Contest Entries Now Display Randomly In Gallery
Decorating By Heath Updated 27 Feb 2014 , 9:30am by rex00
Jackie and I decided to implement a randomizer on the cake contest gallery display.
We decided to do this because we noticed that the first page always seemed to get the most votes, so it became an unfair advantage to be displayed on page one.
So what happens now is that when you go to the gallery, the server generates a random order. The pictures will stay in place as long as you remain in the gallery.
If you only vote on part of the cakes, and then leave cake central, there will be a different order when you return.
We have noticed that this change has dramatically improved the voting distribution resulting in a more fair opportunity for all the entries to be judged.
Excellent idea! I always wondered when would be the best time to enter a pic to get a lot of people to look at it. You guys are so smart!!!
Hey there...I noticed the father's day contest cakes are coming up in the same order each time you look at them...
they should only randomize for each user once per 24 hours.
So if you come back multiple times in the same day, the order will stay the same.
Is this still the case? It seemed like they werent randomized during the holiday contest. I could be wrong though!
i just want to say how impressed i am with every single person on this website not only are you all so helpful but you guys are so nice and fair to everyone!!! i appreciate all that you do and for all those members who have made me feel so welcomed!!! i think the randomizer is a great way to be fair!!!
Awesome ... that's Jackie and Heath .. always working so hard in the background to make this place even better!! Thanks Jackie and Heath!!!!
jackie,
I was just in the contest gallery going from page to page (but staying in the gallery). A few pics I saw three times, just going from page 1 to 10 (and I never left the gallery). Then I left the gallery, went back in and went from page 1 to 10, same problem. Though the second time, I never came across my own pic. Are the pics suppost to move while your in the gallery going from page to page.
Jackie,
I just went back into the gallery to make sure I'm not crazy. I went to page 2, looked at pics. Then went to page 3, looked at pics. Went back to page 2, and they were different. Some of the memorable pics I liked on the original page 2 were gone, then when I went back to page 3, they had moved also, and one of the pics that was on page 2, was now on page 3.
I stayed in the gallery, just going back and forth on pages 2 and 3. They kept changing. Just wanted to give you the heads up. Some people's pics may not get noticed.
Yikes, thanks for letting me know.
For those of you that had this problem:
From this point forward, it should be fixed.
For example, try looking at page 6 of the contest:
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&aid=166&pageID=6
Make a note of the very first photo you see
Then look at page 8
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&aid=166&pageID=8
Then go back to page 6
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&aid=166&pageID=6
Is the very first photo the same? if so, its fixed
Page six should have the same photos as the first time you visited it.
If not, please let me know
Can I ask how this works if you use the next arrow to go through the pics? I was voting through the pics using the next button but had to stop so I clicked on back to thumbnail link so I could see which page I had left off at. I wasn't able to find this out because the next arrow appears to give you pics in random order so you cannot keep track of where you left off at. If I come back later today and use the next arrow key will there be any way I can continue with where I left off?
TIA 
Can I ask how this works if you use the next arrow to go through the pics? I was voting through the pics using the next button but had to stop so I clicked on back to thumbnail link so I could see which page I had left off at. I wasn't able to find this out because the next arrow appears to give you pics in random order so you cannot keep track of where you left off at. If I come back later today and use the next arrow key will there be any way I can continue with where I left off?
TIA
The next / previous buttons use the exact order they are shown to you on the thumbnails page. It may be that you start on thumbnail page "2" the click "next" a number of times, clicking "back to thumbnail list" will take you back to page "2"
If you have clicked "next" through many photos, you many need to go to the next thumbnail page "3" or "4" to start again where you left off.
But no matter what, the thumbnails will be in the same order for you.
They may be in a different order for your friend, but they will stay in that order for you.
The next / previous buttons use the exact order they are shown to you on the thumbnails page. It may be that you start on thumbnail page "2" the click "next" a number of times, clicking "back to thumbnail list" will take you back to page "2"
If you have clicked "next" through many photos, you many need to go to the next thumbnail page "3" or "4" to start again where you left off.
But no matter what, the thumbnails will be in the same order for you.
They may be in a different order for your friend, but they will stay in that order for you.
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for responding so quickly. I just got on again after putting the kiddos to bed.
Maybe what i went through was a fluke. This is basically what I did:
After looking at the first 10 or so pics by the thumbnail view I went through another approx 2 pages worth of photos by clicking on the next arrow before I went back to the thumbnail to check where I was at. That is when I noticed that the last pic I voted on was on page 10. I know that I did not go through that many pages (unless I'm faster than I think 
) because as I was searching for the last pic I voted on I saw so many pics that I know that I had not seen already.
I'll go back and see if it is still the case. 
I'm not sure why but everytime I go into the baby shower contest pictures they are in the same order for me. I have been looking at them since the day the voting started and they haven't changed for me. I guess the reason I've noticed this is because my entry is always on page 13 in the same exact spot. Oh well.
Hey Jackie,
Looks like tonight I did not have the same problem 
. I did however notice the same thing as SueB mentioned above. The pics did not change (at least for the pages I had already voted on)and even if you click on the next arrow if you go back to the thumbnail view it takes you back to the last page that you viewed it in that mode (thumbnail).
Is that how you guys coded it (not to randomize pics we've already voted on that is)?
can anyone tell me who won? havent been able to find anything about the winners....
They sent out the newsletter today with the winners. Here are the results.
1st place - $25 gift certificate
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1331341
2nd Place:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=82923
3rd Place:
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1274622
If you are not currently receiving the newsletter and would like to, you can click on Newsletter (under my account on the left side of the screen) and select yes to receive it).
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