Deskthority Awards 2015 - Request for Comments

[webwit]

Please use this topic to discuss the setup of the next Deskthority Awards. All ideas and input welcome.

The last Awards can be found here for reference.

[Findecanor]

Maybe we could alter the definition of "regular keyboard" to include TKL layouts next year, and let "compact" begin with less than TKL.

Or maybe, we should have fewer categories? Last year we had "Best regular Keyboard", "Best vintage keyboard", "Best self-build keyboard" and "Best space-saving or compact keyboard".

[7bit]

Yes, this owuld be a good idea. Somehow, TKLs are the regular keyboards for most.

Also:
Best keyboard switch or best keyboard should be a switch or keyboard that came into the marked recently. We can still add a best historic keyboard of the year, which would be won by Muirium's Honeywell keyboard.

[Muirium]

I nominate "Best Review" as a new category. Applies to both written and video reviews. (So I can duke it out with Chyros!) You know, if there's space for it.

And I'm tempted to merge those old size categories into a single: Best New Keyboard. Open only to *shipping* commercially available keyboards launched since the last DTAs. I think a single prize would be more competitive.

[webwit]

Yes, Best New Keyboard might work better. My only regret is that, if someone external uses the awards to get a recommendation about a new keyboard, such a person has a size preference and would for instance like a community like us recommend a full-size keyboard. That would be ideal, except it didn't really work because there's not a lot of interest here for full-size keyboards.

[lolpes]

"Best artisan keycap" i thought about best artisan but that would discourage newcomers, so maybe just the best design wins?

"Best Goup buy" in terms of content, how it progressed and how it delivered

"Best new member" only valid to members who joined since the last awards

Some of the ideas that come to mind :p

[Muirium]

Best GB: I like!

[scottc]

+1 for best GB!

Not too fond of "Best Artisan Keycap" - not sure that's really what we're all about here!

[lolpes]

Not too fond of "Best Artisan Keycap" - not sure that's really what we're all about here!

Yeh i guessed so after some tought, Its the DT awards after all

[Muirium]

Exactly. Best GB is a superb idea, though. They deserve a bit of recognition at the end of the year.

We've already got a DTA for best member over all. I won it on my first year, but usually that prize belongs to Matteo, end of story! So one just for newbs is a pretty decent idea too.

[ramnes]

I vote for the "Best GB" award too.

[webwit]

Not convinced yet about best GB, try harder. I'd say, use the Best Deskthority Contributor or The Deskthority Award for great group buys or great new members, or Best keycaps if it was a keycap group buy. If these categories flood at some moment because of too many strong entries, then I might feel different. Also, it would introduce duality for the keycap group buy example - there are now two possible categories for the same thing.

Originally the DT Awards are more of industry awards (best keyboard, best switch etc.) than circle jerk awards (best someone from our community for something). So the first check for a new category would be "Is it interesting in a wider scope, outside this community". Categories like Best keyboard or Best keycaps are interesting for keyboard enthusiasts, dt member or not. Best GB in the past year is not of use outside this community. This setup is not set in stone, and we do have some introvert awards, but I'd like to keep a balance. If I had granted all wishes for new categories over the past years, we'd now have a few industry awards and 30 circle jerk awards were everyone wins. I may sound cold, but it's not that, I would just find that a bit silly or overkill (handing each other many awards) for what's essentially a small hobby club, and building a strong awards event with standing outside DT too is more interesting long term. I think that works better if we have a manageable number of very strong categories, and a good balance between these "industry" and circle jerk categories. And the (strong) categories that DT members do win, it makes it extra special for them too.

[chzel]

Maybe a "Best circlejerk of the year" award?

[lolpes]

Ok i was wanting an explanation like because i was under the impression that it started as community award for DT, and then it went into industry awards. Got it I have to try and think of some ideas then

Although i still like the idea of having an award for newcomers, it's one person, and the awards in itself may entice future members to become more active and to contribute more into DT, than giving the same award to the same person each year, even if they deserve it a lot(props to you matt3o!)

