Ok, well this began as a a simple exercise with a simple brief. To design and build a website which must grow alone with no marketing(paid for) in 7 days. The user has to contribute to the development of the site for no incentive. Site will run for undetermined time frame which will end at 1 days notice. Site with most user contribution is developed further. (1 of 4 sites)
Not sure about the others, but that doesn't help me much lol
We have chose graphic designers (maybe a mistake) hoping that this is a group of users that would work for enjoyment rater than incentive.
Bad choice, we're (graphic designers) probably the most incentive orientated lot you could ever find
Although initially this seemed like a very self explanatory idea and site, it is obviously not. 3 weeks and no bites! We have tried to introduce illustrators but we'll see how that goes.
It is a LONG way from being self explanatory and from what I'm reading you have trouble explaining it clearly if I'm honest... thats never a good thing.
I still personally feel the site will look more interesting if populated, and the content is the focus but that's the hard part.
Chicken and the Egg, you needed to get content 'before' the site (it's the egg for anyone wondering... pretty easy question really)
A big question is, as a user, would you not contribute to a site because you don't like it (look feel) or because you have to actually create
something for no gain or little purpose?
Simple way of putting it - my 'professional' time costs money, I want something out of it if I'm going to contribute. I'm also less likely to contribute when 1) I don't understand the point/idea (which I still don't really - see later) and the site hurt my eyes, serious your site is dreadful in my opinion. The dots are distracting, the font treatment is amateur and the fact that 90% of the site is an image means its seo is basically zero - meaning no benefit for us and no content for you.
If the reason is because of the look, would you still not contribute if you knew the site was receiving a lot of hits per month?
See above, the site is 90% image, the seo of the site is basically zero so the odds of your sit getting lots of hits per month is well pretty much zero. Besides, number of hits isn't the metric that most people would grade a site these days, in most people's world, low hits but big turnover from those hits is better than lots of hits and no return.
Lets break it all down from my understanding////
Your site is basically a:
showcase site with a link to my site - there are LOTS of sites like this... pinterest is an obvious one...
the site could close tomorrow +1 day - yeah real incentive to do work this one....
I have to spend time 'creating' a custom avatar which I don't get paid for - really, not everyone has time to spend doing a cartoon character
You have no incoming page hits due to no advertising - again, no gain for us
People are likely to leave your site before getting to our parts because of the design of the site - what is the point in us doing work for a site where no one is going to understand what it's about...