As some of you may have noticed by now, OSNews has started using icons from the Tango Project to replace many of our old icons. You can spot the new icons conveniently on the topic page. In the Tango icon library we have found numerous icons we could use, but understandably, Tango was not made for OSNews: we cannot replace all the icons we want with Tango icons - yet. And this is where you come into play. So, read on for the rationale behind choosing the Tango icon set, and how you can help us - and win a subscription to our ad-free version!
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Member since:2005-06-28
>What about the others who "lost"? Screw them?
No, they simply lost. That's what a COMPETITION means.
However, it would be possible to use DIFFERENT icons from DIFFERENT artists, in which case, they should all get a subscription.
>contract a professional designer
OSNews is not News.com with millions in the bank.
Member since:2005-06-29
No, they simply lost. That's what a COMPETITION means.
This is why it's just plain wrong to do it. This is like considering graphic design as just a poor job that is only worth...A contest. Like on an assembly line: Produce in mass and throw away all that doesn't meet the quality requirements. The difference is that graphic design is done by human beings, during their free time, and their time is as valuable as yours, so is their work.
Member since:2005-12-15
I can see why you're doing it, to save money. I can understand that. At the end of the day it has to come out of someone's pocket and I don't see anyone here opening their wallet.
As an alternative if this 'competition' doesn't work out, you could find some to-buy icons/icon sets and then see if the community would be willing to donate to purchase them?
There's plenty of freebies on the Internet anyways: http://www.freeiconsweb.com/
Member since:2005-06-29
The entire Tango icon set has been made... For free. Without even ANY reward. So, what is your issue here? There are enough people out there who *enjoy* making icons (I am actually one of those, I am making my own iconset, but that one isn't suitable for OSNews), and are more than willing to do it for free.
In fact, I know enough graphic designers who would create those icons for OSNews for free, just out of being nice. However, I chose to make a nice contest out of it, giving everybody an equal chance - even people I do not know.
I do it to be nice, but if you don't appreciate that, fine. Just please don't come off as an ass doing so.
RE[2]: Why always treating graphic designers like crap?
Member since:2005-07-08
They did have programming related contests before, nobody is being discriminated... Hiring a professional to draw a handful of symbols is clearly overkill and the chances are actually very good that they'll receive a decent set of icons. Heck the only reason I don't try it myself for fun is, that I'm quite sure that someone else will submit a better effort. 
Member since:2007-07-10
when you put it that way, it's hard not to feel bugged for the icon designers. Stuff like the tango project, everaldo's work, and I'm sure the oxygen project (when we see it) is much, MUCH more than a handful of symbols.
Member since:2006-01-25
You realize thats how it works with code too, even if its not as formalized of a contest (or sometimes, it is)... for example, gnome had its gnome bounties projects where they had things they wanted done for certain applications, and the person to implement it the best got the money and the code went into that application. The rest of the code was thrown out. Also, for little (bragging rights, ability to put it on a resume?) to no reward, the recent scheduler issue in the linux kernel had competition between a few people creating different schedulers. The code that was not chosen for inclusion in the kernel was thrown out. Relax, its not just graphic designers. I did an unpaid internship a few summers ago, creating a 3D models of quite a few different things for a simulation program, and after I completed the internship, a large amount of what I did was thrown out and contracted out to be completed to be done overseas.
This happens everywhere. It should be an expected part of life in a world run without a dictatorship.
Member since:2005-07-01
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2006-02-01
Sure, why not?
A while ago the Banshee project had a contest to write a plug-in to implement the "mini mode" sported by most other media players. The "prize" was something like a mention on the project leader's blog, and a beer if they ever happened to be in the same place.
Were they taking programmers for granted? Were they insulting programmers by offering such a small reward? Should they have contracted a professional programmer, rather than relying on "poor/stupid freelancers"? What about the people who lost? Screw them?
In my experience, people contributing icons and other graphics are respected (and thanked) just as much as other volunteers who give up their free time to programme, create packages, write documentation, administer websites, triage bugs, and so on.
Member since:2007-05-04
Because treatment -as- crap, where license is taken and resold to appear in a hideously composed ad later, and the attribution for the hideous part falsely given to the icon author, does not work on her Smartphone?
She waived the entry fee! What do you want? Jet service to the Venice Biennialle 32x32 (and under)? Should we donate 7000 lira to the cause of good vegetarian ricotta? The cover of Oprah Magazine for 3 months?
Ah...no wait, I get it; she is trying to only occupy the time of -bad- designers, otherwise out there making boxy solar designs that look like a 2004 Cadillac is parked in the attic, hiding from Deceptacons.
Member since:2005-07-06
I agree with you 100%.
It infuriated me with my current employer when I started. I had to redesign a web app that we sold to make it nicer and more functional. All well and good but I'm no graphic designer and when I asked for some money to buy decent icons or to get one of our associated graphic designers to do some I was told to go find some freebies online.
Why oh why is graphic design relegated so often to this dirty tail ender option...?
Member since:2005-08-18
"contract a professional designer, don't rely of poor/stupid freelancers."
Nice job tarnishing the freelancers. Btw, what in the hell has this got to do with OSS?
"What about the others who "lost"? Screw them?"
They still own their work so they can do whatever they want with it. If you cant handle losing, dont join a competition.
Hopefully your attitude isn't typical for a graphic designer otherwise, well, maybe the problem isn't on the OSS side.
Member since:2005-07-06
I disagree. Especially for starting graphics designers this contest could be an add or a start for a portfolio.
Just as it is hard for beginning game developers to get a job at the game developer companies without experience.
OpenSource can be a great step stone. In addition i imagine a slashdot icon like icon of B.Gates with borg spectacles for anything MS related :-)
Edited 2007-09-17 05:56
Member since:
2005-06-29
Would you organize a contest for the best device driver coding? No. So why asking for tens of people to create icons, spend their time and throw away 90% of them? You will say "If you don't want to participate, don't". Ok, but still. The open-source community is complaining that open-source application look like crap, yet you always consider graphic designers as idiots. If you want a good job in graphic design for the open-source, contract a professional designer, don't rely of poor/stupid freelancers. Don't be surprised if there are so few graphic designers interested in helping out or to give their free time. What about the "reward"? Isn't this ridiculous? When the reward is so small, it's better not to offer anything at all instead of insulting the guys. I mean, come on, are his hours or evenings of work worth only an OSN subscription? What about the others who "lost"? Screw them? I hope one day the open-source community will realize how they treat graphic designers and respect more their work. If I could draw these icons, I would definitely not help, for these reasons. Argh...This drives me so mad...!