[webwit]

Actually the first edition was a catch-all (and a dt promotion event to get more new members, among some other reasons or grand ideas like Keyboard Oscars) Communities like geekhack were plagued by endless "What's the best keyboard" and "What's the best switch" polls. When one ended, a rival would start another. The Keyboard Oracle provided us with another catch-all relevant at the time ("What keyboard should I buy"). The idea was this would allow more interesting topics to prevail instead of the noise of repetition, without the need of moderation.

[webwit]

Although i still like the idea of having an award for newcomers, it's one person, and the awards in itself may entice future members to become more active and to contribute more into DT, than giving the same award to the same person each year, even if they deserve it a lot(props to you matt3o!)

New members have won big awards here in the past (for example Muirium and elecplus when they appeared in the scene), so it already seems to work fine - their impact was recognized and awarded.

[lolpes]

Okay fair enough

[KRKS]

I suggest giving the Ping to DT already for the last year's voting(we all know which one).

Also I support 7bit's post about best ≥TKL and best <TKL and that the contestants should be boards that came out after last DTA.

[matt3o]

I agree on shrinking the number of categories.

- Best Community Project (not necessarily DT based) could be the catch all for GBs
- Best Commercial Keyboard
- maybe Best news/announcement of the year
- and Deskthority Award (that can be a person, a post, a review or whatever)

Also it might be nice to award the most active posts of the year (excluding the marketplace)

[Muirium]

So long as best photo and best review are still happening, I'm cool with that. More focus would be good for the DTAs.

If we want a Deskthorty Recommendation for every device category, we should work on that, outside the DTAs. Where we could update it more frequently and more relevantly. Rather than mix it in with our annual community backslapping!

[mr_a500]

So long as best photo and best review are still happening, I'm cool with that.

Oh crap! I haven't taken any good photos this year. I better grab my best keyboards and go looking for some cute puppies, some kittens and various other cute fuzzy animals. It's going to be tricky.

[seebart]

So long as best photo and best review are still happening, I'm cool with that.

Oh crap! I haven't taken any good photos this year. I better grab my best keyboards and go looking for some cute puppies, some kittens and various other cute fuzzy animals. It's going to be tricky.

I wanna see a canadian Grizzly battling a Beam Spring.

[mr_a500]

It would be a great photo, but I'd be dead. Even worse than that, my beam spring might get damaged.

[chzel]

NO!
We shouldn't harm animals for the sake of a photo...

(By animal I meant the bear obviously, not Mr_500)

[seebart]

OK guys you're right, no dangerous stuff. But no fluffy hello kitty shots either!

This is what I mean:

Spoiler:

hefd.jpg (66.2 KiB) Viewed 105268 times

[Muirium]

Beware. HAL already has another strong contender. We're all going to have to up our game.

[bhtooefr]

I'm for the idea of Best New Keyboard, after the shitshow that was Best Regular Keyboard 2014.

So, here's my idea for the list of categories:

Best New Keyboard
Best Keyboard Innovation
Best Keyboard Switch
Best Keycaps
Best Pointing Device (should this be new, or in general? It should definitely include regular mice IMO)
Best Input Device Mod
Best Relic or Discovery
Best Company or Brand
Best Input Device Photo
Best Deskthority Contributor
Deskthority Award
*Ping* Award

Also, should we acknowledge mobile keyboards somehow, to try to encourage development there?

[Muirium]

Ahem, Best Review! (Written or video. I'm not necessarily aiming to win it myself…)

Perhaps something broader than best input device mod, too. Like best project? Otherwise that award remains the Xwhatsit Award for Hasu Brilliance!

[seebart]

Best vintage find

Although snuci would win that easily.

[mr_a500]

Can't we get Participant ribbons, so that the losers can feel good too?