the site up on a projector in their conference room giggling at the stuff going on in here the last couple of days while they break open a bottle of monkey wine and get hammered. Later the reject button will be pushed with glee as they find new and devious ways to explain (or not explain) their rejections. I predict we will hear new rule numbers cited, i.e, "Rule 44: No stethoscopes"

Oh and I also think yesterday was the reject button's sabbath, so it got to do nothing all day.

superspryte wrote:The sign rule was because there have been an excessive number of signs submitted; it makes sense.

Joking....

Josephus wrote:Having followed the derby from its inception, I'd like to give a little perspective for some who seem to have forgotten the beginning of the derby. the derby started as a place where people without design experience could submit their ideas for shirt designs, get them voted on, and woot would print the most popular shirt. The "what is woot" page still describes it that way. The "talented designers" who are alleged to have been run off probably ought to have been submitting their designs directly to woot all along.

What seems to have happened instead is that the derby has run off all of the people with good ideas without design experience, thanks to all of the experienced designers who have moved in for what they perceive as easy money. The poor hacks like me in general have little chance every week, and most get no notice at all.

On the other hand, the voters do have their own opinions. They vote more for what they see as good t-shirts, t-shirts that they would wear, not great designs.

Just look at klswoot's "designers at work" entry. It is a really cool design- and how clever that ladder of pins is! But apparently the voters recognize that on their chests, no-one will really be able to figure out what they're wearing. many of the really 'excellent designs' are just not that great for a shirt, and the voters know it.

There is widespread hatred for Bryan's hoodie design- but it will make a neat looking shirt, and that is why it continues to get votes. and that is why it should get printed if it wins. It will be a neat shirt to wear, though I will be continually disappointed as I try to put my hands in that pocket in front and push them instead down into my pants. those are some cold hands!

josephus your so awesome... i was worried i'd be tempted with fake pockets too

KenSPT wrote:If such "talented designers" can't come up with a design that stands out in such a vast "sea of lousy designs", are they really that talented?

The goal of the Derby is to get votes, to come up with a design that people like. It shouldn't matter if that's a design that someone who's never designed a shirt before did up in 5 minutes, or if it's a design from a "talented designer"that he or she spent hours sweating over.

At the end of the day the people vote, everyone has a right to throw their stuff out there, and it's up to the visitors to decide what they do and don't like.

If you don't like the quality of the Derby entries, then don't vote for them and don't buy them. It's a simple concept Brizz, but instead you opt to come across as a bitter, pretentious, crybaby.

ah, more adoring fans. *swoons*


Everyone has the right to throw there crap out there, and everyone else has the right to call it crap. I'm not sure when it was decided you can't criticize an entry. That's an interesting take on that whole democracy angle you guys like to hang your hats on. It is indeed a very simple concept, but one you and the other haters seemingly fail to grasp. It goes both ways my friend, and I am free to express my feelings - good and bad - about the best shirts, as well as the most atrocious of them. When I am feeling sad about the decline of western civilization as manifested in the shirt.woot derbies, saying a few words against those abominations makes me feel better.

I'm not bitter, certainly not pretentious, and i'm not a crybaby. I readily admit my inability to design well, and have enjoyed buying many wonderful shirts from woot - especially the derbies. It just makes me sad to see so many people flock to crap as some sort of statement. It is hilarious to me that you think voting for the hoodie because of the criticisms somehow "Shows them." shows what? It will amuse me to no end if it does get printed and no one buys it. Dozens have admitted to voting for it out of spite - which is pretty damned silly. I vote for things I would like to own. but that's just me.

What's funny is that my opinions seem to garner all kinds of comments and personal insults towards me, when I've done nothing but express my own personal likes and dislikes for some designs. I've never attacked anyone, called anyone names, etc. Yet you who claim to be the model of self-restraint and defenders of pure capitalism can't respond without attacking me as a person. That's very telling, and ultimately only serves to reinforce my overall point. So thank you.

Have a wonderful day. and may the best woot win.

brizz wrote:You are correct, you don't have to justify anything to the community - it's up to you whether you will be honest or not. And i'm not bitter bryan, I happen to really like shirt.woot and what it offers. And for a while the derbies were generating some great shirt designs by some talented people. But the derbies have been in a bit of a freefall quality wise in my opinion, and that of many others. I'm not alone in feeling this way, i just say it more often i guess. For whatever reason, people seem determined to run off the most talented contributers, whether it's out of jealousy, feeling threatened, whatever...I don't know. You know your hoodie shirt is a joke. And you are fine with profiting from that if it's not rejected. But don't pretend it's a great design....it's not. I just wish there was some limitation that would encourage the better designers to participate more, and prevent the beginners from randomly throwing out the same crap every week.

So what I am isn't bitter, but frustrated that the allure of $ has inspired hundreds of people who have no business designing anything filling the derbies with crap. the good ones too often get lost in that sea of mediocrity. I've tried a few entries, but know that i'm not artistically inclined. I can work my way around photoshop, and could churn out some lame entries every week if i wanted - but you don't want to see that, I don't want to see that, etc. what's the point? if you want to practice, great. but every little thing you come up with doesn't have to be submitted. That's all i've ever said.

