Started PHP-Editors.com PHP programming contest with PHP Classes - PHP Classes blog

By Manuel Lemos
manuellemos.net
<email contact>

Hello,

As it was previously announced, the site PHP-Editors.com is organizing a PHP programming contest on which the contestants are the authors of the class packages contributed to the PHP Classes site.

This initiative is meant to encourage authors to contribute with more and better classes that satisfy several items of quality evaluation that are highly appreciated by the users.

The contest works by ranking the best rated classes by users of the PHP Classes site during the month that just started. By the end of the month, the winners are awarded with prizes defined by the PHP-Editors.com site.

http://www.php-editors.com/class_contest.php

Each class may be rated in five aspects: utility, consistency, documentation, examples and test scripts. The site computes every day an overall rate from the average of each of these ratings considering different weights.

Packages that do not come with documentation, examples or test scripts may not be rated in these aspects, even if the original contributor provides these types of files in another site. This is meant to encourage authors to really contribute to this site with complete and updated classes.

Only users that have downloaded a package may rate it. A user may update his ratings to classes that he already rated previously. The original contributor may not rate his own packages. Only classes with a minimum number of ratings may apply to the contest.

Only contributors that voluntarily express that they want to participate may become contestants. Any author that wants to participate must go in his user options page in the PHP Classes site and check the contest application option:

http://www.phpclasses.org/user_options.html

Once an author applies as a contestant, all his classes qualify to participate in the contest. This includes classes contributed in the past. The only requirement is that they get a minimum number of user ratings in the current month. Here you may find the current contest ranking:

http://www.php-editors.com/class_contest.php?viewboard=y

Even if you are not a class contributor or you are not interested in the contest, you can help by rating as many classes as you can, even of those that are not contestants.

This contest is expected to be repeated every month with new prizes. It is possible that there will be separate regional versions of the contest, but that time to be organized with sites that work with the local PHP communities in specific countries or regions, as long as there is interest to organize and provide the prizes. Stay tuned for more details next month.

Bottom line to all the site users is that rating all the classes, you are giving hints to the authors either to improve their contributions on aspects that matter to all, or providing greater satisfaction to authors that contributed with classes that have helped you solving your problems. So, please do not stop yourself from rating as many classes as you can, whether you have liked them or not.

Regards,
Manuel Lemos