Where is the ANN Bitcointalk Bitcoin Pumpkin Carving Contest 2026 competition?

[OgNasty]

- Numerous cheaters that might flock the contest.
- Lack of organizers since the past one had a problem. Respect still though.
- No sponsors.

As the above post has said it already, I also feel the disappointment, but aside from that, I would also say "F*ck you" to all cheaters out there especially during the last contest where it affected almost everything including this pumpkin contest. Also because of that, there might be no sponsors that are willing to spend their money for the contest anymore after what happened.

Well, I guess we might see a thread in the future where we could just create our own pumpkin then post it here. I mean it's not about the prize, right?  

I would think that this year with the progress of AI, holding an event like this would be significantly easier than in the past as well as much less work.  A website could be created that puts 2 random entries against each other with the user picking which is better.  That makes it more fun for more people to quickly and easily participate in something like this as judges.  No more 1 vote and instead a ton of inputs from far more users that could be used to determine a winner more fairly.  I could probably create this in a couple hours while watching a movie, but don't think that it is appropriate for me given my exclusion from the trust network.  Someone with the trust of the community should do it if people care.  It isn't a difficult task.

Anyone could organize an event like this with minimal time.  That doesn't seem like a big issue.

No sponsors?  What is the value of prizes for something like this?  I'm sure there are more than enough people here who would be willing to contribute if the community wanted to see this happen.

No prices, also no merit  

A reason that was given for stripping me of my merit source efforts was that I gave merits to people who entered a contest like this...

Me too.  

Really?  That's not how I remember it...

Theymos has responded to my request to be removed as a merit source.  No more working for free.  

[Vod]

A reason that was given for stripping me of my merit source efforts was that I gave merits to people who entered a contest like this...

Me too.  

Really?  That's not how I remember it...

You can't remember making 22,000 BTC off your ponzi.  It was still a reason I was given.  

[cryptoaddictchie]

Would this not also demotivate some real users that may have joined? Incentives do not only attract cheaters, honest players with a little bit of an interest or a lot of it, will be more tempted to join if there is some reward to be won than when there is not.

Little to no incentive will not be call it a contest anymore. Usually if theres a contest its rarely not to have a reward cause thats what most joined for and it depends on the contest context or idea. If its about arts or like the pumpkin contest, only few who are into it will join probably none if theres no prize rewards. But for the sake of their passion maybe a few will do!

We can test that if someone opened up a contest about it with no/little incentive and let see how many will join.

[Don Pedro Dinero]

Would this not also demotivate some real users that may have joined?

They’ve already got the pizza competition to keep them motivated. Why should the forum motivate people so that they can decorate pumpkins, Christmas trees or whatever else they can think of, when we’ve seen in recent years that cheating and account farming are common in such competitions?

[Mahiyammahi]

I was in local market , I saw these pumpkins.

They we're laughing at me . Where is your excitement towards pumpkin day? why you're not picking the best looking large pumpkin to celebrate? Why you're not picking me ?

So you guys are become so much matured that you forgot to celebrate, smile , contribute.

When children come to your door on Halloween night, dressed up and excited to collect candy, do you turn them away?

Kids celebrate Halloween because they enjoy dressing up and getting candy. That's exactly what Halloween is about!

So now some merits are watching as a burden and you guys turned this out a dead festive.

[FinneysTrueVision]

There were a few users who have been accused of using AI recently and I suspected the timing of when they joined might have something to do with the pumpkin contest. They are also active in the same local boards that previous contest abusers were from. I’ve never followed these contests too closely, but if the sponsorship funds were being wasted on cheaters, it doesn’t really seem like something that’s worth continuing. Those funds would be better spent on competitions where there is genuine engagement.

[Upgrade00]

Why should the forum motivate people so that they can decorate pumpkins, Christmas trees or whatever else they can think of, when we’ve seen in recent years that cheating and account farming are common in such competitions?