And again, i'll reiterate that I NEVER attack the person...that would be out of line and unfair. i'm sure most everyone are mighty fine people. As for spryte's atlantis, I think it's pretty irrefutable that she livetraced the sandcastle and made some changes to it. you don't have to agree with that. No matter what, however, it's irrefutable that she used the picture to create it - and it was not "100% hand drawn in photoshop with a mouse." She lied. period. And I think that vacuums.

But i'm done with it....it's her thing....she knows what happened, and I don't really care if it gets rejected or not. that wasn't the issue for me - it was the dishonesty.

ok i may be a bit late but

BRIZZ that is a valid point, but thats not how you've been coming off recently...
Also, this site wasn't started so that the world could see the great undescovered talents of the world... the site was created to make money. you can't say people are filling the derbies with crap, or maybe you can, but its crap people will buy... HELLOOOO woot is famous for there random Ballad of Cherishing, and your suprised people buy this stuff... this derby isnt called an art contest nor is it called brizz's fav's
it's a public competetion where the market votes and this "crap" is what they want... and sometimes that vacuums... alot of us have spent hours on an asthetically good peice and got nothin from it... and i agree sometimes the derbies have gotten worse but look at last week the quitting theme turned out pretty damn good, and if you look back plenty of derbies have had dissappointing results in terms of asthetic, but once again, whos to say its dissappointing, when im sure the people who purchased those shirts are happy...

brizz wrote:ah, more adoring fans. *swoons*


Everyone has the right to throw there crap out there, and everyone else has the right to call it crap. I'm not sure when it was decided you can't criticize an entry. That's an interesting take on that whole democracy angle you guys like to hang your hats on. It is indeed a very simple concept, but one you and the other haters seemingly fail to grasp. It goes both ways my friend, and I am free to express my feelings - good and bad - about the best shirts, as well as the most atrocious of them. When I am feeling sad about the decline of western civilization as manifested in the shirt.woot derbies, saying a few words against those abominations makes me feel better.

I'm not bitter, certainly not pretentious, and i'm not a crybaby. I readily admit my inability to design well, and have enjoyed buying many wonderful shirts from woot - especially the derbies. It just makes me sad to see so many people flock to crap as some sort of statement. It is hilarious to me that you think voting for the hoodie because of the criticisms somehow "Shows them." shows what? It will amuse me to no end if it does get printed and no one buys it. Dozens have admitted to voting for it out of spite - which is pretty damned silly. I vote for things I would like to own. but that's just me.

What's funny is that my opinions seem to garner all kinds of comments and personal insults towards me, when I've done nothing but express my own personal likes and dislikes for some designs. I've never attacked anyone, called anyone names, etc. Yet you who claim to be the model of self-restraint and defenders of pure capitalism can't respond without attacking me as a person. That's very telling, and ultimately only serves to reinforce my overall point. So thank you.

Have a wonderful day. and may the best woot win.

you are entitled to your opinion but you could also realize that there is a classy way to say things and calling peoples work a joke or crap isn't the way...

Bryan818 wrote:you are entittled

Tee hee

allawayr wrote:Tee hee

oops ...eh whatever

Sometimes I really wish there were two derbies - one with amateur/joke entries and one with more artistic entries. I know it would never happen, but, at least it has the potential to make both sides happy. And no, I don't want to go to DBH or Threadless, I actually love woot.

I think that the masses will generally win out - after all, look at how independent artsy films do against blockbusters whether they are good or bad. Look at the predominance of really awful tv shows. I could go on and on, but won't.

I, myself, don't have a dog in the race so to speak as I am an artist who doesn't design t-shirts. However, I know what I do like and the artistic, well-thought out, less jokey/cartoony/quick designs appeal to me greatly. I really appreciate what in my mind are designs that people spend a lot of care with. I consistently see them trashed in favor of one liner shirts and other things I won't go into because it would be insulting. But, I will continue to support the designs I personally believe in.

That may not be the majority, but, then again, that's not where I want to be.

Bryan818 wrote:you are entitled to your opinion but you could also realize that there is a classy way to say things and calling peoples work a joke or crap isn't the way...

The internets is serious business. and they most certainly aren't classy. Were my intention to compliment something, sure, but often it is not. The continuous disregard for the rules, failure to follow directions, post things not even remotely on theme - that's the kind of stuff that gets the hammer.

Bryan818 wrote:ok i may be a bit late but

BRIZZ that is a valid point, but thats not how you've been coming off recently...
Also, this site wasn't started so that the world could see the great undescovered talents of the world... the site was created to make money. you can't say people are filling the derbies with crap, or maybe you can, but its crap people will buy... HELLOOOO woot is famous for there random Ballad of Cherishing, and your suprised people buy this stuff... this derby isnt called an art contest nor is it called brizz's fav's
it's a public competetion where the market votes and this "crap" is what they want... and sometimes that vacuums... alot of us have spent hours on an asthetically good peice and got nothin from it... and i agree sometimes the derbies have gotten worse but look at last week the quitting theme turned out pretty damn good, and if you look back plenty of derbies have had dissappointing results in terms of asthetic, but once again, whos to say its dissappointing, when im sure the people who purchased those shirts are happy...

in their own words, it was created to sell "original" designs on t-shirts. something unique and only available here. Yet every week people submit gobs of retreads, unoriginal ideas, and outright stolen shirts. Therein lies the rub that has chafed many a butt cheek in wootdom, including mine.

superspryte wrote:I wanna be the minority. I don't need your authority. I wanna be the minority. Down with the moral majority, 'cause I wanna be the minority...

