I could see some people feeling their creativity 'stifled' by not being able to use their own judgement and taste in selecting photographic materials to build a tour with, despite the argument that in a 'real' situation with a 'real' client they'd theoretically be 'limited' to what the client had onhand.
However, I'd imagine most designers, like myself, take only clients with subject matter reasonably interesting to themselves; I wouldn't take a scat site, for example, because I wouldn't be able to create a site appealing to the end-user, because to me it's completely offputting. I also feel no qualms about asking the photographers and/or videographers I work for/with for specific material to use in the future for design, promo, whatever.
So, limiting the content wouldn't really establish 'reality' or a more level playing field; at least, I don't think so, and we've already sort of agreed that since this is a graphic design showdown, there's already a lack of 'realism' inherent because in the real world, it's not about how pretty it is, it's about how well it converts. Limiting the content seems even more unfair when you read through the thread and see how many people are actually willing to share content, even if for the contest only, which in itself levels the playing field by allowing everybody some sort of access to something they like, something that inspires them, and something that reflects their style and taste and creativity.
With the new trend in 'ultraniche' categories (balloons, anyone?) exactly who gets to choose WHICH five categories we finally settle on? I could see going with overly general categories, i.e. hardcore, fetish, gay, amateur, but then what becomes important enough to be number five? Lesbian could legitimately be pushed under gay; anal, oral, toys, cumshots, fucking, group all fall under hardcore; fetish covers anything from balloons to butts to piss; maybe the fifth category could be ethnic sites? If so, that might work, it'd still let everyone choose pretty much freely, if you'd consider blonde/brunette/redhead 'ethnic' just like ebony, interracial, asian, and latin...
Unless you broke it down like that, I don't know how you could fairly choose five strict 'categories' (what, no group interracial trannie insertion category?), and really, does the category of the site even matter (as long as it's LEGAL, of course!)? If we delineate the entries like that, it brings the apples/oranges argument back again.
Keeping it simple and open to interpretation is sort of the fun part, I think. Flash and plug-ins aside, this is an artistic free-for-all and on some level, I personally figure the less regulation of ideas and the creative process, the better results we're all going to have, the more fun it will turn out to be, and, I'd bet, in the end it'll turn out to be quite a profitable 'game' for many of us, in some form or another.
Ok that was long winded. Sorry. Just my thoughts... and apparently, there's WAY TOO MANY of them flitting around in there.
Michelle
PS - (Added a minute later) - Don't you think it'd be interesting to see if anybody came up with something really out there like MenstruatingMoms.com or even SatisfyingShitSex.net? Though the chance is an outside one, it will be interesting to see which categories people gravitate toward, and how far some will bother going with it
Yes, I need sleep. That much is obvious, even to me