I never said the forum has to motivate people, I was pointing oit that if a contest was organised in off topic with no reward it will not attract the cheaters neither will it the real users.
I do not follow any of the contests closely, but if the cheating has become too difficult to manage they should rightly be discontinued.

[DPHOR]

Believe you can also hit up the host to know whether he or she has lose interest to keep hosting it and if you would take over trying hitting and see his response then you can start it up for people to continue dropping their art work.
Although, I am also a bit surprised why it hasn't been posted till date maybe, who knows the organizer maybe wanting to post it at the end of the year were they could use it to end up the year 2026 and the reward can be distributed within the January periods.

[Mia Chloe]

Why wasn’t the 🎃 Bitcointalk Bitcoin Pumpkin Carving Contest 🎃 held this year? Has everyone forgotten about it, or has the world simply run out of pumpkins?

I’ve never really participated actively in the pumpkin contests before now and so far from what I have read in this thread it seems because the last set of persons who won the last contest were eventually considered guilty of cheating they decided to skip the contest this year.

Well personally I think we should be considering ways to prevent cheating rather than just throwing away the contest instead.

[IjawMan]

There were a few users who have been accused of using AI recently and I suspected the timing of when they joined might have something to do with the pumpkin contest. They are also active in the same local boards that previous contest abusers were from. I’ve never followed these contests too closely, but if the sponsorship funds were being wasted on cheaters, it doesn’t really seem like something that’s worth continuing. Those funds would be better spent on competitions where there is genuine engagement.

What if the contest is been done without any form of monetary rewards attached to it, cause it is the money rewards that has attracted the much cheating in the pumpkin contest.

I have not been following the contest closely but when I went on to read few pages from the last contest it was embarrassing what people do to make sure they cheat their way to get other people's money in a contest they hosting for the love of it.

It is time the pumpkin contest gets open for the love of it and that is when we will begin to see real lovers of the contest participating and cheaters backing out cause the only reward will be for honour. Like the honour badge a soldier receives for doing something exceptional for his country, same way the forum can offer to give honour badges to the winners of the contest which will last for a duration of a year till next contest.

Real users who understands the value of it will participate. This can be an opportunity for the forum to have a big contest that does not come with a financial reward as motivation for participation but for the love and value of it participants are participating.

[Lucius]

~snip~
Actually, what I don’t understand is why we have to put up with a competition like that on Meta. I get the Pizza Day one, because of its symbolic significance in the history of Bitcoin, but pumpkins? Why don’t we do one with Christmas trees as well? As long as they include a little Bitcoin symbol somewhere, that’d be fine.

I assume for the sake of visibility - to attract as many participants as possible and for whoever donates for the prizes to receive the best possible promotion. I personally have nothing against such things happening on the forum, especially if it makes the members happy - but the rules should be much stricter in order to try to prevent those who cheat, and the fact is that such competitions attract them in large numbers.

[uchegod-21]

There were a few users who have been accused of using AI recently and I suspected the timing of when they joined might have something to do with the pumpkin contest. They are also active in the same local boards that previous contest abusers were from. I’ve never followed these contests too closely, but if the sponsorship funds were being wasted on cheaters, it doesn’t really seem like something that’s worth continuing. Those funds would be better spent on competitions where there is genuine engagement.

What if the contest is been done without any form of monetary rewards attached to it, cause it is the money rewards that has attracted the much cheating in the pumpkin contest.

Go through the replies on this thread and you would see that this question has been answered. Once people notice that there is a contest ongoing in the forum, they will join for merits. So you see, even if there are no financial rewards, they still have nothing to lose.

I don't join contests on this forum but in previous years, I visit the contest threads to admire people's work and I must say, it is usually an interesting activity. It is just unfortunate that cheaters have ruined that fun. Rather than erasing this kind of contest completely, the organisers should be very strict with the rules such that suspected cheaters are given deserving punishments.