Green Day says great things. The rest of the song, ah... ^_^

I've been saying that for years, man, I feel ripped off now...j/k.

brizz wrote:in their own words, it was created to sell "original" designs on t-shirts. something unique and only available here. Yet every week people submit gobs of retreads, unoriginal ideas, and outright stolen shirts. Therein lies the rub that has chafed many a butt cheek in wootdom, including mine.

that i can agree with...but those usually get rejected.(except for 5 bucks coffee) many times it's not on purpose many ideas we think are ours have been done... altho sometimes people do blatantly plagerize, but i think we do a fair job of getting rid of those... how many shirts that have won have been done before?
(thats a question, i really am curious)

superspryte wrote:At least two, but dead horse is dead horse. ^_~

but thats on woot and the public, not the designer... and speak all ya want, people are still gona post crap... ahem a certain heather, ryhmes with chickens

Bryan818 wrote:but thats on woot and the public, not the designer... and speak all ya want, people are still gona post crap... ahem a certain heather, ryhmes with chickens

This heather "chickens" person is famous. Is there any way to see her designs now?

superspryte wrote:Oh I meant it's been talked about too much.

sorry u got hit in the cross fire

but your right... enough

ansharp wrote:This heather "chickens" person is famous. Is there any way to see her designs now?

It's been awhile...ask and ye shall receive

The last time we really heard from heatherpickens was the winter derby.

Bryan818 wrote:that i can agree with...but those usually get rejected.(except for 5 bucks coffee) many times it's not on purpose many ideas we think are ours have been done... altho sometimes people do blatantly plagerize, but i think we do a fair job of getting rid of those... how many shirts that have won have been done before?
(thats a question, i really am curious)

this long winded, unnecessary response was deleted to save space, the dumb words are retained for eternity in responses below...

Bryan818 wrote:that i can agree with...but those usually get rejected.(except for 5 bucks coffee) many times it's not on purpose many ideas we think are ours have been done... altho sometimes people do blatantly plagerize, but i think we do a fair job of getting rid of those... how many shirts that have won have been done before?
(thats a question, i really am curious)

hidden message day and aaargyle off the top of my head. "different" but the same as pre-existing (and much better) shirts.

bfassburg wrote:i think the difference between "5 Bucks Coffee" and other designs that look like trademarked logos or copyrighted works is that if something is clearly a parody it is protected by the 1st amendment against copyright claims. Five Bucks coffee is very obviously a parody but could still get woot sued by Starbucks if Starbucks found an argument as to why it isn't parody. They know they take that chance anytime something similar to a protected work is sold, so they really only want to take that chance when it is VERY CLEARLY parody (sorry for the caps, I don't know how to italicize). So, if a design submitted is a traced version of a copyrighted work with no additional content to distinguish it, it looks too similar and gets rejected to avoid the risk of lawsuit. And really, anything that has been done before that is very similar even if unintentionally similar will get rejected for the same reason.

I am just speculating into the mind of woot, but that is what I would do if I were them.

i was talking about the fact that a 7 bucks coffee shirt already exists

superspryte wrote:At least two, but dead horse is dead horse. ^_~

unless your making glue. I heard that some where.
lets PLEASE, move onto talking about something else? or not?
I mean how many pages do I have to skip over because everyone keep harping on the same thing over and over. we get it! We know what you like .and we are working as fast as we can to make your dreams come true....pipe dream never come true...I'd be foolin my self If didn't ...think some like this couldn't happen to you ....I said baby...you gotta man on your mind....you gotta weight on your shoulder...how you ever gonna find the words to say ..goodbye......my last words on the subject.

artulo wrote:It's been awhile...ask and ye shall receive

The last time we really heard from heatherpickens was the winter derby.

That is the person people are making such a fuss about? Unless I saw comments on the board where this person talks like an adult I will never believe those were submitted by an adult.

Bryan818 wrote:i was talking about the fact that a 7 bucks coffee shirt already exists

ohhhh... sorry. For the first few derbies I even knew about I only voted and didn't submit anything or check out the comment boards at all, so I had no idea. thought you were talking about the fact that it rips off starbucks (which is a no brainer). I shouldn't bother with the long entries anyways, its gonna give me a case of that carpet tunnel syndrome.

Editing away last response to save space... clearly not a message needing to take any up.

superspryte wrote:You're going to have to skip a lot of pages. Apparently there's not much else to talk about in the derby thread. ^_^ That's when we go talk in the "off-topic" derby thread. ^_~

thank you very much too.

ansharp wrote:This heather "chickens" person is famous. Is there any way to see her designs now?

isn't heather like 8 years old?