Ideas

Well said, Torta! Oh I too love the idea of badges. We cake makers love our egos fed! That’s a sure fire way to add to the “addiction factor” – which will bring in members.

Michal, I hope these ideas don’t make us appear ungrateful for all you have done to provide us with a wonderful, new “happy cake place.” If you’re really receptive to ideas or feedback, I’ll post little thoughts here as they occur to me. I wonder if there’s a way to “like” a comment if someone compliments your cake or provides an answer, etc. Maybe it’s here and I’m missing it? If not, that would be an awesome addition. ~ Peggy

Ok, ok, adding to my black list ..PeggyDoesCake, Tortacouture … just kidding :))

*tortacouture: *

1. Since there were just few members and still only some of them are returning, we’ve decided to use selecting random winner. In the future we would like to have contest were members will be able to vote for best cakes.

2. I get this suggestion from other member here at CD already. I think it’s a good idea so I will keep it in mind and hopefully will have time to implement that in near future.

3. Most commented doesn’t mean they are the best. Everyone(the owner of the cake too) have the opportunity to comment cakes and I don’t think that whoever will comment his own cake only because he wants his cake to be on the top of the most discussed cakes page.

PeggyDoesCake

No, we don’t have anything like “like” a comment yet. If you would like to compliment someone’s cake, you could post short comment. I know it’s easier to click on the like button, but I think that short comment – “Good job”, “nice cake” – would please the cake author much more.

And the last one for all members: I know that competition is good way to improve the quality of your cakes, but we don’t want CakesDecor to be a place of mere competition. We would like the CakesDecor to be a place where people can find inspiration, interesting information and also talk to people who love cake decorating.

Thank you for your suggestions, I hope my answers satisfies you.

I totally get it about the LIKE button, and you are so right that a short nice is “better.” We’ve just become a spoiled lot.

I don’t personally think of cake competitions as a way to improve necessarily, I just see it as a big draw. It’s the kind of thing that makes me lurk about and check back 1,000 times. I currently “hang out” at places that offer competition, because even though I’ve never won anything, the anticipation is such a blast.

Thank you so much for all you’re doing for us and for taking the time to personally respond. We must seem terribly ungrateful. Black list indeed!

As someone who is still middle of the field in the cake decorating world, I kind of appreciate that it’s random and not based on skill (at the moment), because you know your own work and you know your chances of winning. There’s a competition here in Australia to win tickets to Buddy’s show when he comes in Feb, and I know I won’t win but I have entered anyway. Sometimes it’s just a little disheartening ;)

Other than that I have to say this is a great website, and I feel comfortable with posting here much more than anywhere else!

Monnie brings up a good point (lol and maybe more work and headache for Michal) there are many newbies and amatuers who work super hard on their projects and it’s not fair for them to compete against decorators who do this for a living or having been decorating for 20 + years. Maybe, there should be different catagories for contests- one for amatuers and one for professionals (maybe one for kids, seniors etc…but this can be worried about when there are 100,000 members,lol) This is how many competitions are run all over the place with the different catagories (ie: state fairs)- something to think about. I like the badge idea a lot…Peggy is right- we annoy our husbands and loved ones with our obsessive ways and really need the strokes of the internet and approval of our peers to keep us going-and badges will keep us all coming back for more,lol.

I agree with Monnie and Corrie. As someone very new to cake decorating it would be hard to be in a competition with very seasoned people. I know as newbie I really need my ego stroked to help me validate the time and money I am investing in this new adventure I have decided to embark on. I don’t always trust what my family and friends say. They are just being nice because they have to be :)

I value comments from strangers a whole lot more. I think categories for the competitions when the site gets big would be awesome. Just my 2 cents on the topic :)

Just so everyone knows – I’m no seasoned decorator, I’ve only been doing this for about 7 or 8 months. I do think though, that have different categories within each competition so that there is a more fair way of awarding prizes is a good idea.
I still have to say though the random factor still just doesn’t do it for me at all. I understand that it’s a way of enticing people to the site, but it’s not something that would attract me to a site or make me stay.
I get your point Michal about this site being about learning and sharing rather than competing, but I happen to believe that when you compete for something, it brings out the best in your skills and forces you to learn new ones – it’s giving you something to shoot for and something to force you to up your game.

On the point of most discussed, with all due respect I think it’s crazy to assume that people won’t purposely post comments on their cakes to keep them at the top of the most discussed – it’s more exposure for them and I could bet my life on the fact that people will do that. As we’ve all agreed, us cakers like our ego’s stroked, so having your cake at the top of the most discussed list is another way to give your ego that extra boost.

I know I sound like a right debbie downer lol – and yeah I’m probably quite rightly on your black list!!! lol There is a far greater list of the things I already LOVE about this site, so please don’t think I’m not appreciative at all, just some food for thought :)

If cake competitions are by category, Torte Couture and I would both be in the entry level group. We’re both beginners and we don’t own shops, so we are actually speaking on behalf of the beginners. Random contests are wonderful, but I think of those as “drawings” for a “prize winner” – not cake “contest” winners. There is no pride attached to winning, but it would still be fun to win a gift!!

if you two are entry level, then we’ll have to open a “sub” catergory for me!! ha ha!!

OK, me again!

Could there be a sub section of the ‘recipes’ forum for scratch and doctored? This way I don’t have to trawl through recipes to find scratch ones?