So it had been proposed that we run another splash screen contest for GNOME 2.14, and that task was put to me as maintainer of art.gnome.org. It was also suggested that we run the contest for a GDM theme and default background, and not just a splash screen.
However, I have decided that I will not be running a contest (even despite already getting the art.gnome.org configuration ready). This is because of several reasons:
Firstly, it has always been a very difficult contest to run (too many people with differing opinions), and the winner has always brought out negative comments, and hardly any positive ones. The splash screen contests started as a marketing exercise, but I have never felt very good about the publicity it generated.
Secondly, the splash screen is now seen in so few places. All the major distributors replace it with their own branded graphic. It hardly seems worth going to all the trouble for something that probably only developers will see.
Thirdly, it is very likely that the splash screen will soon be redundant, so it hardly seems worth while running a contest for it.
And lastly, we just had a competition for the GUADEC logo and website, so I suspect people might be getting a bit fed up with competitions by now.
However, Andraes has volunteered to do a new lean and simple splash screen, which would hopefully reflect the excellent work that has gone into speeding up GNOME start up. In fact, it may even only appear on your screen for less a few seconds, so you probably wouldn’t even notice it anyway (it disappears in less than two on my desktop currently). We might even make it generic, so that we don’t need a new splash screen for 2.16, if there still is one by then.
Although I understand the reasoning, I always enjoyed making and seeing the new GNOME splash screens. Pity.
Wise choice. I applaud!
Running such a contest I’m sure can be tedious, and I know you have good reasons outlined here for not having one — but I’ve enjoyed the GNOME splashscreens, including the 2.12 crazy-exploding-igloos* artwork. Splashscreens may be fluff, but they’re nice fluff 😉 The GIMP’s splashscreens have always been fun, too — it’s cool to see personality given to new software releases. (I can’t be the only one nostalgic when I see the GIMP splash of 8 years ago …)
I probably is true that not many people see them however it’s a shame their going. I always enjoyed the gnome splashes, also it was cool to see all the entries in the competition, surely it’s another way of marketing gnome too?
Well we could change the about dialogue for GNOME every major release…?